There’s a lot to digest after a simply extraordinary week at Bathurst.
First things first Congratulations to the Nissan NISMO team, after an historic win, the marque’s first on the mountain since 1992. Once again the quality of the Nissan GT Academy boys showed through, keeping the #35 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 in contention throughout and setting up that amazing final attack from Chiyo San, described to be by Richard Craill as “The best restart in Bathurst history”. It’s difficult to disagree.
The crew, and the strategy from Bob Neville and co. played a major part in putting the GT-R in the right place on the track, with the right fuel load, and on the right rubber to take advantage. The overall win, and beyond that the A Am class win too were richly deserved.
Next up for a mention has to be Bentley. The new addition to the grid this year they were perhaps not listed amongst the favourites for many. That undersold the attack we would see.
The #11 Continental GT3 would fall back with the odd problem, some self inflicted, with repeated penalties for restart transgressions.
The #10 car though would be another that was in the thick of things throughout: Guy Smith drove a very typically impressive stint, attacking, and allowing no liberties to be taken. Steven Kane was as ludicrously quick as we know he can be, defending a lead that he had wrestled from one of the very best when the opportunity presented itself and keeping the Bentley in the hunt.
Matt Bell’s Bathurst drive is, for now, a one off, it seemed for a short while that he might not play a full part after a blocked drinks tube left him in physical distress and having to pit early for medical attention.
He got back in the car though and, despite a clash with the VodkaO SLS that saw him get a penalty that seemed rather more driven by effect than cause, he was right in the mix to the very end.
His defence from Laurens Vanthoor, hands down one of the very best GT racers in the world just now, was top drawer stuff. No blunt blocking but rather street smarts defensive driving, playing to the strengths of his car.
There was no defending from the rampant Nissan at the final restart, but even then a podium looked likely, that was until the final turn when, put simply, Stefan Mucke employed contact to make the difference. No penalty was applied and we have enough respect for the race stewards to leave it with limited comment but this writer saw it happen, and Stefan was looking pretty sheepish post race, a sad way to end a very, very good race.
The third Bentley, the privately entered #8 Flying B Motorsport effort, looked set for a fine class podium, a fair reward for a fighting display from car owner Peter Edwards and Aussie legends John Bowe and David Brabham this despite a couple of costly errors from Bowe.
that though would turn painfully to dust as Brabham was bundled rudely into the wall by Mucke’s Aston. It was a substantial hit, Brabs suffering painful bruising to neck and ribs, the team deserved better for their efforts.
Audi, and in particular the Phoenix Audi squad, were in the mix throughout too. Both cars, with their hugely imaginative and popular ‘Aussie’ liveries would lead the race, though it would be left to the ‘Croc’ car in the hands of Laurens Vanthoor to go for gold.
The qualifying pace of the Audi was astonishing, record breaking stuff, a clear 5 seconds faster than the best a V8 Supercar has ever achieved!
Indeed at several points it seemed almost foolish to see anything other than an Audi taking this one, but as the temperature rose the R8s wilted a little.
Vanthoor couldn’t find a way past Bell’s Bentley until the final turn, Vanthoor taking the place with an epic move around the outside as Bell dealt with the Aston’s assault. As it was the #5 car took second overall, and a class win in A Pro-Am. That the team were as disappointed as they obviously were post race points to the missed opportunity.
An earlier problem had dropped the previously race leading #16 ‘Croc’ car off the lead lap and despite maintaining pace thereafter the lost lap could not be recovered, an issue that afflicted others too.
The Phoenix pair were the class of a convincing septet, the #2 car was never really on the pace and less so after a wild ride for Peter Fitzgerald after contact from John Bowe coming into The Chase. 5th in the Am class was as good as could be recovered after that.
The Jamec Pem sponsored pair showed real pace at times but didn’t have the depth of driving talent available to sustain a race long attack. The cars both finished outside the top 10, though oddly went better as the day wore on.
Ditto the Hallmarc sponsored #9 car, the car that in first qualifying seemed invincible couldn’t sustain the race long pace of its peers, got caught up in the incident that effectively eliminated the AF Corse Ferrari and failed to deliver on the promise of the effort. The team will have been disappointed to finish only third in the Am class, 10th overall.
Another effort to stumble, this time terminally, was the Skwirk sponsored effort, the car left stranded on track after electrical issues, it had though been convincing stuff to that point, Oliver Gavin in particular had starred.
Aston Martin took third with the #97 Craft Bamboo V12 Vantage, and it is a shame to again have to point to a pair of contact incidents in the final stages with Brabham and Bell to define the result, an overall podium (second in A Pro-Am) though points to a fine race long effort, Darryl O’Young led and defended very well indeed. Alec MacDowall will rue a costly spin that cost the car some 30 seconds, but aside from that showed that his GT racing apprenticeship is near done.
The sister #99 car and the Motionsports run #52 compareinsurance.au car saw too many visits to the pits, and in the case of the black and gold car a visit to the gravel trap in the hands of Gordon Shedden, to be able to properly contest Am class honours.
Both Erebus Mercedes showed that the team’s V8SC test-enforced driver selections were still inspired, both cars showed real pace.
