Heavy crash for Mostert in Practice 5

History has repeated for Dick Johnson Racing at Bathurst as Chaz Mostert heavily crashed the team’s Greens’-Tuf Falcon in final practice.

The 30th anniversary of Dick Johnson’s crash in the original Greens’-Tuf gained much attention in the event’s lead-up, but the team now joins Erebus Motorsport in racing against time to have its entry repaired for the race.

The accident occurred at the halfway mark of the final 50 minute practice session prior to qualifying.

Mostert had just set the fourth fastest time when he clipped the inside wall at Reid Park, firing the Falcon hard into the concrete on the left.

The side-on hit was so violent that it lifted the car from the ground, before spinning it across the circuit where it endured a head-on clash with the right-side concrete.

Mostert escaped from the wreckage unscathed and was remarkably composed upon returning to his garage from the medical centre.

“It was one of those things. I tried to turn in too early, I got too greedy and hit the wall,” he told Speedcafe.com.

“It was a pretty big hit but hopefully it looked worse than it was. I’m okay and wasn’t knocked around that much.

“The car had felt good during that session and it was such a shame for that too happen.

“I’ll see if I can get in there and lend a hand. It’s been a tough practice but we’ll see how we go.

“Hopefully we can be a good hard luck story in the race.”

Jamie Whincup eventually set the fastest time in the session, recording the first 2:07s lap of the weekend on his final attempt.

Another red flag, this time to retrieve James Moffat’s Nissan from the Murray’s Corner gravel trap, set up a one-lap qualifying simulation run for much of the field.

Jason Bright was at the top of the order at the time of the restart, but even improving his previous best by 0.2s to 2:08.2s was not enough to hold off Whincup’s 2:07.8s.

Will Davison, Mark Winterbottom, Michael Caruso, Fabian Coulthard and Shane van Gisbergen also improved in the dying seconds to fill third through seventh.

Mostert’s earlier effort was enough to remain eighth ahead of James Courtney and Lee Holdsworth.

The session featured three red flags in total with the first having been called at the 15 minute mark for debris at The Cutting.

The V8 Supercars will return to the track for qualifying at 1500.

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See below for the full Practice 5 result