Apocalyptic Pirtek Enduro's Cup ends with last-place finish for Holdsworth and Baird.

Lee Holdsworth picked up his 8^th last-place finish of his career, while Craig Baird picked up his 9^th last-place finish of his career when their #4 FUCHS Erebus Merecedes was involved in a single car accident that ended their race after 18 of the race's shortened 100 laps. The finish came in Lee's 129^th start and Baird's 107^th start, and ends an apocalyptic Pirtek Enduro's cup for the two drivers.

Initially Andrew Jones in the #8 BOC Holden was trailing the field, however early contact for Craig Baird in the #4 FUCHS Erebus Mercedes suffered damage from an early race incident, remember this for later, however on lap 8 Paul Morris was forced to pit with a delaminating tire after belting the kerbing. On lap 18, Robert Dahlgren in the #34 Valvoline Volvo dived down the inside of Craig Baird in the #4 FUCHS Erebus Mercedes, sending it into the wall and causing serious damage to the right-front of the Mercedes, ending their race.

Next to fall out was Dale Wood in the #21 ADVAM Holden, who stopped on the track between turns 13 and 14 due to an Oil Cooler failure, resulting in the first caution of the race, James Moffat in the #360 Norton Hornet who crashed out hard in turn 12 on lap 66, James Courtney in the #22 SPTools Holden in an apocalyptic weekend after contact with Mark Winterbottom in the #5 Pepsi Max Ford, damaging the suspension on Courtney's car, dropping them several laps behind, although Courtney came back out and overtook Moffat, but finished 5 laps behind and Will Davison and Alex Davison in the #9 Beko/MEX Maintenance Software Erebus Mercedes who suffered an Oil Cooler failure shortly after the lap 65 caution.

The bottom five

Lee Holdsworth and Craig Baird	18 Laps	Crash
David Wall and Chris Pither	37 Laps	Oil Cooler
James Moffat and Taz Douglas	65 Laps	Crash
James Courtney and Greg Murphy	83 Laps	Running
Will Davison and Alex Davison	88 Laps	Running

Manufacturer Standings:

Holden: 15

Ford, Nissan: 8

Volvo: 4

Mercedes: 2

Driver Standings:

Todd Kelly, Dale Wood: 4

Tim Slade, David Reynolds, Robert Dahlgren, Scott Pye, James Moffat: 3

David Wall, Jack Perkins: 2

Nick Percat, Garth Tander, Scott McLaughlin, Shane Van Gisbergen, Will Davison, Craig Lowndes, Michael Caruso, Chris Pither, James Courtney, Greg Murphy, Lee Holdsworth, Craig Baird: 1

Opening Lap shunt leaves Courtney and Murphy last at Surfers Paradise

James Courtney picked up his 13^th last-place finish of his career, while Greg Murphy picked up his 16^th last-place finish of his career, when their #22 SPTools Holden was involved in a three car accident on the start line of the 31^st race of the 2014 Australian V8 Supercar Championship series. The finish came in Courtney's 125^th start and Murphy's 200^th start.

On the start line there was a 3-car accident involving Greg Murphy in the #22 SPTools Holden, David Russell in the #15 Jack Daniel's Nisssan and Oliver Gavin in the #222 Heavy Haulage Australia Holden where Russell stalled at ths start, then Murphy, trying to get around Russell, Russell started moving and clipped Murphy, sending him into the wall. Gavin then ran into the back of Ruseell, damaging the steering on the car, sending all 3 cars to the garage, with the former two retiring for good, while Oliver Gavin returned to the track, 6 laps down, and the attrition eventually lifted Oliver Gavin and Nick Percat out of the bottom five.

Rounding out the bottom five was brothers Alex Davison and Will Davison in the #9 BEKO/MEX Maintenance Services Mercedes and Jack Perkins and Cameron Waters in the #18 Jeld-Wen Ford, both suffered crash damage and a radiator failure within laps of each other, respectively, with the latter retiring and eventually falling to 24^th, while the former returned to the track, and would jump Cameron Waters, David Reynolds, who on lap 50 crashed out of the race at turn 12 and Todd Kelly and Alex Buncombe in the #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Nissan who suffered Power Steering Dramas during the race, eventually finishing so many laps behind that they were not classified as finishers.

