Lucky that a snapped upright in his a Lancer Evolution III only ended his rally at Buladelah and did not lead to a crash with much greater implications.

“I was just starting to get into the flow of it of it, just starting to get comfortable and I came into a right-hander over a crest. There was a rock on the inside, a nothing rock, the sort of thing you probably hit three or four of every rally,” he said.

“I had a split second decision. I had a look at it and thought I could adjust my line, miss the worst of it, but it’s not worth doing anything about. But as we hit it, the front right-hand upright just sheared.

“So 9.8 kilometres into the stage I was parked on the side of the road.

“We’re incredibly lucky, we’ve done the upright and it’s pulled the drive shaft apart, but there’s not a scratch on it otherwise. If it had gone on a left hander, that front right upright is very loaded and in a fast left hander, the car is off into the trees at 150 kays an hour.

“We’re very frustrated, very disappointed, but very lucky as well.”

While Plenderleith did not make it beyond the opening stage, two of his fellow Bathurst competitors fared better.

Ron and Jo Moore, in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6, placed fifth outright and fourth in class, while Max Hudson steered his Subaru WRX to 22^nd outright and seventh in class.

“Ron had a good run considering he hasn’t done anything all year. It was a pretty high attrition event, but he went out there, kept his nose clean and got a good result,” Plenderleith said.

Despite not finishing the event, Plenderleith still retained his series lead given the competitor who had sat second after round three was absent.

The next round is at Orange on September 16.