An oil line failure on the #150 Chevrolet Camaro disrupted Tim Slade’s lead during Race 6 at Queensland Raceway, leading to a dramatic turn of events in the endurance race.
Race Overview
An oil line on the [IMAGE0CONTEXT:generic_150] #150 Chevrolet Camaro let go while Tim Slade was leading Race 6 at Queensland Raceway. The round concluded with the second of the 45-minute, two-driver endurance races, where the team was classified 17th. After the round of pit stops, Slade was in the lead ahead of James Golding, who was driving with Lachlan Evennett. However, with just over 12 minutes remaining, Golding experienced a brake failure in the #8 Ford Mustang, causing him to veer off at Turn 6. Simultaneously, Slade, who had taken over from Buckley during the mandatory pit stop, parked the Camaro in the short chute between Turn 3 and Turn 6, smoke billowing from the vehicle.
During the ensuing Safety Car period, the car was towed to the pits, where the crew worked quickly to repair the damaged oil line. Remarkably, Slade managed to rejoin the race just seconds before the pit exit closed. Under the yellow flag, Buckley expressed her concerns, initially fearing that the engine had blown. “It happens to the best of us. A little bit… a lot heartbreaking considering the Safety Car was called, and it went just as the Safety Car was called,” she said. She praised her team, stating, “I can’t thank my team enough. They’ve given me the best car, and Tim. I feel horrible that this has happened while he’s in the car, but he’s done an amazing job.”
Slade’s Experience
Post-race, Slade recounted the moment when smoke began to fill the cabin. “The car was amazing. I had really good pace and was just cruising along when I noticed a lot of smoke in the cabin and low oil pressure,” he explained. “I shut it off thinking that was the end of the day. However, once we got it back to the pits and had a look, it didn’t sound too bad when we cranked it over. We worked hard to put everything back together.” He expressed gratitude towards his team, saying, “Huge thanks to Alic and her family and the team. They’ve done an amazing job.”
Race Results
The endurance race was ultimately won by Paul Morris and Brodie Kostecki in the #67 Norwell Motorsport Mustang, who finished second for the round on points ahead of Evennett and Golding. Kostecki remarked, “It was a great race. I was hunting down the leaders pretty well, and obviously, they had a bit of misfortune, but the car was awesome.” He added, “I had a great weekend. It was lots of fun teaming up with The Dude. He’s been a great mentor of mine, so it was great to share the car with him.”
Other notable performances included Nathan Herne, who improved from seventh to second in the #42 Camaro, and Jarrod Hughes, who, alongside Craig Lowndes, claimed third place in the #118 Camaro. Hughes had taken the lead on Lap 4 but lost positions due to a slip-up at Turn 6 shortly after.
The race saw several incidents, including a Safety Car period initiated by Aaron Prosser, who crashed his #91 Camaro at Turn 3. Following the restart, multiple drivers found themselves in the Turn 6 gravel trap, leading to local yellow flags with only two laps remaining.
Standings and Future Races
In the overall standings, Golding and Evennett finished third despite the challenges faced during the sixth race. Golding reflected on the race, stating, “It was a good call by the guys. Unfortunately, with the brake issue, the pedal went straight to the floor at the last corner, and I really had nowhere to go.” He acknowledged the strength of their performance prior to the incident, noting, “We were looking really strong for that race, but this stuff happens sometimes.”
Looking ahead, Round 5 of the series is set to take place at Mallala Motorsport Park from September 26-28.