The Bathurst 12 Hour has witnessed a wild day of practice action on Friday ahead of Sunday’s race, with a massive crash sending shockwaves through the field – and former MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi making a statement by topping practice in his first ever laps around Mount Panorama.
Stream the 2023 LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour live and on-demand on Foxtel and Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
MASSIVE CRASH STUNS
Keith Kassulke has been cleared of major injuries after his dramatic Practice 4 crash in Bathurst.
Kassulke crashed out of final Friday practice after a high speed accident at The Chase.
Track vision showed the #52 MARC II V8 firing over the kerbs towards the tyre barriers.
The car ended up on its roof, having made significant contact with the wall.
The session was immediately suspended and later declared due to barrier damage.
Kassulke was communicating with recovery crews during the stoppage.
In a statement from the Bathurst 12 Hour, Kassulke was cleared of serious injuries.
“Following his accident in Practice 4 for the LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour, MARC Cars Australia driver Keith Kassulke was taken to the circuit medical centre for checks,” the statement reads.
“Keith was conscious throughout, communicating with the recovery teams and suffered no major injuries.
“Further information will follow when available.
“The session was red flagged and was not restarted due to the damage caused to the tyre wall following the impact.
“At this stage the cause of the accident has not been determined.”
It ensured Raffaele Marciello ended Friday on top of the time sheets.
Marciello’s 2:03.9958s proved the best of a session, with Jules Gounon (#75 Mercedes-AMG) and Mathieu Jaminet (#912 Porsche) second and third.
ROSSI SHINES ON ‘MYTHICAL’ BATHURST
Valentino Rossi has been left impressed by the “mythical” Mount Panorama circuit following his first laps in Bathurst.
Rossi topped Practice 2 at the LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour on Friday morning aboard his Team WRT BMW.
The seven-time MotoGP champion’s session-topping performance came in his first taste of the iconic circuit.
It saw Rossi put to practise nearly 20 years of racing the famous track on PlayStation and simulators.
Speaking to media after Practice 2, the 43-year-old said the 6.213km circuit was “difficult” yet “great fun”.
“Already before I knew I [was going to] race here, we always played in the sim with Mount Panorama,” he said.
“To be here in Mount Panorama after 20 years of [racing in] sims is an emotion, when you see the track for the first time.
“It’s one of the mythical tracks, so from the PlayStation to iRacing now, I make a lot of laps.
“The track is very impressive, it’s something different. I feel good with the car, I have a good feeling and I have good grip [and] I can push.
“It’s very difficult, very technical, but also very great fun when you drive.”
Rossi set to make debut at Bathurst | 02:12
Rossi fever has swept through Bathurst, with thousands of fans flocking to the city CBD to catch a glimpse of the superstar.
Rossi himself is no stranger to racing Down Under, having taken to Phillip Island over the course of his decorated motorcycle career.
The Italian said both circuits were similar due to their challenges, and cited the differences between bikes and cars.
Rossi’s Bathurst debut comes after he helped WRT complete a memorable one-three result on its BMW debut in Dubai.
“You have two different tracks — it’s a normal track [at the bottom] and the Mountain is different,” he explained.
“Every lap you want to try and make it a little bit more [speed] but the walls are there. I always keep five centimetres.
“You have to take a bit of margin because if you make a mistake, it’s a big problem.
“Jerry [Burgess] and Gary [Coleman] my guys of the team [in MotoGP] raced here in the ‘70s and ’80s.
“With the bike you need more space, more run-off area. If you make a mistake it’s a big problem.
“For me it’s better with the cars. I think this track is not so different to Phillip Island [where] you have a lot of space and no walls, but the design is similar.
“Here you have a lot of adrenaline when you drive, but also because you have to make everything good without making any mistakes.
“With the bike you are outside so you feel more the speed. From points of view are different but from points of view is very similar.”
HOW TO WATCH
Cars will return to the track on Saturday for Practice 5 at 8:35am local time, followed by Practice 6 at 10:50am.
Qualifying will follow at 12:45pm, with the Pirelli Top 10 Shootout to commence at 4:10pm.
Fox Sports and Kayo have live coverage from Coverage begins at 12:30pm AEDT Saturday, and live from 5:30am AEDT on Sunday for the race start, continuing through to 6:00pm local that day.
Stream the 2023 LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour live and on-demand on Foxtel and Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
This story originally appeared on Supercars.com and is reproduced with permission.
