R10 PRAC – Besnard, Gardner leave Bathurst wrecked
11/10/2002 13:42 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
Leading Ford hope, the Stone Brothers Racing Falcon of David Besnard and Wayne Gardner is out of the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000.
A shattered Wayne Gardner and David Besnard with the only undamaged panel left on their Caltex Falcon
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The smouldering wreck of the Caltex-sponsored Ford was delivered back to a shattered team after this morning’s practice session, destroyed in a spectacular crash at Griffiths Bend at the hands of Gardner.
Gardner was a passenger as, 15 minutes into the session, the car’s brakes failed on the run up Mountain Straight, sending him hurtling into the concrete at 125km/hr.
The former motorcycle champion was knocked out by the impact, but was eventually able to walk to a waiting ambulance. He said later it was the worst crash in his tin-top career.
"I came to the end of Mountain Straight, went for the brakes and there was nothing," he said.
"I tried to make the corner but I was going too fast and the car’s turned around and gone backwards into the fence."
The car is a write-off, with no chance of a start on Sunday. A damaged brake valve is blamed for the failure.
Mark Skaife was also in smashing form, blitzing the hour-long session with the fastest lap ever recorded by a V8 Supercar at Bathurst.
The sensational two-minute 8.45sec lap bettered Jason Bright’s qualifying mark, set in last year’s pre-shootout warm-up.
The time was almost a second faster than the OzEmail Falcon of John Bowe and Brad Jones in second, who missed most of yesterday’s session with engine problems.
The remaining SBR Falcon of Marcos Ambrose and Paul Weel was third. Weel survived a close shave with Matthew Coleman in the third Brad Jones Racing Falcon during the session.
Yesterday’s fastest man, Bright was fourth-quickest, ahead of the 00 Motorsport Falcon of Craig Lowndes and Neil Crompton.
Qualifying was due to start at 1:15pm.
Practice two results:
http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?13/10/2002.MOUN.P7
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