For the first half of the race, the number 7 Team Castrol Vodafone BMW M6 GT3 was the most competitive of the BMW entries. Others had crashed, encountered problems or dropped back on pace. The driving line-up was superb – Aussie standouts Mark Skaife, Russel Ingall and Tony Longhurst joined ex-F1 ace Timo Glock who was making his first visit to the Mountain.
Glock qualified the car in 7th and took the green flag in the darkness. With the early caution, he got a chance to enjoy a Bathust sunrise in his first visit. After five hours, the #7 was in third place overall – only seconds behind the leader. Just before halfway, Ingall was trying to set up a slower car for a pass when he ran out of racetrack and hit the inside wall in the Esses quite hard. Severe damage was inflicted on both the front and rear wheels and broke steering, suspension and hub bits. The incident forced retirement and the car spent the remainder of the race in the garage.
This car was one of the most striking and photogenic in the field. Big kudos to the livery designer. Enjoy the pics!
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