Lowndes wins Bathurst No 6 with Kiwi support
Craig Lowndes won the Bathurst 1000 for the sixth time, supported by his New Zealand co-driver Steven Richards yesterday.
The drivers, with a combined age of 84, saw off the pressure from their younger rivals for the win which gives Richards his fourth victory at Mount Panorama in the Great Race.
Second was Mark Winterbottom, who further increased his grip on this year’s V8 Supercars title, while Garth Tander was third across the line
New Zealanders Fabian Coulthard and Scott McLaughlin narrowly missed out on a place on the podium, finishing fourth and fifth respectively, while Shane Van Gisbergen was eighth.
The race exploded into life with 24 of the 161 laps to go. David Reynolds, Winterbottom, Lowndes and Jamie Whincup were close up front before the first three dived into the pits when Scott Pye hit a wall up the mountain. Whincup came in one lap later to avoid double stacking, despite team orders to pit.
Pye’s crash meant there was shuffling of the pack which allowed Lowndes take the lead with Whincup behind, followed by Reynolds and Coulthard.
Whincup was given a drive through penalty for overtaking the safety car before he pitted, ending his chance of glory, and from there it was a dash to the finish line.
With 10 laps to go the race order was Lowndes, Winterbottom, Tander, Coulthard, McLaughlin, Reynolds and Van Gisbergen.
Unlike last year, there wasn’t a dramatic end to the race, with Lowndes building a three-second lead.
Before the final pit stops, different strategies made it was difficult to read who would prevail, with the lead changing hands numerous times. But one car that didn’t get to feature at the business end was the Super Black Racing Ford Falcon.
On lap 36, Ant Pedersen was one of four drivers going around Hell Corner and was bumped from behind by Karl Reindler, causing him to crash into the barriers, smashing the front of his car and ending the race for the New Zealand team.
Earlier fellow Kiwis Coulthard, McLaughlin and Van Gisbergen were running at the head of the field.
The trio all got off to sensational starts. McLaughlin built up a lead of 1.2 seconds over Van Gisbergen after 10 laps, while four laps later Coulthard continued his charge and got past Lee Holdsworth to put New Zealanders in the top three spots.
Two laps later the first safety car came out after the Harvey Norman Supergirls all-women’s team driver Renee Gracie put her Ford into the wall and David Wall had to pull over to the side of the track with an engine problem.
All drivers reacted to the safety car by jumping into the pits for a splash of fuel and a driver change. The three New Zealanders at the front of the race handed over to their co-drivers.
At that point McLaughlin said he was delighted with how the car was driving and was pleased with his initial effort.
‘‘There’s a long way to go, but it’s good to get the lead and fire on in,’’ McLaughlin said after 20 laps.
The New Zealand driver said he was keen to take the lead from Dean Canto early so he had a clear track to race on.
‘‘I was faster and just wanted to get past him,’’ he said.
‘‘The car feels good out in front and I just wanted to keep it there.’’
However, like all of the New Zealand drivers at this year’s Bathurst, he’ll be hoping 2016’s race has a better outcome for him.