Todd Kelly clocks up two decades of Bathurst 1000 racing

The 2017 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 will boast plenty of milestones but none bigger than Todd Kelly celebrating his 20th start.

Normally the carsales.com.au Nissan Altima racer sports the number #7, but fittingly for this occasion the car will display the number #20.

Todd’s first run at The Mountain happened back in 1998 and since then he has stepped onto the podium three times, including a win in 2003 with Mark Skaife in a Holden Racing Team Commodore.

"This year is my 20th Bathurst," said Kelly. "I can’t believe it’s 20 years. I’m not sure where all those years have gone. It feels maybe like 10, but certainly not 20.

“It feels like yesterday that I was an 18-year-old in my very first Bathurst, down the bottom of The Mountain with the worst nerves I had in my life. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then and a lot of different co-drivers.

“The biggest thing is to get to race around such an amazing place. It’s something I’d love to do for years to come."

This year Kelly will partner young gun Jack Le Brocq, one of the leading contenders in this year’s Super2 development series.

"I don’t think there’s one thing particular thing that makes Bathurst so special. It’s the history of the place, the nature of the circuit and the length of the race. It puts a lot of pressure on everybody," said Kelly.

"If you absolutely nail the weekend you’ve obviously got a Bathurst win under your belt. It’s really one of those events that everything rides on."