BATHURST 1000 HIGHLIGHTS 2012

The stage was set for an epic weekend celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Great Races move to the iconic Mount Panorama circuit in 1963. Ford Performance Racings Will Davison claimed pole ahead of Jamie Whincup Triple Eight VE Commodore but it was Whincups co-driver Paul Dumbrell who started the race and snatched the lead from Davison, only for the FPR man to wrest it back on Griffins Bend. As the race settled down, Davison watched his lead vanish as co-driver John McIntyre was forced to pit with a mystery tyre problem. Davisons afternoon went from bad to worse as contact with FPR teammate Luke Youlden set off a chain of events that eventually saw his car hit the wall at The Chase, effectively ending his challenge. Meanwhile out front, Whincup and Rod Nash Racings David Reynolds were vying for the lead, the latter utilising an astute pit strategy and the safety car to climb from his starting position of eighth on the grid. It set up an enthralling finale as Whincup, driving defensively to conserve fuel, was attacked by the faster Reynolds, who had no such concerns. In the end, Whincups champion driving skills ensured he had the experience to hold off Reynolds, as his VE Commodore crossed the line three-tenths of a second ahead of the FG Falcon in another classic Bathurst finish. For Whincup, it was his fourth win at the Mount Panorama circuit in the last seven years, as he confidently reasserted his recent dominance of The Mountain.