Japan become the first Asian team to qualify for the RWC quarter-finals, Kiwi Scott McLaughlin wins Bathurst and the Silver Ferns earn back to back wins over the Australian Diamonds
Scott McLaughlin and co-driver Alex Premat have claimed a remarkable Bathurst victory, leading home Shane van Gisbergen/Garth Tander and James Courtney/Jack Perkins.
It's a race that will go down in history as one of the most dramatic and controversial Bathurst 1000s in recent history, with a conventional opening 100 laps trailed by a wild final 61 laps.
In the end, it boiled down to a four-car battle and an immense one-lap dash; McLaughlin and van Gisbergen stretching their fuel allocation to limp to the finish, while Courtney and Jamie Whincup were pushing as hard as they could behind.
McLaughlin and Premat dominated the race in the opening laps until a spirited exchange on lap 50 saw the lead get handed to Chaz Mostert. Premat had defended exceptionally well from full-time drivers Mostert, Cam Waters, and Whincup. But after Waters lost second to Mostert, Premat's time at the front was temporary.
He locked his fronts at The Chase, ran wide, and lost the lead to Mostert and second to Whincup. Waters finally got by Premat on lap 52. The Frenchman lost more time thanks to a flat-spotted right-front tyre, which led to an earlier than desired pit-stop (with driver change).
A slight mistake at the last corner from Whincup's co-driver Craig Lowndes handed the lead back to Premat, which he held until lap 96 when he pitted to hand the car to McLaughlin. The stop kicked off a flurry of stops for others as various co-drivers met their minimum lap count.
Scott McLaughlin leading the race. Photo / Photosport
It had been quite a straightforward race, but three quick-fire safety cars between laps 102 and 128 promptly turned the race on its head. The first was caused by a crash at Reid Park for Todd Hazelwood, and the last was caused by a stuck throttle for Anton de Pasquale after a trying day.
It was the middle safety car though that was the most incredible. Racing for third and fourth place, Tickford Mustang teammates Waters and Mostert had been instructed to save fuel. But, with 38 laps to go, Mostert lost control under brakes at The Chase while on Waters' outside. The duo locked wheels, and both spun in unison into the sandtrap where they got beached. Both of their fights for first were over, with Waters and co-driver Caruso's car retired shortly after.
What had looked like a race with a relatively established rhythm had been flipped onto its side. In the rapid melee pit strategy became a clear factor. Van Gisbergen had opted for an aggressive strategy, while the remainder of the leaders instead had to conserve for the run to the finish.
Whincup led following the de Pasquale safety car, over McLaughlin, Coulthard, a continually impressive Andre Heimgartner, and youngster James Golding in fifth. Van Gisbergen was buried at the bottom of the top 10, but was quickly carving through the pack. And, as the final stops loomed, the Red Bull-backed Kiwi had a shorter pit-stop than the leaders on the cards.
But, there was one last safety-car period (thrown for the beached Commodore of Alexander Rossi) set to further throw the race into chaos. And, compounding the safety car, was Coulthard slowing down the back straight. This impeded the rest of the field, and allowed Whincup and McLaughlin to take their stops with no risk of stacking for their teammates behind.
Scott McLaughlin triumphed. Photo / Getty
Coulthard's delaying had cost numerous cars dearly. Van Gisbergen's theoretical advantage was gone, and Heimgartner had lost spots to both Golding and Winterbottom. Coulthard lost his top 10 slot, following an unsurprising drive-through penalty for the decision under safety car.
The race resumed on lap 137, with the question being whether anyone would be able to make it to the end of the race without another pit-stop. A 25-lap run to the flag was scheduled, with most of the best runs on a full tank of fuel being 23 laps. Some teams would push on to the finish, while others would pre-prepare for a 'splash and dash' in the dying moments.
Golding was the first driver to enter pit-lane for his last stop, peeling out of third and leaving Whincup and McLaughlin to push for first, with van Gisbergen and Heimgartner continuing in third and fourth.
Whincup and his crew committed to making a splash and dash stop with 20 laps to go, which saw him press on and push for quick lap-times with the idea of another pit-stop. Van Gisbergen and Heimgartner were on McLaughlin's wavelength, trying to run to the end of the race with no extra stop.
With 10 laps to go, another safety car came out for a crashed Garry Jacobson and Richie Stanaway. Whincup came in for a stop, while McLaughlin, van Gisbergen, and Courtney continued at the front. The crash set up a remarkable run to the flag, with McLaughlin and van Gisbergen in the front struggling for fuel, and with Courtney and Whincup able to push to the flag. And they would all restart the race relatively close together.
It was a nail-biting final stanza. McLaughlin was holding off van Gisbergen, however van Gisbergen was also able to make use of McLaughlin's draft to help him save fuel. There was very little passing, but the top four remained spread out by a hovering two seconds as teams set themselves up for a fight in the final few laps.
But, there was one final safety car in the tail. Heimgartner, battling for seventh with Winterbottom, clipped the inside wall at Forest Elbow on lap 157 — plowing into the outside wall at speed. The scale of the crash meant that a long clean-up was certain, meaning the race was either going to finish under safety car or finish with a one-lap dash depending on how quickly the broken Nissan could be retrieved. Sure enough, an unprecedented one-lap green-flag run to the finish-line would come; the top four all nose to tail, with one car separating Whincup and Reynolds in fifth.
Scott McLaughlin celebrates his victory. Photo / Getty
The two front-runners both got sharp starts, with McLaughlin far enough ahead to defend at Griffins Bend.
Van Gisbergen's critical error was a wide run at McPhillamy Park, where he kicked up dust and lost precious ground to McLaughlin. And, that proved to be the difference at the end of the race — McLaughlin crossing the line with a skint six-tenth margin in hand.
Van Gisbergen and Courtney completed an unlikely podium led by a Kiwi one-two
