Jason Bargwanna speared into James Moffat on the final lap of Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Race 3 at Symmons Plains because a brake rotor exploded.
Bargwanna had already been experiencing brake dramas with his Garry Rogers Motorsport Peugeot when one corner let go completely as he drove down the back straight.
The Bathurst 1000 winner ended up spinning through the infield and made heavy contact with the rear and side of his stablemate Moffat’s Renault as he fired back across the track.
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Thankfully, both were able to walk away from the crash scene.
“Gave you a fright? You should have been sitting where I was sitting, let me tell you,” quipped Bargwanna.
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“The thing had been struggling a little bit in the last four or five laps with brakes so I was just trying to nurse it away.
“Those guys obviously had better brakes, so I couldn’t do much about it, but that last lap, coming through the kink, something exploded.
“I tried to get stopped but the whole left-front rotor’s just gone from the car, so there was just nothing there, there was just absolutely nothing.
“So, I was trying to work out how we’re going to stop this thing and, I don’t know, I was aiming for a gap between the middle of everyone but that’s where it ended up.
“I’m really sorry for Moff but a bit of work for the guys here, but we’re all okay, so we’ll go again.”
Moffat took longer to emerge from his battered hatchback than Bargwanna, but was also not seriously harmed despite the unpleasant experience.
“They say they’re the worst ones but I’ve never had one like that,” he said.
“So, I can now confirm they’re the worst ones, when you have no idea what’s coming; so, not great.”
There was also a lucky escape for yet another Renault driver in Dylan O’Keeffe, whose Megane was showered with debris which flew from Bargwanna’s car.
“I had a shocking weekend really, but super glad Moff’s okay,” remarked O’Keeffe.
“The last couple of laps, it looks like Bargs was really struggling to pull up his car, even at the hairpin on the last lap.
“Coming down the back straight, his left-front rotor exploded and it was pouring out of the car and as soon as he jumped on the brakes, obviously pirouetted, hit Moff, so, that’s what broke our windscreen.
“But, just super glad and shows how safe these cars are that Moff’s alright.”
Team owner Garry Rogers described the crash as one of the worst he had seen in his long career.
“It is a very, very big crash but, fortunately, Moff’s fine,” said Rogers.
“He won’t be so fine tomorrow, I don’t reckon, because he’ll be battered and bruised. I mean, that’s a bloody big hit, when you look at a car like that, to be damaged that badly.
“It just shows – I hate to talk about it like this – but these cars are very, very safe, and the way they’re built, that is the case.
“I’ve seen some fair ones; that’s about as bad as I’ve seen in a long time.”
The veteran competitor had already seen his crew, including drivers, work to turn around Michael Caruso’s battered Alfa Romeo after a Race 2 coming-together with O’Keeffe.
Moffat’s Megane also required work between the Australia Day encounters after a hit with Jay Hanson.
Reflecting on the latest prang, Rogers commented, “Racing is about racing and whilst you hate this, the fact of the matter is, occasionally it happens.
“You’ve just got to surround yourself with good people that can put in and get it going again.”
A GRM driver does lead the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series after Round 1, however, after Jordan Cox drove his Alfa Romeo to two race wins and a second placing.
An Invitational Round of TCR takes place this coming weekend when Boost Mobile Race Tasmania concludes at Baskerville Raceway, near the city of Hobart.
CLICK HERE for the Supercheap Auto Highlights from Symmons Plains
REPLAY: Bargwanna-Moffat crash
ICYMI | HUUUGE crash between @J_Moffat and Aussie racing legend Jason Bargwanna
Thankfully, the pair walked away from the incident unscathed 🙏
If you missed any of today’s action, you can catch the replays on @7plus pic.twitter.com/IUOcWEXyew
— 7Sport (@7Sport) January 26, 2021
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