The modern Bathurst 12 hour

As if CAMS are going to do anything that V8Supercar doesn't want them to do...

Yep, The tail really does wag the dog, and CAMS will use the excuse that it is not 2 major race meetings in the one state, as one is a test session. I stupidly believed CAMS had improved.

Here is the promo YouTube video for the 2015 Bathurst 12 hour race.

It's a shame FOM can't understand the notion of the appeal of a "curiously different" track in the modern era. 

 

I'm not suggesting we have loops ala a Hot Wheels track, but...  the over-under at Suzuka was thought of a lonnnng time ago, the dramatic banking of Monza, Avus, the exceedingly long Nordschleiffe, the streets of Monaco, the side of the hill at Interlagos...

 

Singapore stands alone in my mind among the new generation of tracks that has unique aspects and character.  The money that has been spent with Tilke and the best thing that can be thought up is the big hill at COTA is kind of sad.  China has the gargantuan space ship grand stands, the oddball first turn I guess...

 

... but Bathurst has two things:

 

1) the sensation that the cars are going somewhere...

2) ... and the amazing roller-coaster downhill: the track is having to conform to the terrain, the terrain hasn't been leveled/made to conform for the track.

 

Because of element #2, there is the clime of the cars conquering something.  That is what makes street circuits special: the circuit wasn't meant to be friendly to race cars, and offers weird challenges. 

 

If an engineering firm is going to be paid a large sum to design a track to be safe, it should also have to meet the goal of presenting a real challenge that meets the standards put forth by these classic tracks, or at least have a unifying unique character. 

 

It's funny that Hockenheim was made more "fan friendly" in being shortened to provide more laps, but ironically long laps didn't seem to impair the popularity of the Nordschleiffe or LaSarthe....

 

/ sorry for the tangent, would like to visit Bathurst one day

Garth Walden Racing has completed a successful shakedown of a freshly imported Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3 that it will campaign at next year’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour. The car has been purchased by gentleman racers Dean Grant and Ash Samadi, who will be joined by Max Twigg for the Bathurst classic. The 2013-build SLS was bought from Team Petronas, which completed just one race with the car – September’s Sepang 12 Hours – before the squad was disbanded. The 2013-build SLS was bought from Team PETRONAS, which completed just one race with the car – September’s Sepang 12 Hours – before the squad was disbanded.



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A pair of ex-Grand-Am Mazda RX-8s are currently on their way to Australia for next year’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour. The two cars are in transit from the United States, having been purchased by Victorian Bruce Henley.
A former Improved Production racer, Henley has been campaigning a similar car in the Kerrick Sports Sedan Series this season. Developed by Sylvain Tremblay’s SpeedSource outfit in the US, the RX-8s competed in Grand-Am for five years from 2007. Powered by 20B, three-rotor engines, the cars produce 425bhp and scream to 8,800rpm.


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3 Ferrari 458s are among seven additional entries for the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour confirmed by race organisers this morning.Ferraris from Clearwater Racing, Vicious Rumour Racing and Trofeo Motorsports add to the Maranello Motorsport and two AF Corse 458s


Malaysian-based Clearwater has competed in the event for each of the last three years, clocking up podium finishes in 2012 and 2013.

Although yet to be confirmed, the squad will have a rejuvenated driver line-up for 2015, with previous stalwarts Craig Baird and Matt Griffin expected to head to the M Motorsport Lamborghini and AF Corse squads respectively.

Sounds like a good lineup for an Oz. race,but what about the Fiats?....

Sounds like a good lineup for an Oz. race,but what about the Fiats?....

Two Fiats Abarth 500 are entered by Abarth Motorsport , but doesn't say who the drivers will be yet.

Bentley will run two factory Continental GT3s at February’s Bathurst 12 Hour. Run from Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe in the United Kingdom, the two factory cars will add to the privateer example already entered for Australian businessman Peter Edwards. Bentley will dispatch a crew of engineers to the circuit pre-event to gather data as part of an effort that Dreamer hopes to make a regular fixture on the company’s GT3 calendar. The addition of the two Bentleys will bring the field up to 23 confirmed Class A GT3 cars, with more than two months still remaining before the entry cut-off.

A further seven GT3 Cup Porsches have meanwhile entered Class B, with New Zealand squad Motorsport Services this week confirming the return of their three cars.



