2019B12HRGuide-Jan29 by Speedcafe

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Contents

EDITORS: Daniel Herrero Mat Coch CONTRIBUTORS: Tom Howard Brett Murray Slade Perrins DESIGN: Justin Murray Rachel Cherry SALES/MARKETING: Justin Murray PARTNERS: ARMOR ALL Castrol EDGE Mercedes-Benz Michelin PIRTEK Preston Hire Supercheap Auto TyrePlus

Contents 04 11 15 16 19 20 23 24 27 29 30 32 35 36 38 40 49 50 52

Meet the 2019 contenders The history of the Bathurst 12 Hour Tale of 2018 Results from Bathurst 12 Hour 2018 Previous Bathurst 12 Hour winners A lap of Mount Panorama By the numbers Bathurst dream team to take on GT elite Balance of Performance explained In-car warning system Changing of the guard Walkenhorst’s redemption TV times Habul returns to the scene of his boyhood dream realised 2019 entry list Team profiles Support line-up Introducing the AMG GT4 Track schedule

LIQUI-MOLY BATHURST 12 HOUR JAN 31 - FEB 3, 2019

MEET THE CONTENDERS The key players of this year’s race

TALE OF 2018

Audi claims third victory in red-flagged race

DREAM TEAM! TRIPLE EIGHT TRIO JOIN FORCES TO TAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN

Superstars ready to climb the mountain again

his year’s Bathurst 12 Hour is, on paper, the most enthralling in its almost decade-long GT3 era.

While the entry list is skinnier than in past years, the number of Pro class entries is up slightly on 2018, and the rollcall of teams and drivers screams ‘quality’. The megastar combination, at least in the eyes of the local crowd, is that of Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, and Jamie Whincup, in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 run by Supercars powerhouse Triple Eight Race Engineering in partnership with well-credentialled Australian GT outfit Scott Taylor Motorsport. Audi is also stacked with talent across its pair of factory representatives, including last year’s provisional pole-sitter Kelvin van der Linde and three-time Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 winner Garth Tander. BMW fired several shots last year but ultimately came up short, and we eagerly anticipate what impact Walkenhorst and Schnitzer will have in 2019.

Daniel Herrero

Bentley ventures Down Under with its new Continentals for the first time, and the big British cars are surely due better fortune than last time around.

At Porsche, Matt Campbell has a chance to show his talent in a factory entry, having impressed so much in a privately-entered 911 in the last two years, while the Ferrari 488, Nissan GT-R and Aston Martin Vantage make their returns to Bathurst. Even the Pro-Am ranks, which bring the number of distinct GT3 models in the race to a neat 10, boast a former Bathurst 12 Hour winner. Ironically, the wealth of talent that has assembled in 2019 numbers only six past winners in Australia’s international enduro, meaning that we could well see new faces writing their names into Mount Panorama’s rich, 80-year history. Make no mistake, this is a race that has already developed a proud history all of its own. The men and women that take it on know what the prize is, and how much it means to all those who seek it. To win the Bathurst 12 Hour means beating some of the very best sportscar teams in the world, at one of the very best race tracks in the world. Who will it be this year? We’re about to find out.

Speedcafe.com Journalist

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MEET THE 2019 C

Mercedes-AMG

Car: Mercedes-AMG GT3 Teams: Team Vodafone/Triple Eight, The Bend Motorsport Park/Erebus Motorsport, SunEnergy1 Racing/Scott Taylor Motorsport, Craft-Bamboo Racing/Black Falcon, Nineteen Corp Black Falcon, GruppeM Racing

A Mercedes-AMG GT3 has never won the Bathurst 12 Hour, but with six entries to its name spread across Pro and ProAm classes in 2019 it stands a very real chance of changing that fact. Among these are local favourites Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, and Shane van Gisbergen, the Triple Eight Supercars drivers united for the first time in a single entry – all three have won the race on at least one occasion before. They’ll be run out of the Scott Taylor Motorsport garage, as will the Erebus entry of David Reynolds, Luke Youlden, and Yasser Shahin. The third car in that shed is the SunEnergy1 entry of Kenny Habul, Tristan Vautier, and Thomas Jaeger, which last year finished on the outright podium and won the

Pro-Am class (with Whincup at the wheel). Craft Bamboo/Black Falcon has a fearsome all-Pro entry with Maro Engel, Luca Stolz and DTM champ Gary Paffett while GruppeM Racing are similarly strong with Maxi Buhk, Maxi Goetz, and Raffaele Marciello. The final entry is for local racer Mark Griffith, who has highly credentialed racers Yelmer Buurman and Christina Nielsen alongside him in another Pro-Am entry. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 is a strong all round car, and has won a number of the world’s biggest races and championships, including the Australian Endurance Championship for the last two years.

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Meet the Contenders

CONTENDERS Audi

BMW

There are fewer Audis on the grid this year than last, but the quality runs deep throughout.

Supremely fast in the early stages of last year’s race, the Bathurst 12 Hour ultimately ended in disappointment for the German marque 12 months ago.

Car: R8 LMS GT3 Teams: Audi Sport Team Valvoline, Hallmarc, Audi Sport Team MPC, Matt Stone Racing/Aussie Driver Search

The two Audi Sport Team Valvoline entries boast incredible depth with Audi factory drivers Christopher Mies, Christopher Haase, and Markus Winkelhock among the favourites. Mies set the outright Bathurst lap record late last year, though that was when the team took all the Balance of Performance measures off his car and let the German run rampant across the Mountain. Its performance won’t be that strong in the race, but it’ll certainly be front running. Garth Tander shares the sister car with Kelvin van der Linde, who is incredibly fast but also erratic, and Frederic Vervisch. Three Pro-Am entries see two BTCC champs pair up with Pete Storey; Matt Neal making his Bathurst return after nearly two decades and Gordon Shedden joining the fray. Elsewhere, Supercars youngster Todd Hazelwood and Pirtek Enduro Cup co-driver David Russell will share with Roger Lago, who has ditched the Lamborghini for an Audi R8 LMS GT3, while Marc Cini will race with Lee Holdsworth and Dean Fiore as he did a year ago.

Car: M6 GT3 Teams: Walkenhorst Motorsport, BMW Team Schnitzer

Chaz Mostert starred but was involved in a mid-race tangle that ultimately ended the day for his car. Mostert returns with BMW Team Schnitzer – a powerhouse squad for the Bavarian brand. Augusto Farfus and Martin Tomczyk will join him in the team’s single entry. Another BMW M6 GT3 will be steered by Christian Krognes, Nick Catsburg, and Mikkel Jensen and while it doesn’t have the star power, the Walkenhorst Motorsport entry should still be a factor as the big Beemer tends to suit the Mount Panorama circuit.

Ferrari

Car: 488 GT3 Teams: HubAuto Corsa, Spirit of Race/AF Corse Ferrari has claimed honours at Bathurst with its 488 when driven by Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes, together with Toni Vilander, in 2017. However that car, entered by Maranello Motorsport, is not racing this year and instead the Prancing Horse is relying on entries out of Asia to represent it. Of them, the HubAuto Corsa entry of Nick Foster, Tim Slade, and Nick Percat looks strongest. Both Foster and Slade campaigned for the team in the 2018 Blancpain GT Series Asia, while Nick Percat has had multiple GT3 outings, though never before in a Ferrari 488. The other entry, for Spirit of Race, will see ex-F1 racer Pedro Lamy with Mathias Lauda, son of Mercedes F1’s Niki Lauda, partner with Paul Dalla Lana, an accomplished gentleman driver.

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McLaren

Car: 650S GT3 Team: Objective Racing It’s the swansong event for the McLaren 650S GT3 with just a sole example of the machine which three years ago claimed victory at the Mountain set to compete. The 650S GT3 will be replaced this year by the all-new 720S GT3, and as a result interest in running the older spec car has been comparatively weak. Tony Walls will be joined by Warren Luff once more, while GT Academy driver Andrew Watson steps into the car as the third driver – last year it had been Jaxon Evans though he’s since been snapped up as a star of the future by Porsche. Regarded as one of the fastest GT3 cars ever produced, the 650S GT3 was always somewhat of a beast – incredibly fast but needed to be pushed to the very limit to extract that performance. As a result it has typically underperformed in anything other than the hands of a professional driver, though Tony Walls has nabbed a few wins in Australian GT competition with it in recent years.

Bentley Car: Continental GT3 Team: Bentley Team M-Sport Operated by M-Sport, one of the most credentialed outfits in world motorsport, the Bentley squad this year boasts an all-new car for the Bathurst 12 Hour. Debuted in Europe in 2018, the Mount Panorama event marks the first time the latest spec Bentley Continental will be seen on our shores. The team’s two entries boast accomplished racers throughout, with Steven Kane leading Jules Gounon and Jordan Pepper in the #107 entry, and Andy Soucek with Maxime Soulet and Vincent Abril in the sister car. With no prior experience at the Mountain with the new cars, it will be a slightly more difficult weekend to begin with, but M-Sport should not be underestimated, nor its two cars written off.

Porsche Car: 911 GT3 R Teams: Porsche Motorsport/EBM, Black Swan Racing, Competition Motorsports/McElrea Racing Though not racing himself, Earl Bamber has sent two cars under his Earl Bamber Motorsport umbrella with a trio of accomplished drivers in both. World Endurance Champion Romain Dumas heads the first car with Sven Müller and Mathieu Jaminet, while Dirk Werner, Dennis Olsen, and Australian Porsche superstar Matt Campbell are in the sister car. McElrea Racing will sport a car for Competition Motorsports, with David Calvert-Jones, Kevin Estre and the latest Porsche junior Jaxon Evans filling its ranks in what will be a Pro-Am entry. The final Porsche 911 GT3 R is the Pro-Am entry of Black Swan Racing with Tim Pappas, Jeroen Bleekemolen, and Marc Lieb in a four-pronged attack for Porsche that spans Pro and Pro-Am classes. The successful marque has never won the Bathurst 12 Hour, with luck having played against it in recent years. With the same specification car as last year it stands as good a chance as ever this time around.

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Meet the Contenders

Lamborghini Car: Huracan GT3 Teams: Wall Racing, Trofeo Motorsport One of the most dominant cars in Europe last year, the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 has not yet had the same success in Australia. Underneath its carbon fibre skin is the same running gear as powers the Audi R8 LMS GT3, the two cars part of the Volkswagen Audi Group after all, though over the top is the usual aggressive Lambo styling. Two examples, both Pro-Am entries, will race this year with Wall Racing preparing one car and Trofeo Motorsport the other. Both have four drivers installed, with car owner Adrian Deitz joined by Jules Westwood, and ex-Supercars racers Cam McConville and Tony D’Alberto. The latter is the 2018 Australian Endurance Champion, though in a Mercedes, with this set to be his first outing in a Huracan. In the other example, Australian GT boss Jim Manolios will race with Dean Canto, Ben Porter, and former Ferrari F1 racer Ivan Capelli.

Nissan Car: GT-R NISMO GT3 Team: KCMG A cult car, the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 is now fairly long in the tooth, though the Balance of Performance regulations should keep it somewhat competitive. This year privateer squad KCMG has entered a pair of cars, and recruited former race winner Katsumasa Chiyo to share one of its cars with Matsuda Tsugio and Aussie racer Joshua Burdon. The team’s other car will be steered by Alexandre Imperatori, Edoardo Liberati, and Oliver Jarvis, who has raced in A1GP, Super GT, DTM, the World Endurance Championship and more. There’s no doubting the driving line-up, but with an older spec car compared to others in the field it will need something truly brilliant for Nissan to claim another 12 Hour this year.

