Category: Bathurst 12 Hour

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Bathurst 12 Hour Motorsports News

V8 Supercars takes over Bathurst 12 Hour

2015 Bathurst 12 Hour

It’s happened. V8 Supercars will take over the promotional rights to the Bathurst 12 Hour race. Here’s the first few paragraphs of the announcement:

In a landmark agreement for GT Racing in Australia, Supercars Events, in partnership with Bathurst Regional Council, has acquired the rights to manage the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Event at Mount Panorama from 2016, bringing its specialist major events expertise to the growing fixture.

Supercars Events (operating as a business of V8 Supercars), Yeehah Events and Bathurst Regional Council agreed to the acquisition this week with the collective vision of growing the international race significantly into the future.

“Yeehah Events’ James O’Brien and his team have done a fantastic job to establish the event and we are very proud to be able to add our expertise to take it to the next level,” V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton said.

The Bathurst 12 Hour race has become not only a credible GT3 event attracting an enviable overseas competition base, but just as importantly, it has become a great alternative for motorsport fans not wanting to battle the crowds of the traditional V8 Supercars race in October.

As race fans we just have to hope this is good news and not a threat to the success of the event or a precursor to jacked up pricing.

Most Facebook comments to the V8 Supercars page are less than forgiving:

Tania Fragar Another one bites the dust for the public and FTA. This event is the best car race of the year even without the V8 drivers. It’s one we can afford to go to free pit access and family friendly and has world class cars and drivers.

Gary Jay What about the years after 2016, Supercars, still free to air.? Or will you blow off more supporters for TV cash?

Keith Hellyer Well thats certainly the end of the Bathurst 12hr as we know it. V8’s will do its best to capitalise by putting prices through the roof and amalgamate the 2. I stopped following the v8s because of the way they ruined it over the years. Please dont ruin the 12hr!

On the plus side, here’s a best case scenario:

Mark Pickering The first step towards GT3 becoming the biggest category in Australia – we all know Gen2 is a dog … At least this way Warburton and co and transition to GT3 slowly but surely …

[Source: Bathurst 12 Hour]

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Bathurst 12 Hour Motorsports

V8SC wants Bathurst 12 Hour promotional rights

Nissan GTR GTR wins 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour

A bit over twenty years ago the management of Australia’s premier touring car category banned cars like the Nissan GT-R. In fact, they banned anything that wasn’t a Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore. It now appears that current V8SC management wants to welcome the likes of the GT-R back with open arms and the first step to doing that is to buy the promotional rights for February’s Bathurst 12 Hour race.

A report on Speedcafe suggests James Warburton, V8SC CEO, is willing to buy the rights from current promoters for as much as $4 million.  Currently the promotional rights are shared between James O’Brien (Yeehah Events) and the Bathurst Regional Council.

With the fast approaching demise of local manufacturing V8SC needs to broaden its horizons, and fast. It’s been suggested that V8SC is seeking to accept GT-style racecars as part of its Gen2 rules to be adopted in 2017.

Tensions between V8SC and the Bathurst 12 Hour were heightened this year when a new V8SC broadcast agreement with Foxtel effectively banned its drivers from competing at the 12 Hour, thanks to a compulsory V8SC test session that had been organised for the same weekend.

This arrangement upset a lot of 12 Hour fans, including AUSmotive.

V8SC claims it offered to buy the broadcast rights for the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour in a deal which would have cleared the date clash by combining the pre-season test and the 12 Hour race into a weekend-long event and seen the race telecast live on Foxtel.

Although there’s no quotes attributed to either side, it’s reported that James O’Brien denies this offer was ever made.

As it stands the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour will be held over the weekend of 5–7 February with television coverage on Channel 7.

The increasing success of the Bathurst 12 Hour is a double-edged sword for fans who have followed the race since the introduction of GT3 cars. The bigger the race gets the more it loses its boutique and casual appeal.

Whatever happens in the future and whoever promotes the event, we hope the current charm and appeal of the 12 Hour race is not lost forever.

[Source: Speedcafe | Thanks to Stu for the tip]

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Bathurst 12 Hour

2016 Bathurst 12 hour wants you

2016 Bathurst 12 hour promo

Today is June 23. But that’s not important right now. What is important is that there’s 229 days to go until the 2016 Bathurst 12 hour. It’ll be held on the weekend of 5–7 February and we suggest you put it in your diary right now.