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At least one of the MARC V8s entered for the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour will be built as a Mazda 3, team owner Ryan McLeod has confirmed.

McLeod’s Queensland-based crew campaigned three Ford Focus bodied MARC V8s in this year’s event before embarking on a series of endurance races with the cars around the world.

With those three cars set to race at the Dubai 24 Hour in January, MARC is currently building another trio to compete at Bathurst.

The new batch will feature one Mazda and one Ford. Which of the two bodies is given to the final car will then be determined by bodywork production time constraints ahead of the February 6-8 Bathurst weekend. Mechanically the car will be the same, it’s just a case of putting the Mazda body onto the platform.


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http://bathurst12hou...info/entry-list

Damn. I just realised that this is not on 'til Feb next year. 

What's the rationale behind those V8 focuses (focii?) and mazdas?
If it were something experimental, say electric or hydrogen cell or whatever, it would make more sense but a petrol V8???

What's the rationale behind those V8 focuses (focii?) and mazdas?
If it were something experimental, say electric or hydrogen cell or whatever, it would make more sense but a petrol V8???

I wondered that, too. I can only assume that they're doing whatever it takes to win, and abiding by whatever the latest crazy rules are.

Phoenix Racing is the latest international GT giant to confirm a two-car entry for February’s Bathurst 12 Hour. The German team has contested the race each year since fielding a winning two-car entry in 2012. After scaling back to a single-car effort over the last two years, the team has doubled its effort for 2015. Drivers for the squad, which was last year led by stars Laurens Vanthoor and Rene Rast, are yet to be confirmed. The Bathurst entry now sits at 54 cars; 29 of which are in the outright GT3 class.

Phoenix’s effort joins previously announced two-car entries from Hong Kong’s Craft Bamboo, England’s Bentley M-Sport and Italy’s AF Corse. A further six single-car international GT3 efforts will also attack the race from Germany, Japan, Malaysia and New Zealand.

The field is extremely exciting, really looking forward to the race next year!

 

Already 4 more GT3 cars alone than started the Bathurst 1000 earlier this year...

Edited by ed24f1, 06 November 2014 - 06:50.

Work should be starting in the next week to repair Griffins Bend and The Dipper, which had dramas on the V8SC weekend. We had our hillclimb cancelled for the weekend of the 30th November so that the curing is not rushed.

Apparently they will be repairing it the full width of the track and not just patching it. Here's hoping they get it right

Work should be starting in the next week to repair Griffins Bend and The Dipper, which had dramas on the V8SC weekend. We had our hillclimb cancelled for the weekend of the 30th November so that the curing is not rushed.
Apparently they will be repairing it the full width of the track and not just patching it. Here's hoping they get it right

I was wondering if they started yet, hope they will have it right. The same thing happened at Winton this year's V8 Supercar round.

nissan gt r 344x229 Nissan concedes defeat in Kelly Bathurst bid
Nissan will run its GT-R at Bathurst without Kelly
Nissan has officially abandoned plans to have its star driver Rick Kelly take part in the Bathurst 12 Hour next February following its latest ‘robust discussions’ with V8 Supercars.
Nissan CEO Richard Emery has confirmed that Kelly will participate in the entire two-day V8 Supercars pre-season test at Sydney Motorsport Park, which clashes with the February 7-8 Bathurst race.
Speedcafe.com understands that Nissan had devised a plan to have Kelly undertake the majority of the test and related V8 Supercars television commitments while still competing at Bathurst.
The schedule would have seen Kelly drive the first and last two-hour stints at Bathurst aboard the GT-R; between which he would commute to SMP via helicopter to fulfil duties for V8 Supercars.
V8 Supercars and its CEO James Warburton have, however, held firm on their position during the latest meetings with Nissan this week that the entire two-day test is compulsory for all primary drivers.
The recently revised V8 Supercars rules ensure that Kelly could have been prevented from competing in the season-opening Clipsal 500 if he had not taken part in the full pre-season test.
“In recent months Nissan has investigated options that would allow Rick Kelly to participate in both the V8 SuperTest and Bathurst 12 Hour in February 2015,” said Emery in a statement.
“We’ve had ongoing robust discussions with James Warburton and the team at V8 Supercars. Only this week, we again met and discussed how we might be able to get Rick to complete his obligations at both events. To their credit they listened and considered the possibilities.
“We have tried our best to negotiate a solution and stand up for the NISMO Global Driver Exchange program, which saw Alex Buncombe do such a great job for us during the Pirtek Endurance Cup in the #7 Jack Daniel’s Nissan Altima V8 Supercar and would have seen Rick again compete at the Bathurst 12 Hour in the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3.
“It is clear that under the current format for both events such an endeavour would compromise both our Bathurst 12 Hour program and our preparations for the 2015 V8 Supercar season.
“As such we have now informed NISMO that unfortunately Rick will be unable to participate in the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour.”
It now appears likely that Nissan will run an all-international line-up at Bathurst, which last year saw Briton Alex Buncombe, Belgian Wolfgang Reip and Japan’s Katsumasa Chiyo share the entry with Kelly.

