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Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport faces uncertainty over which chassis it will take to the Castrol Gold Coast 600 for Tim Blanchard and Karl Reindler after the former’s big shunt at Bathurst.
Blanchard made heavy contact will the wall at Sulman Park on lap 79 after losing the rear end of the Holden.
Team manager Barry Hay could only offer a preliminary diagnosis on the car but was not optimistic about the state of the #3 CoolDrive Commodore.
“At this stage from what we can see that’s not the car we’ll be taking to the Gold Coast,” Hay told Speedcafe.com.
“What we do have back at the shop is an old Russell Ingall chassis from last year.
“That’s our backup plan at this stage but having a look at where it went in and the fact that it tore the whole boot and everything, I’m expecting it to be pretty ugly.”
Hay noted, however, that the availability of the former Ingall car is uncertain given that it was sold to Phil Munday in March.
That car was last raced by the team at Winton in May before Blanchard moved to the chassis which was crashed by Nick Percat at Albert Park.
Blanchard admitted fault for the Bathurst crash, but confirmed that he had escaped any injury.
“The car’s pretty loose all day and I just got it slightly wrong,” Blanchard said.
“Once you get off-line there… I just kind of clipped the wall and I was a passenger from there – not a great way to end the day.
“It’s pretty quick through there so you’re always going to be a bit sore but nothing to be worried about.”
Hay meanwhile reflected on the team’s troubled day overall, after Oliver Gavin found the wall at Forrest’s Elbow when he was turned around by Will Davison on Lap 55.
“It’s just the way it goes,” he lamented.
“Everything was just so on track for #222, so fast, and whatever… so it’s just the way it goes – that’s this place.”
Percat and Gavin eventually finished 19th after their delay.
The #6 Pepsi Max Crew Ford, #111 Super Black Racing Ford and #17 DJR Team Penske Ford also took heavy damage across the Bathurst weekend.
Prodrive team principal Tim Edwards confirmed to Speedcafe.com that Chaz Mostert’s car is damaged beyond repair, forcing the team to field a replacement for the Gold Coast.
Although plans are yet to be locked in, the chassis raced as the Harvey Norman Supergirls Ford at Bathurst is expected to fill the void in the short term.
Speaking on Sunday evening at Bathurst, Edwards was confident that the Super Black car – which crashed out after a touch from Reindler in the race – can be fixed for Surfers Paradise.
DJR Team Penske is meanwhile expected to revert to its spare chassis following Scott Pye’s heavy hit at Sulman Park in the closing stages.
