Some of Supercars’ biggest names have already been claimed by Mount Panorama at the halfway mark of the Bathurst 12 Hour enduro.
Former Bathurst 1000 winner Chaz Mostert is the latest scalp while seven-time King of the Mountain Craig Lowndes appears in trouble in the second half of the GT3 classic.
Bentley Team M-Sport boasting drivers Jules Gounon, Maxime Soulet and Jordan Pepper were race leaders at the halfway mark after staying out of trouble.
Many teams weren’t so lucky with the original 39-strong field reduced to 25 for the final hours of the race set to end at 545pm AEDT on Sunday.
Mostert’s Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW entry was ruled out due to overheating.
They were already two laps down after co-driver Nicky Catsburg hit a kangaroo.
“Unfortunately hit a kangaroo (also for the kangaroo) in one of my first laps out,” Catsburg posted on Twitter.
“The bonnet was slowly giving up and then finally it broke in a slipstream due to all the vibrations.”
Two-time Bathurst 12 Hour winner Lowndes’ quest to again stand on top of the podium appears in trouble after the Earl Bamber Motorsport Porsche entry he shares with co-drivers Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor dropped from sixth to 15th due to brake issues in the seventh hour.
There was early drama after the pre-dawn start when Supercars enduro co-driver Warren Luff’s MARC II caught fire in pitlane due to a fuel leak.
Then Supercars driver Tony D’Alberto’s Lamborghini crashed out at The Dipper on lap 44 with co-driver Julian Westwood at the wheel.
But the biggest scare came when former Supercars series champion Garth Tander lost control of his Audi and hit the tyre barriers at McPhillamy Park at top speed in the third hour.
Thankfully he walked away unscathed.
Officials have also provided updates on two drivers involved in Saturday’s qualifying carnage that ensured six entries were eliminated before the enduro started.
South Australia-based Triple Eight Mercedes driver Sam Shahin was flown to Adelaide for treatment on his back after being involved in a stunning qualifying crash.
Shahin was shunted into the concrete wall at Skyline by Cameron McConville’s Lamborghini before being clipped by SCANDIA Racing MARC II driver Tyler Everingham.
Everingham was diagnosed with a sprained ankle and his car was written-off.
