It’s here. 161 laps around Mount Panorama, a total of 1,000 kilometers. The big race – the 2022 Bathurst 1000 started at 11.15am AEDT.
And it caused complete chaos from the start in the case of a maddening first-lap safety car call. And when the action resumed, there was an even bigger accident of terrible proportions, writing off a number of cars.
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RACING CENTER: LIVE TIME AND FULL SESSION RESULTS
In a terrible start, pole sitter James Moffat (coxed by Cameron Waters) almost stopped on the start line, allowing Lee Holdswart to take the lead. Fabian Coulthard (driver for Chaz Mostert) exploded on the inside and gained two places to move up to second.
The cars cleared the first turn safely, only to crash into each other on the way up the Mountain Straight.
Jack Perkins – Will Brown’s coxswain – was hit by veteran Jamie Whincup, sending them into a spin. Perkins hit a shunt from Dale Wood (Andre Heimgartner coxswain).
Perkins was sent back to the pits and immediately jacked up for a major overhaul.
Will Brown said: “Who knows whose fault it was? I think it’s just that everyone’s swimming across the water.”
“In the end we got out of it pretty easy.”
Zach Best, Tom Randle’s coxswain, found the wall trying to escape the chaos. The car had to be towed back to the pits.
Mark Winterbottom and Jack Kostecki also limped into the pits after shunts.
Tony D’Alberto (coxed by Anton de Pasquale) dropped 14 places to 25th after being involved in the drama.
The security car was immediately called. Moffat dropped four positions to fifth, while Warren Lough (coxed by Nick Percat) moved up three positions earlier to third.
Whincup dropped to 22nd.
But as soon as play resumed, there was an even worse crash on the first lap – number five.
Zane Goddard tried to pass Greg Murphy in The Chase, but had his rear wheels locked up and careened into the grass. However, he tried to get back onto the track through the mud and, losing control, “struck two cars cleanly,” as Mark Skaife said in a commentary.
Dale Wood (coxed by Andre Heimgartner) and Matt Campbell (coxed by David Reynolds) crashed into Goddard at full speed. All three cars were written off at once.
Heimgartner was angered by the crash that ended his race. “It’s like these people don’t understand that it’s 161 laps and they drive like absolute losers. I hope they get together.”
Narrowly avoiding chaos, Mark Winterbottom promptly flew out after d’Alberto’s kick to the rear.
“Oh my God, that’s a massive shunt,” Mark Scaife said.
“It’s a normal thing,” he said of Goddard’s decision to return to the track until it’s under control.
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RACING CENTER: LIVE TIME AND FULL SESSION RESULTS
What now for Bathurst? | 02:22
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It was already an epic edition of Australian motorsport’s biggest weekend. From the return of veterans lighting up the track, to stunning crashes, to wild weather that caused utter chaos, and the first cancellation of the Top 10 Shootout in its 44-year history. This weekend had it all.
Sunday is set to kick things up a notch as 28 rider duos – 56 riders in total, including a whopping seven rookies – battle it out to be king of the hill.
“I think there are 15 combinations that can win today,” said Mark Scaife on Fox Sports.
The grid is determined based on Friday’s qualifying order after the cancellation of the shootout series.
Cameron Waters, runner-up in the last two editions, will start from pole (with James Moffat) but is only the bookies’ second favorite behind 2020 winner Shane van Gisbergen. The reigning Supercars champion and runaway series leader will start seventh after a three-place penalty for a qualifying crash.
THE BOLD CALL OF EREBUS
Erebus managed to finish in the top 10 with all three cars – Will Brown, Brody Kostecki and wildcard Richie Stanaway.
But on Sunday morning, Erebus boss Barry Ryan said the team would use a bold strategy from the start.
“All three cars, navigators will go to the start. We’re going to use a winning strategy, and that’s pretty clear.”
He added that the team expects mostly dry conditions.
“We’ve got a pretty much dry rig, completely … We’re ready to work in any conditions, but I think it’s going to be dry all day.”
Racing legend Russell Ingall said News Corp: “The best strategy you can have is to let your co-driver start because you want your main driver to finish.”
James Courtney, who will leave co-driver Zane Goddard to start the Great Race, fully supported the decision.
“It’s a massive day. Bathurst fans going wild! For people to be here through all the mud, it’s amazing. Can’t wait for it to start,” he told FoxSports.
“Zane starts. I told him, “you’ve done it a thousand times. Do whatever you’ve done your whole career and you’ll be fine.” The little guy is a little nervous, but we’ll transport him.’
Veteran pilot Lee Holdsworth went a little deeper with commentator Mark Scaife, describing his strategy for getting off the starting line.
“Very hard, I haven’t trained since last year!” – he said before the race.
“You don’t want to burn the clutch, as Skyfei knows. You want some heat to take that bite.”
Holdswart was referring to Scaife’s infamous 2006 race which ended in utter disaster after he failed to get off the start line before losing speed on the hill straight where he was hit from behind and pushed into the wall – his race ended in the first circle.
Race control did issue a warning to all teams before the start of the race with water pooling on the right of the first turn – on the race line at Hell Corner.
SYNOPSIS
The weather will play a crucial role, as it does every weekend. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a 60 per cent chance of any rain with a chance of between 0 and 2mm. Sunday started in the rain from 7.30 in the morning.
This is a great result after the cancellation of the Top 10 Shootout. The rain should taper off during the day and may even dry out before the race begins.
Speaking on Fox Motorsport, Mark Larkham said everything we thought we knew leading up to the race was out the window.
“What do we know about this event? The form guide cannot help you. For the first time, he is not there,” he said.
“Car tuning? Sorry, can’t help you. It’s all over the shop. The strategy? No idea.
EARLY Accidents in a big warning sign
The first race of the day provided an ominous warning of what could happen before the end of the day. As rain poured down the mountain, the Super Utes began the race under safety car conditions. But the green flag flew, and the action began in earnest – before ending in tragedy.
Retiring Craig Dontas in his Ryco 24.7 Racing Mitsubishi Triton slid over the top of a mountain on the third lap and crashed into the wall on slippery ground.
Dontas, 42, has been a mainstay in the SuperUtes competition, with a previous podium finish at the Bathurst round.
And there was even more drama in the Porsche Carrera Cup, with the Chase causing several cars to run into the sand, while the wet and muddy first corner of the circuit also saw plenty of wild shunts.
‘BETTER BE CAREFUL’: SPECIAL WARNING FROM A STAR
There are some wonderful stories on the net. But for James Courtney, this weekend is unlike any other. After tying the knot at a Brisbane registry office last week, his new wife Tegan is expecting their first child in two weeks.
Tegan, a make-up artist, is staying on the Gold Coast – and is desperately hoping her husband won’t miss the birth of their baby.
“Too bad I’m not down there this time, I’m spewing,” Tegan said The Daily Telegraph.
“But that’s okay. I’d rather give birth on the Gold Coast than Bathurst, so I just have to choose that over going to Bathurst.’
“But I will be very upset if he comes when James is in Bathurst,” she added.
“I joke with him and say, ‘Don’t come home’ when I’ve had a baby while he’s in Bathurst.”
Her biggest concern is staying calm while watching the race.
“I say, ‘You better be careful,'” Tegan said.
“I keep telling him to drive safe and don’t do anything stupid. It also doesn’t help with all the rain in the forecast.’
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