British GT and Nations Cup runner Allan Simonsen, who was looking solid for a top ten finish, saw his car lose its oil load and destroy an engine, grinding to a halt at turn one, while John McIntyre, at the wheel of the #48 WPS Falcon slid onto the quagmire that once was a green infield at Sandown Raceway, the car unable to get out under its own power, calling for what drivers hoped was the last safety car break for the day.
Alas, it wasn't, as the twelfth safety car break was called for only moments after the return to race speed, when Cam McConville punted Alain Menu off the circuit.
During the few seconds of green-light racing, while McConville was busy dealing with Menu, Warren Luff sneaked past in the yellow DJR Falcon, taking his first podium place, and making the race result an all-Ford podium.
There were some amazing moments during the race today, and here is what I thought were three of the best:
Best Pass
Turn Five, Lap 12. After losing his lead at a safety-car restart, Ambrose passed Lowndes at the chicane, the superior grip and drive of the Stone Bros Falcon evident for all to see. On lap 13, Ambrose passed Kelly in the same manner. Mastery.
Best Pitstop
There were several great team efforts throughout the Sandown 500 - namely the Stone Brothers finishing 1-2, but the best effort occurred on lap 104, when Greg Murphy and Mark Skaife pitted for fuel and tyres. HRT's superior technique in pit lane sees Skaife edge past the Kiwi, putting HRT in the lead.
Best Stint
John Bowe's first stint in the OzeMail Falcon saw some serious overtaking take place. In 62 laps, Bowe drove from 21st position to podium contention, a third position result was on the cards until race dramas saw the car relegated back down to fifth. Bowe's storming run, when on average he passed a car every three or so laps, is a result of both his experience and the dry-track speed of the OzeMail Ford. Watch out for them at Bathurst.
Sandown 500- Top Ten:
1
Marcos Ambrose/Greg Ritter SBR- Pirtek Racing
2
Russell Ingall/Cameron Mclean SBR- Caltex Havoline Racing
3
Steven Johnson/Warren Luff DJR- Shell Helix Racing
4
Garth Tander/Cameron McConville Garry Rogers Motorsport
5
Rick Kelly/Greg Murphy Kmart Racing
6
Jason Bargwanna/Mark Winterbottom< Orrcon Racing
7
John Bowe/Brad Jones BJR- OzeMail Racing
8
Paul Dumbrell/Tony Longhurst< Castrol Perkins Motorsport
9
Jason Richards/ Fabian Coultard Team Tasman
10
Jason Bright/Paul Weel PWR Performance Products
* Results pending Stewards Inquiry
