Lee Holdsworth offers insight into emotional Bathurst heartbreak
Anton De Pasquale, Holdsworth lost Bathurst after final lap fuel drama
"It keeps hitting me every day that we lost that race," says Holdsworth
Lee Holdsworth has vowed to return to the grid in 2027, despite admitting his heartbreaking Bathurst defeat "keeps hitting me every day.”
Holdsworth and Chevrolet spearhead Anton De Pasquale fell agonisingly short at Mount Panorama when their #18 DEWALT Camaro ran out of fuel on the last lap.
Team 18 cited a software issue as the reason behind the shock fuel shortage, but insisted there would be no internal axings over the outcome.
De Pasquale and Holdsworth bravely fronted up on the broadcast after the race, although Holdsworth — who won the 2021 race — had little to say amid his shock. De Pasquale again spoke this week on the eve of the Finals opener, admitting the mood in the team had taken a hit.
Speaking on the latest Rusty’s Garage podcast, Holdsworth went into greater detail, saying: “I’m not over it yet, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it.
"It keeps hitting me every day that we lost that race.”
After winning the 2021 Great Race with Chaz Mostert and Walkinshaw Andretti United, Holdsworth returned for a single season with Penrite Racing, before retiring from full-time racing at the end of 2022.
The 43-year-old is now a full-time commercial real estate agent, and has also dabbled in motorsport broadcasting throughout the year. However, he returned to the Bathurst grid in fine style, delivering one of the drives of the race.
Echoing his comments from the broadcast, Holdsworth claimed he had no indication of the fuel trouble until De Pasquale sidestepped for Brodie Kostecki on lap 161. By then, it was too late, the De Pasquale/Holdsworth car recording a DNF after starting the final lap in the lead.
“There was never any worry for me about the fuel. I didn’t have any idea what was going on with the fuel because I wasn’t tuned in to the comms,” Holdsworth said.
"JC [James Courtney] leaned across to me and he said, ‘Mate, you’re going to be a two-time winner here’. This was with about two laps to go, after the Safety Car.
“Someone said, ‘We’re not going to make it. We’re going to have to pit’. And at that point, my heart absolutely sank to my feet. I just couldn’t believe it. It just caught me by surprise.”
Despite the gutting result, Holdsworth insists he’ll be back, saying: "I’ll definitely be on the grid at Bathurst and Tailem Bend, and I’m looking forward to that.“
Obviously I want to go back there and win that race again, and I don’t want to say that I want to get revenge or redemption or whatever.
“I just want to go back and have the same opportunity with a speedy car again that we had this year.
“I had one of the best weeks, so to fall on our face at the end of it was just so hard to take because you’ve got to capitalise in those situations.
“But it was my 23rd Bathurst, so I’ve done a fair few of them and really only had a true opportunity to win the race twice. Once we did it and once we didn’t.”