Aston Martin Car: Vantage GT3 Team: R-Motorsport Though at the end of its competitive life, the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 remains potent, and R-Motorsport has been one of the driving forces of its longevity in Europe. There were victories at the start of last season’s Blancpain GT Series despite its age, though this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour is its swansong as a current spec machine. Its driving ranks lack a big name star, though Jake Dennis is on the payroll as Red Bull’s Formula 1 test driver. While it should be capable of running with the pace at the head of the field, the issue will come down to fuel economy – the V12 engine under the bonnet of the Aston is famously thirsty.

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2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Meet the Contenders

Best of the rest Battling it out behind the Class A cars will be three other class-based races with trophies and bragging rights on the line in each. Class B is the exclusive domain of Porsche, with the current-spec Porsche Cup Car set to duke it out on the Mountain for the first time. We saw one race here last year, but this is the first time the Carrera Cup field has been allowed to roll their current cars out of the shed in February, with a three car field taking up the challenge. With ABS and traction control, Class B is set to be faster than it ever has. BMW, KTM, and Ginetta will compete in

Class C, specifically for GT4 machinery. The little brothers of the GT3 cars of Class A, a trio of KTM X-Bows, with their unique lift up roof, will take on a pair of Ginetta G55s and a sole BMW M4 GT4 flying the flag for the Bavarians. Four MARC cars complete the field in the Invitational Class, with two examples each of the MARC I and MARC II. Last year we saw the debut of the Mustanginspired MARC II V8, with IndyCar star Paul Tracy set to steer one of the beefy V8s this year with Paul Morris and Keith Kassulke in a factory effort.

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Together we have pushed to the limits. Secured countless victories. Met every challenge – and stayed on course throughout. On the racetrack, and on the road. Michelin and Porsche: connected by a successful tight teamwork for more than 50 years. With the highest demand on performance – and continuous goals.

PORSCHE AND MICHELIN – OVER 50 YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION.

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | The history of the Bathurst 12 Hour

The history of the Bathurst 12 Hour T

he Bathurst 12 Hour first sprang to life in 1991 with Allan Grice, Peter Fitzgerald, and Nigel Arkell guiding a Toyota Supra turbo to victory.

Manufacturer interest gathered momentum following the initial staging of the event with Mazda putting in a concerted effort that reaped rewards with a factory backed RX-7 rotary winning from 1992 to 1995. Due to rising costs, the promoter was forced to retreat from holding the race at Mount Panorama with the race running at Eastern Creek in 1995, won by Dick Johnson and John Bowe, before it was discontinued the following year. While the future of reviving the 12 Hour remained in limbo, the idea of an endurance race saw the staging of the Ross Palmer-run 24 Hour races which were held for two years; 2002 and 2003. Both instalments were won by the all-conquering Holden Monaros built and prepared by Garry Rogers Motorsport. The 12 Hour for production cars bounced back in 2007 when it was part of the Bathurst Motor Festival before moving away from that event from 2009. Moves to introduce GT3 specifications into the race were made in 2011, before another shot in the arm when an all-pro subclass within Class A was introduced in 2017, making the event an even greater drawcard for international squads. This year there are set to be 28 GT3 cars, including 15 Pro and 13 Pro-Am entries, taking on Mount Panorama.

GT3 Era

2011: Team Joest conquers the Mountain

The Team Joest Audi R8 GT3s dominated the first of a new era of Bathurst 12 Hour contests headlined by the GT3 regulations. Allowing GT3 machinery to compete for outright victory upset the production car fraternity but a modest entry of 26 cars lined up for the blast around the revered Mount Panorama circuit. It was the German Team Joest squad which shined the brightest with its two Audi R8s dominating the race, leading 223 of the 292 laps. The all-Australian R8 entry of triple Supercar champion Craig Lowndes, Warren Luff and Mark Eddy pipped the Christopher Mies, Marc Basseng, and Darryl Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Young sister car to pole position by just 0.3s. Following an intriguing tactical battle between the cars it was Mies/Basseng/Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Young which prevailed with a margin of 0.7s over team-mates Lowndes/Luff/Eddy. The Porsche GT3-R of Tony Quinn, Klark Quinn and Craig Baird secured the final place on the podium despite being a lap behind the Audis after losing ground under a Safety Car.

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2013: Mercedes become the mountain masters An all-star German line up of Touring Car legend Bernd Schneider, GT ace Thomas Jaeger and Alexander Roloff helped Australia’s Erebus Motorsport win the 2013 Bathurst 12 Hour. The race continued to grow on the international stage receiving a record entry of 53 cars. The field included a couple of familiar faces from Formula 1 with Mika Salo and Ivan Capelli joining the Maranello Motorsport and Trofeo Motorsport entries. The 2013 edition of the race also doubled as the Australian GT Championship season opener. However, it was the lead Erebus Mercedes SLS of Schneider, Jaeger and Roloff that grabbed the headlines with the trio emerging from a deluge in the final two hours of the race to take victory by a lap.

2012: Audi triumphs again with Phoenix Racing The Bathurst 12 Hour was once again an Audi affair when Phoenix Racing took out the 2012 edition of the growing endurance classic. The squad was one of three new international crews, who flocked to the race alongside the British United Autosports entry and the renowned Black Falcon Mercedes SLS team. The race also welcomed the Australian Mercedes SLS crew from Erebus Motorsport. After starting from pole position, the #1 Phoenix Racing Audi of 2011 winners Mies, O’Young and German debutant Christer Jons led the majority of the contest of which eight of the 12 hours were held in wet weather. The tricky conditions provided a high attrition rate with just three Class A cars reaching the finish. The previous year’s runners-up Lowndes, Luff and Eddy were one of the casualties when their race unravelled after seven hours. A spin on the entry to the pits and a penalty saw the #2 Phoenix Audi lose four laps before Eddy crashed at the top of the mountain, ending their race prematurely. The lead Phoenix entry suffered its own drama in Hour 7 when Mies spun into the gravel trap at Murray’s Corner. Luckily, he was able to recover and resume the lead of the race. In the end Mies/O’Young/Jons came through to take the victory by 1:13s from Erebus Motorsport’s Jeroen Bleekemolen, Peter Hackett, Tim Slade and American Bret Curtis. Despite being unsuited to the conditions, the Clearwater Racing Ferrari 458 was third in the hands of Craig Baird, Irishman Matt Griffin and Mok Wen Sun.

It was contest full of incidents prompting a record amount of Safety Cars periods with 15 in total. A crash inside the first hour ruled out the Lago Racing Lamborghini and the VIP Petfoods Aston Martin of Tony Quinn. The Team Engstler BMW Z4 and the Maranello Ferrari of Salo, Allan Simonsen, John Bowe, and Peter Edwards also retired before the halfway point. At the front, the race developed into a battle between the two Erebus Motorsport entries with little separating the #36 and #63 cars. However steering damage to the latter with V8 Supercar driver Lee Holdsworth at the wheel ended their victory hopes, finishing the race in sixth. In the end, the lead Erebus Mercedes SLS of Schneider, Jaeger and Roloff took the chequered flag. Despite receiving three drive-through penalties and a mechanical black flag, Clearwater Racing finished second piloted by Baird/ Griffin/Sun. The VIP Petfoods Porsche of Shane van Gisbergen/Klark Quinn/Matt Kingsley came home in third with the latter a late replacement for Tony Quinn, who injured himself earlier in the race at the wheel of his Australian GT Aston Martin.

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | The history of the Bathurst 12 Hour

2014: Emotions run high as Maranello Motorsport strikes Craig Lowndes led Maranello Motorsport to an emotional vicotry in the 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour Lowndes combined with co-drivers Mika Salo, John Bowe and car owner Peter Edwards to recover from two drive-through penalties to win the race.

Allan Simonsen, who perished at the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours. The Dane was part of the previous year’s team, and as a mark of respect organisers renamed the pole position award in his honour.

The five-time Bathurst 1000 winner had to survive a Safety Car restart with 13 minutes to go that saw a 15 second lead evaporate. Maxi Buhk in the HTP Mercedes ranged up along the outside of the Ferrari with the just minutes remaining, but Lowndes hung on to win by just 0.4s Will Davison and Shane van Gisbergen were third and fourth in the #63 Erebus Mercedes and the Quinn McLaren respectively; the top four separated by just three seconds at the finish. It would prove an emotional triumph for Maranello Motorsport with victory arriving just months after the death of regular driver

2015: NISMO Godzilla claims tense 12 Hour Nissan claimed a remarkable victory in the 2015 edition, surviving a Safety Car-strewn race which revisited Bathurst history.

hit with two drive-through penalties and a dehydrated Matt Bell before claiming fourth.

Brought home by diminutive Japanese driver Katsumasa Chiyo, the GT-R sliced its way from third position and into the lead after the restart from a 20th Safety Car period with just over four minutes remaining.

Bell’s drink bottle malfunctioned in his initial stint causing him to vomit in the car and seek medical treatment before recovering to negotiate the final stint and give team-mates Guy Smith and Steven Kane a sniff of victory.

GT superstar and pole-sitter Laurens Vanthoor claimed second for Phoenix Audi while Stefan Mucke finished third in the Craft Bamboo Aston Martin.

David Brabham was taken to the medical centre in a neck brace and subsequently to nearby Orange Hospital for precautionary x-rays after an incident with Stefan Mucke at The Cutting.

It was the first win by the Japanese manufacturer since Jim Richards and Mark Skaife took a second successive Bathurst 1000 victory in the R32 Skyline GT-R in 1992.

Mucke later described the late-race incident, where he attempted to drive through a gap left by Brabham but ended up making side-to-side contact with the Flying B Bentley and putting it into the wall, as a “misunderstanding”.

Wolfgang Reip pitted the GT-R from the lead with 1hr 43min remaining, handing it to Florian Strauss who did a quick-fire 40-minute stint before Chiyo completed a tense final hour.

Reigning event winners Maranello Motorsport withdrew from the event early after suffering a car destroying crash in practice.

The #10 Bentley almost took an against-the-odds win after being

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2017: Tempers fray as Supercars team-mates battle Ferrari and Maranello Motorsport won the Bathurst 12 Hour for the second time in four years in 2017, in a race which had a real sting in the tail for the factory-backed #22 Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG entry. The Prancing Horse’s hopes suffered a setback when Craig Lowndes was bizarrely unloaded by Craig Baird in the STM Merc at a Safety Car restart. Tony Vilander, however, put Maranello back into a strong position with a sterling early afternoon drive in the #88 488. In the end, the race came down to a final hour showdown between Triple Eight Supercars team-mates Jamie Whincup in the Ferrari and Shane van Gisbergen in the Mercedes-AMG. Van Gisbergen emerged five seconds ahead after his final pit stop with 45 minutes remaining, but Whincup had a tyre advantage.

2016: van Gisbergen leads McLaren to victory Shane van Gisbergen, Alvaro Parente, and Jonathon Webb combined to give McLaren its first win in a major GT3 endurance race in 2016. After Portuguese Parente and Webb drove the Tekno Autosportsentered 650S for the majority of the day, van Gisbergen hopped into the cockpit with two hours remaining. Despite a drive-through penalty for pit lane speeding which nearly put the McLaren off the lead lap, van Gisbergen’s sizzling pace and a strategy play put the New Zealander back into the lead with 40 minutes remaining. While Katsumasa Chiyo closed the gap in the dying stages, van Gisbergen prevented a repeat of the Japanese driver’s 2015 heroics as he eased to a 1.3s win. The day had not been without drama for the orange #59 McLaren, with van Gisbergen setting the current lap record (2:01.567s) early on before a technical problem which he described as a “heart in my mouth” moment saw Parente lose 45 seconds on the side of pit straight power cycling the car. The Chiyo/Rick Kelly/Florian Strauss Nissan GT-R took second as the big guns of Supercars joined the field following the controversial test day clash of a year earlier. The Steven Kane/Guy Smith/Matt Bell Bentley Continental rounded out the podium, while the fourth-placed Phoenix Audi of Laurens Vanthoor/Markus Winkelhock/Alex Davison also beat the previous race record of 296 laps (set in 2014) by a single lap.

