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2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Contents3

LIQUI-MOLY BATHURST 12 HOURJAN 31 - FEB 3, 2019

EDITORS:Daniel HerreroMat Coch

CONTRIBUTORS:Tom HowardBrett MurraySlade Perrins

DESIGN: Justin MurrayRachel Cherry

SALES/MARKETING:Justin Murray

PARTNERS:ARMOR ALLCastrol EDGEMercedes-BenzMichelinPIRTEKPreston HireSupercheap AutoTyrePlus

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.

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.

Superstars ready to climb the mountain again

04 Meet the 2019 contenders11 The history of the Bathurst 12 Hour15 Tale of 2018 16 Results from Bathurst 12 Hour 201819 Previous Bathurst 12 Hour winners20 A lap of Mount Panorama23 By the numbers24 Bathurst dream team to take on GT elite27 Balance of Performance explained29 In-car warning system30 Changing of the guard32 Walkenhorst’s redemption35 TV times36 Habul returns to the scene of his boyhood dream realised38 2019 entry list40 Team profiles49 Support line-up50 Introducing the AMG GT452 Track schedule

Contents

Speedcafe.com Journalist

DREAM TEAM!23

MEET THE CONTENDERSThe key players of this year’s race04

T

Daniel Herrero

TRIPLE EIGHT TRIO JOIN FORCES TO TAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN

TALE OF 2018Audi claims third victory in red-flagged race15

4

A Mercedes-AMG GT3 has never won the Bathurst 12 Hour, but with six entries to its name spread across Pro and Pro-Am 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.

Mercedes-AMGCar: Mercedes-AMG GT3Teams: 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

MEET THE 2019 CONTENDERS


2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Meet the Contenders 5

AudiCar: R8 LMS GT3Teams: Audi Sport Team Valvoline, Hallmarc, Audi Sport Team MPC, Matt Stone Racing/Aussie Driver Search

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

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.

BMWCar: M6 GT3Teams: Walkenhorst Motorsport, BMW Team Schnitzer

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.

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.

MEET THE 2019 CONTENDERS

FerrariCar: 488 GT3Teams: 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.

6

PorscheCar: 911 GT3 RTeams: 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.

McLarenCar: 650S GT3Team: 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.

BentleyCar: Continental GT3Team: 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.



LamborghiniCar: Huracan GT3Teams: 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.

NissanCar: GT-R NISMO GT3Team: 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 MartinCar: Vantage GT3Team: 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.



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 Mustang-inspired 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.

Best of the restBattling 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 tak-ing 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

PORSCHE AND MICHELIN – OVER 50 YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION.

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.

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PORSCHE AND MICHELIN – OVER 50 YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION.

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.

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2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | The history of the Bathurst 12 Hour 11

2011: Team Joest conquers the MountainGT3 Era

The history of the Bathurst 12 Hourhe 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 hold-ing 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.

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 O’Young sister car to pole position by just 0.3s.

Following an intriguing tactical battle between the cars it was Mies/Basseng/O’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.

T

12

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.

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.

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.

2013: Mercedes become the mountain masters


2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | The history of the Bathurst 12 Hour 13

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.

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

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.

Nissan claimed a remarkable victory in the 2015 edition, surviving a Safety Car-strewn race which revisited Bathurst history.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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”.

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

2014: Emotions run high as Maranello Motorsport strikes

2015: NISMO Godzilla claims tense 12 Hour

14

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 Motor-sport 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 be-tween 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 advan-tage.

He caught the Kiwi within a couple of laps and managed to sur-vive 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 Por-sche 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 tel-evision, “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.

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 Autosports-entered 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.

2016: van Gisbergen leads McLaren to victory

2017: Tempers fray as Supercars team-mates battle


2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Tale of 2018 15

udi Sport Team WRT and its trio of Robin Frijns, Stuart Leonard, and Dries Vanthoor, each became first-time winners in a Bathurst 12 Hour

cut short by a shocking crash.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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 Mercedes-AMG he shared with Tristan Vautier, Kenny Habul, and Raffaele Marciello, finished second.

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

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

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

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

two Class A competitors at Forrest’s Elbow on Lap 217.

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.

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.