While I'm preaching to the choir about the scheduling being a joke, I think 2016 will be telling.

2015 is locked in and there's nothing to be done about that, but given its out there now what they've done how they schedule 2016 will show if CAMS or V8 Supercars controls Oz Motorsport.
If it's another clash then they're definitely trying to kill the 12 hour, not just a cock up.

Pathetic effort by Bathurst City Council and the Subcontractors that are to fix Griffins and The Dipper.

 

Our Hillclimb for last weekend was cancelled as we were not to drive on it while it had not had a chance to properly cure....

 

BUT..... They haven't even started on it!!! Maybe they will do it the week before the 12 hour and make us a laughing stock again!

It's an internationally renown racetrack, surely that falls under the category that allows the state government to say
Sshhh, we'll handle this, you go out the back and play

After my little dummy spit, I rang council and work is due to start "Any Day" I hope any day is soon! The lady at the council said "It is hoped to be finished by next week"

 

I will have a look on the weekend

Finally!!

 

The track was resurfaced yesterday at Griffins and the dipper

Trass Family Motorsport has confirmed an all Kiwi driver line up for February’s Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

Former V8 Supercars co-driver John McIntyre will spearhead the Auckland Ferrari 458 team’s assault on the Mount Panorama endurance classic alongside the experienced GT ace Jono Lester and GT3 rookie Graeme Smyth.


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A 55 car field has been locked in for February’s Bathurst 12 Hour following the passing of the race’s entry deadline. Ferrari enjoys the most outright representation with seven cars followed by Audi (six), Mercedes-Benz (five), Bentley (three), Aston Martin (three), Lamborghini (two), Porsche (two), Nissan (one) and McLaren (one).

A further 10 GT3 Cup Porsches will compete in Class B, with three GT4 cars in Class C completing the GT component of the event.

Twelve Invitational entries make up the remainder of the field, including Ryan McLeod’s trio of MARC V8s and Bruce Henley’s pair of ex-Grand-Am RX-8s.
Plans for Radical Australia to enter two RXCs have meanwhile failed to materialise, while the recent withdrawal of the United Autosports Audi R8 and Adam Wallis Porsche leaves the grid at 55.

Cars will be fielded from 10 different countries, with local entries joined by those from New Zealand (five), Germany (three), the United Kingdom (three) and the United States (two).

The international flavour of the entry has been hailed by NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Troy Grant, who says the event is a key asset for the state

Although the V8 Supercars stars have been prevented from competing due to the clashing pre-season test, high-profile Australians with deals locked in are led by former Le Mans winner David Brabham and reigning race winner John Bowe, who will both drive the Flying B Bentley.

The entire February 8 race will enjoy live, free-to-air television coverage for the first time, broadcast by the Seven Network.

