Run and won.
Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife rewrote the record books by leading TeamVodafone to a blitz of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 today.
Lowndes produced a gold medal drive after driving the final 79 laps of the 161-lap race to cross the line in a form finish with the #1 TeamVodafone Commodore of Jamie Whincup and Steve Owen in second place.
The Triple Eight-prepared Commodores crossed the line one-two in a perfect formation finish – the first where both cars were on the lead lap since Allan Moffat and Colin Bond did so in XC Falcon hardtops in 1977.
It became a fuel economy race at the end with the TeamVodafone cars close to running dry at the end of 1000km.
The Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore of Garth Tander and Cameron McConville overcame a poor start when McConville stalled the #2 Commodore on the starting grid to finish third.
Lowndes crossed the line in race record time of six hours 12mins 51secs following the 161-lap great race that was broken by four safety car periods.
The previous record was held by Jim Richards and Mark Skaife when they won in six hrs 19 min 14.8s in the Nissan GT-R in 1991.
Skaife has now taken his record at Mount Panorama to six wins, equal with Larry Perkins and one short of Jim Richards to sit third on the list of most wins behind the legendary Peter Brock (nine wins).
It was also the fifth time that Craig Lowndes has clapped his hands on the trophy, which is now named in honour of Brock.
TeamVodafone carried out its plan to start Skaife in the race when it was known that the start would be dry.
He sat just off the pace behind leader Lee Holdsworth until lap 24 when he came in and handed it over to Lowndes who did 24 laps before handing it over to Skaife again.
Lowndes then completed the last 79 laps of the race in a demonstration of tremendous concentration and staying power at one of the most demanding racetracks in the world.
It prompted a glowing tribute from Skaife: "That will go down as one of Craig's best drives at Bathurst no doubt."
At the beginning of his marathon run to the chequered flag Lowndes was involved in an absorbing dice with part-timer David Besnard in the #33 Garry Rogers Motorsport Commodore.
Besnard drove out of his skin with the dog fight lasting from lap 85 to lap 119 when he was ordered into the pits with his tyres shot.
That was only 12 laps after Besnard made the #33 car's fifth stop, the damage was done in trying to keep Lowndes in his mirrors.
The Besnard/Lowndes dice had developed into a titanic arm wrestle.
Besnard played a first class support act while Lowndes extracted his enormous Bathurst experience to put the #888 Holden in a prime position after he had lurked with intent just behind the leaders for the first half of the great race.
Besnard produced an electric drive, looking all over a winner and pulling out the fastest lap of the race on lap 53 turning a tour in 2:08.8318s (later eclipsed by Jason Bright on lap 142 in 2:08.8215).
But the battle between the GRM Commodore and the #888 car received a jolt when the #33 was pinched for speeding in the pit lane during the lap 119 pit stop which the team served on lap 123 before Holdsworth rejoined in seventh position.
"We had a great battle there with Bezzy. But every time I got caught up behind Bezzy I got more under steer and I struggled a little bit," Lowndes said.
Lowndes eventually got by Besnard, whose car was struggling for grip causing Besnard to counter-steer desperately to keep the car off the walls on top of the mountain.
"Really this was a dream come true for us (Lowndes and Skaife) to come together again after 10 years and do what we couldn't do together back then," Lowndes said.
"To get the old band back together it was pretty special."
Skaife said: "As Lowndesy said when we won at Phillip Island (last month) it was a fairytale finish but to get a result at our grand final (Bathurst it doesn't get any better in motorsport)."
James Courtney fought back after having troubles early with the front splitter, clinging on to finish fifth after loosing a spot late in the race to a hard charging Jason Bright who finished fourth in the Trading Post Commodore.
However, Whincup managed to narrow Courtney's lead in the Championship, which now stands at 125 points as Lowndes moved into third place in the standings, well within striking distance of the lead with eight races left in the series.
Polesitters Mark Winterbottom and Luke Youlden were dealt one of the cruellest hands after running with the leaders.
They were put out of winning contention when a delaminating right rear tyre caused the rear end to break free flinging Youlden into the wall going into The Cutting.
But Winterbottom staged a huge rearguard fight back to climb back into the top 10 and finish ninth, a respectable result that deserved better fate.
Video highlights. Checkout the lap 1 crash!
http://www.v8supercars.com.au/v8-2010--bathurst-action-highlights/tabid/79/mediaid441/5117/default.aspx
The track:
Mount Panorama Circuit (or often simply
Bathurst) is long and is technically a street circuit, as the circuit is a public road when no racing events are being run, and there are many residences which can only be accessed from the circuit.
The track is a very unusual design by modern standards, with a 174 metre vertical difference between its highest and lowest points, and grades as steep as 1:6.13. From the start-finish line, the track can be viewed in three sections; the short pit straight and then a tight left turn into the long, steep Mountain straight; the tight, narrow section across the top of the mountain itself; and then the long, downhill section of Conrod Straight, with the very fast Chase and the turn back onto pit straight to complete the lap.
Historically, the racetrack has been used for a wide variety of racing categories, including everything from open-wheel racers to motorcycles. However, the factors that make the track so unusual, and tighter contemporary safety standards, make it unlikely that major race meetings in these categories will be held there again, and as such it has become the near-exclusive province of closed-bodied automobile racing cars.
As a public road, on non-race days Mount Panorama is open to the public. Cars can drive in both directions around the circuit for no charge. However, a strict speed limit of 60 km/h (37 Miles per hour - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) is enforced, and police regularly patrol the circuit.
Wiki:
The track:
Mount Panorama Circuit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The race:
Bathurst 1000 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Just a few minor adjustments.
A small part of the 151,000 strong crowd.
Heading down the mountain.
The pit garage, Toll Racing
Opps.
Braking hard into Caltex Chase.
Over the top of the Mountain. The Bathurst track has a 174 meter (574ft) difference in height between pit straight and Skyline at the top of the mountain.
The end.
Col.