The tale of 2018Audi claims third victory in red-flagged race

A

2017: Tempers fray as Supercars team-mates battle

16

Pos Car Competitor/Team Drivers Vehicle Class Laps Fastest Lap

1 37 Audi Sport Team WRT R.Frijns/S.Leonard/D.Vanthoor Audi R8 LMS APP 271 2:03.5244

2 75 Mercedes-AMG Team SunEnergy1 K.Habul/T.Vautier/J.Whincup/R.Marciello Mercedes-AMG GT3 APP 271 2:03.4767

3 540 Boston Athletic Club T.Pappas/J.Bleekemolen/L.Stolz/M.Lieb Porsche 911 GT3 R APA 271 2:04.6146

4 12 Ice Break & Virgin Australia D.Calvert-Jones/P.Long/M.Campbell/A.Davison Porsche 911 GT3 R APA 271 2:04.1733

5 991 EuroMechanica L.Vanthoor/K.Estre/E.Bamber Porsche 911 GT3 R APA 271 2:03.5828

6 911 Manthey-Racing R.Dumas/F.Makowiecki/D.Werner Porsche 911 APP 271 2:04.3196

7 55 Strakka Racing N.Leventis/L.Williamson/C.Waters/D.Fumanelli

Mercedes-AMG GT3 APA 271 2:04.0080

8 29 Haemokinisis/Trofeo Estate J.Manolios/R.Millier/I.Capelli/D.Canto Lamborghini Huracan APA 270 2:04.7601

9 100 Laser Plumbing and Electrical S.Richards/T.Glock/P.Eng BMW M6 GT3 APP 270 2:03.1978

10 69 Supabarn J.Koundouris/T.Koundouris/A.Walsh/D.Padayachee

Audi R8 LMS AAM 269 2:03.9421

11 47 YNA Autosport S.McLaughlin/F.Ross/A.Watson/A.West McLaren 650S GT3 APA 269 2:03.1893

12 8 WM Waste M.Twigg/C.Baird/T.D’Alberto Mercedes-AMG GT3 APA 268 2:04.4711

13 32 JBS Australia R.Lago/D.Russell/S.Owen Lamborghini R-EX APA 267 2:04.4119

14 39 Audi Sport Team WRT P.Lamy/P.Dalla Lana/M.Lauda/W.Davison Audi R8 LMS APA 267 2:04.5235

15 19 Daimler Trucks Brisbane D.Reynolds/J.Martin/L.Talbot/M.Griffith Mercedes-AMG GT3 APA 266 2:04.9346

16 17 Bentley Team M-Sport S.Kane/G.Smith/J.Gounon Bentley Continental APP 265 2:03.4424

17 4 Grove Group S.Grove/B.Grove/B.Barker/D.Gaunt Porsche GT3 Cup B 260 2:08.5288

18 91 MARC Cars Australia K.Kassulke/R.Salmon/W.Brown MARC II V8 I 258 2:09.0794

19 85 Paul Reed Smith Guitars C.Putman/C.Espenlaub/J.Foster Porsche 911GT3 Cup B 257 2:11.8874

20 21 The Porsche Broker D.Stutterd/S.Fillmore/A.Fawcet Porsche 911 B 256 2:11.0161

21 6 Safe-T-Stop R.Gartner/H.Morrall/D.Wall/J.Bowe Lamborghini Gallardo AAM 256 2:06.1451

22 30 The Boat Works Racing A.Seton/M.Brabham/T.Longhurst BMW M4 C 250 2:17.8146

23 77 Ginetta Australia M.Simpson/C.Cowham/L.Kearns Ginetta G55 C 246 2:18.1028

24 49 Interlloy G.Wood/T.Harrison/C.Hill KTM X-Bow GT4 C 245 2:17.2154

25 93 MARC Cars Australia G.Denyer/T.Everingham/G.Jacobson MARC Mazda V8 I 244 2:11.7650

BATHURST 12 HOUR 2018 RESULTS


2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Bathurst 12 Hour 2018 results 17

26 33 MARC Cars Australia R.Thomson/Z.Goddard/D.Ridge MARC Mazda V8 I 243 2:12.3046

27 22 Valvoline / Jamecpem G.Tander/K.van der Linde/F.Vervisch Audi R8 LMS APP 241 2:03.1857

28 56 Mercedes-AMG Team Strakka M.Buhk/M.Gotz/A.Parente Mercedes-AMG GT3 APP 237 2:03.4156

29 13 JET Battery Services D.Jorgensen/C.Lawrence/B.Strom/K.Wittmer BMW M4 GT4 C 188 2:16.8854

