After 16 years of trying, Dick Johnson finally saw the chequered flag at Bathurst when his co-driver John Bowe crossed the finish line after 161 laps. Johnson had won the race before, in 1981, but the race that year was shortened because of a crash which blocked the track.

Peter Brock won pole position after the top 10 run-off but he had to face the stewards on Saturday afternoon. His team was charged with using an on-board fire-extinguishing system to direct super-cooled halon gas over the intercooler, thus boosting power for qualifying. The stewards found the charge unproven, but the Entrants Association imposed a $5000 fine on Brock for a moral infringement of the rules.

The field was held for two full minutes on the grid and engine temperatures rose to dangerous levels. Brock got the jump and led until passed by Niedzwiedz on lap 2. A loose rear wheel forced Brock into the pits and Johnson went into the lead of the race on lap 10.

Gianfranco Brancatelli lost a front wheel on his Sierra on lap 14, the same lap that Glenn Seton hit a wall in his Sierra. He would later take over the team's number two car.

The long delay on the grid was blamed for the early demise of Deudonne (Sierra), Slako (Commodore), Finnigan (Commodore) and Longhurst (Sierra). Longhurst would soon reappear in Jones' car.

At the 60-lap mark it was all Sierras. Bowe led from Biela and the Brock/Rouse car had worked its way back into third place. But the same hub which gave trouble earlier struck again causing a 13-minute stop this time. The 05 car was only mobile for another eight laps before it was retired with incurable hub problems.

The Johnson/Bowe Sierra continued to lead the race, but had slowed due to turbo blade wear. In second place the Niedzwiedz/Biela ANZ Sierra was gaining, being only 35 seconds behind as both cars made their final stops. Just three laps later the ANZ car was back in with a flat tyre and loose wheel. Niedzwiedz was nearly a lap down when he rejoined, leaving the Shell car of John Bowe unpressured as it cruised to the finish.

Class wins went to the Doulman/Cotter BMW M3 and the Dowson/Bates Corolla.