R13 HOUR 2 - Flurry of stops as circuit dries
19/11/2000 12:04 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) - A drying circuit has again created havoc for team strategists as a number of teams took the opportunity to pit during the second hour.
Wayne Gardner was setting a cracking pace early in the hour, lapping at the front comfortably in the low 25s.
Valvoline-Cummins’ Greg Ritter put both himself and the Gatorade Commodore off at the Chase after an attempted passing move went wrong.
While both cars returned to the circuit (and to pitlane), the incident brought out the safety car and a flurry of pitstops resulted from some of the top teams.
Dick Johnson brought both his cars in for early pitstops (lap 26), with Paul Radisich making way for Jason Bright in the lead car, and Cameron McLean taking the wheel from Steven Johnson in the No. 17 Falcon.
The Craig Harris Falcon, the remaining Big Kev Commodore, the Perkins-prepared Dougal McDougall Commodore, the CAT Ford (Jim Richards is now at the helm), and the OzEmail Falcon all used the yellow car conditions to pit.
The OzEmail outfit was the first to fit their car with slick tyres as the circuit dried significantly.
A matter of laps later, the Mitre 10 Falcon and the lead Valvoline-Cummins machine took the first of their three compulsory pit stops. Jason Bargwanna replaced Garth Tander in the car, while Larkham returned to racing on slick tyres.
On lap 34, the race-favourite No. 1 HRT Commodore made their first stop. Skaife took the wheel from Lowndes during the 21-second stop.
Jason Bright was forced back into pitlane to clad the Falcon with slicks as the track continued to dry. Moments after, race leader Wayne Gardner made his way into pitlane for their first stop. Neal Bates and slick tyres returned to the circuit after a long, costly stop.
Russell Ingall took the lead late in the hour, before making the first of his stops.
Paul Romano, Rodney Forbes, Cameron McConville, John Faulkner and Ryan McLeod have all spun. Muller took a brief off-track excursion at the Chase on lap 34. Cameron McLean clipped the wall on top of the Mountain, but sustained little damage.
Lowndes is now setting the pace as the race moves into a third hour.
**POSITIONS AFTER HOUR TWO**
1st LOWNDES/SKAIFE (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore
2nd BARGWANNA/TANDER (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore
3rd INGALL/PERKINS (Castrol Perkins Racing) - VT Commodore
4th MURPHY/RICHARDS (K-Mart Racing) - VT Commodore
5th JONES/MEZERA (OzEmail Racing) - AU Falcon
6th LARKHAM/MENU (Mitre 10 Racing) - AU Falcon
7th CROMPTON/SETON (Ford-Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon
8th BATES/GARDNER (Ford-Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon
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