Category: Motorsports

With a touch over 30 minutes left to run in the 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour here’s a run down of what’s happened since our last update.

The race ushered in its tenth hour with the seventh Safety Car period in order to collect the stricken #17 Ginetta.

With 222 laps behind them Mika Salo lead the race in the #88 Maranello Motorsport Ferrari from the #63 Erebus Mercedes and the #37 McLaren. Joining them on the lead lap was the #84 Mercedes.

Several cars pitted during the Safety Car period including the #63 Mercedes and when racing resumed there were 19 cars between the race leading Ferrari and Shane van Gisbergen in the McLaren.

The young Kiwi wasn’t able to make up too much ground until lap 235 when the Safety Car was sent out again to salvage the #59 MARC Focus GTC, which had been punted into the wall at Forrest’s Elbow by the #3 Audi squeezing past on the inside.

The race leaders came in on lap 237 while the Safety Car still controlled the field handing the race lead to the #63 Erebus Mercedes. Shane van Gisbergen handed the McLaren over to Andrew Kirkaldy so he could step back in for the final charge to the line at the next round of pit stops.

On lap 240 the Safety Car came in with five cars on the lead lap: #63 Mercedes, # 88 Ferrari, #37 McLaren, #84 Mercedes and #3 Audi.

Eight laps later the leading trio were nose to tail. The McLaren had dropped to fourth and Greg Crick in the #63 Erebus Mercedes lead from Mika Salo on the #88 Ferrari. While they were scrapping Max Buhk in the #84 HTP Mercedes closed in and managed to take the lead, first overtaking Salo into Murray’s Corner and repeating the dose on Crick for the lead the following lap.

Mika Salo, now in P3, wasn’t done with and managed to fight his way past Greg Crick to reclaim P2 on lap 251 with 1 hour 40 minutes left to race.

On lap 256 car #63 came into the pits and young Jack Lebrocq took the wheel. Ten laps later new tyres and a refreshed Shane van Gisbergen were installed on the #37 McLaren for the run home, with just over one hour to left to race.

The two lead cars came in on lap 268. Craig Lowndes hopped into the #88 Ferrari and Harold Primat took charge of the #84 Mercedes for the race to the flag. All was going well until the #84 had brake issues with its car at the front right corner, it lost about 45 seconds and handed the lead to Lowndes.

By lap 271 the #63 Mercedes was in the lead and came in for its final stop for new tyres and fuel. Will Davison took the wheel rejoining the track just behind the #84 Mercedes.

By 5:35pm with 40 minutes left the run the cars are on the 278th lap and Shane van Gisbergen dived into the pits for a splash and dash and you’d think without a Safety Car that will be their race done.

Craig Lowndes in the #88 Ferrari now has a 25 second lead over the #84 Mercedes and a 30 second gap back to the #63 Erebus Mercedes. Van Gisbergen is charging hard but has a 62 second deficit to make up. Can the leading trio make it to the 6:15pm chequered flag without another fuel stop?

Hour 7 began with the #1 Erebus Mercedes leading from the #37 McLaren and the #88 Maranello Motorsport Ferrari. They were the only cars on the lead lap.

The ambient temperature began to heat up making it tougher for both cars and drivers. It was 34°C ambient temperature, while track temps climbed above 60°C by the end of the ninth hour.

Mika Salo at the wheel of the #88 Ferrari pushed his case for victory by overtaking the McLaren with a three-wide overtaking move on Conrod Straight and briefly assumed the lead on lap 157 during pit stop rotations.

On lap 164 a clumsy overtake on a slower car by the #63 Erebus Mercedes in the Esses lost its right fender. The car was in P5 at the time and came in for a routine pit stop and went straight back out with no real fuss.

As the race began its eighth hour the Safety Car came out for the sixth time after the #35 Porsche came to a stop on track just after Griffins Bend. The lead cars took the opportunity to pit and resumed with the #1 Mercedes ahead of the #37 McLaren.

The shape of the race took a dramatic turn in the ninth hour when the leading #1 Mercedes came in for a routine pit stop. Everything seemed okay, the car was cleared to go and it stuttered a few metres down pitlane. The car was rolled back and eventually into its garage where a problem with the right rear brake was attended to, which included replacing the brake rotor.

After 12 minutes the #1 rejoined the race but was now six laps behind the new race leader the #37 McLaren with all hopes of a podium finished appearing to be dashed.

On lap 196 the McLaren entered the pits and the #88 Ferrari assumed the lead of the race. Shortly afterwards, on lap 200, Craig Lowndes was black flagged in the #88 Ferrari. The team was given a drive through penalty for leaving a pit board in the pitlane after the car had exited the pits.

A total of 32 seconds was lost, but thankfully for Lowndes he had a comfortable lead and resumed the race with a one minute gap back to second.

It was the second drive through for the #88 car after Peter Edwards was pinged for exceeding the 40km/h pitlane speed limit by 2km/h.

