Chaz Mostert has crashed after slipping on oil in Practice 1 for the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series at Mount Panorama.
The series-leading Audi driver hit the wall at Reid Park when he happened upon oil which had been dropped on the circuit earlier.
That triggered one of three red flags in the opening session of the season’s final round, the TCR Bathurst 400.
“I was going for my first flying lap and I felt like I was taking it pretty cautious,” recounted Mostert.
“I got to the point where I lost the rear end going into Turn 6 [Reid Park] and just slid off on some oil.
“I thought the oil finished before then because of where the sawdust was, but I don’t know if the officials had run out of sawdust to continue or whatever.
“It pulled the corner off it and I was pretty much a passenger from there.”
Melbourne Performance Centre will attempt to turn around the #25 Bostik RS 3 LMS TCR such that Mostert can partake in Practice 2 this afternoon.
“The guys were saying the car isn’t as bad as what they were initially thinking, which is always the case I suppose when you crash the car,” added the 2014 Bathurst 1000 winner.
“Other than that, we’ll see what we can do.”
Jordan Cox was fastest in a Garry Rogers Motorsport Alfa Romeo on a 2:17.1491s, ahead of team-mate Aaron Cameron in a Peugeot and Luke King in another of the MPC Audis.
King is Mostert’s nearest rival for the title at a fairly sizeable 106 points back, meaning the series could be wrapped up in Race 1 of the weekend.
Practice 2 starts at 15:10 local time/AEDT.