It is a hard race to win and the emotion of breaking through or adding another Peter Brock Trophy to the cabinet is clear for all to see after 161 laps, but some aren’t so lucky as victory is stolen cruelly.
The Repco Garage is highlighting just some of these heart breaking moments ahead of the Bathurst 1000 next month. Let us know online, which one was the most heart breaking or whether we’ve missed one.
Peter Brock/Brian Sampson – 1974
This was utter domination. Peter Brock and Brian Sampson were six laps in front at three-quarter race distance in 1974 driving the Holden Dealer Team Torana SL/R 5000, but a blown engine ended their event. It proved a disaster for the HDT as teammates Colin Bond and Bob Skelton also dropped to fourth due to oil loss leading to the McLeod Ford XB Hardtop of Formula 5000 rivals John Goss and Kevin Bartlett taking the win.
Allan Moffat/Gregg Hansford/Klaus Niedzwiedz – 1988
Hiring Swiss Ford ace Rudi Eggenberger to lead his team for 1988, Allan Moffat was in the box seat to secure his fifth Bathurst 1000. German ace Klaus Niedzwiedz set scorching times in qualifying and led the majority of the way until a safety car came out, which crucially cooled the temperatures inside the ANZ Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth. With Gregg Hansford at the wheel during the restart, the dramatic rise in heat led to a blown head gasket as it was a lap up on the competition with 30 laps to go.
Glenn Seton/David ‘Skippy’ Parsons – 1995
Probably the biggest heartbreak of all. Driving the #30 Peter Jackson Ford Falcon EF on the 30th anniversary of his father Barry’s win in The Great Race, all appeared well for Glenn Seton when he was leading towards the conclusion. A safety car late in the race closed the field up including a determined Larry Perkins. Holding a 7s lead after the restart, Seton’s Falcon dropped a valve leading to a heart breaking retirement entering The Cutting.
Paul Radisich/Steven Ellery – 1999
Ford had plenty of mountain heartbreaks around the turn of the millennium, but the Repco Garage has gone with the first in 1999 involving the Dick Johnson Racing Ford AU Falcon of Paul Radisich and Steven Ellery. In what was Dick Johnson’s final Bathurst 1000, it was a big occasion for DJR and the Radisich assault was leading the way. However, a tangle with a lapped entry led to a punctured tyre and a trip through the sand trap on the way through pit lane damaged the front air dam. It later retired due to overheating.
Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards – 2007
As always happens at Bathurst, there was a late drama as rain began to fall in the final hour with the Ford Performance Racing entry of Mark Winterbottom and Steve Richards leading comfortably. A safety car was deployed after a crash at the top of the mountain involving Mark Skaife, Jason Bright, Russell Ingall and Shane van Gisbergen. Electing not to pit for wets, Winterbottom entered The Chase on lap 148 and encountered a patch of wet sending him barrelling into the sand trap where he nearly rolled. This allowed Craig Lowndes to take the lead as damaged steering prevented a Winterbottom charge to the podium.
Jamie Whincup/Paul Dumbrell – 2014
Probably the most famous of the lot. It was the longest Bathurst 1000 of all the time at nearly eight hours in length after being stopped at the mid-point due to the track surface breaking up. The Ford Performance Racing Falcon FG of Chaz Mostert was caught out with co-driver Paul Morris at the wheel. Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell held the lead for much of the race, but Mostert came hard as the Red Bull Racing VF Commodore was struggling for fuel leading to a spectacular final lap.
Honourable mentions
Allan Moffat – 1969
Peter Brock/Doug Chivas
Dick Johnson/John French – 1980
Tony Longhurst/David Besnard – 2000
Craig Lowndes/Neil Crompton – 2001
Shane van Gisbergen/Jonathon Webb – 2014
David Reynolds/Luke Youlden – 2018
