Big Crash at Bathurst Twelve Hour, No One Hurt

Big Crash at Bathurst Twelve Hour, No One Hurt
A screenshot of the #33 Clearwater Racing Ferrari stalled trackside just after the impact, with a big chunk of Nissan bodywork sticking up from its nose. (bathurst12hour.com.au)
Chris Jasurek
2/8/2014
Updated:
2/8/2014

A major crash two-and-a-half hours into the Bathurst Twelve Hours has taken two of the favorites out of the race, but luckily no one was hurt.

Hiroshi Hamaguachi in the #33 Clearwater Racing Ferrari F458 Italia GT3 lost control cresting Mount Panorama, hitting the wall, breaking the front suspension and radiator before skidding to a halt facing backwards on the right side of the track.

Several cars came upon the blinding dust cloud, illuminated from behind by the mid-morning sun, and managed to squeeze by the Ferrari either on the track on the left or through the dirt on the right.

Katsumasa Cyio in the #32 #32 Nismo Athlete Global Team Nissan GT‐R tried to pass on the right but skidded sideways in the fluid on the track, and slammed the Ferrari’s right front hood and fender with Nissan’s right rear corner at 135 mph.

Luckily the collision was not straight on as the accident between Memo Gidley and Matteo Malucelli at the Rolex 24 at the end of January—the Nissan struck the Ferrari well off-center, so the force was not transmitted directly.

It took perhaps 30 seconds for the dust to clear, then another several tense seconds Hiroshi Hamaguachi opened the left-hand door of the smashed Ferrari and climbed out. The ruined Nissan came to rest several hundred yards further up the track; after another minute or so, safety officials helped driver Katsumasa Cyio out of the car.

The Nismo Nissan had been running in the top three; the Clearwater Ferrari was further back, because of the team’s strategy of using its slower drivers first to save its stars for later in the race.

A screenshot of the #32 Nismo Nissan jammed against the wall a few hundred yards down the track from the wreckage of the ferrari. (bathurst12hour.com.au)
A screenshot of the #32 Nismo Nissan jammed against the wall a few hundred yards down the track from the wreckage of the ferrari. (bathurst12hour.com.au)

The Bathurst 12 Hours on the Mount Panorama racing circuit in New South Wales Australia has been attracting an international roster of drivers and teams for several years now, with 39 cars in six classes taking the green flag rthis year.

The defending champion #1 Erebus Racing Mercedes started from the pole and led most of the race, giving up the lead to the #48 M Motorsport Lamborghini Gallardo during a pit stop just after two hours. The Erebus Merc retook the lead when the Lambo pitted just before the crash which caused the third caution period of the day.

The first retirement of the race was star-crossed peter Kox in the Peter Kox in the #23 JBS Swift Lamborghini Gallardo. In his first two trips to Mount Panorama, Kox’s teammates crashed the car before he got to drive a alp.

This time Kox was first driver, so he at least got to participate in the race. Unfortunately, on Lap Six a kangaroo jumped in front of his car. Kox was able to limp back to the pits but the car was so damaged it had to be retired.

The 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour can be followed online via live streaming (with audio by Radio Le Mans) and Live Timing and Scoring at http://www.bathurst12hour.com.au.

Bathurst 12 Hours Running Order After Three Hours

 

#

Team and Car

Driver

1

1

Erebus Motorspor Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 2012

Bernd Schneider

2

3

Phoenix Racing Audi R8-LMS Ultra 2013

Rene Rast

3

37

Darrell Lea McLaren MP4 12C 2013

Shane van Gisebergen

4

88

Maranello Motorsport il Bello Rosso Ferrari F458 Italia GT3 2013

John Bowe

5

14B

Rotek Racing Oakley Motorsports Audi R8-LMS 2013

Richard Meins

6

25

United Autosports Audi R8-LMS 2012

Eric Lux

7

48

M Motorsport Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 2012

Ross Lilley

8

63

Erebus Motorspor Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 2012

Will Davison

9

45B

Sennheiser/Rentcorp Forklifts/Fiji Water Porsche 997 GT3 Cup MY06

Indiran Padayachee

10

9

Network Clothing Audi R8-LMS Ultra 2012

Mark Eddy