Bathurst’s leading podium contenders
Looking at numbers is not an exact science in predicting a winner of the Bathurst 1000 but it helps. This track can destroy you in a heartbeat — just ask David Reynolds about 2018. However, here are five pairings that could stand atop the podium tomorrow.
Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander
Van Gisbergen had a Bathurst win snatched away at the last minute due to a mechanical failure while leading, and is desperate to get a win to go with his 2016 Supercars championship. Three- time winner Tander may not be a main- game driver any more but he’s been racing almost full- time in other categories, so is match fit.
Scott McLaughlin and Tim Slade
The DJR Team Penske driver has been the man to beat this season. However, Bathurst will expose any weakness. Co- driver Slade has been quick in the past but lost his full- time seat this year and will no doubt want to prove a point — hopefully not a costly one.
Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes
They have 11 Bathurst wins — Whincup four and Lowndes seven — so they know what it takes to win the Great Race. But Lowndes has been away from full- time racing and Whincup has let a few Bathurst wins slip through his fingers due to mechanical issues or his own decision- making. However, both could probably put in a good qualifying lap blindfolded.
Chaz Mostert and Warren Luff
These t wo could be outsiders but Mostert is a proven winner, having cleaned up in 2014 with Paul Morris. He likes Bathurst and his team have upped their game of late. Luff in recent years has flown under the radar, but his co- driver record at Bathurst is outstanding. He’s finished on the podium six times in his last eight starts. He’s a safe pair of hands as a co- driver, and if Mostert can stay out of trouble, they’ll be in the hunt. David Reynolds and Will Brown Reynolds won in 2017 and had the race sorted the following year until hit with a physical failure. This season, Reynolds has struggled with an average car, and with the return of Alistair McVean, the old team is back together again. Brown i s almost a clone of Reynolds, so the pairing should work well. He sits second in Super2 and won the Australian TCR series. With a below- par season for Reynolds, a win over the weekend will boost the team for next year.