30 44 BP Ultimate D.Grant/X.West/C.Hill BMW M4 GT4 C 162 2:16.5396

31 66 Daytona Sportcars B.Schoots/A.Macrow/M.Caine Dodge Viper I 162 2:06.6697

32 65 Daytona Sportcars J.Augustine/D.Thomas/R.Howell Dodge Viper I 145 2:10.5182

DNF 95 Eastgate Engineering G.Taunton/J.Busk/B.Fullwood MARC Focus V8 I 244 2:11.5614

DNF 74 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 43 BMW M Power A.Farfus/C.Mostert/M.Wittmann BMW M6 GT3 APP 217 2:01.9575

DNF 40 On Track Motorsport G.Mennell/K.Booker/A.Zerefos/M.Caine Porsche 997 GT3 Cup B 193 2:17.9585

DNF 88 Ginetta Australia W.Tregurtha/J.Robson/B.Walsh Ginetta G55 C 133 2:20.1976

DNF 54 MARC Cars Australia P.Morris/K.Alford/C.Parrish MARC II V8 I 123 2:10.5087

DNF 58 YNA Autosport S.van Gisbergen/C.Lowndes/C.Ledogar McLaren 650S GT3 APP 119 2:04.3694

DNF 67 Gotzinger Smallgoods M.Haber/J.Camilleri/A.Cameron MARC II V8 I 87 2:10.5087

DNF 46 Prosport Performance GABH J.Viebahn/M.Schelp/M.Braams Porsche Cayman PRO4 C 84 2:20.1976

DNF 23 Team Carrera Cup Asia P.Tresidder/C.van der Drift/A.Tang/C.Yi-Fan Porsche GT3 Cup B 82 2:09.0422

DNF 3 Audi Sport Customer Racing A.Samadi/D.O’Keeffe/D.Gaunt Audi R8 LMS AAM 66 2:05.6726

DNF 18 Bentley Team M-Sport M.Soulet/V.Abril Bentley Continental AAP 58 2:04.4739

DNF 82 “Bolt Masters, Castrol” A.Bagnall/M.Halliday Audi R8 LMS APA 41 2:04.2569

DNF 9 Hallmarc M.Cini/D.Fiore Audi R8 LMS APA 41 2:05.1707

DNF 48 Interlloy J.McMillan/D.Crampton KTM X-Bow GT4 C 31 2:19.7345

DNF 96 GAP Solutions / SEKTOR Jon Goodacre MARC Focus V8 I 75 2:07.5527

BATHURST 12 HOUR 2018 RESULTS


Year Drivers Entrant Car

2018Robin FrijnsStuart LeonardDries Vanthoor

Audi Sport Team WRT Audi R8 LMS GT3

2017Craig LowndesToni VilanderJamie Whincup

Maranello Motorsport Ferrari 488 GT3

2016Álvaro ParenteShane van GisbergenJonathon Webb

Tekno Autosports McLaren 650S GT3

2015Katsumasa ChiyoWolfgang ReipFlorian Strauss

NISMO Global Athlete Team Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3

2014

John BowePeter EdwardsCraig LowndesMika Salo

Maranello Motorsport Ferrari 458 GT3

2013Thomas JaegerAlexander RoloffBernd Schneider

Erebus Motorsport Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

2012Christer JonsChristopher MiesDarryl O’Young

Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3

2011Marc BassengChristopher MiesDarryl O’Young

Joest Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3

2010John BoweGarry HoltPaul Morris

Eastern Creek International Karting BMW 335i

2009Tony LonghurstRod SalmonDamien White

TMR Australia Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

2008Graham AlexanderRod SalmonDamien White

SKWIRK.com Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX

2007Craig BairdGarry HoltPaul Morris

Eastern Creek Karts BMW 335i

1996 -2006 Not held

1995John BoweDick Johnson*(Race held at Eastern Creek)

Mazda Motorsport Mazda RX-7

1994 Neil CromptonGregg Hansford Mazda Motorsport Mazda RX-7

1993 Alan Jones Garry Waldon Mazda Australia Mazda RX-7

1992Mark GibbsCharlie O’BrienGarry Waldon

Mazda Australia Mazda RX-7

1991Nigel ArkellPeter FitzgeraldAllan Grice

Toyota Supra Turbo

Previous Bathurst 12 Hour winners

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

20

CIRCUIT GUIDE:Location: Bathurst, New South Wales Length: 6.213 kilometresDirection: Anti-ClockwiseFastest point: Conrod StraightCorners: 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)

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..