Australian V8 LASTCAR Championship result #1.

Holden has taken out the 2014 Australian V8 LASTCAR Manufacturer's Championship with this last-place finish.

The Bottom Five

James Courtney/Greg Murphy	0 Laps	Crash
Jack Perkins/Cameron Waters	27 Laps	Radiator
David Reynolds/Dean Canto	49 Laps	Crash
Todd Kelly/Alex Boncombe	76 Laps	Power Steering
Will Davison/Alex Davison	83 Laps	Running

Manufacturer Standings:

Holden: 15

Ford, Nissan: 8

Volvo: 4

Mercedes: 1

Driver Standings:

Todd Kelly, Dale Wood: 4

Tim Slade, David Reynolds, Robert Dahlgren, Scott Pye, James Moffat: 3

David Wall, Jack Perkins: 2

Nick Percat, Garth Tander, Scott McLaughlin, Shane Van Gisbergen, Will Davison, Craig Lowndes, Michael Caruso, Chris Pither, James Courtney, Greg Murphy: 1

Dale Wood takes Australian V8 LASTCAR Lead after stupid accident at Mountain

Dale Wood picked up his 5th last-place finish of his career, while Chris Pither picked up his 3rd last-place finish of his career, when their #21 Advam/GB Holden retired with crash damage after 45 of the race's 161 laps. The finish came in Wood's 32nd start, and Pither's 17th start. and moves Dale Wood into sole possession of the 2014 V8 LASTCAR Championship lead.

The resurfacing of the Mt. Panorama circuit caused carnage throughout practice, qualifying and the race. During qualifying three cars crashed. The first car in the wall was David Reynolds in the #55 Bottle-O Ford, who crashed hard at Reed park after trying to get around Todd Kelly in the #7 Jack Daniels Nissan, causing the first of two red flags in the session.

Next to crash was Jamie Whincup in the #1 Red Bull Australia/Air Force Holden, who crashed at the cutting (turn 4), bringing out the second red flag of the event.

Shane Van Gisbergen slapped the wall at the dipper (turn 15) after the session restarted, but the damage wasn't major and he managed to complete the qualifying session.

The biggest shunt of the event was reserved for the final practice session on Saturday. Going into turn 2, Warren Luff lost the brakes on the #2 SP Tools Holden, spinning on just the rear brakes, he collected Craig Lowndes, sending both cars into the turn 2 tire barrier, with Luff's car flipping over onto it's roof. While Craig Lowndes' car was repaired, The #2 SP Tools Holden's chassis was safety compromised, forcing the team to withdraw from the event.

Despite Chazz Mostert in the #6 Pepsi Max Ford originally starting in the rear, Todd Kelly in the #7 Jack Daniels Racing Nissan stalled on the starting grid, causing him to drop to the rear of the field and as a result of stalling at the start, had to start from pit-lane.

By lap 3, Ant Pederson in the #111 Super Black Racing Ford had fallen to the rear, but Chazz Mostert returned to last by lap 4. On lap 8, Michael Caruso in the #36 Norton Hornet pitted, falling to the rear in the process. Next to pit was Tim Slade in the #10 Supercheap Auto Holden, taking him to the rear of the field. Several drivers fell to the rear as the pit-stops cycled through, and by lap 20 last-place belonged to Todd Kelly in the #7 Nissan Altima.

Then on lap 26, Luke Youlden, who had taken over from Fabian Coulthard in the #14 Lockwood holden in a pit-stop, locked up heading into the chase, bogging the car in the sand and triggering the first safety car, dropping them to the rear of the field.

Luke Youlden held the last-place until lap 46 when two incidents occured that would seal Dale Wood as the leader of the 2014 Australian V8 LASTCAR championship. The caution came out when Fabian Coulthard in the #14 Lockwood Holden, and the first incident was car #6 going into the wall at turn 2, where at the time the track was starting to break up (I also think the track may have been breaking up at the dipper also), as everyone was slowing up at the top of the hill, David Wall in the #21 ADVAM/GB Holden came around the blind turn 9 and ploughed into the back of Andrew Jones in the #8 BOC Holden, the force of which sent Jones into the back of Nick Percat/Oliver Gavin (didn't see the crash so not sure who was in the car), the stupid crash ended Wood's race. Andrew Jones finished 3 laps down in 14th.

