2015 BATHURST 1000: Race day action | Rolling Coverage, Photos, Video

It's a 6th win for Lowndes at Bathurst and his 101st V8 race win. 

P2 went to #5 Mark Winterbottom and Steve Owen while P3 went to #2 Garth Tander and Warren Luff. 

"It's quite amazing. As the day went on the car got better. Richo did a fantastic job. I had to make amends for last year," Lowndes said. 

"We probably had a little bit of luck with Jamie's drive-through but we had a really fast car."

4.43pm: The DJR team #17 is out after a crash at the top of the Mountain and Jamie Whincup in #1 is in trouble after passing the safety car as it came out after the #17 crash. 

Scott Pye was able to get out of the car after the crash and the truck was put onto the flat bed. 

Whincup has a pit lane penalty and will sit in second position behind Lowndes for lap 143 before taking his penalty. 

4.24pm: With 25 laps to go and one more stop to be made fuel is the major talk of the pits at the moment. 

The weather also remains a factor for the last few laps with rain still around the region, however it stays dry at the mountain for the moment. 

The Red Bull Racing cars are chasing Mark Winterbottom who sits in second place behind David Reynolds. It is just 1.3 seconds between first and fourth and it will make an interesting finish. 

Lap 138 top 10 are: Reynolds, Winterbottom, Lowndes, Whincup, Coulthard, McLaughlin, Perkins, Holdsworth, Tander and Van Gisbergen. 

3.45pm: You never know who (or what) you might see in pit lane ... we just spotted this guy! Though we have to admit, it's probably not the most interesting or unusual costume we have seen this weekend. 

3.27pm: Great to see this tweet from Chaz Mostert a little earlier - and glad he has a TV in his hospital room! 

3pm: Rain started on the top of the mountain as the cars completed lap 90 of 161 this afternoon. 

All cars pitted for wet tyres on their next lap, while Jamie Whincup went for a futher lap on slicks, meaning the Red Bull Racing team weren't stacked in the pits. 

It was a master stroke for Whincup who continued to lead the race with a 17 seconds lead over Craig Lowndes in second position. 

The wet weather is causing a few issues on the track. In one incident Dale Wood slides his way out of turn one, drifting into Jason Bright. Both cars remain on the track to continue up the mountain.

As we reach lap 100 the top 10 are: Whincup, Lowndes, Reynolds, Holdsworth, McLaughlin, Ambrose, Davison, Tander, Van Gisbergen, Youlden.  

Video: The rain has arrived at Bathurst. enj014 via Instagram

2.26pm: Lap 81 marked the end of the race for the #3 Cool Drive Holden with a crash at the Top of the Mountain for Tim Blanchard. 

Blanchard was able to climb from the car and walk away, seemingly unscathed by the incident.

"Tim's a bit shaken after his big hit ... it's a disappointment for the boys, same old story, long hours, they've put a lot of effort in."

Paul Dumbrell has completed his required co-driver requirements for the race. All co-drivers must complete 54/161 laps during the race.

"The car's been really good all day hopefully transforms into a good wet weather car." 

As for the weather as we go into the second half of the race the track remains dry at present, but there are a few umbrellas going up in the stands and the threat of rain at any moment. 

2.10pm: You don't just drive a V8 supercar with your hands on the steering wheel - your knees come in pretty handy as well! 

1.45pm: An incident between Will Davison and Oliver Gavin at Forrest Elbow has seen #222 with damage to the rear-end of the car. 

Davidson was given a pit-lane penalty for the clash, and Gavin wasn't too happy about it at all. 

It's a real shame so early in the race to do something like that at the Elbow ... A rash move."

"I feel like we could have finished in the top five or maybe even on the podium like last year. A rash move ruined our race," he said. 

The Harvey Norman supergirls made it back onto the track before lap 55  giving them a chance to be classified as a finisher for the race today.

No rain yet, but things are looking a little dark out towards the top of the Mountain. Weatherzone are now predicting an 80 per cent chance to rain this afternoon. (Scroll down the page to see the live weather radar over Bathurst) 

1.14pm: There is some exciting action in Merchandise Alley today with the Woodstock Bourbon barrel racing course drawing a crowd. 

12.58pm: It's not all about the V8s on the track today, it's as much about the fans as well! 

The Western Advocate have been out having a chat to a few race fans over the past few days to find out what keeps drawing them back to the Mountain. You can see all the interviews here. 

12.36pm: The second safety car is out on track after the Superblack #111 went into the wall on the exit of Hell Corner. The prodrive car is on the flatbed and trucked back to the pits. 

It looks like Ant Pedersen had lost momentum after being squeezed by Macauley around Hell Corner before suffering rear contact from Reindler. 