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.

THE CHASEAdded 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.

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

CONROD STRAIGHTAt 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.

FORREST’S ELBOWNamed 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.

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.

1

A LAP OF MOUNT PANORAMA

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2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | A lap of Mount Panorama 21

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.

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.

REID PARK / SULMAN PARK / McPHILLAMY PARK:The Reid Park/Sulman Park/McPhillamy Park sequence is generally regarded as drivers’ 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.

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 (Murray’s Corner). Here, drivers aim almost at the inside wall and let inertia carry them across to corner exit.

THE ESSESA 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 left-hander 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.

SKYLINESo-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 DIPPEREssentially 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.

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A LAP OF MOUNT PANORAMA

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2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | By The Numbers 23

This year represents the 17th running of a 12 Hour endurance race at Mount Panorama.

By the numbers Speedcafe.com JournalistDaniel Herrero

17Robin Frijns, Stuart Leonard, and Dries Vanthoor became the 36th, 37th, and 38th different Bathurst 12 Hour winners last year38Number of multiple winners (most recently Craig Lowndes in 2017)09A total of nine marques have won the Bathurst 12 Hour (Toyota, Mazda, BMW, Mitsubishi, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Nissan, McLaren)09Number 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)

06

The #888 Triple Eight/Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 is the only car in the field with multiple race winners01

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.297

The race record of 2016 therefore also represents the highest average speed, 153.54km/h. Last year’s average speed was 144.72km/h.153.5The smallest winning margin in history is 0.4138s, when Craig Lowndes beat Maxi Buhk to the line in 20140.4138

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)

1:59.291

Number of different GT3 models entered in this year’s race10

Number of different nationalities on last year’s outright podium (2 Dutchmen, 2 Australians, 2 Germans, Briton, Belgian, Frenchman, Italian, American)08

24

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

Speedcafe.com EditorTom Howard

B

Bathurst dream team to take on GT’s elite


2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Bathurst dream team to take on GT’s elite 25

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-to-back 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 Mercedes-AMG 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.

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

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.

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2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Balance of Performance explained 27

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.

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.

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’

Balance of Performance explained

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.

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

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 front-mounted 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.

Speedcafe.com JournalistMat Coch

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 2x41.5mm 72.mm/1244mm 30mm


292019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | In-car warning system

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.

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.

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 Mercedes-AMG 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.

12 Hour to run in-car warning system

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.

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

“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.

Speedcafe.com EditorTom Howard

30

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 all-new 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 new-for-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 twin-turbo 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

Changing of the guardTSpeedcafe.com JournalistMat Coch


312019 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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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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ount Panorama has bitten its fair share of racing cars over the years. Walkenhorst Motorsport know first-hand 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 open-wheel 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

Walkenhorst’s redemption Speedcafe.com JournalistSlade Perrins

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332019 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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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.

TV broadcast and times

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | TV Times 35

Saturday 1600 AEDT 7mate Top 10 Shootout

Sunday 0530 AEDT 7mate Bathurst 12 Hour

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 Habul’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 Mercedes-AMG 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.

Speedcafe.com ContributorBrett Murray

Habul returns to the scene of his boyhood dream realised

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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.

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

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

“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.”

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.

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

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

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.

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

“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.

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38

Class A Pro – GT3

No Team Name Model Driver 1 Driver 2 Driver 32 Audi Sport Team Valvoline Audi R8 LMS Christopher Mies Christopher Haase Markus Winkelhock

18 KCMG Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 Alexandre Imperatori Oliver Jarvis Edoardo Liberati

22 Audi Sport Team Valvoline Audi R8 LMS Kelvin van der Linde Garth Tander Frederic Vervisch

27 HubAuto Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 Nick Foster Tim Slade Nick Percat

34 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 Christian Krognes Nicky Catsburg Mikkel Jensen

35 KCMG Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 Katsumasa Chiyo Matsuda Tsugio Joshua Burdon

42 BMW Team Schnitzer BMW M6 GT3 Augusto Farfus Chaz Mostert Martin Tomczyk

77 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

BATHURST 12 HOUR 2019 ENTRY LIST


2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Entry List 39

Class A Pro -AM– GT3

No Team Name Model Driver 1 Driver 2 Driver 3 Driver 43 Audi Sport Team MPC Audi R8 LMS Pete Storey Gordon Shedden Matthew Neal

6 Wall Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Adrian Deitz Julian Westwood Cameron McConville Tony D’Alberto

