- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Another memorable edition of Australia’s Great Race has been run and won, and as always there is plenty to digest after one of the most iconic sporting events on the Australian calendar.
From the highs of victory for a pair of Mount Panorama legends, to the heartbreaking lows of defeat for the favourites to win – here are some of the talking points from the 2018 Bathurst 1000.
Lowndes and Richards – Bathurst Immortals
There is never any doubting that Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards are in contention to win a Bathurst 1000, every time they enter the Great Race, though when they do claim the chequered flag – it is impossible not to be in disbelief.
Disbelief over the fact that between the two veterans, they’ve won an incredible 12 Bathurst 1000s, with Lowndes winning his seventh to equal his co-driver’s father in Jim and Richards himself a fifth.
From ninth on the grid, the #888 Autobarn Commodore kept its head out of the inevitable troubles that plague the field during the 161-laps and a solid stint from Richards through the changeable weather in the middle of the race, amongst the other co-drivers was enough to place them in a favourable position.
Ultimately the top position was taken by Lowndes in the penultimate stint, from the Erebus Holden of David Reynolds which had led the race for much of the day. The now seven-time Bathurst champion never lost sight of Reynolds and when the opportunity arose, it was gracefully taken.
A comfortable seven-second margin separated the #888 car from the second placed Walkinshaw entry of Scott Pye and Warren Luff, yielding Lowndes and Richards their second win at the Mountain as a pairing.
The significance of this win cannot be given justice by mere words, as the legend of Bathurst itself can’t. There was plenty of emotion across the weekend, with the impending full-time retirement of Lowndes at the end of the season and a seventh victory puts the gloss on what has already been a stellar career – before he returns as a co-driver in 2019.
And despite the spotlight on the retiring Lowndes, a fifth win for Richards is also unprecedented. Having won three of the last six Bathurst 1000s and so far without a drive for 2019, given Lowndes’ retirement – all teams in the market for a co-driver should be leaping to the feet of Steven.
Craig Lowndes finished his Bathurst career on a high (AAP Image/Mark Horsburgh)
Reynolds’ heartbreak
One driver’s gain is ultimately another driver’s pain and for David Reynolds the pain was literally physical towards the conclusion of this year’s Great Race.
Having emphatically claimed pole position and led for most of the day, staunchly stated his intention to go back-to-back, the fairy-tale for Erebus Motorsport came to an unfortunate end when in the second-to-last stint, Reynolds began suffering severe leg cramps.
The situation escalated to the point which the team had put co-driver Luke Youlden on standby, to potentially limit the damage and take over for the run to the chequered flag – despite his own mega efforts throughout the day.
Reynolds persisted in a heroic attempt to reach the end of the race, however his fatigue and pain brought the #9 Penrite car’s undoing – with a pit-lane penalty having been awarded for a spinning of the wheels during their final stop of the day.
An emotional David was then taken out of the car, with Youlden to steer the Commodore home to thirteenth and it was galling to see how much of a wreck that Reynolds was, as well as being emotionally distraught.
Such is the harshness of the Mountain, despite their pace all day and favouritism to go back-to-back, there seemed to be a twist plotted out for Erebus and their former race winners.
Wheels fall off Whincup’s title bid
Bathurst in the recent past wouldn’t be Bathurst without some kind of ill-fate befalling the seven-time Supercars champion in Jamie Whincup and his co-driver in Paul Dumbrell.
2018 was no different, with a front wheel literally falling off the #1 Red Bull Holden and burying the Sandown 500 winners at the bottom of the pack, with a race of recovery before them.
Jamie Whincup (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)
Lap 40 saw the front-right wheel just become detached and fly off down the pit-straight, with Dumbrell amid a top-five battle at that stage. Repairs in a lengthy pit-stop saw the combo go a couple of laps down, though miraculously were to recover to tenth overall.
Regardless of the comeback, the wheels may have just fallen off Whincup’s bid for a record eighth title in Supercars, with a 404-point deficit to Shane Van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin.
Of course too, since their sole Bathurst 1000 victory together in 2012, the Whincup and Dumbrell partnership despite their prowess, have only stood on the podium once and even though they’ve been in contention for the win – for one reason or another, it never eventuates.
Pye and Luff’s charge through the field
There wouldn’t be a Bathurst without an underdog narrative and whilst they may not have been the eventual race winners, the Walkinshaw entry of Pye and Luff certainly took everyone by surprise to go from eighteenth on the grid to second.
Having kept out of trouble all day and both drivers putting in solid stints, the #2 Mobil-1 Boost Mobile Commodore made it to the podium for a second consecutive year at Mount Panorama.
Celebrating too, the one-year anniversary since the three-way tie up between Walkinshaw, Andretti Autosport and United was announced at Bathurst too. Much to the delight of co-owner Michael Andretti, who was present alongside the Walkinshaw clan.
Naturally, the pairing of Pye and Luff were disappointed to be runner’s up for a second straight year, though to finish ahead of the faster cars of Scott McLaughlin and Chaz Mostert was special.
And despite not having won a Bathurst 1000 in his long career in Supercars, Luff has now recorded a fifth podium in seven years at the Mountain, having achieved back-to-back thirds with Lowndes at Triple Eight in 2012 and 2013 – before notching up three at Walkinshaw; and formerly the Holden Racing Team.
The Mountain’s cruelty
There seems to be more tales of woe than of joy at every Bathurst 1000 and each year, the Mountain doesn’t discriminate in who it’ll be cruel to.
Reynolds’ fate was already disappointing enough, though for Erebus they had to suffer twice with the #99 entry of Anton De Pasquale and Will Brown having a maligned race, despite their strong qualifying.
Rookie De Pasquale leaped into second at the start, though it wasn’t long before he felt the pressure of Whincup, Van Gisbergen and co behind. A slow first stop, then eventuated in the passenger door having become loose, to the pair dropping out of top ten contention – before Anton hit the wall at Reid Park on Lap-140 to end their race.
A Bathurst victory continued to elude James Courtney and Jack Perkins, with a mechanical failure for Perkins on Lap-33 in the #25 Walkinshaw Holden. Whilst the Nissan combo of Michael Caruso and Dean Fiore also retired with engine problems.
Friendly fire between the Tickford cars of Cameron Waters and Mostert early on in the race also spoiled the race of the #6 Monster Energy Falcon, which had started in the top ten but then ultimately fell 13-laps adrift. The #56 RABBLE.club entry of Richie Stanaway and Steve Owen was also cruelled by mechanical gremlins inside the Tickford stable.
Looking for great odds on racing and sport? Get into the action with PlayUp today. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.