The fact that the overall podium didn’t see a single Aussie driver wasn’t for the want of trying, the #36 car’s trio of experienced GT drivers were in the mix until the end, and the ‘Youth Squad’ in the #63 also impressed mightily, young Austin Cindric is a star in the making, his pace stunned the paddock, it was sad that his mistake cost them dearly.
The VodkaO car was always set to be up against it, an all Gentleman driver line up saw to that, but the brush with the #10 Bentley ended the Benz’s day in startlingly violent fashion.
The Ferrari challenge was blunted by the elimination from proceedings of the Maranello Motorsports effort after a practice shunt by Tony D’Alberto, an attempt by team owner Mark Coffey to purchase the spare 458 at the track owned by AF Corse proving sadly unsuccessful.
AF Corse started only one or their original two cars and ran very well up with Steve Wyatt running a fine stint to allow the two Pros to attack. It seemed likely to feature in the final battle for the win until contact from the #36 Mercedes through T1 cause enough of a delay to render a further challenge pointless.
Clearwater’s stunning looking chromed 458 employed the tactic of putting the gentleman driver aboard first, Mok Weng Sun ran steadily but ultimately lost too much time for Messrs Griffin and Vilander to recover, the car never finding its way through the cautions to get back onto the lead lap then suffering a short delay that effectively ended the challenge for a podium.
The #27 TFM Ferrari was a late arrival at the circuit after shipping delays from new Zealand but was immediately on the pace, and in the race ran well up until a broken wheel bearing left the car stationary and requiring assistance, effectively ending their challenge for homers. This was though an impressive effort from a very new team.
The Pirelli sponsored Trofeo Motorsport car was a good looking but rather off the pace effort, mid pack respectability was the order of the day until the car was hit heavily from behind under a Safety Car by the Class D Audi TTRS ending its day.
That left the honours as best Ferrari finisher to the delightfully monickered Vicious Rumour Racing 458, the car started from dead last in the hands of Benny Simonsen and began a charge up the order that would see Allan Simonsen’s younger brother, on his debut at the Mount Panorama circuit, scythe through the order, up to 14th overall before handing the car over.
His efforts, together with those of team mates Renato Loberto and ex F1 man Andrea Montermini would eventually see the car onto the A Am class podium,
The pair of Lamborghinis both ran well, the #48 car though would be a retirement after a spin at the Chase.
The #32 JBS/ Lago Gallardo would be a real contender though a couple of minor issues would see this car too in amongst the gaggle of cars looking for a way back onto the lead lap.
David Russell in particular was very impressive, one of a number of rapid Aussies that would be a welcome addition to GT racing grids on a world stage.
The pair of Porsches had mixed fortunes, the #51 IMAK car running well until a loss of control up on the Mountain saw the car hit the unfortunate GT3 Endurance Class B Porsche.
The #12 Ice Break GT3 R spent most of the race looking for a way back onto the lead lap, running quickly (particularly in the hands of Pat Long), eventually finishing just outside the top 10.
Tony Quinn’s McLaren was again extraordinarily quick, this time in Kevin Estre’s hands, the car running with the leading pack early on but a damaged rear diffuser cost the team enough time to persuade the car owner to preserve the machinery ahead of the opening Australian GT round.
Class B, for Porsche Cup cars saw too many incidents to deliver on the promise of the class.
The GT3 Endurance and Wall Racing squads lost a car apiece before the race proper. The #69 car withdrawn after four of the team’s driver roster were hospitalised in a road accident.
The #14 Peter Conroy car was an early casualty, and the remaining GT3 Endurance car was a victim of the IMAK 911 GT3 R’s off, the #66 car would rejoin and struggle to the end.
The #6 Porsche lost time after clattering the wall and all of the remaining runners saw a gravel trap at one point or another, notably the defending class champs Grove Group car with Ben Barker amongst the squad that brought out the final Safety Car whilst trying to push on – It would still come home second, laps down to the #47 Supabarn car with the #64 Motorsports Services car completing the podium, Devon Modell amongst this squad.
Class C saw a fantastic near race long battle between the Donut King Lotus and St Gallen Aston Martin before the Vantage eventually suffered a late race delay, costing Chris Porritt and co. 4 laps.
The pretty little Lotus took a deserved win. The only other starter, the Triffid Ginetta never really challenged, suffered a delay on the Conrod Straight and eventually a blown engine.
Class D saw an early casualty as the #42 BMW hit a ‘roo’ and the Audi TTRS eliminated itself with a heavy shunt under the Safety Car.
The class win was eventually taken by the #23 Bruce Lynton BMW in a battle that proved to be the survival of the least delayed, taking the class win by three laps from the #28 GWS Beemer and the Sherrins BMW completing the podium, all three ahead of the early class leading fan favourite Daytona Coupe.
Class I saw only three classified finishers. Both ex Grand-Am Mazdas would make it home despite being way off the pace and suffering numerous spins and minor contact incidents.
The class win though would be taken almost at a canter by the #93 MARC Focus V8, the car taking a stunning 15th overall after a near faultless run, the car running to a 2:12 ‘bracket time but still finishing ahead of all of the Class B Porsches to be the first non Class A runner home.
The two other MARC V8s would dnf, notably the Newly Mazda 3 bodied car, which crashed out heavily after contact from Felix Baumgartner’s Audi, the tube framed car mercifully taking the huge impact and protecting the innocent driver Ivo Breukers.
