Podium result in a thriller

From a breathtaking sunrise and picture perfect morning to forked lightening and driving rain almost on the stroke of halfway, as always Mount Panorama crammed a bit of everything into the 12 hour window that was this year’s Repco Bathurst 12 Hour. There was expectation, disappointment and in the end there was a thrilling finish that culminated in the #22 Audi crossing the line for a podium finish.

Elation for Christopher Haase, Liam Talbot and Kelvin van der Linde at the end of a race that at times seemed just out of reach – until a stunning move by Haase right at the death put the Melbourne Performance Centre entry into the top three.

It was the result of a solid unflappable performance all day that kept Audi well within striking distance of the front. Indeed three of the four starting Audis finished with the #2 car of Brad Schumacher, Markus Winkelhock and Ricardo Feller the sole casualty, and even then they bowed out late in the race.

Indeed all four Audis were well placed for the start, with the two Pro cars starting from starting from sixth and seventh, with the single Pro-Am car in 12th and an A-Silver in 15th. All avoided problems at the start and the early running was problem free, with the two Pro cars forming a part of the lead pack for lap after lap as the sun came up over Bathurst and the dawn gave way to early and then mid-morning.

Although the number of pace car interventions began to creep upon relatively early in the race, none of the major contenders were affected and the interventions stopped any one team from creating a significant lead and kept the leading closely packed. The two Melbourne Performance Centre (MPC) Pro cars continued to circulate with the lead group, pushing into the top three at times, but never able to get out front of the pack.

But as the race wore on, one incident followed another and the pace car began wracking up some serious mileage. Not only that but the mild summer morning gave way to black clouds that cracked with lightening as the race approached the six hour point, before drenching the track in rain that weather experts had assured everyone wouldn’t materialise. The change in weather changed the very complexion of the race and the number of incidents and pace cars began to climb significantly.

Nevertheless the Audis continued their relentless pursuit of the lead, dropping back in the order for tyres or driver changes and then fighting their way back up through the order to remain permanent fixtures within the top 10.

All four Audis remained viable as the rain intensified and also survived pit penalties (a two-minute standing penalty after #2 was involved in an incident) and even near misses on the track. So close was the racing that even after the eighth hour there were still 16 cars on the lead lap, but slowly as the front runners began to thin, the Audis remained right in the top mix.

At the 10th hour that dynamic changed when the #2 KFC Team MPC car pitted for what looked like a tyre and driver change, but the seconds turned into minutes and then the car was pushed into the garages. Race over.

An ongoing wheel issue that had apparently dogged the car all day had steadily worsened to the point where the car could no longer be driven safely. A dejected Markus Winkelhock was again robbed of a chance at a race win on this, his ninth attempt at the Mountain. This left the #22 Wash It Team MPC car the only Audi with a chance of bringing home the silverware.

And this is how it stayed right to the very end of the race when it all came down to a sprint to the Circulating in fifth with seemingly no way top improve his position, Christopher Haase seized on an opportunity when the leading group bunched at The Chase to jump two places into third – a position he then defended foe the remaining few laps of the race.

Both of the other remaining Audis saw out the full 12 hours, with the #9 Hallmarc Team MPC finishing 13th outright with Marc Cini, Lee Holdsworth and Dean Fiore producing another solid performance and seeing Cini finish a record 12th Bathurst 12 Hour.

Just behind them in 14th outright, the #44 car of Luke Youldon, Marcel Zalloua, Sergio Pires and Brad Shiels alsohad reason to celebrate, taking second place in the A-Silver class after an outstanding performance all day.