Entry list: 2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour






CLASS ENTRANT NATIONALITY AUTOMOBILE
A Maranello Motorsport Australia Ferrari F458 Italia GT3 2013
A Erebus Motorsport Australia Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 2013
A Erebus Motorsport Australia Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 2013
A HTP Motorsport Germany Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 2013
A AF Corse Italy Ferrari F458 Italia GT3 2013
A AF Corse Italy Ferrari F458 Italia GT3 2013
A M Motorsport Australia Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 2012
A Dean Grant Australia Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 2013
A Marc Cini Australia Audi R8-LMS Ultra 2012
A Andrew Macpherson Australia Porsche 911 GT3R 2013
A NISMO Athlete Global Team Japan Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 2014
A VIP Holdings Australia McLaren MP4-12C 2013
A Lago Racing Australia Lamborghini Gallardo
A Melbourne Performance Centre Australia Audi R8-LMS Ultra 2014
A Steve McLaughlin Australia Audi R8-LMS Ultra 2014
A Trofeo Motorsport Australia Ferrari F458 Italia GT3 2012
A Flying B Racing Australia Bentley Continental GT3 2014
A Vicious Rumour Racing Australia Ferrari F458 Italia GT3 2012
A Clearwater Racing Malaysia Ferrari F458 Italia GT3 2013
A Eva Racing Australia Audi R8-LMS Ultra 2012
A Rotek Racing USA Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 2013
A Trass Family Motorsport New Zealand Ferrari F458 Italia GT3 2013
A Bentley M-Sport United Kingdom Bentley Continental GT3 2014
A Bentley M-Sport United Kingdom Bentley Continental GT3 2014
A Craft Bamboo Hong Kong Aston Martin Vantage GT3 2013
A Craft Bamboo Hong Kong Aston Martin Vantage GT3 2013
A Phoenix Racing Germany Audi R8-LMS Ultra 2014
A Phoenix Racing Germany Audi R8-LMS Ultra 2014
A Motionsport United Kingdom Aston Martin Vantage GT3 2013
A Competition Motorsports USA Porsche 911 GT3R 2013
B Peter Conroy Australia Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 2011
B Grove Motorsport Australia Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 2011
B Richard Gartner Australia Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 2007
B Motorsport Services New Zealand Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 2010
B Motorsport Services New Zealand Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 2010
B GT3 Endurance New Zealand Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 2010
B GT3 Endurance New Zealand Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 2008
B Nick Creswell Australia Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 2009
B James Koundouris Australia Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S
B Paul Tresidder Australia Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S
C Aston Martin Saint Gallen Switzerland Aston Martin Vantage GT4
C Tony Alford Australia Lotus Exige Cup R
C Tony Martin Australia Ginetta G50 GT4 2010
D Anthony Gilbertson Australia BMW E46 M3 GTR
D Beric Lynton Australia BMW M Coupe (1 Series)
D Kintyre Motorsport Australia Audi TTRS 2011
D Richard Bendell Australia Daytona Sportscar
D Sherrin Racing Australia BMW 135i
D Peter O’Donnell Australia BMW 335i
D Gary Morgan Australia Subaru BRZ
I MARC Cars Australia Australia MARC Focus V8
I MARC Cars Australia Australia MARC Focus V8
I MARC Cars Australia Australia MARC Focus V8
I Bruce Henley Australia Mazda RX-8 GT
I Bruce Henley Australia Mazda RX-8 GT

Maranello Motorsport has named Ben Collins (he was the UK Top Gear's Stig) and Tony D'Alberto alongside defending winner Mika Salo for their 2015 Liqui-Moly Australia Bathurst 12 Hour campaign.

Incredible lineup.     

 

Puts Superwarbutontaxis to shame   

Peter Fitzgerald has confirmed the third driver for his return to endurance racing at Mount Panorama next February.

'Fitzy' confirmed via Facebook that experienced New Zealander Matt Halliday would join he and Porsche Carrera Cup ace Michael Almond in the teams' recently-purchased Audi R8 LMS Ultra.

The 35-year-old marks a strong signing for the Fitzgerald camp thanks to years of experience in endurance racing both at Mount Panorama - he credits a 4th place finish in the 2010 Bathurst 1000 as his best Mountain result - and around the world, thanks to Porsche Supercup success and selected key enduros like the Spa 24 hour.

Former Formula 1 driver Andrea Montermini will join Tony Defelice and Renato Loberto at Vicious Rumour Racing for February’s Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

The 50-year-old veteran will bring a wealth of experience to the Australian Ferrari 458 squad having contested 20 grands prix with Simtek, Forti and Pacific teams, before enjoying a successful career in sportscars.
Montermini is also no stranger to Mount Panorama having contested the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour alongside David Brabham in BE Racing’s Ferrari 360GT.

Great stuff! I have just booked my campsite and ticket - missed '14, not going to miss '15!

