Bathurst 1000 - live blog
I can’t believe that the race was started with Cam McConville’s car stuck against the wall on the exit from Griffin’s Bend. Crazy. Surely it would have been better to delay the start for a couple of minutes rather than having a dangerous start followed by several laps behind the Safety Car.
7 Oct 2007 at 11:47 (Sydney)
Did Seton hit Coulthard?
7 Oct 2007 at 11:47 (Sydney)
1130: Weather looking OK so far. Any chance of rain this afternnon? BoM forecast is for fine with increasing cloud. If there’s overdevelopment in the afternoon, I reckon isolated showers are still a possibility.
7 Oct 2007 at 11:48 (Sydney)
1135: These Supercheap Auto TV ads are not going to attract me to a Supercheap Auto store. Truly awful.
7 Oct 2007 at 11:49 (Sydney)
1140: Rick Kelly is a very lucky boy—tyre blew out on entry to the Chase (while running third). Front bumper assembly’s been replaced but something is hanging down under the car. Could it be a critical hose to/from diff and/or gearbox? They are still on the lead lap – just – and need a Safety Car now to regain ground.
New underpants required.
7 Oct 2007 at 11:52 (Sydney)
1152: Lap 32 and the big boys are starting to make their stops. Skaife and Greg Murphy are in. They really need to go a lap more than this to guarantee getting to the end with just four stops. Splash and dash at the end?
7 Oct 2007 at 11:53 (Sydney)
1154: Lap 33 and the lead car is in (S Richards). This is a safer distance to ensure the race can be completed in four stops.
7 Oct 2007 at 11:58 (Sydney)
1158: Lowndes/Whincup have managed 35 laps on the first tank load. This is a significant strategic advantage for them as the afternoon unfolds.
7 Oct 2007 at 12:08 (Sydney)
1208: I’m watching live timing on BigPond.
Ingall and Youlden have been delayed by having to queue behind Courtney/Besnard in the first round of stops. They are now a minute behind the leader and will also be hoping for a Safety Car to close things up.
7 Oct 2007 at 12:36 (Sydney)
1230: two hours in and so far (unusually) only one Safety Car appearance (on lap 1). Tander is 1.05 behind the leader, so the number 1 car can safely be back in contention with a Safety Car.
So far, nobody has said “It’s a race of attrition”. It can onky be a matter of time.
7 Oct 2007 at 12:40 (Sydney)
1240: huge fire on board the BOC car. It’s off at the Chase. Race leader in the pits—presumably expecting a Safety Car.
7 Oct 2007 at 12:41 (Sydney)
1241: Safety Car.
7 Oct 2007 at 12:54 (Sydney)
1253: Richards and Winterbottom are the highest-running of those who have made two stops. They’ll still need three stops to get to the end, but the last one can be a ‘quickie’, needing only a third of a tank of fuel or so. They probably won’t appear to be in contention for a few hours, but I reckon they are VERY well placed now.
7 Oct 2007 at 13:34 (Sydney)
1330: Richards/Winterbottom have filtered to the front but are out of sync and will need to stop again in about 15 laps.
The Kelly/Tander car is in the pits with brake problems. Their day is falling apart. Kelly and Tander currently lead the Championship points. This will probably change the champioship outlook significantly.
7 Oct 2007 at 13:43 (Sydney)
1340: weather radar shows showers out near West Wyalong and Grenfell—quite a long way from Bathurst, to be sure, but possibly indicative of general weather in central-western NSW.
7 Oct 2007 at 13:45 (Sydney)
1345: race-leading car of Richards/Winterbottom has pitted early due to a tyre problem. This will negate some of their advantage.
7 Oct 2007 at 14:29 (Sydney)
1425: a couple of safety cars in quick succession see many pit stops. It’ll take a while for this lot to shake out, but it looks like Tander and Kelly have managed to get back on the lead lap (albeit many cars from the front).
7 Oct 2007 at 14:31 (Sydney)
1433: cliche watch: Winterbottom just said “It’s a 1,000km sprint race.”
7 Oct 2007 at 14:34 (Sydney)
1434: looking increasingly cloudy in the vicinity of Bathurst. There are showers in the area but none within 50km of Bathurst.
7 Oct 2007 at 15:56 (Sydney)
1555: Whincup messes up entry to the pits for his final stop—V E R Y lucky not to be buried in the sand. Lowndes now has 28 laps to try to catch Mark Winterbottom. I think he can do it.
7 Oct 2007 at 15:57 (Sydney)
1558: very light radar echoes near Bathurst. Will these be rain, and will the race be impacted?
7 Oct 2007 at 16:16 (Sydney)
1418: spitting up top. Wets ready in the garages.
7 Oct 2007 at 16:24 (Sydney)
1623: Morris is in the wall at the Cutting. Anybody surprised?
Safety car is out and the leaders are all bunched up for the run to the chequered flag. And it’s spitting with rain! Will anybody stop for wets? If wets are needed, the time to get them is NOW, while the SC is on the track. Which way will the teams gamble?
7 Oct 2007 at 16:30 (Sydney)
1631: 13 cars on the lead lap. Slippery road. And they’re all off at McPhillamy.
7 Oct 2007 at 16:33 (Sydney)
1631: Massive off for Winterbottom at the Chase. Another lucky escape for Lowndes.
7 Oct 2007 at 16:36 (Sydney)
1638: Winterbottom has a flat tyre after his big off and is coming in. SC still at the head of the pack.
7 Oct 2007 at 16:38 (Sydney)
1639: Winterbottom leaves the pits on cold slicks. Would rain tyres have been better?
7 Oct 2007 at 16:48 (Sydney)
1649: it’s like ice across the top. Another SC is a dead cert. And Johnson takes the lead.
7 Oct 2007 at 16:48 (Sydney)
1650: the walls look oh so hungry.
7 Oct 2007 at 20:53 (Sydney)
1655: 5 laps to go and I have to leave for church. Don’t fail me today, Toppy.