A battle with five-time Bathurst 1000 winner Steven Richards was the highlight of Cameron Hill’s strong drive to sixth place in the final Carrera Cup race at the Bathurst 1000 this morning.
Starting 10th on the grid after his storming drive from the rear of the field in yesterday’s race, Hill made a rapid start and gained two spots on the opening lap.
He passed Adrian Flack with a committed move over the top of the Mountain on lap two, and then stalked Richards for several laps before eventually executing the move for sixth position at Griffin’s Bend.
Hill said the experience of passing cars at Bathurst will serve him well in the future.
“While the Race 1 DNF obviously wasn’t ideal, the silver lining is that we had genuine pace to be able to pass cars and work our way through the field. I was able to overtake 15 cars in two races, which is a credit to the team for giving me such a fast car. Without the Race 1 DNF, we would have been well in contention for a podium.
“Adrian (Flack) has been one of the fastest Pro-Am cars all weekend, so when he ran slightly wide at Reid Park, I had to pounce on the opportunity.
“When I caught up to Steven (Richards), I knew he was going to be difficult to pass, but I thoroughly enjoyed the battle – he raced hard but fair. It was very satisfying being able to race wheel-to-wheel with someone I've always admired as a Bathurst hero.”
With one round of the 2019 Carrera Cup remaining at the Gold Coast in a fortnight, Hill is pleased with the team’s progress over the season.
“Every round, we keep learning and improving, and we certainly have a fast car. The Gold Coast track is always a fun venue to finish the season, so I’m looking forward to heading there in two weeks,” Hill concluded.
Round Results Summary
Qualifying: 5th
Race 1: DNF
Race 2: 10th
Race 3: 6th
Overall: 11th
Top 10 Championship Points
1. Jordan Love – 931
2. Dale Wood – 929
3. David Wall – 837
4. Nick McBride – 780
5. Cooper Murray – 725
6. Cameron Hill – 672
7. Michael Almond – 659
8. Warren Luff – 658
9. Thomas Maxwell – 452
10. Duvashen Padayachee – 396
