Two cars, including a top contender, are already out of the 2026 Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour after separate incidents in the race's opening hour. The HRT Ford Mustang was ruled out after an unusual encounter with a kangaroo in the early minutes, while the #50 KTM, driven by David Crampton, crashed out at Murray's Corner due to a suspected mechanical failure.
The race's first Safety Car period was triggered within the first 20 minutes when Christopher Mies struck wildlife on Conrod Straight. Mies, co-driving the #64 entry, pulled over as he approached The Chase, prompting the race to be neutralized and controlled by the Safety Car.
The KTM's suspected failure marked the end of its race, adding to the extended Safety Car period, during which several cars stopped under yellow flags. At the time of the Safety Car, Maximilian Gotz led in the #77 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG, followed by the pole car of Thomas Randle in the #222 Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG.
Despite the unfortunate incidents, co-driver Dennis Olsen remained positive, stating, 'I'm glad he's okay, that's the main thing. Very unfortunate that we cannot show the performance of our car here, but we have to come back next year and try to win.'
Olsen expressed his disappointment, acknowledging the setback but focusing on the future, 'It's a shame. We're sorry that we cannot show the car more for all the fans. We're just gonna look ahead and try to come back next year.'