He caught the Kiwi within a couple of laps and managed to survive despite putting two wheels in the dirt when the pair bumped as he tore past down Conrod Straight. A desperate van Gisbergen would soon shunt an Am class Porsche into the wall exiting The Chase as he attempted to keep in touch with the leader, bringing about the 15th Safety Car period of the race. Stewards had no sooner issued the defending champion with a penalty on the restart than he lost control exiting The Dipper, slewing into the concrete and bringing Car #22’s day to an end inside the final 20 minutes. It resulted in disconsolate co-driver Maro Engel stating on live television, “All I have seen is a lot mistakes by Shane,” a comment for which he later expressed regret. David Calvert-Jones, Patrick Long, Marc Lieb, and Matt Campbell, were runners-up despite each driver incurring a pit lane penalty at some stage.

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Tale of 2018

The tale of 2018

Audi claims third victory in red-flagged race

udi Sport Team WRT and its trio of Robin Frijns, Stuart Leonard, and Dries Vanthoor, each became firsttime winners in a Bathurst 12 Hour cut short by a shocking crash.

anticlimactic end to the contest at the front of the field.

two Class A competitors at Forrestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Elbow on Lap 217.

The accident, which gave Audi its third victory in total at Mount Panorama, saw the race red flagged and ultimately called with just over 20 minutes left on the clock, and two drivers hospitalised.

The top seven outright finished on the lead lap, but several had been nervous about their fuel status as the 12th hour wound down. Jamie Whincup stood on the podium for a second year in a row when the MercedesAMG he shared with Tristan Vautier, Kenny Habul, and Raffaele Marciello, finished second.

That was the end of the day for Mostert and co-drivers Augusto Farfus and Marco Wittmann, while the then-third-placed #17 Bentley lost six laps as a result.

Frijns, Leonard and Vanthoor took the victory following a brief red flag suspension after a three-car shunt involving the #95 MARC Car, #69 Audi and the #19 Mercedes-AMG.

Third went to Pro-Am class winners Black Swan Racing and their Porsche piloted by Marc Lieb, Luca Stolz, Jeroen Bleekemolen, and Tim Pappas.

Bryce Fullwood in the MARC Car and Ash Walsh in the Audi slammed into the wall at McPhillamy Park, before the latter was hit hard in the passenger side by John Martin in a Mercedes-AMG.

Competition Motorsports bagged another strong result, namely second in class and fourth outright, for Matt Campbell, Alex Davison, Patrick Long and David CalvertJones.

Both Martin and Walsh escaped serious injuries, and Walsh even received his trophy for winning the Am class with brothers James and Theo Koundouris in hospital.

Many others had the Bathurst-standard sorry tales to tell.

As spectacular, and frightening, as the race-ending crash may have been, it was an

Pole-sitter Chaz Mostert had thoroughly dominated the very early hours in the Team Schnitzer BMW but caused a four-car crash when he tried to round up a backmarker and

Either of the Jamec-Pem Audis might have won but Markus Winkelhock was cruelled by a transmission problem while leading in Car #74 on Lap 239. Kelvin van der Linde put Car #22 in the wall at The Dipper when he attempted an excessively ambitious move around a lapped car while trying to stick with the front-running sister #74 R8. Luke Youlden was mixing it with the factory drivers in an ageing Lamborghini when he was taken out by a backmarker around an hour into the race. Meanwhile, overheating accounted for the McLaren of Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, and Come Ledogar, in a car which never really hit the heights expected of such a driving crew.

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BATHURST 12 HOU Pos

Car

Competitor/Team

Drivers

Vehicle

Class

Laps

Fastest Lap

Audi Sport Team WRT

R.Frijns/S.Leonard/D.Vanthoor

Audi R8 LMS

APP

271

2:03.5244

Mercedes-AMG Team SunEnergy1

K.Habul/T.Vautier/J.Whincup/R.Marciello

Mercedes-AMG GT3

APP

271

2:03.4767

540

Boston Athletic Club

T.Pappas/J.Bleekemolen/L.Stolz/M.Lieb

Porsche 911 GT3 R

APA

271

2:04.6146

Ice Break & Virgin Australia

D.Calvert-Jones/P.Long/M.Campbell/A.Davison

Porsche 911 GT3 R

APA

271

2:04.1733

991

EuroMechanica

L.Vanthoor/K.Estre/E.Bamber

Porsche 911 GT3 R

APA

271

2:03.5828

911

Manthey-Racing

R.Dumas/F.Makowiecki/D.Werner

Porsche 911

APP

271

2:04.3196

Strakka Racing

N.Leventis/L.Williamson/C.Waters/D. Fumanelli

Mercedes-AMG GT3

APA

271

2:04.0080

Haemokinisis/Trofeo Estate

J.Manolios/R.Millier/I.Capelli/D.Canto

Lamborghini Huracan

APA

270

2:04.7601

100

Laser Plumbing and Electrical

S.Richards/T.Glock/P.Eng

BMW M6 GT3

APP

270

2:03.1978

Supabarn

J.Koundouris/T.Koundouris/A.Walsh/D. Padayachee

Audi R8 LMS

AAM

269

2:03.9421

YNA Autosport

S.McLaughlin/F.Ross/A.Watson/A.West

McLaren 650S GT3

APA

269

2:03.1893

WM Waste

M.Twigg/C.Baird/T.Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Alberto

Mercedes-AMG GT3

APA

268

2:04.4711

JBS Australia

R.Lago/D.Russell/S.Owen

Lamborghini R-EX

APA

267

2:04.4119

Audi Sport Team WRT

P.Lamy/P.Dalla Lana/M.Lauda/W.Davison

Audi R8 LMS

APA

267

2:04.5235

Daimler Trucks Brisbane

D.Reynolds/J.Martin/L.Talbot/M.Griffith

Mercedes-AMG GT3

APA

266

2:04.9346

Bentley Team M-Sport

S.Kane/G.Smith/J.Gounon

Bentley Continental

APP

265

2:03.4424

Grove Group

S.Grove/B.Grove/B.Barker/D.Gaunt

Porsche GT3 Cup

260

2:08.5288

MARC Cars Australia

K.Kassulke/R.Salmon/W.Brown

MARC II V8

258

2:09.0794

Paul Reed Smith Guitars

C.Putman/C.Espenlaub/J.Foster

Porsche 911GT3 Cup

257

2:11.8874

The Porsche Broker

D.Stutterd/S.Fillmore/A.Fawcet

Porsche 911

256

2:11.0161

Safe-T-Stop

R.Gartner/H.Morrall/D.Wall/J.Bowe

Lamborghini Gallardo

AAM

256

2:06.1451

The Boat Works Racing

A.Seton/M.Brabham/T.Longhurst

BMW M4

250

2:17.8146

Ginetta Australia

M.Simpson/C.Cowham/L.Kearns

Ginetta G55

246

2:18.1028

Interlloy

G.Wood/T.Harrison/C.Hill

KTM X-Bow GT4

245

2:17.2154

MARC Cars Australia

G.Denyer/T.Everingham/G.Jacobson

MARC Mazda V8

244

2:11.7650

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Bathurst 12 Hour 2018 results

UR 2018 RESULTS 26

MARC Cars Australia

R.Thomson/Z.Goddard/D.Ridge

MARC Mazda V8

243

2:12.3046

Valvoline / Jamecpem

G.Tander/K.van der Linde/F.Vervisch

Audi R8 LMS

APP

241

2:03.1857

Mercedes-AMG Team Strakka

M.Buhk/M.Gotz/A.Parente

Mercedes-AMG GT3

APP

237

2:03.4156

JET Battery Services

D.Jorgensen/C.Lawrence/B.Strom/K.Wittmer

BMW M4 GT4

188

2:16.8854

BP Ultimate

D.Grant/X.West/C.Hill

BMW M4 GT4

162

2:16.5396

Daytona Sportcars

B.Schoots/A.Macrow/M.Caine

Dodge Viper

162

2:06.6697

Daytona Sportcars

J.Augustine/D.Thomas/R.Howell

Dodge Viper

145

2:10.5182

DNF

Eastgate Engineering

G.Taunton/J.Busk/B.Fullwood

MARC Focus V8

244

2:11.5614

DNF

Valvoline Jamecpem

C.Mies/C.Haase/M.Winkelhock

Audi R8 LMS

APP

238

2:02.9321

DNF

777

The Bend

Y.Shahin/L.Youlden/T.Enge

Lamborghini Gallardo

APA

219

2:03.6052

DNF

BMW M Power

A.Farfus/C.Mostert/M.Wittmann

BMW M6 GT3

APP

217

2:01.9575

DNF

On Track Motorsport

G.Mennell/K.Booker/A.Zerefos/M.Caine

Porsche 997 GT3 Cup

193

2:17.9585

DNF

Ginetta Australia

W.Tregurtha/J.Robson/B.Walsh

Ginetta G55

133

2:20.1976

DNF

MARC Cars Australia

P.Morris/K.Alford/C.Parrish

MARC II V8

123

2:10.5087

DNF

YNA Autosport

S.van Gisbergen/C.Lowndes/C.Ledogar

McLaren 650S GT3

APP

119

2:04.3694

DNF

Gotzinger Smallgoods

M.Haber/J.Camilleri/A.Cameron

MARC II V8

2:10.5087

DNF

Prosport Performance GABH

J.Viebahn/M.Schelp/M.Braams

Porsche Cayman PRO4

2:20.1976

DNF

Team Carrera Cup Asia

P.Tresidder/C.van der Drift/A.Tang/C.Yi-Fan

Porsche GT3 Cup

2:09.0422

DNF

Audi Sport Customer Racing

A.Samadi/D.O’Keeffe/D.Gaunt

Audi R8 LMS

AAM

2:05.6726

DNF

Bentley Team M-Sport

M.Soulet/V.Abril

Bentley Continental

AAP

2:04.4739

DNF

“Bolt Masters, Castrol”

A.Bagnall/M.Halliday

Audi R8 LMS

APA

2:04.2569

DNF

Hallmarc

M.Cini/D.Fiore

Audi R8 LMS

APA

2:05.1707

DNF

Interlloy

J.McMillan/D.Crampton

KTM X-Bow GT4

2:19.7345

DNF

GAP Solutions / SEKTOR

Jon Goodacre

MARC Focus V8

2:07.5527

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2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Bathurst 12 Hourwinners 19

Previous Bathurst 12 Hour winners Year

Drivers

Entrant

Car

2018

Robin Frijns Stuart Leonard Dries Vanthoor

Audi Sport Team WRT

Audi R8 LMS GT3

2017

Craig Lowndes Toni Vilander Jamie Whincup

Maranello Motorsport

Ferrari 488 GT3

2016

Álvaro Parente Shane van Gisbergen Jonathon Webb

Tekno Autosports

McLaren 650S GT3

2015

Katsumasa Chiyo Wolfgang Reip Florian Strauss

NISMO Global Athlete Team

Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3

2014

John Bowe Peter Edwards Craig Lowndes Mika Salo

Maranello Motorsport

Ferrari 458 GT3

2013

Thomas Jaeger Alexander Roloff Bernd Schneider

Erebus Motorsport

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

2012

Christer Jons Christopher Mies Darryl O’Young

Phoenix Racing

Audi R8 LMS GT3

2011

Marc Basseng Christopher Mies Darryl O’Young

Joest Racing

Audi R8 LMS GT3

2010

John Bowe Garry Holt Paul Morris

Eastern Creek International Karting

BMW 335i

2009

Tony Longhurst Rod Salmon Damien White

TMR Australia

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

2008

Graham Alexander Rod Salmon Damien White

SKWIRK.com

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX

2007

Craig Baird Garry Holt Paul Morris

Eastern Creek Karts

BMW 335i

1996 -2006

Not held

1995

John Bowe Dick Johnson *(Race held at Eastern Creek)

Mazda Motorsport

Mazda RX-7

1994

Neil Crompton Gregg Hansford

Mazda Motorsport

Mazda RX-7

1993

Alan Jones Garry Waldon

Mazda Australia

Mazda RX-7

1992

Mark Gibbs Charlie O’Brien Garry Waldon

Mazda Australia

Mazda RX-7

1991

Nigel Arkell Peter Fitzgerald Allan Grice

Toyota Supra Turbo

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A LAP OF MO

CIRCUIT GUIDE: Location: Bathurst, New South Wales Length: 6.213 kilometres Direction: Anti-Clockwise Fastest point: Conrod Straight Corners: 23 (14 Left 9 Right) Qualifying lap record: 2:01.286s (Shane van Gisbergen, Tekno Autosports, McLaren 650S, 2016) Race lap record (12Hr): 2:01.567s (Shane van Gisbergen, Tekno Autosports, McLaren 650S, 2016)

FORREST’S ELBOW

Named after Jack Forrest, a motorcycle racer who scraped his elbow away after dropping his bike on the corner, Forrest’s Elbow is a sharp, downhill left-hander. The exit is crucial for lap speed.