After a 68 minute red flag the rest of the bottom five was filled out within the following 40 laps. Next to fall out was Steven Johnson and David Wall in the #17 Wilson Security/1994 Tribute Ford, who suffered a trans-axle failure at the top of the mountain, sending the #17 into the wall and out of the race, his teammate Scott Pye in the #16 Wilson Security Ford, who after crashing at turn 2 just before the red flag was called, then a suspension failure on lap 66 sending car #16 hard into the wall at the chase. Pye was unhurt, but the car was totaled, Tim Slade in the #10 Supercheap Auto Holden who firstly slammed the wall at turn 6, then arrowed across the track and into the inside wall at turn 7 and Robert Dahlgren in the #34 Valvoline Volvo, who smacked the wall at the cutting (turn 4) after giving Shane Van Gisbergen in the #97 VIP Petfoods Holden a bit too much room. All of these crashes brought out five of the 10 cautions in the race.

Australian V8 LASTCAR Statistics

With just 8 races left in the championship, Only Ford and Nissan can stop Holden taking out the 2014 Australian V8 LASTCAR Manufacturer's championship, and only if one of the two manufacturer's has a driver finish last in every race from here to final race at Sydney.

Lastcar Standings.

The Bottom Five

Dale Wood/Chris Pither	45 Laps	Crash
David Wall/Steven Johnson	64 Laps	Crash
Scott Pye/Ashley Walsh	70 Laps	Crash
Tim Slade/Tony D'Alberto	102 Laps	Crash
Robert Dahlgren/Greg Ritter	114 Laps	Crash

Manufacturer Standings:

Holden: 14

Ford, Nissan: 8

Volvo: 4

Mercedes: 1

Driver Standings:
Dale Wood: 5

Todd Kelly: 4

Tim Slade, David Reynolds, Robert Dahlgren, Scott Pye, James Moffat: 3

David Wall, Jack Perkins: 2

Nick Percat, Garth Tander, Scott McLaughlin, Shane Van Gisbergen, Will Davison, Craig Lowndes, Michael Caruso, Chris Pither: 1

Why was Dale Wood's accident at the top of the mountain? Dale Wood didn't slow down as he was coming up to what he full knew was a blind corner, and he didn't have a spotter at the top of the mountain for tracking safety cars and track blockages.

Peter Brock narrowly avoids last-place in final race as Garth Walden crashes at Bathurst

Garth Walden and Grant Elliot picked up both their1st, and only, last-place finish of their V8 Supercars careers when their Century 21 Ford falcon, driven at the time by Garth Walden was involved in a single-car accident after 18 of the race's 161 laps. The finish came in Garth's 4th championship start, and Grant Elliot's 2^nd race start.

Initally there were 35 cars entered in the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, however a qualifying crash for Marcus Marshall and Matthew White in the unsponsored #16 PWR holden resulted in the entry list being reduced to 34 cars.

In the race itself Garth Walden in the #24 Century 21 Ford was running near the back of the field when he clipped the kerbing coming down Skyline on lap 20, the car spun and slammed into the wall at the dipper, the car coming to rest near the racing line, forcing many cars to drive around him.

The crash prevented Peter Brock from finishing last in his final race (No I don't know how many last-place finishes Peter Brock has), when on lap 29, while running 2 laps down, Jason Plato hit the tires at the final corner, damaging the right hand side of the car. Later in the lap, Plato crashed again at the top of the mountain, doing serious damage to the right hand side of the #05 Mobil 1 holden. While Plato was limping back to the pits he was collected by John Cleland in the #21 OzEmail Broadband ford coming out of the chase, sending the #05 into the sand and the #21 over onto it's roof. All drivers involved escaped unhurt.

