Van Gisbergen/Tander lead dramatic race at halfway

A so far chaotic Repco Bathurst 1000 was led at halfway by Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander.

The 2020 winners moved to the front during the fifth of six BP Ultimate Safety Car periods.

The Safety Car was deployed six times in the first 57 laps.

Incidents on the first and fifth laps saw four cars wiped out.

Inclement weather rendered outfields slippery and muddy, with several drivers caught out.

While the #97 avoided drama on the track, van Gisbergen and Tander had to contend with a time penalty over an unsafe release.

Through the fourth round of stops, four-time winner Tander led David Russell in the #99 Erebus car.

Lee Holdsworth vaulted into the lead off the line as James Moffat bogged down from pole.

Holdsworth led Fabian Coulthard, Warren Luff, Greg Murphy and Moffat over the crest on Mountain Straight.

Behind them, all hell broke loose as Jack Perkins and Jamie Whincup spun in front of the field.

Best swerved left to take evasive action, but hit the wall.

The concertina behind saw a number of cars pick up front and rear damage.

Perkins and Whincup limped back to the pits the former gaining his lap back during a later Safety Car.

Officials deemed no driver was wholly at fault, and no action was taken.

The race restarted on lap 5, but was immediately neutralised for the major accident at The Chase.

Zane Goddard ran off attempting an overtake on Murphy, and lost control on the rejoin.

Dale Wood and Matt Campbell had no chance to avoid the errant #5 Ford, with Campbell making heavy front-on impact.

Mark Winterbottom, behind them, checked up to avoid Wood’s stricken car and was turned by Tony D’Alberto.

The incident prompted officials to advise drivers to take care when rejoining.

Holdsworth stretched his legs on the restart, with Moffat clearing Luff and Coulthard.

However, several main drivers took over under yellow when Jake Kostecki ran off at The Chase.

Several teams were forced to double-stack; the #97 picked up a five-second penalty for an unsafe release.

Tander was released into the path of Alex Davison, whose off at The Chase on lap 30 triggered a fourth Safety Car.

In the time to the fourth Safety Car, Waters had motored the pole-sitting car back into contention.

Declan Fraser led the field to green on lap 34, with Waters haunting the rear of Richie Stanaway.

Waters completed the move at Murray’s Corner on the following lap, and set off after Fraser.

Mostert attacked Brodie Kostecki at Forrest’s Elbow on lap 36, but it only invited van Gisbergen past down the chute.

Van Gisbergen quickly cleared Kostecki and Stanaway, and Mostert was keen to go with him.

All the while, Waters began to pull away and led by nearly four seconds once Fraser stopped on lap 40.

A collision between Nick Percat and Tim Blanchard sent the latter into the Forrest’s Elbow tyres, triggering a fifth Safety Car.

Percat would later crash through the Esses chasing De Pasquale.

Van Gisbergen stayed out, Waters handed over to Moffat, and Mostert also stopped.

The series leader gapped the field on the restart; behind him, Brodie Kostecki sent Moffat into a spin at The Cutting.

However, Kostecki - like Percat - avoided penalty.

Van Gisbergen’s lead blew out to eight seconds by lap 54, with Mostert placing De Pasquale under heavy pressure.

Both drivers cleared Fullwood at either end of the track after Fullwood slid through The Chase on the previous lap.

Van Gisbergen handed over to Tander on lap 55, and finally served the five-second penalty.

An error at pit entry for Jones saw Tander assume the lead as the field stopped behind the Safety Car.

Tander led the field to green on lap 60; Russell was second ahead of De Pasquale, with Mostert handing over to Coulthard.

On lap 61, Murphy was turned around by Jake Kostecki at Griffin’s Bend, with the latter handed a 15-second penalty.

Tander opened up a 3.2s lead over Russell by lap 68, with De Pasquale 2.8s behind.

The race ran green through the halfway mark, with Tander retaining the lead through the stops.