THE CHASE Added in 1987 when the world came to Mount Panorama for the first time for the World Touring Car Championship, The Chase sits where another crest in Conrod Straight used to be. In just over 80 years, it remains the only major circuit modification.

CONROD STRAIGHT

At 1.916km, Conrod Straight is the longest in Australia and like Mountain Straight features a considerable rise midway along. While it builds to the fastest point of the circuit, it is also a rare opportunity for drivers to relax.

Cars drop into the fastest corner in the nation before a hard, uphill braking zone and then another right on exit from the complex.

MURRAY’S CORNER:

Ironically, the lap is bookended by relatively tame 90-degree corners, though Murray’s is an easy place to lock a brake as it is the second of two major stops in quick succession.

HELL CORNER:

The first of 23 bends, Hell Corner begins the lap with a 90-degree left-hand turn. Heavy braking is required following the slight uphill climb at the end of the main straight..

MOUNTAIN STRAIGHT:

Cars exit Hell Corner onto the 1.111km Mountain Straight, which features a significant hump that is steeper to driver’s right than left. Cars reach speeds up to 250km/h.

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | A lap of Mount Panorama

OUNT PANORAMA

SKYLINE

So-named because the track drops ahead and all that is visible is sky, Skyline is the chute which marks the end of the climb.

THE ESSES

A tricky descent where visibility of the road surface is all but non-existent, The Esses can bite hard, while taking too much ripple strip through the lefthander can easily unload a car into the wall. This complex is also an important braking zone before the drop soon becomes too steep to do so.

THE DIPPER

REID PARK / SULMAN PARK / McPHILLAMY PARK:

Essentially a continuation of The Esses, The Dipper sees the track plunge into what is actually a sharper than 90-degree left-hander, where the left-front corner of the car picks up off the road surface.

The Reid Park/Sulman Park/McPhillamy Park sequence is generally regarded as driversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; favourite section of race track in the country. A flowing right leads onto the climb up to Reid Park and a change of direction right up against a concrete wall which sucks cars in. The plunge towards the Metal Grate follows, where drivers aim at a drain right next to a wall before pulling left.

19 17 16

The highest point on the circuit is the crest just prior to the McPhillamy Park gates; 862m above sea level and a full 174m higher than the lowest point (Murrayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner). Here, drivers aim almost at the inside wall and let inertia carry them across to corner exit.

14 13 12

2 10

4 GRIFFINS BEND:

Turn 2, named after Mayor Martin Griffin who opened what was then known as Mount Panorama Scenic Drive in March 1938, Griffins Bend is characterised by a relatively steep braking zone into a positively cambered corner. The camber does, however, turn dangerously negative if drivers step off the racing line through the corner.

9 THE CUTTING:

A blind corner on approach, The Cutting is the culmination of a narrow, double-left uphill run which requires near-perfect car placement. Overtaking is virtually impossible, the exit is characterised by a 1:6 gradient, and there exists a tricky rise after the following right-hander.

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2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | By The Numbers

By the numbers

17 38 09 09 06 08 01 10 297 153.5

Daniel Herrero

Speedcafe.com Journalist

This year represents the 17th running of a 12 Hour endurance race at Mount Panorama. Robin Frijns, Stuart Leonard, and Dries Vanthoor became the 36th, 37th, and 38th different Bathurst 12 Hour winners last year Number of multiple winners (most recently Craig Lowndes in 2017) A total of nine marques have won the Bathurst 12 Hour (Toyota, Mazda, BMW, Mitsubishi, Audi, MercedesBenz, Ferrari, Nissan, McLaren) Number of Bathurst 12 Hour-winning drivers in this year’s field (Christopher Mies 2, Craig Lowndes 2, Thomas Jaeger, Katsumasa Chiyo, Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup) Number of different nationalities on last year’s outright podium (2 Dutchmen, 2 Australians, 2 Germans, Briton, Belgian, Frenchman, Italian, American) The #888 Triple Eight/Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 is the only car in the field with multiple race winners

Number of different GT3 models entered in this year’s race The race record number of laps, set in 2016 by Shane van Gisbergen, Alvaro Parente and Jonathon Webb. That count equates to 1845km at an average of 153.54km/h. Last year’s winners completed 271 laps in a race which ran just over 20 minutes short. The race record of 2016 therefore also represents the highest average speed, 153.54km/h. Last year’s average speed was 144.72km/h.

0.4138 1:59.291

The smallest winning margin in history is 0.4138s, when Craig Lowndes beat Maxi Buhk to the line in 2014 The official outright lap record which Christopher Mies set in an unrestricted Audi in last November’s Challenge Bathurst meeting (The Bathurst 12 Hour race lap record, set by Shane van Gisbergen in a McLaren 650S in 2016, is 2:01.567)

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Bathurst dream team to take on GT’s elite Tom Howard

Speedcafe.com Editor

oasting a combined 15 major wins at Bathurst it is easy to see why Triple Eight’s 12 Hour driver line-up has been described as the dream team.

The prospect of previous race winners Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen combining in a Triple Eight/Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 has seen the trio listed among the hot favourites to take out the Mount Panorama GT classic. While the race will welcome the cream of GT racing from across the globe, on paper the experience and success at Bathurst the Triple Eight drivers have accrued at Australia’s iconic 6.2km ribbon of tarmac is unrivalled. Lowndes heads into the race a two-time Bathurst 12 Hour winner having triumphed in Ferraris for Maranello Motorsport in 2014 and 2017. His last victory saw the seven-time Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 winner combine with Whincup and Finn Toni Vilander in a dominant Ferrari 488 that was run largely by Triple Eight. That win arrived on Whincup’s Bathurst 12

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Bathurst dream team to take on GT’s elite

Hour debut which the seven-time Supercars champion then followed up with a second place finish last year behind the wheel of an almost identical Mercedes-AMG GT3 to what he will race this year. Adding to the already potent roster is van Gisbergen, who is arguably the most adept to GT3 machinery having won the Blancpain Endurance Series as a factory driver for McLaren in 2016 alongside a win at the Bathurst 12 Hour. The Kiwi was also in the mix to claim back-toback Bathurst 12 Hour wins before becoming involved in a late race tangle while ironically hunting down the eventual race winning Lowndes/Whincup/Vilander Ferrari. It was to become one of the most iconic moments in the race’s GT3 history helped by an explosive television interview from then team-mate Maro Engel, who criticised van Gisbergen’s driving. Funnily enough Engel will return the race this year after sitting out 2018, and will also be among the six car Mercedes-AMG Bathurst assault. In a bizarre twist it will also be the first time Lowndes, Whincup and van Gisbergen will have driven together despite having been at the same Triple Eight stable for the last three years. Piecing together such a formidable driver line-up will inevitably raise expectations and pressure to live up to the mantle come race week. While their Bathurst records are exemplary, a mix of experience and skill is not always enough to conquer the mountain which has a habit of biting back. Likewise, GT racing is seldom predictable with reliability, strategy and Balance of Performance all variables that can change the outcome of a race. “Yes, we go to Bathurst as hopefully one of the favourites,” Lowndes, who drove the MercedesAMG GT3 for the first time at Phillip Island last week, told Speedcafe.com. “With the three of us, it’s the first time we’ve driven together. “All three of us are talking the same language in the sense of what the car behaviour is, so that’s a good sign. “Both Shane and Jamie have driven the car

before so I’m a little bit guided by them in the sense the characteristics of the car, trail braking, the traction control, where all the dash instruments are, because obviously it’s a different layout to the Ferrari. “Because they’ve driven it before they sort of have been working on more of the set-up and characteristics of the car. “We know each other extremely well. “We always remember that battle between Jamie and Shane in the closing stages a couple of years ago, so it’s ... at least we’re now all in one car. “There’s going to be some huge, strong competition from Europe and America, and I think it’s going to come down to staying out of trouble. “Twelve hours is a long day in the seat, and one thing I’ve learned about the12 Hour is basically to take it easy, just to really not try and ... like I do in the Bathurst 1000, is not trying to be the leader, you just want to be on the lead lap, and stay out of trouble. “There’s huge closing speeds, with different cars in different categories, so you’ve just got to make sure you just stay out of trouble.” Meanwhile, the strength of the Triple Eight line-up once again highlights how important and serious the 12 Hour has become on a global stage since it adopted GT3 regulations in 2011. In recent years, winning the Supercars Championship and the Bathurst 1000 has been the squad’s focus but the 12 Hour has well and truly infiltrated the team’s objectives.

not diminished the desire to triumph again this year. “The 2017 race was a bit of an eye opener and that was good,” Triple Eight team manager Mark Dutton told Speedcafe.com. “To go there and roll with and work with the Ferrari boys and get the win, that was immensely rewarding. “We had good results, so the expectations are high for the team for this one and we’re really excited. “The cars are good and we’ve got arguably for Bathurst in particular, the three best (drivers). “The cream of the crop (form Europe, America and Asia) rolling out with big teams, like Audi, they spare no expense. “So we feel like we’re representing Australia, as well as Triple Eight in those instances, when you get to do that. So hopefully we can do the same this year.” The sight of Triple Eight’s tantalising trio could be a familiar one for years to come which will make grim reading for the opposition. “GT racing is just growing and growing, all around the world in different countries and the Bathurst program in particular, it’s bringing big name drivers, big name teams, it’s an awesome event,” Dutton added. “So I believe it’ll be something we do on a more consistent basis.” Triple Eight’s Bathurst 12 Hour program will begin on Friday with the opening practice session.

Having won in 2017 the squad knows how to conquer the event, but that victory has

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2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Balance of Performance explained

Balance of Performance explained Mat Coch

Speedcafe.com Journalist

Behind the scenes of every GT race lies a delicate, and at times controversial, equalisation process designed to make the array of racing philosophies perform fundamentally the same. That’s not to say a Mercedes will drive like a Porsche, but the intent is to produce a formula where, over a race stint, the myriad of approaches taken by the world’s automotive manufacturers produces the same result no matter the badge on the bonnet.

aerodynamics are put through the wringer. Every car is considered both in isolation and in comparison to the rest of the field, helping to maintain the characteristics of each. Different performance figures are applied at different circuits, with Surmont producing four variations to suit the range of circuit styles. Mount Panorama, with its two long straights blasting up and down the Mountain, is considered in the same vein as Monza, and Macau.

