There has been drama aplenty in this year’s Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour and the eighth hour of this race ended in quite dramatic fashion, as well as being a benefit for Pollicina Motorsport in terms of track position.
After all the dramas that have occurred in the last three hours of the race, including heavy rain, extended Safety Car periods and a tree falling on the track and stopping the race for 45 minutes, the race resumed proper at the beginning of hour eight. Sitting in 12th outright, John O’Dowd was showing the field that Evo VIII Lancer was still going and going really well. His nearest main rival at that point was Hankook’s Mark Brame in the much faster Evo X RS Lancer.
Whilst behind the wheel, he gained one-track position when the Holden VE Commodore Ute of Grant Johnson spluttered into pit lane with mechanical dramas. This elevated Brame into 10th and O’Dowd into 11th. At times during the hour, Brame and O’Dowd were throwing plenty of punches in terms of lap times and both men weren’t giving an inch as they tried to beat one another.
But soon enough, O’Dowd was brought in for a quick splash of fuel right on the eight-hour mark. He returned to the track without losing track position. But as he returned to the track, a massive crash between the Eric Bana Lancer Evo X RS and Subaru WRX STi of Dean Herridge occurred at Reid Park. This again temporarily halted the race as the carnage was cleared.
With the retirement of Bana and Herridge and the subsequent pit stop of Brame, this has allowed the Pollicina Motorsports Evo VIII Lancer to move back into the top ten and into eighth outright with four hours remaining.
To follow the live broadcast, log on to www.bathurst12hour.com.au