Barton and co-drivers Duvashen Padayachee and Richard Muscat were heading for what looked like a certain Class B victory when their Rentcorp Porsche 997 GT3 Cup crashed with brake failure.
As the fastest of the car's three drivers during Friday's practice sessions, Barton qualified a conservative sixth in class and 18th outright for the round-the-clock enduro.
From the 6.15am start, Richard and then Duvashen moved steadily up the order to be first in Class B and eighth outright by the three-hour mark.
Barton took his first driving stint an hour later, and despite a mysterious deterioration in the brakes he consolidated the class lead during his 37 laps around the 6.2km Mt Panorama public road circuit.
But two laps after Duvashen began his second shift, the #45 Porsche went straight on at Hell Corner at the end of Pit Straight.
Although only lost two positions were lost in the incident, the brakes failed again two laps later with more serious consequences. This time it was at the high-speed approach to The Chase, and the blue, red and white GT slewed sideways at more than 250km/h.
It slid off the track and across the infield sand trap to the S-bend, which launched it into the air. The car cleared the full width of the track, and landed hard in the sand trap on the other side.
Unable to continue unaided, it was loaded onto a tilt-tray truck for the short return trip to the pits. Only then were the front brake pads, which should have lasted the entire race, found to be completely worn out.
The worn-out brake pads that ended the Rentcorp team's Bathurst 12-Hour challenge. [Duvashen Padayachee photo]
The incident ended the Rentcorp team's chances of taking the Class B win that had been theirs for the taking. Nevertheless the battered machine was patched up in an attempt to finish the race in a respectable position.
With Padayachee suffering ill-effects from the crash, Barton returned to the track some 70 laps behind the leaders. The car wasn't right, though, and after struggling on for another 53 laps it was retired from the race.Duvashen
Naturally Barton was disappointed with the outcome.
"It's always frustrating when something goes wrong with the car when you're in a position to win, but that's part of motorsport," he said.
"Our strategy had been perfect until the brake problem. I only did a handful of laps in practice to give the other drivers more seat-time. Even in qualifying I didn't push too hard, because starting positions aren't as important in endurance races as in short ones.
"I could have gone about a second quicker, but it would have been an unnecessary risk and only would have put us a couple of places higher.
"Our race plan was perfect too. Although we weren't lapping as fast as the teams ahead of us, they all struck trouble.
"Most of them blew tyres, which is usually a sign of too much negative camber in the suspension. It gives more grip, but it also puts more strain on the tyres.
"It's critical at Mt Panorama, because the stints are long and the speeds are very high for a lot of the lap.
"We're not sure why the brake pads on our car wore out, but that's history now. I'll just remember it as 'one that got away'.
"I was happy with my driving, and just hope that we get another chance to finish the job in next year's 12-hour! Thanks to the Rentcorp team for asking me to drive for them, and to my personal sponsor Dyno Dynamics."
BARTON MAWER'S 2014 BATHURST 12-HOUR SUMMARY
PRACTICE – Fastest lap 2min. 13.4876sec. (fastest #45 Rentcorp Porsche driver)
QUALIFYING – Fastest lap 2min. 11.6515sec. (6th in Class B; 18th outright)
RACE – Did not finish. Car crashed on lap 136 due to brake failure while leading Class B; retired on lap 190 with crash-related damage.
MT PANORAMA (6.213km) - BATHURST, NSW