It’s a process called Balance of Performance, with each and every car being put through a rigorous test each and every year to make sure that it doesn’t hold an advantage over its rivals. The sport’s boffins, headed by SRO Motorsport Technical Director Claude Surmont, set about testing all the cars in a back to back process before determining how to make a normally aspirated 12-cylinder engine equate to a turbo-charged unit with half the number of pots.

What comes out of the process is an ability for the best cars in the world to compete on an even playing field, all the while retaining

To achieve the desired result there are a number of methods employed which all target different areas. Mechanical grip can be managed by specifying the size of wheel and tyre the car can use. Turbo-charged engines get boost pressure limits, and normally aspirated cars have airflow restrictors. Weight can also be added, even the cars’

the nuances that make them unique. It’s why we can close our eyes and pick the guttural growl of the Mercedes-AMG GT3, or the slightly muted shrill of the Ferrari. It’s why the Porsche 911 GT3 R with its engine behind the rear wheels can go toe to toe with the frontmounted donk in the BMW M6 GT3. In short, the Balance of Performance is the reason GT racing globally has become so competitive, all the while ensuring they look, sound, and perform like the car they’re designed to be.

Make

Model

Weight

Restrictor

Ride Height

Fuel Rig Restrictor

Aston Martin

Vantage Gt3

1310

2x 41.5mm

75mm/180mm

34mm

Audi

R8 LMS

1275

2x39mm

65.5mm/128mm

30mm

Bentley

Continental GT3

1290

134mm/132mm

35mm

BMW

M6 GT3

1325

93mm/93mm

36mm

Ferrari

488 GT3

1290

73mm/98mm

32.5mm

Lamborghini

Huracan GT3

1290

2x39mm

65.5mm/128mm

30mm

McLaren

650S GT3

1265

2x36mm

67mm/74mm

36mm

Mercedes

AMG GT3

1340

2x36mm

81mm/87mm

33mm

Nissan

GT-R NISMO GT3

1295

124mm/165mm

34mm

Porsche

911 GT3 R

1245

72.mm/1244mm

30mm

2x41.5mm

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2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | In-car warning system

12 Hour to run in-car warning system Tom Howard

Speedcafe.com Editor

An in-car warning system designed to alert drivers of upcoming hazards will be used for the first time in Australia during the 2019 Bathurst 12 Hour.

If a danger is spotted race control can activate the system which will trigger the warning light inside the car to warn the driver of any impending hazards ahead.

The 41-car field at the Mount Panorama GT classic will be fitted with a Motec warning light device that aims to help prevent a repeat of a frightening crash that saw last year’s race red flagged and two driver hospitalised.

This will be used in addition to the traditional flag marshals.

Ash Walsh and John Martin were lucky to avoid serious injuries when the former’s stricken Audi R8 was struck at high speed on the run from Sulman Park to McPhillamy Park by an unsighted Martin, driving a MercedesAMG GT3. The incident triggered calls to improve safety at a section of the circuit that has been witness to several high profile incidents over the years, including the death of Mark Porter in 2006. A CAMS investigation has resulted in all cars being fitted with a warning light on the dash of each car which is linked to race control and works in conjunction with the car’s Motec data loggers and telemetry.

“After last year’s event, obviously, there was a number of incidents that highlighted the potential risks across the top of the mountain in some areas,” Bathurst 12 Hour event director Kurt Sakzewski told Speedcafe.com. “Obviously, it’s challenging in what is very much a semi-permanent facility, so it is mostly a public road and obviously, the elevation changes at Mount Panorama are quite unique to a racetrack in Australia. “But working with the team at Motec, we’ve established that their race management intel warning light system will be able to be implemented to the 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour. “It will work in combination with the Balance of Performance (BoP) loggers and the telemetry set-up that we’ve already got placed in the cars.

“Basically, there’s communications between the flag points and race control, and then race control themselves will set up a direct link to the system as well, so it complements the existing flag marshals. “It doesn’t override anything that’s already in place. But basically, it’s an additional communication device which will allow a light on the dash of the car to flash up to warn drivers when they’re coming up to a sector which has a change in conditions.” It is understood Supercars will monitor the system’s performance at Bathurst as it assesses the prospect of introducing the device to its cars in the future.

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Changing of the guard Mat Coch

Speedcafe.com Journalist here’s an old motorsport saying that goes, if you’re standing still, you’re going backwards. In the white heat of competition where the difference between winning and losing is often intangible, any advantage or development could be the key to the next big success. And, as such, the sport is in a constant state of flux, of development, of change.

That’s no more evident than on the grid of this year’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour where of the 10 manufacturers represented in Class A, more than half of them are racing cars in a configuration we’re unlikely to see again. In some instances it’s a case of a new evolution, an upgrade to the current model, but two more are planning on racing all-new cars once the European GT season kicks off later this year. That means we’ll see brand new cars on the Mountain in early 2020. Bentley is a year early, and the Bentley Team M-Sport outfit is poised to debut two of the latest spec Continentals this time around. We’ve never seen them Down Under before, since the Bathurst 12 Hour is in effect the final event of the 2018 GT season, rather than the first of 2019 (despite the fact it falls well into the new calendar year). This is an anomaly of the homologation process that takes place in Europe towards the end of the winter, where all

new cars are put through their paces ahead of their official competition debut. Bentley went through that process a year ago, meaning this time around we’re going to see the latest spec Bentley for the first time. It has an allnew four-litre twin turbo V8, and takes in the Continental’s new body styling, which sees a more aggressive grille and front bar. At the other end of its lifespan are the McLaren 650S GT3, and the Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3. The accomplished duo are now, in racing car terms, due to be put out to pasture as new models are beginning to roll off the production line. McLaren has already raced its newfor-2019 720S GT3, with Shane van Gisbergen taking the wheel in the Dubai 24 Hours. Not an official GT3 event, it was effectively a racing shakedown for the car which will hit tracks in an official capacity from March. The new car has been developed in-house at McLaren, where the 650S was produced under licence. It will continue to sport a four-litre twinturbo V8 making it mechanically very similar to the car it replaces, and maintains the tradition of using a carbon-fibre tub as the 650S and MP4-12C before it did. Around that, McLaren claims 90 percent of the car has been either modified or optimised from the road going 720S on which it’s based. As a result, there is just a single entry for its predecessor this year,

the 650S GT3, a car which added McLaren’s stamp to the GT map. That car’s biggest single event win was arguably the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour, with van Gisbergen at the wheel along with Jonathon Webb and Alvaro Parente, and it banked championship wins around the world. So, big shoes to fill there. Similarly Aston Martin will this year introduce the successor to the Vantage V12 GT3. Successful even into its last season in 2018, the new car is both visually and mechanically a departure from the model which debuted in 2012. Gone is the V12, for a start, replaced with a Mercedes-based four-litre twin-turbo V8. The big open mouth grille has also disappeared, with a more tapered front end with a more stylised trademark grille

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Changing of the guard mounted far lower than ever before. The car was given a debut of sorts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, running in an all-Aston Martin supporting event to the French classic last July. There’s at least one of these cars heading down under too, with former Australian GT boss Tony Quinn having already placed an order. Though it won’t be seen at the Mountain this year, as R-Motorsport will field two examples of the earth-shaking Vantage V12, look for the new Vantage GT3 from 2020. New cars aside, rules in GT racing allow manufacturers to release one update kit during a car’s life. However, there are a number of other tweaks that find their way onto cars over the years, with tweaks up and down pit lane evident this year over last. And there are more to come, with a swathe of manufacturers poised to release comparatively major updates to their cars over the next 12 months. Out of Japan, Nissan has developed a new GT-R NISMO GT3. Visually it shares a number of cues with the car it replaces, the cult classic which Katsumasa Chiyo rocketed to victory at Mount Panorama in 2015, but under the skin are a few subtle changes. The twin-turbo charged engine, for a start, is mounted further back to aid weight distribution, and it has new brakes too. It’s a case of evolution versus revolution. Also set to race in its current guise for the last time is the Audi R8 LMS GT3, with an update pack set to be introduced post-Bathurst. In fact, the two Audi Sport Team Valvoline cars, which are brand new for this weekend, had to be spec’d back to their 2018 homologation after Audi delivered them to the Victorian team in readiness for 2019. Those changes centre around the aerodynamics, most obviously the front bar, with the company claiming that it provides more consistent and predictable downforce by simplifying the airflow to the rear end. That too has had some attention, with a gap in the rear bumper deigned to allow heat to escape the mid-mounted V10 engine. There are also stronger components underneath, from the gearbox to bearings and the clutch. It’s an upgrade kit that, rather than making the car necessarily faster, is aimed at making the Audi R8 LMS GT3 easier to drive, and therefore faster, for ‘privateer’ entrants. Porsche will this year introduce an update to the 911 GT3 R, which it claims will be more powerful and significantly better in terms of drivability. The German marque last year introduced some aerodynamic tweaks, with the dive planes on the front corners of the car the most obvious way to pick it. For next year the updates continue outside and in, with a bigger duct in the bonnet scooping the hot air out of the radiator mounted in the nose of the car. It’s likely that this will be

the last update to the current model 911 GT3 R before a new spec car, the 992 which is due to hit showroom floors next year, gets developed.

to most Australian circuits, but Bathurst though is unlike any other circuit.

Lamborghini has also been busy fettling the Huracan GT3, with two examples of the current car on the grid at this year’s 12 Hour. Both will be run as Pro-Am entries, with the cars featuring much the same drivetrain as is underneath the Audi R8 LMS GT3. That makes sense, given both cars fall under the Volkswagen Audi Group, leaving primarily the aerodynamics as the differing point. For 2019 Lamborghini is introducing an update kit, called the EVO, to the car.

There in the last two years the M6 has proved to be on the pace – who will forget Chaz Mostert’s stunning early stint from last year’s race? The current car came into being for the 2016 season, replacing the Z4 GT3, with a 4.4-litre twin turbo V8. There was an Evo package available last year which means we’ll see it on the Mountain for the first time this weekend. That included revisions to the suspension, drivetrain, brakes and aero, which BMW claimed was aimed at making the car easier to drive and more reliable.

Aerodynamically the update is a step forwarded, but so too in terms of drivability and ease of set-up. Those gains come as a result of a bigger rear wing, a new front splitter and diffuser, and tweaks to the V10 engine mounted in the middle of the car.

At Mercedes it’s business as usual, with the AMG GT3 more or less unchanged over the car which finished second in the race a year ago. Ferrari too is yet to release an update for the 488, a car which in early January chalked up its 200th GT3 race win.

This year also marks the first year that we should see the BMW M6 GT3 in its current form. The big German brute has struggled competing locally, its long wheelbase not suited

The Ferrari made its global debut in Australia, over the Australian Grand Prix weekend in 2016, and went on to win the Bathurst 12 Hour with Maranello Motorsport and Triple Eight in 2017. Mercedes meanwhile claimed its first win globally at that same event in 2016, but is yet to chalk up a Bathurst 12 Hour win. With Triple Eight this year running a Mercedes with Scott Taylor Motorsport, that could all soon change. As they say, if you’re standing still in motorsport, you’re going backwards.

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Walkenhorst’s redemption Slade Perrins

Speedcafe.com Journalist

ount Panorama has bitten its fair share of racing cars over the years. Walkenhorst Motorsport know firsthand what it’s like; adrenaline and above all, pure excitement pumping through the veins of every team member and driver, only to have it all ripped out from underneath you within seconds by a crash. After all, there’s no rewind or restart button in real life. Walkenhorst Motorsport made the long haul out from Germany to Australia – 16, 439km – in 2017 to debut at the Bathurst 12 Hour with a formidable Pro-driver combination, hoping to challenge for victory in the ultra-competitive Class A field. Cruelly, they would not even make the start of the race on Sunday after Ricky Collard made contact with Lee Holdsworth’s Audi at the Esses in qualifying on Saturday morning, tipping the BMW M6 GT3 into the concrete wall at the Dipper. Due to not having certain parts needed to complete the repair, Walkenhorst Motorsport were forced to withdraw from the event.

