As if there aren’t enough hazards for the V8 Supercars field to overcome in Sunday’s Bathurst 1000, Mount Panorama’s kangaroos are again scaring drivers at the iconic circuit.
During Thursday’s final practice session a kangaroo was spotted near Conrod Straight, where cars travel at speeds nearing 300km/h.
The sighting brought back memories of Jim Richards’ collision with a kangaroo in the 2004 race while in 2007 another kangaroo was lucky to escape as it hopped across the track with several cars flying by.
The local council manages the kangaroo population but Holden star Jamie Whincup said the sighting had put drivers on edge with a high-speed collision having the potential to be catastrophic.
“Got the radio call that there was a couple of ‘roos and I was just scanning flat stick down the straight,” said the three-time Bathurst winner.
“It’s alright in a roadie (road car) but hitting one at 250km/h, it’s not too good for the car or driver.
“It’s certainly a bit of a worry … hopefully we don’t have anything like that for the rest of the weekend.”