Rare white kangaroo sighting spurs Gounon’s 12 Hour fight
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WHILE already a three-time Bathurst 12 Hour winner heading into Sunday, Jules Gounon needed all the luck in the world to earn his fifth consecutive overall podium.
After a torrid start to the race, with Kenny Habul finding trouble — headlined by a controversial clash with Stephen Grove — the #75 Mercedes-AMG was up against it.
Team WRT’s BMWs were the class of the field throughout the day on fuel mileage, stretching out the final stint to deliver a one-two finish.
As contenders were forced to pit in the final hour, Gounon was behind the wheel as 75 Energy brought home an unprecedented fourth consecutive Bathurst 12 Hour podium.
It was a GT3-era record-breaking fifth in a row for Gounon, dating back to his first overall win with Bentley Team M-Sport in 2020.
It was also the fourth straight top three finish for co-drivers Habul and Luca Stolz, who won with Gounon in 2022 and 2023 and finished second last year.
After fighting back into contention in a race that had eight Safety Car periods, the #75 emerged in the hunt in a green stint that went for four hours and 34 minutes ran without caution.
Speaking after the race, Gounon knew his luck would turn after a rare trackside sighting in the early hours of the race — an albino kangaroo.
“It was really a fuel race, so it was quite difficult,” Gounon said.
“You don't want to lose pace to the front, but at the same time you have to hit your fuel numbers.
"Somehow we always get a bit lucky here. This morning I saw an albino-white kangaroo and I was like, ‘Ah, I think we might get lucky today’.
“So no, it was a difficult race… I don't think we really had the pace today. That's why I'm super happy to be P3.”
Habul and Stolz, meanwhile, also joined Gounon on five Bathurst 12 Hour podiums. No other driver has more in the event's GT3 era, the trio passing Shane van Gisbergen (four) and six drivers on three.
