There’s a million ways a race can be stopped in the world of motorsport – but nothing could be more quintessentially Australian than the Bathurst 1000 behind halted by an echidna.
With 54 laps to go, the race was put behind a safety car as the spiky intruder was spotted on the side of the track.
It’s not the first and it won’t be the last time animals interrupt a race at Mount Panorama, with a group of kangaroos causing havoc at last year’s Bathurst 12 Hour.
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Replays showed just how close several cars came to colliding with the animal as it ambled across the course.
https://twitter.com/erfbeeass/status/1467364236883943424
Sometimes the animals aren’t so lucky – like in 2013, when David Russell’s Nissan Altima slammed into a kangaroo only a few laps into the race.
When the stoppage today occurred, Shane van Gisbergen held the lead from Chaz Mostert and Jamie Whincup.
“What an Australian reason for a safety car,” said Neil Crompton.
“There’s an echidna on the edge of the racetrack, which we’ve got to look after.
“The poor little thing can’t find its way out. We need to get the cars under control and just help that little critter off the race track.”
“This is going to change the game.”
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