Posted: 09.10.2007 15:04
In what was a close nail biting finish in the Bathurst 1000 for 2007, Ford came up triumphant in a 1-2-3 form finish which saw the Red team fail to make a podium appearance.
In a race that could have been anybody’s for the taking, it was the last 20 laps that proved to be the decider and when the rain started to come down it played havoc with team strategies, forcing many drivers to take the gamble and come into the pits. Leading Holden driver at the ¾ race distance Mark Skaife suffered steering problems which saw his Day-Glo coloured VE Commodore make contact into the wall the exact same place that Ford driver Jason Bright did just seconds earlier. A team gamble in the Bright camp saw Jason fit up cold slicks to tackle the damp track, a decision that proved to be fatal some 2 laps later.
“No matter if you are Ford or Holden, this is Brocky’s Mountain and we’ve done it again,” Lowndes said.
“After we got to the front from then in we just had to knuckle down. It was a whole new experience … and had a few moments everywhere. I was just trying to find those tram-tracks.
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“It’s great to see different Ford teams up the front. It’s not just one or two teams, there’s real depth in the Ford camp now. For us we didn’t have the fastest car here. It’s fantastic to partner Jamie. I said last year he was a whiz kid and he’s done a great job.
“Last year was a memorable win with Peter Brock. This year is great to come back and do it again.”
1. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup, Team Vodafone, Ford
2. James Courtney/Dave Besnard, Jeld-Wen Motorsport, Ford
3. Will Davison/Steve Johnson, Jim Beam Racing, Ford
4. Greg Murphy/Jason Richards, Tasman Motorsport, Holden
5. Alan Simonsen/Richard Lyons, Team Vodafone, Ford
6. Steve Owen/Tony D'Alberto, Autobarn Racing, Holden
7. Jason Bargwanna/Max Wilson, WPS Racing, Ford
8. Alex Davison/Andrew Thompson, Jim Beam Racing, Ford
9. Cameron McLean/Greg Ritter, Valvoline Cummins Race Team, Ford
10. Steve Richards/Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing, Ford