If you still need convincing watch the video after the break. That should do it.

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Aston Martin Audi Bathurst 12 Hour Bentley

2015 Bathurst 12hr: Final corner scrap

2015 Bathurst 12 hour last corner fight

We all know the #35 Nissan GT-R won the 2015 Bathurst 12 hour and we know that the #15 Audi came second and the #97 Aston Martin was third.

However, the manner in which the minor placings were decided has remained a mystery. Going into Conrod Straight for the last time the #10 Bentley was in P2 from the Audi, with the Aston close behind.

The Aston Martin got ahead of the Audi before the Chase to claim the final podium step. Thanks to the arsery from Channel 7 we never got to see the final corner stoush that sorted out this three-way battle and saw the Audi go from fourth to second. Thanks to “Rusty Blackmore” and his trackside YouTube clip we can now see what happened next.

Entering Murray’s Corner the Bentley had the inside line, with the Audi trying to find its way past on the outside. The Aston was tucked in behind the Bentley looking for an early apex to make a move on the final left hand corner of the race and then…

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Bathurst 12 Hour Ford Nissan

A few laps around Mount Panorama

2015 Bathurst 12 hour

We bring you three videos from the recent 2015 Bathurst 12 hour race giving you a driver’s eye view around the 6.2km Mount Panorama circuit.

The first features the eventual race winner Katsumasa Chiyo in the #35 Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 during Firday practice.

The second was filmed during the race and shows Ben Gersekowski behind the wheel of the #93 MARC Cars Australia Focus V8. This clip includes telemetry from the car which brings further interest.

In the final clip you start the race onboard the #42 BMW M3 GTR with Anthony Gilbertson … until he hits that kangaroo.

Continue reading “A few laps around Mount Panorama”
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Bathurst 12 Hour BMW Video

VIDEO: Bathurst 12hr kangaroo strike

BMW M3 hits kangaroo, 2015 Bathurst 12 hour

The 2015 Bathurst 12 hour race saw a record 20 Safety Car periods. The first of those came after this incident during the early stages of the race when Anthony Gilbertson driving the #42 BMW M3 GTR hit a kangaroo on Conrod Straight.

Video of the strike has been uploaded to YouTube by Gilbertson and can be seen below. If you’re not up to seeing a skippy get hit at high speed or some colourful language it’s best if you don’t watch the clip.

Kangaroos have long been a a problem at Mount Panorama and a cull was proposed by Bathurst Councillor Warren Aubin last year in the wake of Roger Lago’s kangaroo strike which ended his Bathurst 12 hour race.

[Thanks to Aaron for the tip]

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Bathurst 12 Hour Motorsports Safety Issues

Why the Safety Car sucks

2015 Bathurst 12 Hour race

I will preface what you’re about to read by saying that the Safety Car is a necessary part of motor racing. This is especially the case on a track like Mount Panorama with its narrow concrete chasms. I would never advocate for the removal of the Safety Car as a concept and as a means of limiting the risk of injury to drivers, officials and spectators.

However, in yesterday’s Bathurst 12 Hour race there were 20 Safety Car periods. Yes, 20! On average, that’s one every 36 minutes.

There’s no evidence to suggest that any of those Safety Car periods were not warranted. Thankfully, there was only one concerning incident, involving David Brabham and it appears he has suffered nothing more than a few bruised ribs.

When it was appropriate, Race Control allowed time for spinning drivers to right themselves and if they couldn’t only then was a full course yellow called.

In terms of the safety aspect, then, I have no complaints at all. What I dislike about the Safety Car is that it robs us of competition.

In an event like the Bathurst 12 Hour, time spent following the SC lessens the endurance aspect. There’s less demand on the cars; drivers get time to relax. Rightly or wrongly the Safety Car makes endurance racing easier. And this was especially the case yesterday.

Inevitably, it now seems, we can no longer have an endurance race at Mount Panorama without having a Safety Car in the closing stages. This artificially closes any hard fought leads drivers and teams have worked so hard to establish.

All throughout the commentary yesterday we were told, “You just need to stay on the lead lap, because you just know there’ll be a Safety Car to bunch up the field leaving a sprint to the flag.”

I want to see a 12 hour endurance race, not a two-lap sprint!