9 Audi Sport Team MPC Audi R8 LMS Marc Cini Lee Holdsworth Dean Fiore

11 Objective Racing McLaren 650S GT3 Tony Walls Warren Luff Andrew Watson

12 Competition Motorsports / McElrea Racing

Porsche 911 GT3 R David Calvert-Jones Kevin Estre Jaxon Evans

19 Griffith Corp. Team Nineteen. Black Falcon

Mercedes-AMG GT3 Mark Griffith Yelmer Buurman Christina Nielsen

29 Trofeo Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Jim Manolios Ben Porter Ivan Capelli Dean Canto

51 Spirit of Race Ferrari 488 GT3 Paul Dalla Lana Pedro Lamy Mathias Lauda

62 R-Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Florian Kamelger Andreas Baenziger Peter Leemhuis Mathew Parry

75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Kenny Habul Tristan Vautier Thomas Jaeger

98 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

Class B: GT3 Cup

No Team Name Model Driver 1 Driver 2 Driver 3 Driver 44 Grove Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Stephen Grove Brenton Grove Ben Barker

23 Team Carrera Cup Asia Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Chris van der Drift Paul Tresidder Jinlong Bao Philip Hamprecht

43 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 Driver 413 RHC-Jorgensen/Strom by

MarcGTBMW M4 GT4 Daren Eric Jorgensen Brett Strom Gerard McLeod

48 KTM / M Motorsport KTM X-Bow GT4 Justin McMillan Glen Wood Dean Lillie Peter Major

50 KTM / M Motorsport KTM X-Bow GT4 David Crampton Trent Harrison Tim Macrow Caitlin Wood

55 Ginetta Australia Ginetta G55 GT4 TBA TBA TBA

56 Ginetta Australia Ginetta G55 GT4 TBA TBA TBA

71 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 Driver 420 T2 Racing by Liajen Motorsport Marc Car Marc II V8 Adam Hargraves Daniel Jilesen TBA

91 MARC Cars Australia Marc Car Marc II V8 Keith Kassulke Paul Morris Paul Tracy

92 Liajen Motorsport Marc Car Marc I Jason Busk Geoff Taunton Bryce Fullwood

96 MARC Cars Australia Marc Car Marc I Hadrian Morrall TBA TBA

BATHURST 12 HOUR 2019 ENTRY LIST

40

CHRISTOPHER MIES (GER) Age: 29B12Hr starts: 8B12Hr wins: 2 (2011, 2012)2 Bathurst 12 Hour wins2 Nurburgring 24 Hour wins2015 Australian GT championTEAM: AUDI SPORT TEAM VALVOLINE

MANUFACTURER: AUDICAR: AUDI R8 LMS

2CHRISTOPHER HAASE (GER)Age: 31B12Hr starts: 4Best result: 9th (2015)2 Nurburgring 24 Hour wins2016 Sepang 12 Hours winner 2009 FIA GT3 European champion

MARKUS WINKELHOCK (GER)Age: 38B12Hr starts: 4Best result: 2nd (2015)2 Spa 24 Hours wins2017 California 8 Hours winner2012 FIA GT1 World champion

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

18OLIVER JARVIS (GBR)Age: 35B12Hr starts: 1Best result: 3rd (2017)2017 Le Mans 24 Hours class winner (LMP2)4 Le Mans 24 Hours outright podiums

EDOARDO LIBERATI (ITA)Age: 26B12Hr starts: Debut2016 GT Asia champion

GARTH TANDER (AUS)Age: 41B12Hr starts: 3Best result: 8th (2016)2002 Bathurst 24 Hour winner3 Bathurst 1000 wins2007 Supercars champion

TEAM: AUDI SPORT MANUFACTURER: AUDI CAR: R8 LMS

22KELVIN VAN DER LINDE (RSA)Age: 22B12Hr starts: 1Best result: 27th (2018)2017 Nurburgring 24 Hour winner2014 ADAC GT Masters champion

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

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

TEAM: HUBAUTO CORSAMANUFACTURER: FERRARICAR: 488 GT3

27TIM SLADE (AUS)Age: 33B12Hr starts: 6Best result: 2nd (2012)2012 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up