I hope the weather is more '13

(when all of the road is barely enough )

than '12:

(The winner hassling second across the top of the mountain  )

Really looking forward to this.

 

I couldn't care less if Rick Kelly or any of the V8 racers are driving or not. Supercars are fooling themselves if they think they have a monopoly on decent drivers. 

Great photos, thank you for posting them. Have you got any more to share.

Great stuff! I have just booked my campsite and ticket - missed '14, not going to miss '15!

I hope the weather is more '13

(when all of the road is barely enough )

than '12:

(The winner hassling second across the top of the mountain )

Sure thing!

2012 was wet from about hour 2 iirc. Photos are pretty self explanatory.

Hot brakes - the big stop at the bottom of the hill:

Ooops #1 - the third place fazza gets it wrong (he wasn't the only one to get it wrong there):

Same car later in the day, cutting through traffic at the very top of the mountain:

Serious visibility problems at the top:

Ooops #2 - the Lambo bites the wall on the exit of Hell (one of the wheels is about to come rolling back down the pit exit!

Plenty of room for spectating (first and second dicing):

I will not post link but if you right click the image, the properties will give you the location, where you will find some more.

.. and a few from 2013.

Oh to be in Bathurst in the morning:

Restart after safety car:

cut and thrust entering pit straight:

arm wrestle at Hell:

Oh dear, the turbo has gone ...:

all downhill from here:

Edited by GreenMachine, 15 January 2015 - 11:46.

Supper photos, thak you for posting Green Machine 😄

Edited by mouserat159, 05 January 2015 - 21:38.

http://www.speedcafe...d-24-hour-race/

 

Speed cafe have a poll to see if people like the idea of the 12 hour going back to 24 hour.

 

However I wonder if it is a recycled article as they named the mayor as Paul Toole, who left the job in September 2011.

Bentley Motorsport has announced its plans for the 2015 season excluding its full driver line up for the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

The British manufacturer unveiled its plans for the 2015 season at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham, including the six works drivers to campaign two Continental GT3s in the Blancpain Endurance Series and other endurance events.

Long time Bentley driver Guy Smith has been retained for another season alongside fellow Brits Andy Meyrick and former BTCC driver Steven Kane in the #7 entry.

The #8 car will welcome three new drivers into the Bentley fold, headlined by Maximilian Buhk, who was part of HTP Motorsport’s run to second at last year’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

He will be joined by former FIA Formula 2 champion Andy Soucek and Belgian Maxime Soulet.

http://www.speedcafe...d-24-hour-race/

Speed cafe have a poll to see if people like the idea of the 12 hour going back to 24 hour.

However I wonder if it is a recycled article as they named the mayor as Paul Toole, who left the job in September 2011.

No. I hated the 24 hour because I could never keep up with the night driving. Wastes a good half of the race in poor spectating visibility.

McLaren will send over one of there factory drivers Kevin Estre to the Bathurst 12 Hour next month as part of its support for Tony Quinn’s MP4-12C entry. The 26-year-old Frenchman will join father and son duo Tony and Klark Quinn in the McLaren

Nissan’s international trio Alex Buncombe, Katsumasa Chiyo and Wolfgang Reip will return to the factory’s Bathurst 12 Hour effort this year. Buncombe’s return will mark his third race at Bathurst in 12 months, having also competed with the Australian Nissan Motorsport V8 Supercars operation at last year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

The 33-year-old Briton led the Nismo 12 Hour effort last year.

Stefan Mucke, Alex MacDowall and Darryl O’Young have been confirmed for Craft Bamboo Racing’s lead Aston Martin entry for the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour. The experienced trio have accrued plenty of experience behind the wheel of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 having driven for the works Aston Martin squad in the FIA World Endurance Championship last year.

Sportscar ace Mucke and former British and World touring car driver MacDowall are yet to experience the iconic 6.2km Mount Panorama circuit, while their team-mate O’Young won the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2011 and 2012.



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You probably haven’t heard of 16-year-old Austin Cindric, a rising star in junior racing classes in his native United State.

But you should know the name of his old man.

Austin’s dad is Tim Cindric, president of the legendary Penske Racing operation that is set to join V8 Supercars in season 2015 as part of the newly formed DJR Team Penske squad.

