(With apologies for the somewhat tardy nature of posting from Bathurst 12 Hour – schedules at Imola and Bathurst are sub-optimally matched!)
The Conditions
The conditions forecast for this weekend at The Mountain are for cool temperatures (around 20 degrees Celsius) and for rain across the whole weekend, particularly for the race on Sunday. There has been wet events at the 12 Hour before – the 2012 event was heavily affected by rain and the 2013 race finished in wet conditions, but a fully wet weekend will present another challenge to competitors this weekend.
It’s a stark difference to the last 12 Hour event in 2020, which featured blazing sunshine and ambient temperatures above 40 degrees!
The Bathurst Endurance Walk
A new installation at Mount Panorama is the ‘Bathurst Endurance Walk of Fame’, with official plaques for all winners of the LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour, past and future, to be placed adjacent to the Peter Brock statue at the National Motor Racing Museum.
The 2020 Winners Plaque was presented by Bathurst Regional Council Mayor Cr Robert Taylor to Jules Gounon at the National Motor Museum, who accepted the award on behalf of the Bentley M-Sport and his teammates Jordan Pepper and Maxime Soulet.
“Very happy to see this trophy, even though I would have liked to share it with Maxime and Jordan, because this victory was not only mine.” Gounon said to the host broadcasters.
“The win was such an emotional [one], because one hour before it, I really thought that we’d lost it.
[On this year’s race] “Our car is really quick, and the weather will be the most unpredictable factor this year… I believe we have a chance, but there is another 20 cars that will have a chance.”
Track to Town
The annual Track to Town parade took place on Thursday, giving fans a chance to get up close and personal with the cars, drivers, and teams, in the centre of Bathurst. The full 20 car field made their way from the track, exiting on Murray’s Corner down Panorama Avenue, before making their way to Russel Street in front of the Bathurst Town Hall.
The route was lined by over 400 flags handed out to students at two schools along the route, giving the parade a great atmosphere on the drive in to town.
“It’s great to see so many people lining the street and here in town to say G’Day,” crowd favourite and two-time 12 Hour winner Craig Lowndes said to the host broadcasters.
“There’s a lot of anticipation for the event to be back and the fact that so many people braved the weather to come out today is a great sign for the rest of the weekend when the weather will be better.”
Thanks to the Bathurst 12 Hour Media team for the above quotes.
Charity involvement
There are a number of teams and suppliers supporting charities over this weekend.
Scott Taylor Motorsport are running in support of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA), with the #222 Porsche GT3 Cup machine dressed in a livery entirely in support of the foundation. Craig Lowndes has had a long relationship with the PCFA, with a strong family history of the disease. Alex Davison, also driving the #222, also has family ties to the PCFA, with his father Richard having battled the illness.
Prostate Cancer is diagnosed in around 18,000 Australian men each year, and claims approximately 3,000 lives. Donations to the foundation can be made directly via www.pcfau.org/car222
Valmont Racing in car #55 are supporting a pair of charities this weekend. Marcel Zalloua and Sergio Pires using their platform to raise awareness and funds for the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation in conjunction with the City Tattersalls Corporate Concierge, and the Sony Foundation’s ‘You Can Stay’ program.
The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation provides support for kids of all ages, directing funds to the front lines of kids’ health, covering everything from common injuries to rare conditions, research into paediatric conditions, and general health services.
Valmont Racing’s entry has already helped raise over $30,000, before the race weekend has even started!
The ‘You Can Stay’ program provides emergency accommodation for cancer patients between 15-25 years old, along with their families, for those who travel from regional areas to major cities for treatment.
Donations will be used to to accommodate patients and their families in Quest apartments in the city, with $100 able to cover the cost of one night’s accommodation for one family.
To find out more about the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, visit www.schf.org.au
To find out more about the Sony Foundation Australia’s You Can Stay program, visit: www.sonyfoundation.org
RaceFuels, the official fuel suppler for the Bathurst 12 Hour this weekend, are raising awareness for the #ForTillysSake campaign, focussing on the effects of bullying and harassment on young people. Bathurst resident Matilda ‘Tilly’ was subjected to schoolyard, social media and electronic bullying, and tragically too her own life in February of this year, at only 15 years old.
Tilly’s mother Emma Mason and father Murray Rosewarne have set-up the campaign, hoping to prevent the other children and families from sharing their experience.
RaceFuels will be adorning all of their ELF Core 50 fuel drums with special decals, with the #ForTillysSake hashtag featuring prominently, encouraging everyone to stop and think of the consequences before bullying others both online and in person.
Support Category Action
Supporting the Bathurst 12 Hour this weekend are the Aussie Racing Cars, Combined Sedans, and the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Series.
The Aussie Racing cars are built around a spec, purpose-built space-frame chassis, with a Yamaha 1.3L 125bhp engine, weighing in at around 500kg and capable of speeds over 200km/h. The cars have a freedom of body styles, replicating the current Repco Supercars models, as well as body styles modelled after common Australian consumer vehicles. The Aussie Racing cars supported the 12 Hour in 2020, with the top times around the 2:17 mark.
Combined Sedans brings together three separate categories into a single series, with purpose-built Spaceframe race cars, V8 Touring cars, and modified Sports Sedans, for a 44 car grid. The Combined Sedans have become a staple of the Bathurst 12 Hour support card, and with notable drivers including current TCR Australia pilot Jordan Cox in a Suzuki Swift and current Supercars driver Jack Le Brocq in the field, there’s plenty to look forward to.
The TGRA 86 Series has become a breeding ground for driving talent in a spec-racing formula. Using the production-based Toyota 86 with strict set up restrictions, it is a series that provides great opportunities for youngsters, with two professional drivers invited to take part each race weekend to benchmark the field.
Support category action will be broadcast from midday local time (AEST) on Fox Sports and Kayo in Australia, and online on the SRO GT World Challenge YouTube channel, and on the Bathurst 12 hour website and facebook page.
Friday Track Action
Track action for the LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour starts on Friday with four practice sessions, two dedicated to Bronze drivers only, culminating in the first night practice session in the event’s history. Audio coverage can be accessed through the Bathurst 12 Hour website, or through radiolemans.com, while Live Timing is available via http://www.bathurst12hour.com.au/live-timing/
Friday Session Times (All times in AEST – UTC+10)
10:05-10:35 – Practice 1 (Bronze Drivers only)
10:45-11:45 – Practice 2
15:15-15:55 – Practice 3 (Bronze Drivers only)
17:05-17:45 – Practice 4
