Bathurst 12 Hour Champion's Race Ends in Devastating Kangaroo Collision
Two-time Bathurst 12 Hour champion Christopher Mies was dramatically ruled out of Sunday's marathon endurance race after his car struck a kangaroo while travelling at approximately 250km/h on the Conrod Straight. The shocking incident occurred just twenty minutes into the prestigious event, marking Mies and his Supercars-star team-mate Broc Feeney as the first competitors eliminated from the competition.
Graphic Scene as Driver Emerges Unharmed but Covered in Blood
In gruesome scenes captured at Mount Panorama, the German driver managed to exit the field's sole Ford entrant but was left completely covered in kangaroo blood. Thankfully, medical assessments confirmed Mies emerged physically unharmed from the terrifying crash. However, his Ford Mustang GT3 was utterly wrecked during the high-speed impact, ending their race prematurely.
Mustang's third driver Dennis Olsen provided harrowing details to Fox Sports, confirming Mies had struck the animal while racing at 250km/h. 'Unfortunately, we had an animal on track and hit it at 250km/h,' Olsen revealed. 'Luckily, Mies is OK. We can see that he was for sure impacted by that. I'm glad he's OK, that's the main thing.'
Driver Recounts Millisecond Encounter with Wildlife
Mies has since recounted the terrifying moment the kangaroo suddenly appeared before his vehicle, stating he only saw the animal at the very last possible instant. Speaking to Speedcafe, he described: 'We were all in line and basically within a thousandths of a second, a millisecond, the kangaroo showed up on the left, obviously at a very high speed.'
The German driver expressed gratitude for avoiding serious injury, crediting modern racing safety standards. 'So the moment I saw it was the impact. It was very unfortunate and it was quite a big one, but honestly, I'm glad that we have such a safe race car, it could have been much worse,' Mies reflected. 'If I can just imagine the whole kangaroo would have come inside. I mean, half of it was inside, so I'm glad I'm standing here now.'
Blood-Sprayed Windshield Creates Nightmare Scenario
Recounting the horrifying aftermath, Mies explained he attempted to guide his damaged car off the track but was rendered virtually blind when kangaroo blood sprayed into his eyes. 'The issue was, I couldn't see anything anymore, the windshield was fully smashed. Obviously, I was covered in blood and whatever is inside a kangaroo,' he described. 'My eyes were full of blood and, how you call it, the guts from the kangaroo, so I had to clean them first because I had no idea where I was.'
Using only the side window for visibility, Mies managed to navigate toward a wall to avoid further collisions with oncoming vehicles. The German revealed the experience was so traumatic that the overwhelming smell caused him to vomit trackside. 'I already had two showers. I still have the smell in my nose. I can tell you the inside of a kangaroo doesn't smell very nice,' he confessed.
Recurring Wildlife Hazard at Mount Panorama
This incident marks another chapter in the ongoing challenge of wildlife on the Bathurst circuit. Team WRT BMW also reported their car was struck by an animal during Sunday's early race hours. Mies highlighted this persistent issue: 'Every year the kangaroos are around the track, we already had like a couple of safety cars for kangaroos.'
Expressing frustration at the lack of warning, Mies questioned: 'I don't know where this one came from. It must have been very quick and just sudden because there was no pre-warning, no yellow flags or nothing, no radio message that there's a kangaroo near the track.' He suggested potential solutions including later race starts or improved fencing to protect both drivers and wildlife.
Chaotic Race Culminates in Dramatic Victory
Amidst the chaos, former Supercars driver Maro Engel guided Team GMR to a remarkable victory in the Bathurst 12 Hour. Engel's No 888 Mercedes crossed the finish line first at Mount Panorama, with the German claiming victory alongside co-drivers Mikael Grenier and Maxime Martin. The factory-backed Mercedes outfit won the 262-lap marathon by just 1.036 seconds ahead of the No 86 Team High Class Racing Porsche in second position.
Legendary MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi secured third place in the No 26 Team WRT BMW, improving upon his second-place finish from the previous year. Engel's achievement was particularly notable as his team qualified 29th out of 34 cars, setting a new record for the lowest starting position to win the endurance race.
Multiple Incidents Mar Endurance Classic
The race was suspended under red flag conditions for an hour after then-leader Ralf Aron's No 77 Mercedes burst into flames following a collision with the No 79 Porsche of Johannes Zelger. Unaware Zelger had spun to a halt after the bend at Forrest Elbow, Aron obliterated his car after rocketing into the stationary Porsche with three hours and forty minutes remaining.
Aron's Mercedes wasn't the only vehicle engulfed in flames, with Supercars driver James Golding suffering a similar fate. Blanchard Racing Team driver Golding failed to recover after brushing the barrier on the run to McPhillamy Park, resulting in a heavy airborne collision against the concrete wall. All drivers involved in these incidents were able to exit their vehicles, though Aron was transported to Orange hospital for further assessment.
Tickford ace Cam Waters had secured pole position in the No 222 Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes alongside co-drivers Thomas Randle and defending Supercars champion Chaz Mostert. However, this all-Australian lineup was ruled out with less than an hour remaining when Mostert collided with Supercars rookie Jayden Ojeda in the No 2 Team Tigani Motorsport Mercedes.