Redemption, however, is on the cards as the team returns to the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2019 for another shot at conquering the Mountain. Walkenhorst Motorsport arrives off the back of an unforgettable 2018 season, highlighted by their remarkable outright victory at the 24 Hours of Spa with BMW. Christian Krognes, who was part of the Spa winning combination, will also drive for the team at this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour alongside

Dutch ace Nick Catsburg and Danish openwheel star Mikkel Jensen. Travelling from their base near Osnabrück in Germany, the team has spent months preparing for their second trip to Bathurst with the container carrying the car and all the equipment having departed in mid-November last year. As team manager Niclas Königbauer explains, with transit times so lengthy to

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Wlakenhorst’s redemption

and from events especially concerning the Intercontinental GT Challenge, some European teams go to the extent of effectively building up two race teams to ensure they are properly organised. “The main problems are always the period of time (when it comes to preparation),” Königbauer told Speedcafe.com. “So that means we have to start getting final agreement with the drivers, the manufacturer, and everything like that. This is quite tough to really finalise this that we can say ‘yes, we’re going that way’. As soon as this is done, actually even before we have to think about how we can manage it, and for us it was clear if we do that, we want to keep our own container. “The problem is then the whole equipment more or less stays away for one year, so that means we had to build up a second racing team, equipment wise and so on; just in a couple of weeks. We bought a container, we came up with an idea how we can use like a second level in the container and the flight cases; we built special flight cases,” he continued. “We did everything that if you’re arriving at Bathurst or wherever, we can set up our things quite easy and quick. And also, if something happens like we have a damaged car or whatever, that we always have the chance to bring the car back.

“That was also quite tricky to really make sure where can we position the car in the container, or do we need a second container? What can we do to ensure in a very short time to get that container and get everything set-up? And that was more or less the initial preparations.” Agreeing that the Intercontinental GT Challenge is the one of the biggest logistical feats in motorsport, Königbauer said the risks such as their 2017 heartbreak do play on his mind, but it makes the decision to return to Bathurst easier. “It didn’t make the situation harder, it makes it easier,” he reasoned of the team’s early withdrawal from the 2017 event. “We just said there’s still a challenge open, we have to accept it and, I mean, the whole race weekend, the whole race by itself we really enjoyed it so much, for the whole team, that we said we will come back at one point. “After one year, with a break, it’s even better that we can join two years later and hopefully have a little more luck this time.” Paying homage to Walkenhorst Motorsport’s 24 Hours of Spa win in July last year, the team have sent over their Spa winning chassis to compete in the Bathurst 12 Hour wrapped in a similar livery to that with which they claimed victory in the Ardennes. “The livery of the car is more or less exactly the same as in Spa; the chassis is the Spa winning chassis,” Königbauer explained.

“So, it’s exactly the same car. For Bathurst, I’m quite positive that this livery will stay. We have everything (resources wise) with us to create a new livery on site, but for Bathurst, I guess 95 percent the livery we will stay. We’re just talking a little bit and have one or two different ideas, but I don’t think that we will do it. So yeah, it will stay the Spa 24 livery.” Speaking of their Spa 24 Hours win, the German described the experience for him and the entire Walkenhorst Motorsport team as a once in a lifetime and a changing moment in its history. “It was crazy, I think there’s just a few race weekends like that in the whole lifetime in a racing team. So that means, with one car you do not have any issues from the start to the end, every driver; every team member was feeling so comfortable,” he said. “It was great, we did a zero-mistake job with the pit crew, the drivers, with everything. We didn’t get penalised or any penalty. It was just amazing. We knew that we had the pace; we knew that one time we can win. “Now it’s the preparation for Bathurst. I mean, the guys are practicing a lot for the pit stops and for everything. It’s not like ‘yeah, we can do it. We’re okay’. We won Spa, which could happen at Bathurst, so now everyone of those guys are super keen on showing even better results, better pit stops, everything should improve.”

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2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | TV Times

TV broadcast and times Seven’s coverage will commence with Saturday afternoon’s Pirelli Top 10 Shootout at 1600 local time/AEDT on 7mate. The race will be live on the same channel all day on Sunday from 0530 AEDT. Mark Beretta will again host the telecasts, while the commentary line-up of John Hindhaugh, Richard Craill and Jonny Palmer is also the same as in 2018. In pit lane, Beretta will be joined by Seven’s Alex Hart, Supercars’ Chad Neylon, and Shea Adam, while Briony Ingerson is a new addition as a colour reporter. The telecast will also be streamed on 7plus in Australia and via the event’s website for overseas markets, while Radio Le Mans will provide live audio commentary of each 12 Hour session. Saturday 1600 AEDT Sunday 0530 AEDT

7mate 7mate

Top 10 Shootout Bathurst 12 Hour

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Habul returns to the scene of his boyhood dream realised Brett Murray

Speedcafe.com Contributor

S-based Australian racer Kenny Habul took one step to realise a boyhood dream last year and it was onto the podium at the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour. He had just teamed with Jamie Whincup, Tristan Vautier and Raffaele Marciello to bring the SunEnergy1 Mercedes-AMG home in second place outright and tears of pride were washed away by the spray of the champagne. The result was the best of Habulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career and provided the foundation for a memorable year which resulted in him clinching the Intercontinental GT Challenge Bronze Drivers title at Laguna Seca in October. Habul will share his SunEnergy1 MercedesAMG Pro-Am entry in the 2019 Bathurst 12 Hour with his long-time French team-mate Vautier and 2013 outright race winner Thomas Jaeger. The car will be prepared by Scott Taylor Motorsport, which is also working with Triple Eight Race Engineering on a sister car for Whincup, Craig Lowndes and Shane van Gisbergen.

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Habul returns to the scene of his boyhood dream realised

STM will additionally be preparing a Mercedes-AMG in the Pro-Am class for David Reynolds, Luke Youlden, and Yasser Shahin, in collaboration with Erebus Motorsport. “Last year was pretty amazing really. We ticked a lot of boxes,” said Habul. “To finish on the podium at the Bathurst 12 Hour last year was probably the highlight of my career and then to go on and win the Intercontinental GT Challenge drivers title was the icing on the cake. “Thomas and Tristan are both terrific drivers and have a lot of laps under their belts at Bathurst and that is always a big asset to have going into a 12 Hour.” Habul’s career started in Formula Ford in Australia in the late 1990s and was reignited with NASCAR and sportscar events in the US after several years devoted to building his successful solar energy business. His passion for motorsport was ignited when he worked as part of Peter Brock’s Melbourne operation as a youngster.

was boyhood dream stuff,” said Habul. “It’s a feeling I definitely would like to experience again.

carries a logo on the front of his car and his helmet which combines a grinning crocodile and an Australian flag.

“A good result at Bathurst would provIde a foundation on which we could hopefully build an Intercontinental GT Challenge drivers title defence over the next 10 months or so.”

The 46-year-old used the Mercedes-AMG customer program to full advantage with different teams preparing his car throughout the year at the international events.

Following Bathurst last year, Habul took a Bronze Driver podium in the 24 Hours of Spa, Round 2 of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, and another class win at the Suzuka 10 Hours.

“It is a privilege to be a part of the MercedesAMG family and to enjoy the support they provide,” said Habul.

The final round at Laguna Seca was marked by on-track drama caused by a slower competitor which saw Habul lose valuable time for repairs, but he managed to get back on track with minutes to spare and clinch the Bronze Drivers title. Habul, who has built SunEnergy1 into the fifth largest developer of utility-scale solar projects in the US, is a proud Australian and

“I don’t have the time to run my own car full-time, but Mercedes-AMG do a terrific job through their customer network to hook me up with professional teams, like Scott Taylor Motorsport, to help us get the job done.” Bathurst is once again the start of what is now an expanded Intercontinental GT Challenge which Habul will take on in 2019, culminating in the Kyalami 9 Hour on November 21-23.

Habul was a massive Brock fan and has come to own several Brock Special road cars, plus the famous #10 1987 Bathurst 1000 winner as part of his US-based collection. “It was a pretty amazing feeling to be standing on the podium at Mount Panorama last year. It

