Both races claimed to be the legitimate Bathurst 1000: the V8 Supercars' case was that they were the only truly Australian class of racing and the more popular of the two, while the Super Touring race was the official "Bathurst 1000" and was held on the traditional date of the first Sunday in October.

The fans voted with their feet and, due to a reducing number of competitors and spectators, the Super Touring class disappeared from Bathurst competition in 1999 and the race became exclusively for V8 Supercars.