Meguiar's Corner - Action Central!

THE Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-Hour and Meguiar’s corner have a lively and exciting history.

During restarts, many a determined driver has attacked Meguiar’s corner with a rubbin’s racin’ mindset in an effort to make up valuable places.

And while it might be a simple, 90-degree, right hander, it’s critical to get right. Fluff it, and you’ve pretty much blown your whole lap. That’s why the innocent-looking sand-trap on the outside has a nasty habit of snaring even the best of them.

Then there’s the down-hill inclination of the braking zone – yet another trap for the unwary. And if all that’s not enough to make Meguiar’s Corner a hot-bed of action, it’s also the last corner of race!

This has led to Meguiar’s Corner being the scene of some of the most dramatic, finishes to the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-Hour – none more so than in 2015.

With only 55 minutes on the clock, the #10 Bentley Continental GT3 of Guy Smith, Steven Kane and Matt Bell (driving) was nearly a minute and half clear of the field – and looking set to take a comfortable win on their maiden attempt.

Then it all unraveled; two back-to-back safety car interventions bunched up the field, with the final re-start setting up a thrilling four-way, two-lap dash to the chequered flag.

On the re-start a squabbling Bell and Vanthoor (#15 Audi R8 LMS) allowed Chiyo to go from third to first in his #35 Nissan GT-R GT3. This left the #10 Bentley (P2), #15 Audi (P3) and #97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 (P4) to duke it out on the very last run through Meguiar’s corner.

On entry, the Aston got into the back of the already squirrely Bentley (getting it even more sideways), allowing Vanthoor to blaze around outside of the pair to snatch P2. From there, the Aston came in P3 after muscling its way past the big Bentley – which had now gone from first to fourth.

Wow, what a finish! Absolutely thrilling stuff. There wasn’t a single person sitting, everyone was on their feet cheering!

What will 2019 bring for Meguiar’s corner? No doubt it will yet again be action central. Tune into 7Mate for Sunday’s 13-hour coverage of the 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-Hour.