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

PRO CLASS

TEAM: KCMGMANUFACTURER: NISSANCAR: GT-R NISMO GT3


2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Driver Profiles 41

2 10CHRISTIAN KROGNES (NOR)Age: 28B12Hr starts: Debut2018 24 Hours of Spa winner

TEAM: WALKENHORST MOTORSPORTMANUFACTURER: BMWCAR: M6 GT3

34NICKY CATSBURG (NED)Age: 30B12Hr starts: DebutWTCC race winner

MIKKEL JENSEN (DEN)Age: 24B12Hr starts: Debut1 ELMS race win

KATSUMASA CHIYO (JPN)Age: 32B12Hr starts: 4B12Hr wins: 1 (2015)2015 Bathurst 12 Hour winner2015 Blancpain Endurance Pro Cup champion

35MATSUDA TSUGIO (JPN)Age: 39B12Hr starts: Debut2 Super GT championships

JOSHUA BURDON (AUS)Age: 26B12Hr starts: Debut2016 Asian Formula Renault champion2018 China Endurance Series champion

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

TEAM: BMW TEAM SCHNITZERMANUFACTURER: BMWCAR: M6 GT3

42CHAZ MOSTERT (AUS)Age: 26B12Hr starts: 2Best result: DNF (2017, 2018)2014 Bathurst 1000 winner

MARTIN TOMCZYK (GER)Age: 37B12Hr starts: Debut2011 DTM champion

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

TEAM: MERCEDES-AMG TEAM CRAFT BAMBOO BLACK FALCONMANUFACTURER: MERCEDESCAR: AMG GT3

77LUCA STOLZ (GER)Age: 23B12Hr starts: 1B12Hr class wins: 1 (2018)2018 Bathurst 12 Hour outright podium2016 Blancpain Sprint class champion (Silver Cup)

GARY PAFFETT (GBR)Age: 37B12Hr starts: Debut2 DTM championships

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

PRO CLASS


2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Driver Profiles 43

STEVEN KANE (NIR)Age: 38B12Hr starts: 5B12Hr podiums: 22001 British Junior Formula Ford champion

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

107JORDAN PEPPER (RSA)Age: 22B12Hr starts: Debut2014 Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup Germany champion

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

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

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

JAKE DENNIS (GBR)Age: 23B12Hr starts: Debut2012 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC champion

TEAM: R-MOTORSPORTMANUFACTURER: ASTON MARTINCAR: VANTAGE GT3

760MATTHIEU VAXIVIERE (FRA)Age: 24B12Hr starts: Debut2011 French F4 champion

MARVIN KIRCHHOEFER (GER)Age: 24B12Hr starts: Debut3rd in 2014, 2015 GP3 Series

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

PRO CLASS

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

108

CRAIG LOWNDES (AUS)Age: 44B12Hr starts: 7B12Hr wins: 2 (2014, 2017)2 Bathurst 12 Hour wins7 Bathurst 1000 wins3 Supercars championships

888JAMIE WHINCUP (AUS)Age: 35B12Hr starts: 2B12Hr wins: 1 (2017)2017 Bathurst 12 Hour winner4 Bathurst 1000 wins7 Supercars championships

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN (NZL)Age: 29B12Hr starts: 5B12Hr wins: 1 (2016)2016 Bathurst 12 Hour winner2016 Blancpain Endurance champion2016 Supercars championTEAM: MERCEDES-AMG TEAM

VODAFONEMANUFACTURER: MERCEDESCAR: AMG GT3

PETE STOREY (GBR)Age: TBAB12Hr starts: 2Best result: 23rd (2015)2012 24H Barcelona class winner (A5)

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

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

MATTHEW NEAL (GBR)Age: 52B12Hr starts: DebutB12Hr starts: 2Best result: 23rd (2015)

PRO-AM CLASS

44

ROMAIN DUMAS (FRA)Age: 41B12Hr starts: 1Best result: 6th (2018)2 Le Mans 24 Hours wins2016 World Endurance champion3 Pikes Peak Hill Climb wins

SVEN MULLER (GER)Age: 26B12Hr starts: Debut2016 Porsche Supercup champion

MATHIEU JAMINET (FRA)Age: 24B12Hr starts: Debut2016 Carrera Cup France champion2018 ADAC GT Masters champion

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

TEAM: EBMMANUFACTURER: PORSCHECAR: 911 GT3 R

DENNIS OLSEN (NOR)Age: 22B12Hr starts: Debut2017 Carrera Cup Germany champion

MATT CAMPBELL (AUS)Age: 23B12Hr starts: 5Best result: 2nd (2017)2017 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up2018 Le Mans 24 Hours class winner (LMGTE Am)