On lap 205 the #65 Erebus Mercedes breathed new life into the race by getting on the lead lap and overtaking the #37 McLaren for P2.

A tweet from Shane van Gisbergen seemed to indicate the #37 car might have some clutch and/or gearbox issues.

As the race started its tenth hour the #63 Mercedes took the lead on lap 219 during pitstop rotations and questions remain over its legibility to race with that right fender missing. There’s no loose bodywork and the car has been running like that for almost 60 laps.

The fourth hour of racing at the 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour began with a great scrap between the leading three cars, headed by the #1 Erebus Mercedes, the #37 McLaren 12C and the #3 Audi R8.

Sadly for the Audi a right rear puncture sent it into the pits for an unscheduled stop. Meanwhile the leading two cars were nose to tail for several laps and try as he might Shane van Gisbergen could only take the lead when the #1 car went into the pits.

A Safety Car was called out after Ross Lilley driving the #48 Lamborghini, the previous lap record holder, made room for the leading pair to pass him across the top of the mountain. Alas the driver lost traction where the #33 Clearwater Ferrari crash happened and smashed into the wall. It was a heavy impact and crucially Lilley appears to be okay.

Back in the lead of the race van Gisbergen emerged around 24 seconds behind the #1 Mercedes after his pit stop and went about the business of reeling in the leader.

On lap 94 Shane van Gisbergen showed the blistering pace of the 12c GT3 when lowered the race lap record to 2:04.0408 in the #37 McLaren 12C GT3. Four laps later he lowered it again to 2:03.8506, bettering yesterday’s pole position time.

When van Gisbergen inevitably caught Bernd Schneider in the Mercedes we saw one of the most exciting periods of racing witnessed at Bathurst as the pair sliced their way through traffic. Eventually the experience of Schneider came to the fore and he let the charging McLaren overtake.

Van Gisbergen then showed some amazing courage and made some aggressive moves to pass slower traffic and at one stage very nearly put himself into the wall.

And then it was all for nothing. The lead pair came into the pits on the same lap and a more efficient stop from the Erebus crew gained 10 seconds on the McLaren as both cars changed drivers. Maro Engel now in the Mercedes regained the lead ahead of Andrew Kirkaldy in the McLaren.

A long period of green flag conditions followed as the race settled with the #1 Mercedes maintaining its race lead. With full fuel tanks the SLS AMG GT3 seems to have the pace on the McLaren, which was able to gain time on the leader as the next stop for fuel drew near.

Late in the sixth hour Nico Bastian, fresh into the #1 Erebus Mercedes, went off track across the top of the mountain and into the kitty litter. Luckily for Bastian he was able to rejoin the track without losing track position and only some minor damage to the right rear bodywork.

The #45 Porsche went spearing across the track after entry into the Chase, coming to a stop and brought out the Safety Car and the seventh hour began under a full course yellow with 144 laps completed.

The sole remaining Ferrari, the #88 Maranello Motorsport entry, is in third place and is the only other car on the lead lap.

The 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour is now into its fourth hour and has already seen plenty of action. The polesitting #1 Erebus Mercedes has held onto its lead through a series of pitstops and is looking good for a strong final result.

Tony Quinn’s #37 McLaren is also performing well and is charging hard in second place, ahead of the #3 Audi R8 LMS Ultra.

Peter Kox has suffered bad luck in his previous visits for the Bathurst 12 Hour and good fortune averted him again when he hit a kangaroo on the climb into the Cutting in the #23 Lamborghini Gallardo less than 20 minutes after the race start.

The incident brought out the first Safety Car of the race and according to Kox the chassis rails were damaged and his race was over. Kox also complained angrily about a loose roll of tape rolling beneath his pedal box which he claims was left there by the race camera crew.

Once the race settled into a rhythm lap records began to fall, first for the GT3 category but the outright lap record around Mount Panorama has been broken as well with Steven Richards currently holding the honour thanks to his 2:04.5134 lap in the #48 Lamborghini Gallardo.

The next major Safety Car period happened after the #33 Clearwater Ferrari hit the wall at MacPhillamy Park and spun coming to a rest on track facing the wrong direction. Its race was already over with suspension damage but in the dust from the kitty litter cars flying around the corner heading towards Skyline were unsighted and the #32 Nissan GTR made heavy contact with the Ferrari in a spectacular incident.

Luckily the drivers from both cars were able to get themselves out of their cars and they appear to be all okay. It was a terrifying accident and we’re lucky that no serious injury occurred.

The leading pair are now providing great entertainment with a terrific scrap for the race lead. Check out the live stream to see all the action for yourself.

Live streaming for today’s action at the Bathurst 12 Hour is now underway and includes all support categories as well. Strap yourself in and enjoy the day, which starts with a one hour HQ Holden race.

Saturday 8 February

0900–1000: Qualifying 1 (All classes)
1330–1410: Qualifying 2 (All classes)
1420–1435: Qualifying 3 (Class A only)