MPC rectifies issue for #2
The issue for the #2 KFC Audi in the second session of the day was diagnosed as a crank angle sensor in the engine.
Troy Russell, team principal of Melbourne Performance Centre that us running the Audi this weekend, commented that the initial sensor was replaced in good time, but the replacement sensor also failed, explaining the extended garage time for Schumacher in that session.
The car ran flawlessly for the rest of the day, with Schumacher getting significant running in Practice 4 to make up for the lost time in practice 2.
Issues for #56 Ginetta
There was a brief moment between Practice 3 and 4 when it looked like a spare Ginetta chassis was being prepped. Serious work was ongoing on the #56 Nineteen Corp Ginetta GT4, combined with a second car getting pulled out of the trailer.
However, the extraction of the spare car was nothing more than needing access. Team representatives explained to DSC that the #56 needed a new alternator, and that the spare alternator wasn’t accessible without taking the whole spare car out of the truck.
This was compounded by an issue where the fuel tank wasn’t being filled to it’s full capacity. It required some of the fuel-tank blockers to be removed, and a trip to scrutineering to ensure the car abided by the regulations for the weekend, meaning it missed FP4 entirely. The team is in good spirits though, saying that it was more important to make sure the car was set for running tomorrow, instead of trying to rush a fix today.
Wealth of Experience and fresh faces!
While there are plenty of experienced drivers at The Mountain for this event, one quartet takes the prize as the most experienced combination to start the race.
The #47 Supabarn Mercedes AMG of James Koundouris, Theo Koundouris, David Russell and Jonathan Webb have a combined 34 starts between them, making them the most experienced driver combination in the history of the Bathurst 12 Hour.
David Russell also breaks the record for most starts, which he does so with the Hallmarc #9 Audi driver Marc Cini. Both Russell and Cini will bring up their 13th start this weekend, moving clear of Australian motorsport legend John Bowe, who remains on 12. Cini is also using the Audi 1700088 chassis for the 7th time, making it the chassis with the most 12 Hour’s under it’s belt this weekend.
On the flip-side, the #13 Phantom Team75 Bernhard Porsche, featuring debutants Bastian Buus and Joel Eriksson, along with Jaxon Evans, is the Pro car with the least combined starts. Evans is the only one with Bathurst experience, with three starts to his name.
The least experienced GT car is the #27 Heart of Racing by SPS Mercedes, with Ian James Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas all making their debut at this event. They are one of three cars made up of debutants; the #230 Method Motorsport McLaren GT4 of Tom Hayman, Elliot Schutte, and Tom McLennan, and the #701 Vortex V8 of Lionel Amrouche, Julien Boilot, and Phillippe Bonnel are also all debutants.
Thank you to David Greenhalgh for his contribution to this story!
Mercedes’ Silver Arrow
This weekend the Gruppe M Racing Mercedes is not sporting a Mann-Filter livery and #999 number that we’ve become accustomed to at Bathurst. Instead, the team is sporting a special black and silver colour combo and is running under the number #130, to celebrate the 130th year of Mercedes motorsport.
“It’s an honour for us to be the first to be able to carry this livery,” said Maro Engel, who has raced with Gruppe M to the podium of the Bathurst 12 hour in the last two years.
“130 years of motorsport heritage is incredible and if you look back, everything that Mercedes Benz and Mercedes AMG have done in motorsports is incredible. The names that have taken place behind the wheel [of Mercedes cars] and have been successful… It’s a big honour.”
The Black and Silver certainly makes for a sleek looking car on track, and the red number makes the car hard to miss!
First Bathurst run for Porsche 992
Among the new cars this weekend is the debut Bathurst outing for the 992 series Porsche 911 GT3 R. The car has so far proved strong, with Laurens Vanthoor setting the fastest lap in Practice 3.
“It’s a very different car to our previous generation,” said Matt Campbell, driver of the #912 EMA Manthey Porsche.
“Especially in the high speed sections, across the top. This is taking a little bit of getting used to, but generally, really happy with our performance so far, and we’ll keep chipping away with our performance tomorrow.”
Campbell is driving with Laurens Vanthoor and Ayhancan Guven, who is making his Bathurst debut.
“Laurens knows the track really well, it’s Ayhancan’s first time here, but also, he has the most experience with this car… As a package, we’re in a really strong position.”
Kraihamer tackles the Mountain
Making the trip over from Austria is KTM development driver Laura Kraihamer. It’s Laura’s first time at the Mountain and first time in Australia.
DSC caught up with her in the paddock to get some thoughts.
“It’s awesome! The track is special – very special,” Laura lead with. “Obviously every magic has it’s challenge. It’s pretty intimidating coming up the hill, and how steep it is… everything down [hill] is really impressive, but I’ve enjoyed every second.
“The KTM’s have been a little unlucky the last [few] years on the mountain, so we said lets join forces with the factory in Austria, lets get some people over to join the fantastic people here.
“The KTM fits perfectly on the Mountain, because it’s a lightweight concept, so it’s very agile and at tight corners it turns quickly.
Laura is the only woman in the field this year, and the first woman to contest the 12 Hour since 2019 when Christina Nielsen was on the grid. But, that’s something that doesn’t really faze Laura.
“It’s not something I’ve got my eyes on, but it would be great to have more women here. There are loads of talented women out there… I’ll tell the girls how awesome it is!”
No woman has tasted class success at the 12 Hour yet, with the best result overall being Rahel Frey in 2013, who finished fifth overall in an Audi.
Featured image courtesy of Gruppe C
