VETERAN Dean Fiore has become the first victim of Mount Panorama in a Gen3 Supercar.
After a clean opening practice earlier today, the maiden main game stoppage of the 2023 Repco Bathurst 1000 came just over 10 minutes into Practice 2.
The cause was a lock-up into Murray’s Corner for Bryce Fullwood’s co-driver Fiore, whose #14 Middy’s Camaro skated across the gravel and into the tyre barriers at corner exit.
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What initially looked like a relatively harmless shunt ended up sparking a lengthy delay to proceedings, to the tune of 14 minutes.
Dean Fiore goes smack bang into the wall at Murray's Corner 💥
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Fiore’s car was eventually extricated from the barriers, sporting a reasonable amount of front-end damage.
“We were on some pretty average tyres just to bed myself in,” explained Fiore.
“I’m usually pretty steady when it comes to this stuff, I haven’t done this in a while.
“It wasn’t an ideal start to the weekend, I really need the laps in this car. But it’s fine. The boys will get it back out, they’re great at what they do.
“I don’t think (the damage) was that bad. We were sort of stuck under the tyre barrier there for a little bit.”
The 39-year-old is making his 15th Great Race start this weekend and has finished top 10 in each of the past three editions of the Bathurst 1000.
He was sixth with Team 18’s Scott Pye in 2020 before shifting to Brad Jones Racing, where he combined with Todd Hazelwood for eighth in 2021 and ninth with Fullwood last year.
As at the 25-minute mark of the session, Erebus Motorsport’s David Russell leads the co-driver session on a 2:05.6826s.
