Bathurst 6 Hour: Bathurst trio left frustrated after racing incidents cut Excel races short

John Markwick, Matt Woodward and Harrison Field formed part of a bumper 55-car grid that was set to tackle three 20-minute races at Mount Panorama as part of the Bathurst 6 Hour support program.

Friday marked the first time that both Woodward and Field had cut full noise racing laps of the Mount, while Markwick got the chance to put his new-build Hyundai Excel to the test on his home circuit for the first time.

But on Saturday the trio all cast frustrated figures.

Race two of the round lasted only a handful of seconds, being red-flagged after an incident at Hell Corner which blocked the track.

The third race saw the large field get through that first corner without any real dramas, but multiple crashes across the top of the Mount which left two cars stranded saw the yellow flags waved before a full lap was completed.

Given the time constraints of the program, the race finished under safety car conditions after three laps.

Field, in his #85 Penrite/Windsor Automotive entry was the highest placed of the Bathurst trio in that final race, crossing the line in 18^th just has he had done on Friday.

While saying "it was a bit unfortunate" the round finished the way it did, he still enjoyed his chance to test his skills at the 6.213 kilometre circuit on Friday.

"I'd done a couple of hillclimbs here before but not a full lap so it was good, very exciting and very different to what I'd been used to. So it was awesome, it was pretty cool," he said.

"Race one was good, I had a battle with a couple of blokes and made up two spots. It's crazy, it's cars everywhere."

READ MORE: Shiels has a much better than anticipated weekend at Mount Panorama

Woodward had climbed nine spots before the third race was yellow flagged to finish 22^nd in his Ned Whisky-Spray FX Excel.

While pleased with that effort, he would have liked to take away more from the weekend. He was left shaking his head about some of his rivals.

"It's kamikaze at the start, there are people that just want to make up positions flat stick. I don't understand, we have got five laps to make position, but I understand that we are all there close together and it's tough trying to make positions up in a close pack," he said.

"We had a few issues [on Friday], we had a seized up CV drive shaft and I dropped probably four positions in the race.

"Then this morning gets red flagged after a prang at the first corner and then this race, it was almost all under yellow so it was a bit of a bummer.

"But overall nine spots in 15 corners, I'm pretty happy with that effort.

"I was really pumped for this weekend, it was Bathurst, my first time here. I would've like to get a few more laps at full noise, I'm a bit bummed at that."

Woodward thanked his sponsors Ned Whisky Australia; Spray FX; Alpha Signs; Nathan Baldi Homes; Evan Deveney Painting and Decorating; Bathurst RSL; Lectrix Group; Bent Threads Menswear; Devro and Fenixit for their support.

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Markwick cut a frustrated figure after he came back to the paddock on Saturday morning, his Garage 28/Supercheap Car Centre entry sporting plenty of race tape.

"We didn't even get a full race lap in, we didn't finish it," he said.

"It's frustrating and it's expensive and we throw our hands up in the air. What are these kids doing? They are only young kids, I understand that, but fair dinkum ... what can you do?

"We didn't have last year because of COVID, because of that everyone had the year off and I guess people are just a little bit rusty."

READ MORE: Shane van Gisbergen completes Mount Panorama triple crown with 6 Hour win

Marwick's team had worked hard to fix some issues which had seen him place 42nd in race one and while he did have an enjoyable moment at Griffin's Bend in race three, he did not get the chance to really show what he was capable of.

"So turn two was a bit exciting because we were four wide going through there and full noise. But I knew two of the guys I was with from New South Wales and I knew we could do that together," he said.

"We sorted ourselves for the next bit into The Cutting but then I bloody went back into fifth gear instead of third and a couple of cars got past me there.

"Then we got down over into The Esses and all these cars were in the wall down there and that was it."

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