MOUNT Cotton racing driver Paul Morris celebrated his Bathurst 1000 win on Sunday spraying the podium with some of his winery’s sparkling pinot chardonnay.
The 46-year-old co-driver, who owns Sirromet Winery with dad Terry, was elated after his 22-year-old Ford partner, Chaz Mostert, from Jimboomba, drove to victory after starting last on the grid.
The pair beat Nissan's James Moffat and Taz Douglas in a battle that ended in favourite and race leader Jamie Whincup running out of fuel about 200m from the finish line in the final lap.
Mostert took the chequered flag in his second Bathurst 1000 start, helped by veteran Morris who drove 75 of the 161 laps.
Terry Morris said he was delighted with his son’s win, which he said “had been a long time coming”.
He said he and his wife, Lurleen, were trackside when Paul crashed at Turn Two, a corner which endured mid-race repairs and resulted in the event being suspended.
“He’s been trying for this win for more than 20 years even though he’s won the Bathurst 12-hour race in 2007,” said dad Terry.
“He did ‘win’ the Bathurst 1000 in 1997 but was disqualified after his co-driver Craig Baird stayed too long in the car.
“But this time, he definitely made history as he is the only winning driver ever to be able to spray the podium with his own wine.”
The race was a protracted affair with 10 safety car interjections and a full hour suspension to repair damaged tarmac at Turn Two, where Morris crashed.
Mostert, Shane Van Gisbergen and Craig Lowndes lapped at record pace in the closing laps.
Then tragedy struck for Van Gisbergen, who was leading before taking an ill-fated pit stop and being unable to re-start his car for the final three laps.
Ford frontrunner Mark Winterbottom lost the lead to Whincup before running wide at turn two, into the path of Craig Lowndes, who spun him around with seven laps remaining.
Officials pulled Lowndes out of third place with a drive-through penalty for his part in the incident.
