McLaughlin crashes back to earth in brutal Bathurst 1000

After producing the "Lap of the Gods", Ford's record-breaking Scott McLaughlin was reduced to mere mortal status at Sunday's Bathurst 1000.

Treacherous conditions saw the record-breaker come unstuck at the start of the Great Race.

The flying New Zealander created his own legend by setting an astonishing lap record to claim pole position for Sunday's great race.

But not even the Supercars series leader was immune to the effects of the rain that turned an already tricky track into a potential minefield.

McLaughlin made a mistake under brakes at Murray's Corner on lap two as the car locked up and went straight when he should have turned left towards the start-finish line.

The Ford driver immediately relinquished first place but managed to recover quickly as he re-joined the field in sixth.

But in a huge blow to his championship hopes, McLaughlin's Great Race lasted just 74 laps before retiring with mechanical issues.

The Ford gun's record lap time of 2min:03.83secs on Saturday saw him become the first driver to crack the 2min:04sec barrier on the unforgiving mountain.

McLaughlin cut a shattered figure as another shot at becoming King of the Mountain slipped through his grasp, along with the championship lead.

His dreaded DNF ensured he slipped from first to third in the standings heading into the next round on the Gold Coast from October 20-22.

"We had a really good shot at it (Bathurst win), in the wet as well," McLaughlin said.

"Unfortunately that is how it goes, it's a tough old race to win - I just have to move on."