75 Express leads Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour into final hour

JULES Gounon leads the Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour entering its final hour, after what has been thrilling period following the red flag intervention.

Gounon and Mercedes-AMG Team GMR's Maxime Martin shape as the key contenders, whilst a Safety Car intervention brought about by the retirement of the #2 Corvette brought several contenders in from the clouds.

A bizarre collision between the Mercedes-AMGs of Jayden Ojeda and Chaz Mostert triggered another Safety Car with 56 minutes remaining, triggering another flurry of stops.

Officials restarted the race with two hours and 45 minutes remaining, with the Safety Car leading Luca Stolz, Maro Engel, Marvin Kirchhofer, Raffaele Marciello and Matt Campbell.

Race Control notified that the stoppage lasted for 55 minutes and 48 seconds. The #222 STM Mercedes-AMG got its lap back after the wave by.

The #55 Audi of Christopher Haase dived in to top off on fuel, as did the #222 of Cam Waters before the race went back to green.

With just under two and a half hours remaining on the clock, the race went back to green flag conditions, with considerable clean up material still on the track at Sulman Park and the entry to Forrest's Elbow following the earlier incident.

Kirchhofer and Marciello went side by side into both Griffins Bend and The Cutting, whilst Catsburg duelled with Heinrich at Griffins bend for sixth.

That set the stage for an incredible battle across the next several laps, with as many as eight cars all duelling for the lead in incredible scenes.

Catsburg then went side by side with Campbell the following lap, and sailed around the outside of Griffins Bend in a bold move, whilst Marciello kept the pressure on the McLaren.

Haase's bold strategy play was interrupted by a pit lane penalty incurred for a wave by breach that occurred on the Safety Car restart immediately before the red flag stoppage, which dropped him well behind the lead group.

Meanwhile, Engel closed right up on Stolz in the lead, with two distinctive battle groups for first and third.

Catsburg then joined the fight for third as Marciello fell back after trying a move of his own around the outside, before the lead pair also fell back as they got bottled up behind the IRC GT.

Marciello again tried an audacious move on the McLaren, this time on the outside of Hell Corner, and was punished by Catsburg, who nipped by to claim fourth.

The field then got bottled up behind the Pro-Am #99 Corvette, with the top eight all line astern down Pit Straight as Marciello sent a huge divebomb at Hell Corner to get back by Catsburg, who was also overtaken by

Marciello then went even braver with a remarkable move at Murray's Corner on Kirchhofer, although he ran just a fraction wide on exit, allowing the McLaren back through.

Whilst all of this was going on, Stolz and Engel were able to sneak away at the head of the field, as the battle for third raged on.

Kirchhofer eventually beat out Marciello in the fight for third, but didn't account for the Catsburg Corvette, who shoved Marciello onto the grass and also rounded up Kirchhofer with a mega run.

Campbell also pounced to jump ahead of Marciello, who quickly worked his way back by the two-time 12 Hour winner at Hell Corner the next time by.

Catsburg was on a mission, and caught the leading Mercedes duo, only for the car to slow with an apparent fuel pick up issue, fortunately down Conrod Straight.

However, it only gave the leading Mercedes duo an even bigger hand in asserting their dominance, which would only further increase thanks to the #2 just minutes later.

Earl Bamber suffered a left rear suspension failure after running straight ahead through The Esses, and ended up parked at The Dipper pointing the wrong way. Once again, the #75 and #888 could make a free stop under the BMW M Safety Car intervention.

Other big beneficiaries were the #86 High Class Racing Porsche, which leapt to the lead of the Bronze class and third outright with Dorian Boccolacci, and the #55 Jamec Racing/Team MPC Audi, who leapt to fourth with Will Brown at the helm.

It also brought the battered #222 Mercedes of Mostert back onto the tail of the lead group, a remarkable turnaround from having lost three laps. They also topped up on fuel with just over an hour and 20 minutes to go.

The #32 BMW also topped up before the green, and when the lapped cars travelled down pit lane at the restart, it allowed Jules Gounon and Maxime Martin to pull a gap in the lead.

However, Boccolacci wasn't going anywhere, and more than held his own, bringing Brown, Augusto Farfus (#46 BMW), and Ricardo Feller (#61 Porsche) with him.