Bathurst 12: Event hour nine notes

Tight tussle at the front with three hours to go

Hour nine has concluded with the WPS Bathurst 12 Hour's tenth safety car of the day due to the stricken #18 car of Corey Baldock.

The incident in the closing minutes of the hour followed earlier action at the top of the mountain, including Neil Crompton seeing his right rear wheel chase him down the hill and Josh Hunt putting his #15 Nissan 350Z drivers side first into the Falken Elbow wall -- bringing out the ninth safety car.

Under the Hunt-caused safety car, the race leader at the time Rod Salmon traveled to the pits to allow Tony Longhurst to take back the wheel, while Stuart Kostura remained in the chasing #55 BMW.

Following the restart on lap 160, Kostura was able to take the lead from Longhurst and keep it until the close of the hour, at which time he overtook third placed Paul Stubber to see only the two front running cars now on the lead lap.

The leaders have now completed 174 laps.

-credit: bathurst12hour.com.au