Cindric is one of the six racers named in the Erebus Motorsport driving line-up for next month’s race, joining an all-youth line-up in their second Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 as the team tries to regain its Bathurst 12 Hour title.

Leading the charge will be V8 co-driver Dean Canto, who will pair with Erebus regulars Richard Muscat and Jack Le Brocq in the team’s ‘pro class’ No. 36 car.

Cindric will be joined by rising Australian open-wheel racers Nathan Morcom and Simon Hodge, the latter the current holder of the Mount Panorama outright lap record, set aboard a Formula 3 car last year.

Who needs V8 Supercars? 

 

Edited by V8 Fireworks, 23 January 2015 - 13:30.

The reigning winner of the World Endurance Championship’s GT category, factory Ferrari driver Toni Vilander, will be on the grid at this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

The 34-year-old Finn joins Malaysian squad Clearwater Racing for his first visit to Mount Panorama.

He will drive alongside Clearwater’s Bathurst regulars Matt Griffin and car owner Mok Weng Sun, who are teaming up at the event for the fourth straight year.

The squad scored a third and a second place in its first two appearances before Japanese driver Hiroshi Hamaguchi crashed in spectacular fashion last year.

In addition to taking out GT honours in the WEC alongside Gianmaria Bruni, Vilander won the GTE-Pro class of the Le Mans 24 Hours last year for AF Corse; his second triumph at La Sarthe in three years

http://www.speedcafe...d-24-hour-race/

 

Speed cafe have a poll to see if people like the idea of the 12 hour going back to 24 hour.

 

However I wonder if it is a recycled article as they named the mayor as Paul Toole, who left the job in September 2011.

 

No. I hated the 24 hour because I could never keep up with the night driving. Wastes a good half of the race in poor spectating visibility.

 

Not to mention the enormous extra cost involved with extra staff and lighting required.

 

I hope the streaming video is as good as last year, got some Fosters and BBQ food ready to go. Is there a traditional Bathurst snack?

Not to mention the enormous extra cost involved with extra staff and lighting required.
 
I hope the streaming video is as good as last year, got some Fosters and BBQ food ready to go. Is there a traditional Bathurst snack?

Hello TimRIC

Yes I hope www.baturst12.com website will do the livestreaing. But lets not forget that channel 7 are meant to be televising the entire race for the 12 hours of free to air TV across there channels. Where we live its probably going to be on the main 7 channel & on 7Mate when not on the main channel. Or if you are in Queensland it may be on ch 7 & 7two. It will be best to check your EPG closer to the date.

Peter Conroy Motorsport has signed on a formidable driver line-up for its 2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour campaign.

Popular television personality Grant Denyer and Porsche Carrera Cup Australia front-runner Tony Bates will join team owner Peter Conroy in the team’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry, which will compete in Class B.

All three drivers boast significant experience in endurance racing at Mount Panorama. Peter Conroy has six previous starts in the once-around-the-clock marathon, with a best result of fourth outright in 2010, along with class wins in 2009 and 2011.

Denyer has competed in the 12 Hour on three occasions; he finished second outright in 2008. Denyer also contested last decade’s two 24 hour races at the holy grail of Australian motorsport, finishing 6th outright in 2003.

Tony Bates is no stranger to Mount Panorama, having turned laps in Commodore Cup (including a twin-driver enduro in 2011), V8 Supercar Development Series and more recently, Porsche Carrera Cup.

Conroy said the three drivers’ familiarity with the circuit will be one of their strengths.

“All three of us have completed a lot of laps around Mount Panorama, and it is the sort of circuit where experience counts for a lot,” Conroy said.

“In an endurance race like the 12 Hour, consistency, reliability and awareness are much more important than raw, outright speed over one lap, and Grant and Tony have both proven to be very smart, tactical drivers.

“With such a large field, traffic management will be critical and Class B is an interesting one, because we have to think about negotiating slower traffic while also being aware of the faster Class A cars coming up behind us.

“Even in Class B, there is a lot of depth and some very talented drivers, so a top three result would be a great achievement.”

Practice for the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour commences on Friday, 6 February, followed by qualifying on Saturday, 7 February.

The 12 Hour race commences at 5:50am on Sunday, 8 February and will be shown live on Channel 7 and 7MATE (check local guides).

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