MAXIMILIAN BUHK (GER)Age: 26B12Hr starts: 3Best result: 2nd (2014)2013 Spa 24 Hours winner2015 Blancpain Sprint champion

TEAM: MERCEDES-AMG TEAM MANN FILTER GRUPPEM RACINGMANUFACTURER: MERCEDESCAR: AMG GT3

RAFFAELE MARCIELLO (ITA)Age: 24B12Hr starts: Debut2018 Blancpain Sprint Cup champion2018 Suzuka 10 Hours winner

MAXIMILIAN GOETZ (GER)Age: 32B12Hr starts: 1Best result: 28th (2018)2013 Spa 24 Hours winner2014 Blancpain Sprint champion

PRO CLASS

TEAM: EBM MANUFACTURER: PORSCHECAR: 911 GT3 R

911

912

999


2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Driver Profiles

3

ADRIAN DEITZ (AUS)Age: TBAB12Hr starts: Debut1 Australian Endurance Championship podium

6JULIAN WESTWOOD (GBR)B12Hr starts: Debut2015 Blancpain Endurance Am Cup champion2015 24 Hours of Spa class winner (Am Cup)

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

TEAM: WALL RACINGMANUFACTURER: LAMBORGHINI CAR: HURACAN GT3

PRO-AM CLASS

TONY D’ALBERTO (AUS)Age: 33B12Hr starts: 4Best result: 12th (2018)2017 Bathurst 1000 podium2007 Super2 champion

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

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

9LEE HOLDSWORTH (AUS)Age: 35B12Hr starts: 5B12Hr class podiums: 1 (Pro-Am)2009 Bathurst 1000 podium

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

TONY WALLS (AUS)Age: TBAB12Hr starts: 3Best result: 20th (2017)2 Australian GT race wins (2016)

11WARREN LUFF (AUS)Age: 42B12Hr starts: 9Best result: 2nd (2011)2011 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up5 Bathurst 1000 podiums

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

DAVID CALVERT-JONES (AUS)Age: 49B12Hr starts: 5Best result: 2nd (2017)2017 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up2017 Bathurst 12 Hour class winner (Pro-Am)

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

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

JAXON EVANS (NZL)Age: 22B12Hr starts: 1Best result: DNF (2018)2018 Carrera Cup Australia champion2018 Carrera Cup Shootout winner

TEAM: COMPETITION MOTORSPORTS MANUFACTURER: PORSCHECAR: 911 GT3 R

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911

912

999

TEAM: COMPETITION MOTORSPORTSMANUFACTURER: PORSCHE CAR: GT3 R

MARK GRIFFITH (AUS)Age: TBAB12Hr starts: 4B12Hr class podiums: 1 (I)2016 Bathurst 12 Hour class podium (I)2 Australian GT class championships

TEAM: GRIFFITH CORP. TEAM NINETEEN. BLACK FALCONMANUFACTURER: MERCEDESCAR: AMG GT3

19YELMER BUURMAN (NED)Age: 31B12Hr starts: Debut3rd in 2012 GT1 World Championship

CHRISTINA NIELSEN (DEN)Age: 27B12Hr starts: Debut2 IMSA Sportscar class championships (GTD 2016, 2017)

PRO-AM CLASS46

JIM MANOLIOS (AUS)Age: TBAB12Hr starts: 4Best result: 8th (2018)2017 Bathurst 12 Hour class podium (Am)

TEAM: TROFEO MOTORSPORT MANUFACTURER: LAMBORGHINI CAR: HURACAN GT3

29BEN PORTER (AUS)Age: TBAB12Hr starts: Debut2018 Blancpain GT Series Asia competitor

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

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

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

TEAM: SPIRIT OF RACE MANUFACTURER: FERRARICAR: 488 GT3

51PEDRO LAMY (POR)Age: 46B12Hr starts: 2Best result: 14th (2018)5 Nurburgring 24 Hour wins2 World Endurance class championships (LMGTE Am)

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

FLORIAN KAMELGER (AUT)Age: TBAB12Hr starts: 3Best result: 26th (2015, 2017)2 Bathurst 12 Hour class podiums (C 2013, 2015)

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

62ANDREAS BAENZIGER (SUI)Age: TBAB12Hr starts: 3Best result: 26th (2015, 2017)2 Bathurst 12 Hour class podiums (C 2013, 2015)