"It's disappointing. You don't need to be racing that hard so early. It's really silly and stupid what Reindler did." - Andre Heimgartner

"That's the way it goes. It's my second Bathurst and I can't expect it to come easy."

The Redbull Racing #1 is leading the race, with Whincup swapping the driving with Dumbrell as cars move into the pits during the second safety car. 

Behind the safety car with 124 laps remaining: Dumbrell, Webb, Youlden, Reynolds, Richards, Premat, Perkins, Ambrose, Bourdais, Gavin. 

The Harvey Norman Supergirls team are working hard to get their car back on track by lap 55 so the car can still be classified as a finisher. 

12pm: They have been on the job all weekend and they deserve more than just a shout out - but here it is to our amazing emergency service workers …Thank you for looking after our drivers, crews, volunteers and fans.  

11.41am: Renee Gracie has put the Harvey Norman Supergirls #200 into the wall at Forrest Elbow. Damage to the front of the car as it now sits in the pits with crews working to get it back on track.

A safety car sent many into the pits for fuel and driver change. 

Also out of contention for the race is #34 with problems with the car forcing them into the garage. It sounds like the car has blown the engine and oil on the track may have been what sent Gracie into the wall. 

"Obviously disappointed for everyone here, especially Chris [Pither] didn't even get his hair wet." - David Wall

With 144 laps to go our top 10 looks like this: Premat, Webb, Youlden, Bourdais, Reynolds, Davison, Richards, Whincup, Perkins and Douglas. 

11.35am: Dean Canto lead the pack from the start of the race in the #55 Bottle-O entry through the first laps. 

With 147 laps remaining Scott McLaughlin has taken P1 after a clean run. 

The only car to start in the pits this morning was the Harvey Norman Supergirls #200. Renee Gracie sits in P20 with a best lap time so far of 2:10:6465

11am: And we are off and racing this morning - 1000km around one of the best tracks in the world. 

10.40am: An interesting fact as the cars line up on the grid and we prepare for the national anthem. Can Jamie Whincup rewrite history today? 

10.15am: The drivers are out for the parade around the Mountain.

10am: It looks like today's Bathurst 1000 won't be all sunshine. 

From the Bureau of Meterology we have a partly cloudy day High (80 per cent) chance of showers, most likely during this afternoon and early evening. The chance of a thunderstorm during this afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming west to northwesterly 25 to 35 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the late evening. Daytime maximum temperatures 23 to 28.

From the looks of things at the moment we are expecting rain around the 11.30am mark this morning which should make for some interesting racing. 

You can keep an eye on our weather radar for the day right here:  

9.45am: Final warm up times for the V8s this morning. Now to see what times they can do during the 1000. Are you ready? 

9.30am: Just over an hour until the start of the 2015 Great Race and we have to ask ... who are you predicting for the win today? 

9am: Good morning and welcome to your Bathurst 1000 race day coverage via the Western Advocate. 

If you are at the race and would like to share your thoughts or images, just send them through to lpinkerton@fairfaxmedia.com.au.

It has been an eventful start to the Bathurst 1000 this year with a few spectacular crashes and a very wet Top 10 shootout yesterday afternoon. 

► Friday - The V8 qualifying session was put on hold after a shocking crash by #6 Pepsi Max driver Chaz Mostert. 

The #6 Pepsi Max Falcon skimmed the inside wall as Mostert exited The Dipper at the top of the Mount before spearing across the track and slamming into the wall opposite.

He skimmed the top of a wall and hit an officials' shelter before finally coming to rest.

► Saturday - Aussie Racing Cars driver Damien Flack was involved in a massive crash along Conrod Straight during a support race at the Bathurst 1000 on Saturday morning. 

► Paul Dumbrell got his own slice of the glory on Saturday afternoon in the Dunlop Series.

In the 250 kilometre, 41-lap feature race for the category, the Holden driver was never headed. It was a contest that had rain and plenty of stopping and starting, with five safety car periods.

► Saturday - A bemused Porsche driver was overheard uttering, “I might as well sell my wet tyres. Doesn’t look like I’ll be allowed to use them," on Saturday afternoon at Mount Panorama after the second of the Carrera Cup races was abandoned before a lap had been completed.

Rain had begun to fall an hour earlier during the Dunlop Series race and continued sporadically through the V8 Ute race that followed.

► Saturday - David Reynolds and Dean Canto took out pole position for the 2015 Bathurst 1000. 

Reynolds said it was his first time driving around the track in the wet and he stuck to the dry line around the track as much as he could. 

“It's pretty exciting. I might have got lucky with the conditions but I tried to put a good lap in. It was safe and it was fast," Reynolds said.