Rounding out the bottom five was Alain Menu and Adam Macrow in the #5 Ford Credit/Ford Performance Vehicles Ford, who retired with steering issues after 43 laps and Dale Brede and Will Davison who retired shortly afterwards for unknown reasons.

In a horrifying accident late in the race, Jim Richards in the #11 Castrol Formula R holden hit a Kangaroo on lap 112. The Kangroo died on impact, and car #11 was severely damaged in the crash. Despite this, the team managed to fix the car and they finished 13 laps down in 21^st. Kangaroo's are a common sight aroundBathurst, so accidents involving them are fairly common. And yes, the commentator's made a massive deal of it.

Note on Bathurst this weekend: It has been 10 years since Peter Brock's last race at the mountain, even if he didn't get a chance to actually race in Australia's great race.

The Bottom Five

Garth Walden	18 Laps	Crash
Jason Plato	27 Laps	Crash
Andrew Jones/John Cleland	29 Laps	Crash
Alain Menu/Adam Macrow	43 Laps	Steering
Dale Brede/Will Davison	49 Laps	Unknown

Lastcar Standings

Manufacturer Standings:

Ford: 12

Holden: 9

Driver's Standings:

Steven Ellery: 3

Glenn Seton, Max Wilson, Will Davison, Mark Skaife: 2

Rick Kelly, Mark Noske, Todd Kelly, Mark Porter, Mark Winterbottom, Steven Johnson, David Besnard, Cameron McConville, Andrew Jones, John Cleland, Grant Elliot, Garth Walden: 1

Notes on the 2004 Season:

Steven Ellery would go on to hold on to the 2004 Australian V8 LASTCAR driver's championship with 3 last-place finishes, edging out a six-way tie between Mark Skaife, Glenn Seton, Max Wilson, Will Davison, Todd Kelly and Christian D'Agostin on 2 last-place finishes each.

On 16 last-place finishes, the manufacturer Holden won the 2004 Australian V8 LASTCAR manufacturer's championship over Ford with 13.

Strange Fuel Filler issue Leaves Moffat and Douglas trailing the field at Sandown

Before I begin, yes I will be counting the Sprint for the Grids this year. From next year, however, I will not be counting the Sprint for the Grids and the Albert Park races for the Australian V8 LASTCAR championship because they are non-championship events.

Also, in the Australian V8 Supercars, all the drivers who finish the race under power is placed ahead of the drivers who were not running at the end of the race. That is why, as you will see, the #222 finished ahead of the #4, despite completing 3 less laps.

James Moffat picked up his 9th last-place finish of his career, while Taz Douglas picked up his 1st last-place finish of his career when their #360 Norton Hornet retired with a Fuel Filler failure after 15 of the race's 161 laps. The finish came in Moffat's 53rd start, and puts Moffat into the 2nd place logjam at 3 last-place finishes, while the last-place finish for Taz Douglas came in his 24th start.

Initally Dale Wood and Chris Pither in the #21 Wilson Security/ADVAM Holden was trailing the field, Michael Caruso and Dean Fiore in the #36 Norton Hornet then  pitted, dropping him to the rear in the process. On lap 16 however, a fuel coupling issue for James Moffat and Taz Douglas in the #360 Norton Hornet resulted in car #360 being forced to the garage, with the fuel coupling issues ending their days.

Rounding out the bottom five is Jason Bright and Andrew Jones in the #8 BOC Racing Holden, who suffered a multitude of issues during the race including, losing the right-front door skin on the opening lap, damaging the front of his car requiring a radiator replacement and hitting a tire from a late-race crash that ended his day. Joining Bright and Jones in the bottom five were Lee Holdsworth and Craig Baird in the #4 Fuchs/Erebus Mercedes who had another rough day, with an incident with Todd Kelly, leading to a drive-through penalty, and the "stewards curse" striking on lap 134 where something in the rear failed, leading to a massive crash, with a tire from the car ending Jason and Andrew's race, Nick Percat and Oliver Gavin in the #222 Heavy Haulage Australia Holden who also had a rough day with Oliver Gavin blocking Robert Dahlgren in the #34 Valvoline Volvo during the first safety car for track issues, then contact with Will Davison in the #9 Beko/MEX Maitenance Software Mercedes left the #222 Team 34 laps in arrears and brothers Will and Alex Davison in the #9 Beko/MEX Maintenance Software Mercedes, who was penalised after the contact with Percat, with this combined with lack of pace leaving the Davison brothers two laps in arrears.

