After pitting for a new tyre he was then hit with a drive-through penalty for illegally overlapping at the re-start following the previous safety car period. Further drama loomed in the shape of a leaking diff cooler, but careful management eventually avoided a potential further stop for a diff oil top-up.
With all of this happening in a 20-lap period, Bright dropped back to 15th, but over the final 40 laps he fought back to tenth, minimising his points loss to Ambrose who recovered to win the race.
“We couldn't take a trick,” he said. “The dirt on the track, getting tangled with other cars … it was a tough race. It was bloody slippery out there, and I didn't think the flag marshals were waving nearly enough to warn us there was debris on the track.
“At the end of the race we'd had so many knocks, I doubt there's a corner of the car that's not damaged.”
By comparison the race of White and Marshall's #16 car was steady and unremarkable – exactly as the team would have wanted.
White made a good start from 23rd position and had reached 14th position when he handed over to Marshall at one-third race distance. They too were affected by a jammed wheel nut during the compulsory brake pad change meaning he rejoined the race in 24th position.
Marshall stayed out of trouble and handed the car back to White with 45 laps to go in 15th place. White finished the job, following Bright home to finish a creditable 11th.
“The car was good today, very good,” White said afterwards. “It was a really enjoyable day where not too much went wrong. In the second stint I got on the radio and asked the guys what we had to do, and they said we just had to keep going around.
“I'd had a few anxious moments in the early stint as I tried to really press on, so I backed off a little towards the end because the only car that was available to catch and make up a position was Brighty.
“It was good to get that under us on the way to Bathurst.”
