A DOG OF A CAR

Trucking magnate Scotty Taylor does his racing the right way, with a fleet of classy competition cars, a giant transporter, and all-star co-drivers.

His Mercedes-AMG was immaculate as always through the build-up to the Bathurst 12-Hour, with plenty of bold signage on the sides and a heartfelt connection to fund-raising work for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

But things are not always as they seem – with INDIGO down one side of the belter Benz and MADDOX on the other.

But anyone who took the trouble for a Google search on those names would come up blank, for a very good reason.

They are not sponsors – they are the names of Scotty's dogs, Maddox and Indigo.

But the canine connection at STR did not stop there, as the car's three drivers also insisted their dogs got a run.

"We wanted our dogs' names on the car as well," Lowndes told Race.news

So Lowndes added Lola, Cam Waters brought Winston, and Thomas Randle chipped in with Harvey.

It was the best feel-good story on the grid for the 12-Hour, before things turned sour while Lowndes was at the wheel. He made a very rare unforced error over Skyline and tagged the wall, causing terminal damage to the AMG Benz.

"Driver error," Lowndes confessed.

"I haven't done this for a long time. It was my mistake."

"I just clipped the right-hand wall and it spat me across. It was damage to the left-rear. I think it has pulled the driveshaft out.

"I'm actually gutted for Cam, he didn't get to drive."

"It can be pretty cruel at times. This place can bite."