Team boss reveals true toll of star's brutal crash

Despite a monster crash in Friday qualifying, Tickford team principal Tim Edwards has no doubt Declan Fraser — and indeed his car — will be ready to go when Bathurst 1000 practice resumes on Saturday morning.

Fraser appeared to be slightly wide at the turn-in point at Sulman Park, and understeered straight into the concrete wall on driver's left.

The impact lifted the Mustang almost completely off the ground.

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Edwards said the damage to the car wasn't nearly as bad as the team was expecting.

In commentary, Mark Skaife quipped the car might have been a throwaway, but Edwards said the fact the car slapped the wall perfectly square meant all the forces went though the wheels and suspension instead of the chassis.

Declan Fraser brought out the red flags for the second time in Bathurst 1000 qualifying after crashing at Sulman Park.

"Normally you see a car going in, five degrees, 10 degrees, 50 degrees, whatever, the fact he went in completely square, it's hit both wheels simultaneously," Edwards told Wide World of Sports.

"The suspension is destroyed, but it appears at the moment – but they're still looking – that we escaped with no chassis damage.

"So it'll be a late night but not an all night."

Fraser was taken to the medical centre for mandatory checks, but was released a short time later. 

Tickford Racing working on the damaged car of Declan Fraser.

Edwards said the impact unsurprisingly knocked the wind out of the 23-year-old.

"He's a bit sore – when he hit the wall he was winded. I don't know how many (G forces) he's pulled, but it'll be a bit because when he came on the radio, straight away you could tell he could hardly talk."

Edwards estimated the damage bill would be about $70,000.

Fraser is effectively driving for his future at the back-end of the season.

Tickford will downscale from four cars to two in 2024. Cam Waters has already been confirmed to return, with the other expected to go to Thomas Randle.

Kostecki tops chaotic Bathurst qualifying

Driving with Tyler Everingham, Fraser will start the race from the back of the grid.

Elsewhere in the Tickford stable, Cam Waters finished the session fourth, Randle in 11th, and James Courtney 16th.

Randle missed out on a spot in tomorrow's shootout by less than a tenth of a second, knocked out in the dying moments by Shane van Gisbergen's improvement to seventh.

In a cruel twist of irony, van Gisbergen gained time sitting in teammate James Courtney's slipstream.

Thomas Randle drives the Tickford Racing Ford Mustang during the Bathurst 1000, part of the 2023 Supercars Championship Series at Mount Panorama on October 06, 2023 in Bathurst, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

"Disappointing for Thomas because of all the shootouts you want to get into, it's Bathurst," Edwards said.

"You've got five minutes of the Australian public's attention while you do your lap.

"So to be 11th, that's the first guy who didn't quite make it in. He'll be gutted and so he should be."

There will be two practice sessions and ahead of the top-10 shootout.

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