PETER LEEMHUIS (AUS)Age: TBAB12Hr starts: 7B12Hr class wins: 3 (C 2012, 2014, 2015)3 Bathurst 12 Hour class wins

MATTHEW PARRY (GBR)Age: 25B12Hr starts: Debut2013 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC champion winner

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


472019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Driver Profiles

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PRO-AM CLASS

KENNY HABUL (AUS)Age: 45B12Hr starts: 1Best result: 2nd (2018)2018 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up2018 IGTC Bronze Drivers’ champion

75TRISTAN VAUTIER (FRA)Age: 29B12Hr starts: 1Best result: 2nd (2018)2018 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up2018 IGTC Drivers’ champion

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

TODD HAZELWOOD (AUS)Age: 23B12Hr starts: Debut2017 Super2 champion

TEAM: MATT STONE RACINGMANUFACTURER: AUDI CAR: R8 LMS

98ROGER LAGO (AUS)Age: TBAB12Hr starts: 9B12Hr class wins: 1 (B)2011 Bathurst 12 Hour class winner (B)

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

TEAM: SUNENERGY1 RACING MANUFACTURER: MERCEDESCAR: AMG GT3

TIM PAPPAS (USA)Age: 45B12Hr starts: 1B12Hr class wins: 1 (2018)2018 Bathurst 12 Hour podium2 ALMS class championships (GTC)

TEAM: BLACK SWAN RACINGMANUFACTURER: PORSCHE CAR: 911 GT3 R

540JEROEN BLEEKEMOLEN (NED)Age: 37B12Hr starts: 2Best result: 2nd (2012)2013 Nurburgring 24 Hour winner2008 Le Mans 24 Hours class winner (LMP2)

MARC LIEB (GER)Age: 38B12Hr starts: 2Best result: 2nd (2017)2016 Le Mans 24 Hours winner2016 World Endurance champion2017 Bathurst 12 Hour class winner (Pro-Am)

YASSER SHAHIN (AUS)Age: TBAB12Hr starts: 1Best result: DNF (2018)1 Australian GT race win (2016)

TEAM: THE BEND MOTORSPORT PARKMANUFACTURER: MERCEDESCAR: AMG GT3

777DAVID REYNOLDS (AUS)Age: 332017 series: SupercarsB12Hr starts: 4Best result: 5th (2016)2017 Bathurst 1000 winner

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

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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 event’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.

Support line-up for 2019

2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour | Support line-up for 2019 49

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.

Speedcafe.com ContributorBrett MurrayIntroducing Mercedes-AMG’s latest GT4 weapon

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 high-performance 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 mind-numbing 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 Mercedes-AMG is the safest GT car now available, a trait

T

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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.

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

“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.

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

“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.”

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

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

“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.

“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.

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

* Subject to Balance of Performance

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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) / AU$316,000 approx.

Mercedes-AMG GT4 technical overview

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Thursday January 31Start Duration Category Session8:30 0:20 Combined Sedans Practice8:55 0:20 Formula Ford Practice9:25 0:20 Group S Practice9:55 0:20 Radical Practice10:25 0:20 Combined Sedans Qualifying10:55 0:20 Formula Ford Qualifying11:35 0:20 Group S Qualifying13:15 0:20 Radical Qualifying13:45 0:35 Combined Sedans Race 114:30 0:30 Formula Ford Race 115:10 0:30 Group S Race 1

Sunday February 4Start Duration Category Session5:45 12:00 Bathurst 12 Hour Race

Saturday February 2Start Duration Category Session7:15 0:30 Formula Ford Race 37:55 0:30 Group S Race 38:35 1:00 Bathurst 12 Hour Practice 59:45 0:45 Radical Race 211:20 0:45 Bathurst 12 Hour Qualifying 1 (all classes)12:10 0:30 Bathurst 12 Hour Qualifying 2 (Class A only)15:50 0:35 Combined Sedans Race 316:40 Bathurst 12 Hour Top 10 Shootout

Friday February 1Start Duration Category Session7:15 0:45 Radical Race 18:05 0:35 Combined Sedans Race 28:50 0:30 Bathurst 12 Hour Practice 1 (excluding Class A

Platinum and Gold drivers)

9:25 1:00 Bathurst 12 Hour Practice 210:30 0:30 Formula Ford Race 211:10 1:00 Bathurst 12 Hour Practice 313:30 14:00 Group S Race 215:15 1:00 Bathurst 12 Hour Practice 4

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