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BATHURST 12 HOUR 2

Class A Pro â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GT3 No

Team Name

Model

Driver 1

Driver 2

Driver 3

Audi Sport Team Valvoline

Audi R8 LMS

Christopher Mies

Christopher Haase

Markus Winkelhock

KCMG

Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3

Alexandre Imperatori

Oliver Jarvis

Edoardo Liberati

Audi Sport Team Valvoline

Audi R8 LMS

Kelvin van der Linde

Garth Tander

Frederic Vervisch

HubAuto Corsa

Ferrari 488 GT3

Nick Foster

Tim Slade

Nick Percat

Walkenhorst Motorsport

BMW M6 GT3

Christian Krognes

Nicky Catsburg

Mikkel Jensen

KCMG

Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3

Katsumasa Chiyo

Matsuda Tsugio

Joshua Burdon

BMW Team Schnitzer

BMW M6 GT3

Augusto Farfus

Chaz Mostert

Martin Tomczyk

Mercedes-AMG Team Craft Bamboo Black Falcon

Mercedes-AMG GT3

Maro Engel

Luca Stolz

Gary Paffett

107

Bentley Team M-Sport

Bentley Continental GT3

Steven Kane

Jules Gounon

Jordan Pepper

108

Bentley Team M-Sport

Bentley Continental GT3

Andy Soucek

Maxime Soulet

Vincent Abril

760

R-Motorsport

Aston Martin Vantage GT3

Jake Dennis

Matthieu Vaxiviere

Marvin Kirchhoefer

888

Mercedes-AMG Team Vodafone

Mercedes-AMG GT3

Craig Lowndes

Jamie Whincup

Shane van Gisbergen

911

EBM

Porsche 911 GT3 R

Romain Dumas

Sven Muller

Mathieu Jaminet

912

EBM

Porsche 911 GT3 R

Dirk Werner

Dennis Olsen

Matt Campbell

999

Mercedes-AMG Team MANN FILTER GruppeM Racing

Mercedes-AMG GT3

Maximilian Buhk

Raffaele Marciello

Maximilian Goetz

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Entry List

2019 ENTRY LIST Class A Pro -AM– GT3 No

Team Name

Model

Driver 1

Driver 2

Driver 3

Driver 4

Audi Sport Team MPC

Audi R8 LMS

Pete Storey

Gordon Shedden

Matthew Neal

Wall Racing

Lamborghini Huracan GT3

Adrian Deitz

Julian Westwood

Cameron McConville

Tony D’Alberto

Audi Sport Team MPC

Audi R8 LMS

Marc Cini

Lee Holdsworth

Dean Fiore

Objective Racing

McLaren 650S GT3

Tony Walls

Warren Luff

Andrew Watson

Competition Motorsports / McElrea Racing

Porsche 911 GT3 R

David Calvert-Jones

Kevin Estre

Jaxon Evans

Griffith Corp. Team Nineteen. Black Falcon

Mercedes-AMG GT3

Mark Griffith

Yelmer Buurman

Christina Nielsen

Trofeo Motorsport

Lamborghini Huracan GT3

Jim Manolios

Ben Porter

Ivan Capelli

Spirit of Race

Ferrari 488 GT3

Paul Dalla Lana

Pedro Lamy

Mathias Lauda

R-Motorsport

Aston Martin Vantage GT3

Florian Kamelger

Andreas Baenziger

Peter Leemhuis

Mathew Parry

SunEnergy1 Racing

Mercedes-AMG GT3

Kenny Habul

Tristan Vautier

Thomas Jaeger

Matt Stone Racing

Audi R8 LMS

Todd Hazelwood

Roger Lago

David Russell

540

Black Swan Racing

Porsche 911 GT3 R

Tim Pappas

Jeroen Bleekemolen

Marc Lieb

777

The Bend Motorsport Park

Mercedes-AMG GT3

Yasser Shahin

David Reynolds

Luke Youlden

Dean Canto

Class B: GT3 Cup No

Team Name

Model

Driver 1

Driver 2

Driver 3

Driver 4

Grove Racing

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Stephen Grove

Brenton Grove

Ben Barker

Team Carrera Cup Asia

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Chris van der Drift

Paul Tresidder

Jinlong Bao

Philip Hamprecht

Ashley Seward Motorsport

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Danny Stutterd

Sam Fillmore

Richard Muscat

Class C – GT4 No

Team Name

Model

Driver 1

Driver 2

Driver 3

RHC-Jorgensen/Strom by MarcGT

BMW M4 GT4

Daren Eric Jorgensen

Brett Strom

Gerard McLeod

Driver 4

KTM / M Motorsport

KTM X-Bow GT4

Justin McMillan

Glen Wood

Dean Lillie

Peter Major

KTM / M Motorsport

KTM X-Bow GT4

David Crampton

Trent Harrison

Tim Macrow

Caitlin Wood

Ginetta Australia

Ginetta G55 GT4

TBA

Ginetta Australia

Ginetta G55 GT4

TBA

KTM / M Motorsport

KTM X-Bow GT4

Dean Koutsoumidis

Jake Parsons

James Winslow

Class I – Invitational No

Team Name

Model

Driver 1

Driver 2

Driver 3

T2 Racing by Liajen Motorsport

Marc Car Marc II V8

Adam Hargraves

Daniel Jilesen

TBA

MARC Cars Australia

Marc Car Marc II V8

Keith Kassulke

Paul Morris

Paul Tracy

Liajen Motorsport

Marc Car Marc I

Jason Busk

Geoff Taunton

Bryce Fullwood

MARC Cars Australia

Marc Car Marc I

Hadrian Morrall

TBA

mercedes-benz.com.au

Driver 4

PRO CLASS

TEAM: AUDI SPORT TEAM VALVOLINE MANUFACTURER: AUDI CAR: AUDI R8 LMS

CHRISTOPHER MIES (GER)

CHRISTOPHER HAASE (GER)

MARKUS WINKELHOCK (GER)

Age: 31 B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 9th (2015) 2 Nurburgring 24 Hour wins 2016 Sepang 12 Hours winner 2009 FIA GT3 European champion

Age: 38 B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 2nd (2015) 2 Spa 24 Hours wins 2017 California 8 Hours winner 2012 FIA GT1 World champion

ALEXANDRE IMPERATORI (SUI)

OLIVER JARVIS (GBR)

EDOARDO LIBERATI (ITA)

GARTH TANDER (AUS)

KELVIN VAN DER LINDE (RSA)

FREDERIC VERVISCH (BEL)

NICK FOSTER (AUS)

TIM SLADE (AUS)

NICK PERCAT (AUS)

Age: 29 B12Hr starts: 8 B12Hr wins: 2 (2011, 2012) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour wins 2 Nurburgring 24 Hour wins 2015 Australian GT champion

Age: 31 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: DNF (2017) 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champion

Age: 35 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 3rd (2017) 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours class winner (LMP2) 4 Le Mans 24 Hours outright podiums

Age: 26 B12Hr starts: Debut 2016 GT Asia champion

TEAM: KCMG MANUFACTURER: NISSAN CAR: GT-R NISMO GT3

TEAM: AUDI SPORT MANUFACTURER: AUDI CAR: R8 LMS

Age: 41 B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 8th (2016) 2002 Bathurst 24 Hour winner 3 Bathurst 1000 wins 2007 Supercars champion

Age: 26 B12Hr starts: 1 B12Hr class podiums: 1 (B) 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour class podium (B) 2015 Carrera Cup Australia champion

TEAM: HUBAUTO CORSA MANUFACTURER: FERRARI CAR: 488 GT3

Age: 22 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 27th (2018) 2017 Nurburgring 24 Hour winner 2014 ADAC GT Masters champion

Age: 33 B12Hr starts: 6 Best result: 2nd (2012) 2012 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up

Age: 32 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 27th (2018) 2008 German Formula 3 champion

Age: 30 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: DNF (2016) 2011 Bathurst 1000 winner

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Driver Profiles

PRO CLASS

CHRISTIAN KROGNES (NOR)

NICKY CATSBURG (NED)

MIKKEL JENSEN (DEN)

10 34

KATSUMASA CHIYO (JPN)

MATSUDA TSUGIO (JPN)

JOSHUA BURDON (AUS)

AUGUSTO FARFUS (BRA)

CHAZ MOSTERT (AUS)

MARTIN TOMCZYK (GER)

MARO ENGEL (GER)

LUCA STOLZ (GER)

GARY PAFFETT (GBR)

Age: 28 B12Hr starts: Debut 2018 24 Hours of Spa winner

Age: 30 B12Hr starts: Debut WTCC race winner

Age: 24 B12Hr starts: Debut 1 ELMS race win

TEAM: WALKENHORST MOTORSPORT MANUFACTURER: BMW CAR: M6 GT3

Age: 32 B12Hr starts: 4 B12Hr wins: 1 (2015) 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour winner 2015 Blancpain Endurance Pro Cup champion

Age: 39 B12Hr starts: Debut 2 Super GT championships

Age: 26 B12Hr starts: Debut 2016 Asian Formula Renault champion 2018 China Endurance Series champion

TEAM: KCMG MANUFACTURER: NISSAN GT-R CAR: GT-R NISMO GT3

Age: 35 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: DNF (2018) 2015 Daytona 24 Hours class runner-up (GTLM)

Age: 26 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: DNF (2017, 2018) 2014 Bathurst 1000 winner

Age: 37 B12Hr starts: Debut 2011 DTM champion

TEAM: BMW TEAM SCHNITZER MANUFACTURER: BMW CAR: M6 GT3

Age: 33 B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 7th (2014) 2018 Blancpain Endurance Cup champion

TEAM: MERCEDES-AMG TEAM CRAFT BAMBOO BLACK FALCON MANUFACTURER: MERCEDES CAR: AMG GT3

Age: 23 B12Hr starts: 1 B12Hr class wins: 1 (2018) 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour outright podium 2016 Blancpain Sprint class champion (Silver Cup)

Age: 37 B12Hr starts: Debut 2 DTM championships

mercedes-benz.com.au

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Driver Profiles

PRO CLASS STEVEN KANE (NIR)

Age: 38 B12Hr starts: 5 B12Hr podiums: 2 2001 British Junior Formula Ford champion

JORDAN PEPPER (RSA)

Age: 22 B12Hr starts: Debut 2014 Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup Germany champion

JULES GOUNON (FRA)

107

VINCENT ABRIL (FRA)

108

Age: 24 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 16th (2018) 2017 Spa 24 Hours winner

TEAM: BENTLEY TEAM M-SPORT MANUFACTURER: BENTLEY CAR: CONTINENTAL GT3

ANDY SOUCEK (ESP)

Age: 33 B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 7th (2016) 1 Blancpain Endurance race win (2017)

MAXIME SOULET (BEL) Age: 35 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 7th (2016) 1 Blancpain Endurance race win (2017)

Age: 23 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 12th (2017) 2015 Blancpain Sprint champion

TEAM: BENTLEY TEAM M-SPORT MANUFACTURER: BENTLEY CAR: CONTINENTAL GT3

JAKE DENNIS (GBR)

MATTHIEU VAXIVIERE (FRA)

MARVIN KIRCHHOEFER (GER)

Age: 24 B12Hr starts: Debut 2011 French F4 champion

Age: 24 B12Hr starts: Debut 3rd in 2014, 2015 GP3 Series

760

CRAIG LOWNDES (AUS)

JAMIE WHINCUP (AUS)

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN (NZL)

888

Age: 23 B12Hr starts: Debut 2012 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC champion

TEAM: R-MOTORSPORT MANUFACTURER: ASTON MARTIN CAR: VANTAGE GT3

TEAM: MERCEDES-AMG TEAM VODAFONE MANUFACTURER: MERCEDES CAR: AMG GT3

Age: 44 B12Hr starts: 7 B12Hr wins: 2 (2014, 2017) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour wins 7 Bathurst 1000 wins 3 Supercars championships

Age: 35 B12Hr starts: 2 B12Hr wins: 1 (2017) 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour winner 4 Bathurst 1000 wins 7 Supercars championships

Age: 29 B12Hr starts: 5 B12Hr wins: 1 (2016) 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour winner 2016 Blancpain Endurance champion 2016 Supercars champion

mercedes-benz.com.au

PRO CLASS ROMAIN DUMAS (FRA)

SVEN MULLER (GER)

MATHIEU JAMINET (FRA)

911

DIRK WERNER (GER)

DENNIS OLSEN (NOR)

MATT CAMPBELL (AUS)

912

MAXIMILIAN BUHK (GER)

RAFFAELE MARCIELLO (ITA)

MAXIMILIAN GOETZ (GER)

GORDON SHEDDEN (GBR)

MATTHEW NEAL (GBR)

Age: 41 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 6th (2018) 2 Le Mans 24 Hours wins 2016 World Endurance champion 3 Pikes Peak Hill Climb wins

Age: 26 B12Hr starts: Debut 2016 Porsche Supercup champion

Age: 24 B12Hr starts: Debut 2016 Carrera Cup France champion 2018 ADAC GT Masters champion

TEAM: EBM MANUFACTURER: PORSCHE CAR: 911 GT3 R

Age: 37 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 6th (2018) 2015 Daytona 24 Hours class runner-up (GTLM) 2 Grand-Am Sports Car class championships (GT)

Age: 22 B12Hr starts: Debut 2017 Carrera Cup Germany champion

Age: 23 B12Hr starts: 5 Best result: 2nd (2017) 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours class winner (LMGTE Am)

TEAM: EBM MANUFACTURER: PORSCHE CAR: 911 GT3 R

Age: 26 B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 2nd (2014) 2013 Spa 24 Hours winner 2015 Blancpain Sprint champion

Age: 24 B12Hr starts: Debut 2018 Blancpain Sprint Cup champion 2018 Suzuka 10 Hours winner

Age: 32 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 28th (2018) 2013 Spa 24 Hours winner 2014 Blancpain Sprint champion

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TEAM: MERCEDES-AMG TEAM MANN FILTER GRUPPEM RACING MANUFACTURER: MERCEDES CAR: AMG GT3

PRO-AM CLASS PETE STOREY (GBR)

Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 23rd (2015) 2012 24H Barcelona class winner (A5)

TEAM: AUDI SPORT TEAM MPC MANUFACTURER: AUDI CAR: R8 LMS

Age: 39 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 23rd (2015) 3 British Touring Car Championships

Age: 52 B12Hr starts: Debut B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 23rd (2015)

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Driver Profiles

PRO-AM CLASS ADRIAN DEITZ (AUS)

Age: TBA B12Hr starts: Debut 1 Australian Endurance Championship podium

TONY D’ALBERTO (AUS) TEAM: WALL RACING MANUFACTURER: LAMBORGHINI CAR: HURACAN GT3

JULIAN WESTWOOD (GBR)

CAMERON MCCONVILLE (AUS)

B12Hr starts: Debut 2015 Blancpain Endurance Am Cup champion 2015 24 Hours of Spa class winner (Am Cup)

Age: 44 B12Hr starts: 5 Best result: 3rd (201¬0) 2002 Bathurst 24 Hour winner

LEE HOLDSWORTH (AUS)

DEAN FIORE (AUS)

Age: 33 B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 12th (2018) 2017 Bathurst 1000 podium 2007 Super2 champion

