Shane van Gisbergen SLAMMED in Bathurst wet weather CHAOS as more drivers pile into the barriers

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The big wet is causing chaos at the Bathurst 1000 as drivers struggle with grip – but rain was not to blame when series leader Shane van Gisbergen slammed into the rear end of Macauley Jones’ Holden launching his car into a nasty barrier crash.

Wild weather continues to lash the mountain as experts tip the wettest Bathurst on record. causing slick conditions that have caused drivers across all categories to come unstuck.

In qualifying today alone, former V8 Supercars champion Jamie Whincup and Dunlop Super2 Series driver Kurt Kostecki slid out into the barriers.

However Kiwi champion van Gisbergen can’t blame it on the rain after putting Jones into a wall late yesterday that resulted in a three-place grid penalty.

He was doing a hot lap late in the day when he struck the slower moving Jones at turn 13 at the Mount Panorama course, with the New Zealand driver cramming into a gap that wasn’t there. 

Shane van Gisbergen SLAMMED in Bathurst wet weather CHAOS as more drivers pile into the barriers

Macauley Jones in the no.96 commodore slams into the barrier on turn 13 after a ‘careless’ nudge from series leader Shane van Gisbergen

Jones’ car required extensive repairs, as the force of the barrier collision tore parts off the rear left of his v8, while the axle bowed. His team, Brad Jones Racing, worked until 2.30am to keep their Bathurst weekend hopes alive. 

Team owner and father of Macauley, Brad, questioned the 2021 champion Van Gisbergen’s judgement.

‘Here you can win the race from last place … it’s just disappointing,’ Jones Snr said.

‘Even in the dry, you can’t get two cars through that part of the track. So, I think Shane, I’m a little unsure what he was thinking. Clearly, he was committed and he was trying to pass.

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It was just maybe a bit of rush of blood from his side, I’m not sure. Look, the penalty is the penalty, it has done so much damage to the car, but we will sort it out and get it going again for tomorrow.’

Racecars spin out at the end of Conrod Straight, with rain causing havoc all across the Mount Panorama track

Racecars spin out at the end of Conrod Straight, with rain causing havoc all across the Mount Panorama track

Van Gisbergen said the incident was ‘a shame’ but was confused as to why Jones didn’t let him pass.

‘I’m confused because he went really wide at turn one and lost almost a second to his lap before,’ he told Wide World of Sports.

‘And then at the top, it looked like he was letting me go, so I committed down the hill.

‘Then he came back to the line and I couldn’t stop and I crashed into him.’

‘The contact is my fault. But what led to it … his lap was ruined at turn one.

‘He’s seen a car catching him … he doesn’t have to pull out of my way because, like, he was still on a lap.

‘But I thought in the moment he stuffed up turn one and then he was pulling over to let me go.

‘I feel sorry for his guys that they have to fix the car.’ 

The Jones racing team had little luck on Saturday, as drive partner Jordan Boys rammed into a wall while making a turn. 

Heavy damage ruled the car out of practice, as it stopped in the thick sand trap after the collision.  

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The penalty comes into effect for the Top Ten shootout on Saturday and means last years 14-time winner cannot start higher than fourth.

Van Gisbergen celebrates after winning race two of the Townsville 500 during the 2022 Supercars Championship season

Van Gisbergen celebrates after winning race two of the Townsville 500 during the 2022 Supercars Championship season

The John Lord/Ray Molloy Mini crashes out during the Bathurst 1000 in 1974, deemed the fifth wettest race on record.

The John Lord/Ray Molloy Mini crashes out during the Bathurst 1000 in 1974, deemed the fifth wettest race on record. 

The 2016 champion could stoop down to 13th position for Sunday’s 161-lap race, making his climb up the rankings tough given the barrage of rain.

The Kiwi wasn’t the only driver to cop a penalty for his deemed careless driving, with Jake Kostecki fined over a red flag breach.

The 22-year-old Perth driver was fined $10,000, with $5000 suspended, when clocked at 220km/h on Conrod Straight.

Four-time Bathurst legend Jamie Whincup was also a victim of the wet conditions, crashing into the tyre barrier on turn one after losing control during qualifying. 

This year’s ‘Great Race’ is set to be one of the wettest on record, predicting up to 35 millimetres of rain on Sunday. 

The 2000 Bathurst race is regarded as the wettest to date, with 21 millimetres of rain producing 13 safety car calls – a track record. 

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