Tasmanian supercar driver Lochie Dalton survived the crash and bash at Bathurst to improve his chance of racing in the V8 main game in 2025

A supercar driver from Launceston had a scary near miss at Mt Panorama but vows it won’t distract him from racing in the V8 main game in 2025.

Lochie Dalton, of Launceston, leads the Super2 pack up Mount Panorama at Bathurst. Picture Mark Horsburgh

It was an “out of body experience” for Tasmanian young gun Lochie Dalton when an out-of-control V8 flashed across his windscreen at the end of the main straight at Bathurst at the weekend.

The 22-year-old from Launceston, a protégé of Tasmania’s two-times supercars champion Marcos Ambrose, the first Australian to win a Nascar race, is one of the young Turks of the Super2 championship _ the next step before hitting the big time in the main game for supercars.

After two frenetic races on Mount Panorama at the weekend, Dalton left Bathurst placed ninth in the championship and with enough points to put him within striking distance of the top five.

Dalton had mixed fortunes in his second time at Bathurst, where he qualified 11th and finished seventh in the Super2 race on Saturday and qualified ninth and finished fifth on Sunday.

“It was very up and down,” he said.

“It was comforting because I had such a strong car, but it was very cutting at the same time because there was a lot of potential and not a lot of reward for it.”

Lochie Dalton at Symmons Plains. Picture: Mark Horsburgh/Supercars

In one race, a rival lost control of his car in the Chase at the end of the main straight and skidded out of control across the front of Dalton’s car, only just missing his Mustang.

“It was weird,” Dalton.

“It was really like an out-of-body experience, like, what just happened?

“When you reflect and look back, you realise that it could have been pretty bad.”

Mount Panorama is a challenge that Dalton _ like many _ is still coming to terms with.

“It’s like being on a rollercoaster when you feel like you’re about to come out of – it’s just crazy,” he said.

“You’re so close to edge and you have so many big moments and you are millimeters from writing the car off.

“But if you are not doing that you may as well not be racing, you’re not going to win.

“You need to be on the edge. It’s a crazy feeling.”

The Super2 final round is in Adelaide next month and Supercars Australia recently confirmed they will race at Symmons Plains in May.

“That will be awesome,” Dalton said.

“It’s not confirmed where I will be racing next year but I will definitely be in Tassie racing supercars and that will be awesome.”

Lochie Dalton in action during the Sydney Supernight over the weekend. Picture: Ben Roehlen/Pace Images

Dalton had a taste of the main game when he suited up for Tickford Racing as a wildcard drive at Sydney SuperNight in July.

“I want to be back on the main game grid again and it’s looking like I will be part-time on the main game grid next year as well as racing Super2,” he said.