In answer to the eagle-eyed DSC watchers who were questioning whether all 40 cars for the 2019 Bathurst 12 Hour are actually here. The answer is yes, and here is the 40th, the Aussie Driver Search backed Audi!
The two Pro Class Audi R8 LMS GT3 for Audi Team Valvoline are both brand new 2019 cars reverse fitted with 2018 parts, and uniquely we believe in Audi’s history here, both cars retain their driver squads from last year’s race, the #2 car with Christopher Mies, Christopher Haase and Markus Winkelhock, the #22 for Kelvin van der Linde, Garth Tander and Frederic Vervisch.
Bentley’s 2019 liveries will be seen for the first time tomorrow as the cars are rolled out onto pit lane with one car set to take part in the road run with a car apiece from each GT3 marque from the circuit to the centre of Bathurst for public and media activities.
The Brabham BT62 that will be turning demonstration laps in the hands of David Brabham this weekend was delivered to the paddock this afternoon.
The SunEnergy1 AMG has seen a late change of driver, 2018 IGTC Drivers Champion Tristan Vautier replaced by Dominik Baumann.
Baumann is one of no fewer than 21 drivers that have made the trip direct from the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.
The others?
Romain Dumas
Mathieu Jaminet
Dennis Olsen
Christina Nielsen
Paul Dalla Lana
Mathias Lauda
Pedro Lamy
Augusto Farfus
Chaz Mostert
Christopher Mies
Frederic Vervisch
Kelvin van der Linde
Jeroen Bleekemolen
Markus Winkelhock
Christopher Haase
Maxi Buhk
Sven Müller
Oliver Jarvis
Luca Stolz
Matt Campbell
Plus: Paul Tracy, part of the NBC TV team but driving a MARC Cars Mustang here, whilst Earl Bamber raced at the Rolex 24 Hours for Porsche but is here as Team Principal of EBM.
Add too, the ever-present Spirit of Race and Black Swan both of which raced, albeit with different but near identical machinery, at both events.
The Spirit of Race #51 Ferrari here is, we believe, the car that raced for Team United Kingdom at the FIA GT Nations Cup in November.
