There was an awful sense of deja vu for Holden teammates Garth Tander and Mark Skaife when Tander got off to a disastrous start in today's Bathurst 1000.
The clutch slipped on the Holden Racing Team Commodore leaving Tander stranded on the line, dropping from pole position to last by the first corner.
To make matters worse, Tander was given a 10-second penalty for jumping the start as the car propped forward in the chaos.
The day would not get any better for the flagship outfit as on lap 102 of 161 Skaife hit the wall trying to fend off eventual winner Craig Lowndes, who was attempting to lap him.
Skaife then hit the wall again a few laps later as he battled steering problems and the pair finished 12th in the end.
In 2006, Skaife was behind the wheel when clutch problems left him rooted to the start line.
On that occasion he limped around Mount Panorama in an attempt to get back to the pits but was shunted by an unsighted Jack Perkins, marking the end of his day before he'd completed a lap.
"I thought it was 2006 revisited for a minute but the clutch came back. In 2006 the clutch just kept on slipping," said Skaife, a five-time Bathurst winner.
V8 Supercar champion Tander thought the penalty was a little harsh.
"Basically my clutch just ran out," he said.
"I could feel it going so I tried to go soft and the car just propped forward. I got a penalty for apparently getting too good a start -- I was last into the first corner!"