MARC CINI (AUS)

Age: 57 B12Hr starts: 7 B12Hr class podiums: 2 (Pro-Am 1, Am 1) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour class podiums

Age: 35 B12Hr starts: 5 B12Hr class podiums: 1 (Pro-Am) 2009 Bathurst 1000 podium

Age: 35 B12Hr starts: 4 B12Hr class podiums: 1 (Pro-Am) 2018 Bathurst 250 (Super2) winner

TEAM: AUDI SPORT TEAM MPC MANUFACTURER: AUDI CAR: R8 LMS

TONY WALLS (AUS)

WARREN LUFF (AUS)

Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 20th (2017) 2 Australian GT race wins (2016)

Age: 42 B12Hr starts: 9 Best result: 2nd (2011) 2011 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up 5 Bathurst 1000 podiums

ANDREW WATSON (GBR)

DAVID CALVERTJONES (AUS)

KEVIN ESTRE (FRA)

JAXON EVANS (NZL)

Age: 24 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 11th (2018) 1 International GT Open race win (2015)

TEAM: OBJECTIVE RACING MANUFACTURER: MCLAREN CAR: 650S GT3

Age: 49 B12Hr starts: 5 Best result: 2nd (2017) 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour class winner (Pro-Am)

Age: 30 B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 5th (2018) 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours class winner (LMGTE Pro) 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour class podium (Pro)

Age: 22 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: DNF (2018) 2018 Carrera Cup Australia champion 2018 Carrera Cup Shootout winner

TEAM: COMPETITION MOTORSPORTS MANUFACTURER: PORSCHE CAR: 911 GT3 R

mercedes-benz.com.au

PRO-AM CLASS MARK GRIFFITH (AUS)

YELMER BUURMAN (NED)

Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 4 B12Hr class podiums: 1 (I) 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour class podium (I) 2 Australian GT class championships

Age: 31 B12Hr starts: Debut 3rd in 2012 GT1 World Championship

CHRISTINA NIELSEN (DEN)

Age: 27 B12Hr starts: Debut 2 IMSA Sportscar class championships (GTD 2016, 2017)

TEAM:GRIFFITH COMPETITION TEAM: CORP.MOTORSPORTS TEAM NINETEEN. BLACK FALCON MANUFACTURER:MERCEDES PORSCHE MANUFACTURER: CAR:AMG GT3 RGT3 CAR:

JIM MANOLIOS (AUS)

BEN PORTER (AUS)

Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 8th (2018) 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour class podium (Am)

Age: TBA B12Hr starts: Debut 2018 Blancpain GT Series Asia competitor

IVAN CAPELLI (ITA)

Age: 55 B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 8th (2017) 93 Formula 1 starts

DEAN CANTO (AUS)

TEAM: TROFEO MOTORSPORT MANUFACTURER: LAMBORGHINI CAR: HURACAN GT3

Age: 38 B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 5th (2015) 2012 Bathurst 1000 runner-up

PAUL DALLA LANA (CAN)

Age: 52 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 14th (2018) 2017 World Endurance class champion (LMGTE Am)

TEAM: SPIRIT OF RACE MANUFACTURER: FERRARI CAR: 488 GT3

FLORIAN KAMELGER (AUT) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 26th (2015, 2017) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour class podiums (C 2013, 2015)

TEAM: OF RACE TEAM:SPIRIT R-MOTORSPORT MANUFACTURER: MANUFACTURER:FERRARI ASTON MARTIN CAR: 488 GT3 CAR: VANTAGE GT3

PEDRO LAMY (POR)

Age: 46 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 14th (2018) 5 Nurburgring 24 Hour wins 2 World Endurance class championships (LMGTE Am)

ANDREAS BAENZIGER (SUI) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 26th (2015, 2017) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour class podiums (C 2013, 2015)

MATTHEW PARRY (GBR)

Age: 25 B12Hr starts: Debut 2013 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC champion winner

MATHIAS LAUDA (AUT)

Age: 37 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 14th (2018) 2017 World Endurance class champion (LMGTE Am)

PETER LEEMHUIS (AUS)

Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 7 B12Hr class wins: 3 (C 2012, 2014, 2015) 3 Bathurst 12 Hour class wins

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Driver Profiles 47

PRO-AM CLASS

TRISTAN VAUTIER (FRA)

THOMAS JAEGER (GER)

TODD HAZELWOOD ROGER LAGO (AUS) (AUS)

DAVID RUSSELL (AUS)

KENNY HABUL (AUS)

Age: 45 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 2nd (2018) 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up 2018 IGTC Bronze Drivers’ champion

Age: 29 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 2nd (2018) 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up 2018 IGTC Drivers’ champion

Age: 42 B12Hr starts: 3 B12Hr wins: 1 (2013) 2013 Bathurst 12 Hour winner

TEAM: SUNENERGY1 RACING MANUFACTURER: MERCEDES CAR: AMG GT3

Age: 23 B12Hr starts: Debut 2017 Super2 champion

Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 9 B12Hr class wins: 1 (B) 2011 Bathurst 12 Hour class winner (B)

Age: 37 B12Hr starts: 9 B12Hr class wins: 2 (B 1, C 1) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour class wins (B 1, C 1)

TEAM: MATT STONE RACING MANUFACTURER: AUDI CAR: R8 LMS

TIM PAPPAS (USA)

TEAM: BLACK SWAN RACING MANUFACTURER: PORSCHE CAR: 911 GT3 R

Age: 45 B12Hr starts: 1 B12Hr class wins: 1 (2018) 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour podium 2 ALMS class championships (GTC)

JEROEN BLEEKEMOLEN (NED)

Age: 37 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 2nd (2012) 2013 Nurburgring 24 Hour winner 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours class winner (LMP2)

MARC LIEB (GER)

Age: 38 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 2nd (2017) 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours winner 2016 World Endurance champion 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour class winner (Pro-Am)

LUKE YOULDEN YASSER SHAHIN DAVID (AUS) REYNOLDS (AUS) (AUS) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: DNF (2018) 1 Australian GT race win (2016)

Age: 33 2017 series: Supercars B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 5th (2016) 2017 Bathurst 1000 winner

Age: 40 B12Hr starts: 5 B12Hr class wins: 2 (F) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour class wins (F)

TEAM: THE BEND MOTORSPORT PARK MANUFACTURER: MERCEDES CAR: AMG GT3

mercedes-benz.com.au

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2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Support line-up for 2019

Support line-up for 2019 A wide variety of support categories will take to the Mount Panorama Circuit on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Formula Ford has joined the program in conjunction with the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expansion to four days. The Radical Australia Cup once again open its season at the Mountain, joined by Combined Sedans, which includes ex-Supercars, as well as Group S Historic Sportscars, incorporating cars from the 1950s to the 1970s.

mercedes-benz.com.au

Introducing Mercedes-AMG’s latest GT4 weapon Brett Murray

Speedcafe.com Contributor

he Mercedes-AMG GT4 is one of a host of cars on display in Harris Park at this year’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

With the catchcry ‘Join the World’s Fastest Family’, the car was launched to a select group of special guests at the Mercedes me store in Melbourne last week. Following its visit to the spiritual home of Australian motor racing, it will become part of the local AMG Driving Academy where potential customers will have the opportunity to try before the buy. Featuring an extended focus on safety, it is eligible for the CAMS Australian GT Championship and has been earmarked for both gentlemen racers and aspiring young drivers looking to make the step to GT3 racing and beyond. The new Mercedes-AMG GT4 is powered by a twin-turbo 4.0 litre V8 engine with direct injection that will produce up to 375 kW (510 hp) and up to 600 Nm of torque with a top speed in excess of 250km/h.

The car will retail in Australia for AU$320,000 and can be purchased directly from AMG in Germany. “This is a natural progression for most of our customers,” said Mercedes-AMG chief driving instructor Peter Hackett, who was on hand to unveil the car. “The GT4 is a perfect stepping stone for people who have explored the limits of highperformance road cars like the GT R and want more. “It provides an opportunity to learn about the components of the car like adjustable ABS and traction control as well as aerodynamics. “In a GT3, learning that stuff comes at mindnumbing speeds and can be quite confronting, but with the introduction of the GT4 you can learn about that with a similar amount of exhilaration, but with the speed at which everything is coming at you being numbed a little.” Hackett spruiked that the new MercedesAMG is the safest GT car now available, a trait

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour |Introducing Mercedes-AMG’s latest GT4 weapon

which is one of the highest priorities for the company’s customer base.

Hackett believes the car will be attractive to serious circuit racers as well as weekend enthusiasts.

“Most of our customers are businessmen with families and safety is a major priority,” he explained.

“The car is a more accessible car and a more understanding car,” he added.

“There is no safer GT car than the AMG GT4. “The safety system and cell is exactly the same as what we have in the GT3 car.

“It’s more achievable and a logical step if you are an enthusiast or an avid driver; this a car you can buy and own.

“The driver is basically mounted in the car and the pedal box and steering wheel come back to them.

“You can take it to the track without a heap of support staff with you and an engineer looking at data on a laptop. You could take this car club sprinting if you wanted.

“So instead of having a seat that is on runners, which is a weak point in a car in any accident, we have a situation where the driver is centralised and stable.”

“You don’t need to go racing, but it is an extremely capable race car as well with the all-important safety features.”

Mercedes-AMG GT4 technical overview Engine

AMG 4.0 litre V8 biturbo engine (3,982 cm3)

Power/maximum torque

Up to 375 kW (510 hp)*/up to 600 Nm*

Transmission

Sequential AMG 6-speed racing transmission

Electronics

Motorsport electronics including adjustable ABS and AMG traction control

Wheels/tyres

AMG alloy wheels, 11×18″, forged (VA 305/660-18 / HA 305/680-18)

Weight

< 1,390 kg*

Tank capacity

120 litre motorsport safety tank

Acceleration

0 –100 km/h under 4 sec*

Maximum speed

Over 250 km/h*

Sales price

198,850 euros (excluding sales taxes) / * Subject to Balance of Performance AU$316,000 approx.

mercedes-benz.com.au

EVENTS SCHEDULE OF

Thursday January 31 Start 8:30 8:55 9:25 9:55 10:25 10:55 11:35 13:15 13:45 14:30 15:10

Duration 0:20 0:20 0:20 0:20 0:20 0:20 0:20 0:20 0:35 0:30 0:30

Category Combined Sedans Formula Ford Group S Radical Combined Sedans Formula Ford Group S Radical Combined Sedans Formula Ford Group S

Session Practice Practice Practice Practice Qualifying Qualifying Qualifying Qualifying Race 1 Race 1 Race 1

Start 7:15 8:05 8:50

Duration 0:45 0:35 0:30

Category Radical Combined Sedans Bathurst 12 Hour

Session Race 1 Race 2 Practice 1 (excluding Class A

9:25 10:30 11:10 13:30 15:15

1:00 0:30 1:00 14:00 1:00

Bathurst 12 Hour Formula Ford Bathurst 12 Hour Group S Bathurst 12 Hour

Practice 2 Race 2 Practice 3 Race 2 Practice 4

Saturday February 2 Start 7:15 7:55 8:35 9:45 11:20 12:10 15:50 16:40

Duration 0:30 0:30 1:00 0:45 0:45 0:30 0:35

Category Formula Ford Group S Bathurst 12 Hour Radical Bathurst 12 Hour Bathurst 12 Hour Combined Sedans Bathurst 12 Hour

Start 5:45

Duration 12:00

Category Bathurst 12 Hour

Friday February 1

Platinum and Gold drivers)

Session Race 3 Race 3 Practice 5 Race 2 Qualifying 1 (all classes) Qualifying 2 (Class A only) Race 3 Top 10 Shootout

Sunday February 4

All times in local/AEDT

Session Race