Bathurst 1000: McLaughlin/Premat lead one hour in

The car’s regular driver McLaughlin started The Great Race from the front row of the grid, and in three laps managed to barge his way past early leader Dean Canto at the final corner.

Once in front, McLaughlin was able to hold station. However, he wasn’t able to pull away from fellow Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen, who passed Canto a lap later and latched on to the back of the leading Volvo.

The pair have since handed their cars over to their respective co-drivers, with the majority of the field stopping when the first Safety Car of the afternoon arrived on Lap 16.

That means Premat currently leads Jono Webb, with Luke Youlden – who took over from Fabian Coulthard during the first stops – in third.

Jamie Whincup is currently fourth, having taken over from Paul Dumbrell during the stops, and then passed David Reynolds, who has replaced Canto after the first stint.

The race has already seen it’s first retirement, with the #34 Volvo of David Wall and Chris Pither losing an engine on Lap 16.

That had a knock-on effect that sparked the Safety Car period, with Renee Gracie slipping up on Wall’s oil and hitting the barrier at Forrest’s Elbow.

Gracie managed to get the all-female entry back to the pits, where it is currently undergoing repairs.

“It’s a bit disappointing,” she said. “I was off to a great start. Everything was going well, but unfortunately I was the first one to find the oil and the first one to find the wall.”