Holden Racing Team withdraw #2 Commodore from Bathurst

Garth Tander and Warren Luff will miss this year’s Bathurst 1000km after a heavy crash in the sixth practice session on Saturday morning, with the team confirming the car isn’t repairable ahead of tomorrow’s race.

The car, with Warren Luff at the wheel, suffered a brake problem heading into Griffins Bend and collided with the rear of Craig Lowndes’ Triple Eight Holden and rolled onto its side, with Lowndes rushing to assist Luff in getting out of the car.

The team originally expected they would just miss the top ten shootout, after having qualified in ninth position, but have now confirmed the damage is too severe with damage to the rollcage and have withdrawn the car from the race.

Their withdrawal elevates the #22 car of James Courtney and Greg Murphy to tenth, and they will now be permitted to take part in the top ten shootout at 17:10 AEST.

“After further assessment, it became clear that the #2 Commodore’s roll cage had sustained damage beyond what we could physically repair in the time remaining before tomorrow’s Bathurst 1000,” said HRT managing director Adrian Burgess.

“It’s not a decision we’ve taken lightly, however safety always comes first – and we’re just glad that Warren is OK after his accident.

“We’ll now focus our efforts on the #22 Commodore of James Courtney and Greg Murphy – and try to get a result from tomorrow’s big race.”