Yes, it is a test of endurance to stay on the lead lap in a race of such time. But that’s not really the point. With the pace Markus Winkelhock showed at the start of yesterday’s race nobody was going to stay on the lead lap! The distance record would have been smashed and, potentially, a new Bathurst legend would have been born.

Alas, we were robbed yesterday. We’ll never know if Winkelhock’s pace in the opening stint of the race was sustainable. We’ll never know if it was a considered strategy to try and blow his opponents off the track, or if the other teams were deliberately holding back. Could the R8 really have gone a full 12 hours setting lap times around the 2:03 mark? Did Winkelhock and his teammates have the mental strength to maintain that pace, let alone their car?

I’m a little sad that we’re only ever going to be able to theorise over what may have happened, because the price we rightly pay to limit the risk of injury through the use of the Safety Car is to increase the risk of limiting competition.

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Aston Martin Audi Bathurst 12 Hour Nissan

Nissan GTR GT3 wins 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour

Nissan GTR GTR wins 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour

A factory-backed Nissan team stood atop the Bathurst podium for the first time since that pack of arseholes win back in 1992. Katsumasa Chiyo drove the #35 GTR Nismo GT3 to victory with a perfectly timed charge for the lead in a two-lap sprint for the chequered flag.

That final sprint came courtesy of the 20th Safety Car period of the race which, thankfully, was over in time to see the race decided under green flag conditions. At the start of the second last lap the Nissan was in third place, by Hell Corner Chiyo had moved into P2 and by Griffins Bend he had the lead. Never challenged he crossed the line with a relatively comfortable gap back to the chaos going on behind him.

You can read more detailed coverage of the race elsewhere, all we’ll add to our thoughts on the race is that we would have loved to have seen the #15 Phoenix Audi R8 win. In the opening hour or so Markus Winkelhock was a class above the rest of the field. It was beautiful to watch as the gap back to second visibly widened with each lap.

At the end, in that dramatic run from Forrest Elbow to the flag, the #15 car went from almost taking second place, to being relegated to fourth to crossing the line in P2 in a move that we’re still yet to see on video (Channel 7 we’ll get to you later).

Overall, though, the Bathurst 12 Hour is a truly great race. Why would you watch six hours of supertaxis when you can watch 12 hours of bona fide supercars! Watching the GT cars fly across the top of the mountain is perhaps one of the finest motor racing spectator experiences on offer in Australia. And seven different brands in the top seven says all you need to know about GT racing and is part of what makes it so enjoyable to watch.

Each brand has its own unique sound. Those Marc Racing V8s are a pretty cool concept, but they sound like every other V8 Supercar in that god forsaken series. In the GT category there’s V12s, V10, V8s, V6s and flat-sixes. The Bentleys and Mercedes have a gutteral growl, the Audis shriek, the 458s shriek a bit more. Each has its own character as the drivers work through the gears. The Nissan less clinical than you might think. The Porsche is just different to everything else out there.

It’s believeable. Seeing racecars genuinely based on their roadgoing counterparts respects the paying punter much more than the direction V8SC has taken. I don’t like being treated like a fool, thankfully with GT racing that is not the case.

Slowly, but surely, the crowds are catching on too. It was a record crowd for the 12 Hour this year and while still a long way off the crowds for the 1000km race the gap is closing. Of course, the VB and Winnie blue factor is a bit lower as well.

If you love motorsport and haven’t yet made it to the Bathurst 12 Hour, give yourself a kick up the arse and start planning for 2016!

2015 Bathurst 12 Hour top 7

  1. #35 Nissan GTR Nismo GT3 – 269 laps
  2. #15 Audi R8 LMS Ultra – 269 laps
  3. #97 Aston Martin V12 Vantage – 269 laps
  4. #10 Bentley Continental GT3 – 269 laps
  5. #36 Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3 – 269 laps
  6. #49 Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 – 268 laps
  7. #32 Lamboghini Gallardo GT3 – 268 laps

[Pic: Instagram]

UPDATE: Nissan’s video wrap and press release have been added below.

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Bathurst 12 Hour

Reminder: 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour

2014 Bathurst 12 Hour

A quick reminder that the Bathurst 12 Hour is being held this weekend. We’ll be taking a very low key approach to coverage this year due to a number of reasons. However, you will still be well served because all 12 hours of the race will be shown on free-to-air television.

