As anticipated, qualifying for the 1988 Bathurst 1000 saw the Ford Sierras dominate and occupy the top seven grid spots with the fastest of the non-Sierra brigade being the factory Holden Special Vehicles Commodore of Larry Perkins and the late Denny Hulme who qualified in 8th position with a lap time of 2.21:00.
For the first and only time ever, the race began with a rolling start and pole-sitter Dick Johnson convincingly led the field into Hell Corner with the 47-car pack very strung out as it headed up Mountain Straight for the first time.
It was also the era in which drivers were allowed to cross enter so this allowed Tom Walkinshaw to jump into the Perkins/Hulme #10 car. Walkinshaw was making tremendous progress and had slotted into 2nd place behind the Tony Longhurst/Tomas Mezera Ford Sierra before pitting on lap 137 to change over with Larry Perkins but the car never made it out of the pits, retiring with engine failure and ending a very promising race for the team.
Dick Johnson and John Bowe finished second to Tony Longhurst and Tomas Mezera. Colin Bond and Alan Jones finished third, rounding out a Sierra-sweep of the podium