The bottom five

James Moffat/Tax Douglas	15 Laps	Fuel Filler
Jason Bright/Andrew Jones	111 Laps	Crash
Lee Holdsworth/Craig Baird	130 Laps	Crash
Nick Percat/Oliver Gavin	127 Laps	Running
Will Davison/Alex Davison	159 Laps	Running

Lastcar Standings

Manufacturer Standings:

Holden: 14

Ford, Nissan: 8

Volvo: 4

Mercedes: 1

Driver Standings:

Todd Kelly, Dale Wood: 4

Tim Slade, David Reynolds, Robert Dahlgren, Scott Pye, James Moffat: 3

David Wall, Jack Perkins: 2

Nick Percat, Garth Tander, Scott McLaughlin, Shane Van Gisbergen, Will Davison, Craig Lowndes, Michael Caruso, Chris Pither, Taz Douglas: 1

Dale Wood challenges Todd Kelly for 2014 Australian V8 LASTCAR Championship

Dale Wood picked up his 4th last-place finish of his career when his #21 Advam Holden finished under power, on the lead lap in the second Sprint for the Grid. The finish came in Dale's 31st start, and moves him into a tie for the lead with 2013 V8 LASTCAR Runner-up Todd Kelly.

Again, as with the first race, I didn't see the race so I don't know what happened during the race.

Rounding out the bottom five is Russell Ingall in the #23 Repair Management Australia Holden, David Wall in the #17 Wilson Security Holden, James Moffat in the #360 Norton Hornet and Robert Dahlgren in the #34 Valvoline Volvo.

The bottom five

Dale Wood	20 Laps	Running
Russell Ingall	20 Laps	Running
David Wall	20 Laps	Running
James Moffat	20 Laps	Running
Robert Dahlgren	20 Laps	Running

Lastcar Standings

Manufacturer Standings:

Holden: 14

Ford: 8

Nissan: 7

Volvo: 4

Mercedes: 1

Driver Standings:

Todd Kelly, Dale Wood: 4

Tim Slade, David Reynolds, Robert Dahlgren, Scott Pye: 3

David Wall, James Moffat, Jack Perkins: 2

Nick Percat, Garth Tander, Scott McLaughlin, Shane Van Gisbergen, Will Davison, Craig Lowndes, Michael Caruso, Chris Pither: 1

Engine Failure leaves Pither trailing field in the first Qualifying race

Chris Pither picked up his 3rd last-place finish of his career when his #21 Britek/BJR Holden Commodore retired with Engine issues after 5 of the race's 20 laps. The finish came in Pither's 11th start, even if this is an unnoficial race.

Unfortunately, because I did not see the race I cannot tell you much about the two qualifying races, however I know that on lap 5 Pither's car started smoking, and the problem turned out to be terminal, ending his day.

Rounding out the bottom five is Steven Johnson in the #17 Wilson Security Holden, Taz Douglas in the #360 Norton Hornet, Paul Morris in the #6 Pepsi Max/Castrol ford and Ashley Walsh in the #16 Wilson Security Holden.

The bottom five

Chris Pither	5 Laps	Engine
Steven Johnson	19 Laps	Running
Taz Douglas	20 Laps	Running
Paul Morris	20 Laps	Running
Ashley Walsh	20 Laps	Running

Lastcar Standings

Manufacturer Standings:

Holden: 13

Ford: 8

Nissan: 7

Volvo: 4

Mercedes: 1

Driver Standings:

Todd Kelly: 4

Tim Slade, Dale Wood, David Reynolds, Robert Dahlgren, Scott Pye: 3

David Wall, James Moffat, Jack Perkins: 2

Nick Percat, Garth Tander, Scott McLaughlin, Shane Van Gisbergen, Will Davison, Craig Lowndes, Michael Caruso, Chris Pither: 1