Coverage will start bright and early on Sunday morning on 7mate before switching across to Channel 7 for the final three hours of the race. That’s actually pretty cool. And remember, we don’t want any of you to spend a single second watching the V8 Supercars practice session; join the AUSmotive boycott and #SayNoToV8SC!

If you’re a social media butterfly then you have heaps of options to cover the event. Photographer Joel Strickland has compiled a thoroughly excellent and comprehensive guide to following the #B12hr on social media.

Finally, the ever reliable, enthusiastic and near iconic Radio Le Mans crew are at the mountain to provide commentary to the world as well. So you’ve got no excuse for not knowing what the hell is going on this weekend.

All the best to the competitors and crew we hope you have an awesome weekend and that the TV coverage rates its arse off!

[Pic: Joel Strickland]

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Bathurst 12 Hour Motorsports

V8 Supercars is an inward looking pile of crap

2014 Bathurst 12 Hour

GT racing is better than V8 Supercars. It just is. At least that’s my firmly held opinion.

Watch a GT race and you’ll see it has genuine variety, desirability and access to some of the world’s greatest drivers and certainly access to the world’s greatest tracks. Le Mans, the Nürburgring Nordschleife and Spa are just a few of the tracks you’ll see GT cars competing on.

Ever since the creation of the exclusive Holden v Ford V8 Supercars series it’s been a narrow minded world designed to shield itself from outside influences. Yes, the racing has at times been exciting and there’s no denying the crowds and support has been immense. And, yes, I’ve even enjoyed watching a few races, usually the iconic Bathurst 1000, which has a cultural significance that will last well beyond the life of V8SC.

But the V8SC era has never held the appeal to me of the touring cars I grew up with in the 1970s and 1980s, which had greater depth and (to me) much more credibility.

Ironically, in a desperate bid to maintain relevancy, V8SC has had to open its four doors to other manufacturers. And from 2017 onwards you won’t even need a V8 engine to race in V8 Supercars. It is fast becoming an irrelevant series improving its ability to shuffle deck chairs.

Now V8 Supercars is circling its wagons to protect itself from the superior GT classes. And how are they doing that? By stopping the likes of Craig Lowndes and all other V8SC drivers from competing in the Bathurst 12 Hour. And in one fell swoop V8SC management proves itself to be the rednecks we feared they were.

Next year’s Bathurst 12 Hour, with its increasingly strong field and international importance, is scheduled for 7–8 February. In response to that V8SC has scheduled a compulsory test session on the same weekend and changed its regulations to make it mandatory for the category’s lead drivers to participate. That is, V8SC has officially banned its drivers from racing in the Bathurst 12 Hour.

Fuck you V8 Supercars, I will never watch another race in your shitty and globally insignificant series again!

[Source: Speedcafe | Pic: Joel Strickland Photographics | Thanks to Wes for the tip]

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Bathurst 12 Hour Bentley

David Brabham to join Bentley at Bathurst

Flying B Bentley Continental GT3

David Brabham will join Flying B Racing at next year’s Bathurst 12 Hour. The three times Le Mans winner will drive a Bentley Continental GT3 alongside John Bowe and Peter Edwards.

“When the team rang to ask if I wanted to join them to race at the Bathurst 12 hour next year, I thought a Christmas present had come early,” Brabham said.

“I have wanted to do this race for the last few years, but just couldn’t manage it, now I can and I am so excited to be racing in a Bentley with Flying B Racing. I was second for Bentley at Le Mans in 2003 so I have a great relationship with them and to race for last year’s winning team gives me an excellent chance to win what has now become a truly international event.

“It has been pleasing to see this race grow in stature over the years and the competition there will be a fantastic challenge to overcome. I can’t wait.

Flying B Racing is an offshoot of Maranello Motorsport, the team who prepped this year’s winning Ferrari 458 Italia GT3. The Flying B Bentley Continental GT3 made its race debut last weekend at the Highlands 101 race in New Zealand, completing 55 laps of the 101 lap event before retiring with mechanical issues.

[Source: Brabham | Pic: Facebook]

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Bathurst 12 Hour

2015 Bathurst 12 Hour promo launched

2015 Bathurst 12 Hour promo

We already know the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour will be held on the weekend of 6–8 February. Now we have a brand new promo for the event too. It starts a bit slowly, but before too long there’s cars flying all over the place.

So, as Hindy would say: “Get your backside trackside!”

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