2018 Bathurst 12 Hour
As the race is restarted, Mostert sprints away from the pack at qualifying pace, aided by Vervischs' struggles as he is passed by Melbourne Performance Centre team-mate Christopher Haase before engaging in a ferocious battle with underdog Luke Youlden in the Peregrine Corporation Lamborghini Gallardo.
The #100 Steven Richards Motorsport BMW had been sent to the back of the grid for exceeding maximum boost pressure in qualifying; by the end of the opening hour Timo Glock had stormed past the lower classes and tail-end GT3 contenders.
At the front of the field, disaster struck for Youlden as he clashed with the lapped Class B Porsche of Aaron Zerefos exiting Griffins' Bend – resulting in suspension damage for the former and a puncture for the latter.
The first major incident of the race occurred after 90 minutes, with David Crampton pinballing the #48 KTM X-Bow GT4 off the walls entering Forrests Elbow before coming to a rest in the tyre barrier.
The leaders took the opportunity to swap drivers as a wheelnut sheared off Xavier West's BMW M4 GT4 whilst he attempted to catch the Safety Car train, firing him into the fence at Forrests Elbow.
This provided the Am drivers an opportunity to jump out having met their minimum driving times, with Kenny Habul and David Calvert-Jones still sitting inside the top 10 thanks to all the yellow flag running – leaving their effective all-Pro line-ups in very good shape strategically.
The penalty for one BMW benefitted another – the #100 car elevated itself up to the lead from the back of the grid after the Objective McLaren made a green-flag pit-stop, but had the two factory Audis from MPC for close company.
The order on the restart was Kane, Patrick Long, Wittmann, Lowndes, Lewis Williamson, Jamie Whincup, Christopher Mies, Estre, Kelvin van der Linde and Steven Richards.
The lapped GT3s of David Russell, McLaughlin and Tomáš Enge plus the Invitational class Dodge Viper were stuck in the train, allowing Kane to bolt away at the front as Lowndes began to fall back through the field.
Long and Wittmann were engaged in a battle for second, which became the lead as Kane was pinged with a drive-through for going too early on the Safety Car restart, putting them outside the top 10 behind 12 Hour debutants Manthey Racing.
Audi squad Team WRT were making their debut on the Mountain in 2018, however it proved a tough start for their Pro entry as Robin Frijns joined a growing list of drivers to fall foul of the Safety Car rules.
Mies, Estre and Garth Tander out in front hadn't taken the chance to stop under green before Andrew Tang ended Team Carrera Cup Asia's eventful day before half-distance having spun into the fence at McPhillamy.
Alex Davison in the Competition Motorsports Porsche made wheel-to-wheel contact with the RHC Jorgensen/Strom BMW GT4 through Reid Park, punting the Class C contender into the inside fence before coming to a rest on the exit of the complex.
The ensuing Safety Car vaulted the MPC Audis of Winkelhock and Van Der Linde back to the lead, but it was becoming clear that the Porsches had a significant advantage on fuel strategy of up to 6 laps.
The Audis were formation flying 1–2 with a healthy margin over Matthew Campbell in third when disaster struck; Van Der Linde made a rookie error trying to lap Bryce Fullwood in the MARC Mazda around the outside of the Esses, sliding on the marbles and into the fence – destroying the left-rear suspension.
Schnitzer however did take tyres as Mostert took over from Wittmann and went on a charge – scything past Evans and Dirk Werner, then David Fumanelli before ranging up on the back of Estre and Kane in the battle for P3.
As a result of the #12 stopping, Frijns found himself fourth on the road having only recently faced the threat of going a lap down for the second time – then fortuitously passed Whincup for third just as the Safety Car came out yet again for the #777 Lamborghini, parked at the side of Conrod Straight missing a wheel.
With 2 hours remaining and just one stop left, Winkelhock in the #74 Audi for Melbourne Performance Centre looked to be in the box seat – until the German dropped the car off the end of the Griffins Bend exit kerb and broke the gearbox, grinding to a halt on the outside of the Cutting; out of the race.
After a 40 lap stint, Makowiecki handed over the Manthey Porsche to Dumas with just 45 minutes remaining – and a slick stop put them seventh a long way ahead of the Strakka car they were fighting previously.
