Atko starting 7th

[PatRedmond]

5:45 local time? Why so early? And can anyone tell me what time zone is it in? Too bad there's no TV coverage for it, would love to watch it live.

Being a 12 hour, that means it ENDS at 5:45 PM. Good time to see a winner cross the line and hand out prizes, no?

[Mickey T]

Another bit of Bathurst 12 Hour rally news, Rick Bates qualified second.

Rick is the brother of Neal, the long-time Australian rallying servant of Toyota. Neal's also driving, but in a slower celica.

[Erki]

Being a 12 hour, that means it ENDS at 5:45 PM. Good time to see a winner cross the line and hand out prizes, no?

Sebring 12 hours starts at 10am and runs into darkness. But I guess the organisers of both of the races know what they're doing. Kinda cool, even, starting the race early morning, I always like to watch the Bathurst 1000 warm-up and Porsche Cup races which also take place at something like 8am.

[Erki]

Race starts at 5:45am and live timing is available at http://www.bimf.com.au

Weird. I didn't find a link to live timing there. Or does it become available once the race has started?

edit:

Live Timing will be available for the WPS 12 Hour Race starting at 5.45am Sunday 8th April

[Erki]

Live timing: http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/re.../2007.MOUN.R12

And the race is on! Atko already 4th. Rick Bates is leading after the first lap while pole-sitter Morris is 17th.

[GlenW]

This site has live timing that refreshes.

http://www.bimf.com.au/live_results.asp

[Tumbo]

Atko up to first

[bda]

Hour five update

World Rally star Chris Atkinson is showing he’s just as competent on bitumen as he continues to hold down top spot for the Subaru WRX Sti team in the WPS 12-Hour Showroom Enduro.

Upon the completion of 110 laps, Atkinson is ahead of fellow Subaru team drivers Neil Crompton and Scott Nicholas.

Despite a fuel stop that pushed him back to fourth, Craig Baird continued his impressive on track performances in the BMW 335i, setting another quickest lap for the event (lap 105).

Baird pitted for a driver change on lap 109 handing driving duties back to Paul Morris to take up the challenge.

Officially there has been just two teams retired. The Falcon XR6 Turbo of Cribbin/Hill and Jenkins plus the Subaru WRX Sti of Deane/Rubis.

[bda]

Half-way mark - WPS 12-Hour Showroom Enduro

At the half-way mark Subaru continues to hold sway in the WPS 12-Hour Showroom Enduro as the trio of Chris Atkinson, Cody Crocker and Dean Herridge enjoy clear running on Bathurst’s 6.21 kilometre Mt Panorama circuit.

While maintaining a comfortable break ahead of Craig Baird/Paul Morris and Garry Holt, Baird is currently continuing his own charge aboard the highly competitive BMW 335i.

Crocker will need to stay on his game as the challenge continues to be mounted, while it’s Subaru further back in third with the teaming of Grant Denyer, Neil Crompton and Chris Alajajian completing the pace-setters on the lead lap.

Through their efforts Atkinson/Crocker/Herridge are also topping the sheets in the Sonax All-Wheel Drive Performance Class while Baird/Morris/Holt are doing likewise in the Penrite Rear Wheel Drive Performance Class.

There have been just three safety car periods deployed so far with the last one caused when the Toyota Celica all-girl team of Helen Stig, Amber Anderson and Danielle Argiro skidded into a sand trap.

[bda]

Hour nine update

Moving into the final quarter of the WPS 12-Hour Showroom Enduro, Subaru have reclaimed the race lead with another solid driving stint by World Rally ace Chris Atkinson.

Despite competing in just his first race at Bathurst’s famed Mt Panorama circuit, the Gold Coast campaigner looked more comfortable behind the wheel and pushed ahead of Gary Holt’s BMW 335i during the early stages of the ninth hour.

After one lap of battling with Holt, Atkinson had extended the lead out to more than 40 seconds by the 200-lap mark.

Further back there have been dramas for third placed Neil Crompton in the other Subaru WRX Sti entry who dropped back to sixth.

After initially suffering rear wheel bearing damage at turn two, the team pitted, refueled, did a pad change on the brakes and handed control over to Grant Denyer.

Unfortunately the wrong set of wheel nuts were placed on the car during the pit and was returned to pit lane to undertake repairs.

That’s allowed the Mitsubishi EVO of Bob Hughes to slot into third, Chris Pither in a BMW 335i is fourth and the BMW 130i driven by Shaun Juniper is fifth.

On lap 204, Bob Pearson brought out the sixth safety car after spinning and making contact with the wall past the Cutting, while placed fourth in his BMW 335i.