GT COMPETITORS have clearly embraced the move to allow their vehicles to compete in the Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race, to be held at Mount Panorama next month.
20 GT cars across three classes will be joined by some of the best Production cars in the land at the February 4-6 Event, following confi rmation of the official entry list today.
Whilst the total grid of 28 cars is down on 2010 , the number of GT cars set to race is above the Event Organiser’s expectations and promises a stunning race – with a clear favourite hard to pick.
The GT grid is headed by a team of champions assembled by current Australian GT Champion David Wall.
The V8 Supercar enduro co-driver will be joined in his Porsche GT3 Cup S by former GT champion Greg Crick and David’s father, multiple Sports Sedan champion Des.
International GT standout Allan Simonsen will pilot a Ferrari F430 GT3 with Irishman Hector Lester and Luke Searle, with John Bowe in a similar car alongside Peter Edwards and Tim Leahey to be run by Maranello Motorsport.
The firepower-filled class also includes the two Audi Race Experience R8’s, several strong Porsche contenders plus Dean Grant’s V8-powered Mosler.
Class B is the domain solely of Porsche, including a 997 GT3 Cup car to be driven by Peter Boylan, Geoff Morgan and David Sieders, plus two New Zealand entries from the Motorsport Services team.
Class C is about variety, with BMW, Chevrolet Corvette, Lotus and Nissan all represented. Whilst the Nissan, Lotus and Corvette have battled in GT championship competition for several seasons, the BMW M3 to be driven by Beric Lynton, Matthew Mackelden and MINI challenge driver John Modystach has enduro pedigree and should contend.
The ranks of production cars feature quality entrants, topped by three cars well versed in fighting for class and outright victory in the Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour.
The High Performance Production Car class battle will be waged between the Alan East Motorsport Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX of Leigh Burgess, Damien Flack and former Gold Star champion Neil McFadyen and a Subaru WRX STI to be steered by Rally ace Dean Herridge, John O’Dowd and Angus Kennard.
Keen to topple the four-wheel drive cars will be the defending champion BMW 335i Turbo, who will look to take its third chequered flag despite having a new driver line-up this year. That car will be driven by Peter O’Donnell, Matt Hansen and Christian D’Agostin.
The Production – Performance battle features three of the reliable BMW 130i models, plus Ryan McLeod’s giant-killing Holden Astra VXR turbo and some Aussie muscle in the form of Paul Nelson and 1966 Bathurst winner Bob Holden – who teamed up to drive a tiny little Toyota Yaris last year – in a Ford XR8 Falcon.
In total the entry list features 12 marques, 17 different models and five international entries, plus a host of driving talent from Australia and around the world.
“The number of GT cars entered has exceeded my expectations,” Event Director James O’Brien said.
“There is great variety and depth amongst this grid – it looks to me like there will be plenty of cars fighting for the win and that’s what we want to see.
“We are especially looking forward to welcoming the five cars from overseas. We are very pleased to have international interest in the Event and I’m sure this will grow in the future.
“Clearly the number of production car entries is disappointing, reflecting a combination of factors such as the general economy, increased competition from other production car endurance races, ineligibility of some vehicles and the fact some did not want to compete alongside GT cars.
“However we are really looking forward to seeing the mix of GT and Production vehicles going head to head in what should be an exciting and competitive Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour across the board.”
GT vehicles will join with production cars for the first time in 2011, with entries secured from Audi, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Holden, Lotus, Mitsubishi, Mosler, Nissan, Porsche and Subaru .
Historic Group N Touring Cars, Group C & A Historic Touring Cars, Improved Production, HQ Holden’s and Formula Vee will feature throughout Friday and Saturday’s action, ensuring a racing program that caters to nearly every type of Australian Motorsport fan.
2011 ARMOR ALL BATHURST 12 HOUR – SELECTED COMPETITOR ACHIEVEMENTS
4 x Australian GT Champions (David Wall, Allan Simonsen, Greg Crick, Mark Eddy)
3x Bathurst 500 / 1000 winners (Craig Lowndes, Bob Holden, John Bowe)
2x Australian Touring Car / V8 Supercar Champions (Craig Lowndes, John Bowe)
2x Australian Porsche Carrera Cup Champions (Craig Baird, David Reynolds)
2x Australian Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge winners (Matt Kingsley, Roger Lago)
1x Fujitsu V8 Supercar champion (Steve Owen)
1x Australian Drivers Championship / Gold Star winner (Neil McFadyen)
1x Panama to Alaska Rally winner (Rick Bates)
1x Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour winner (John Bowe)
1x V8 Ute Series Champion (Warren Luff)
2011 ARMOR ALL BATHURST 12 HOUR – ENTRY LIST
(Number | Sponsor / Team | Drivers | Car)
CLASS A – GT3 Outright
2 Procon Developments Dean Grant / Max Twigg / Geoff Emery Mosler MT 900
7 Audi Race Experience Team Joest Mark Eddy / Craig Lowndes / Warren Luff Audi R8 LMS
8 Audi Race Experience Team Joest Darryl O’Young / Marc Basseng / Christopher Heis Audi R8 LMS
12 Hallmarc Marc Cini / David Reynolds / Dean Fiore Porsche GT3 Cup S
17 Maranello / Il Bello Rosso Peter Edwards / John Bowe / Tim Leahey Ferrari 430 GT3
29 VIP Petfoods Tony Quinn / Klark Quinn / Craig Baird Porsche GT3 R
37 Red Alert Laser Tag Hector Lester / Luke Searle / Allan Simonsen Ferrari 430 GT3
38 Wilson Security / Shannons David Wall / TBA / Des Wall Porsche GT3 Cup S
69 Superbarn Supermarkets James Koundouris / Theo Koundouris / Steve Owen Porsche GT3 Cup S
Class B – GT3
6 Boylan Group Peter Boylan / Geoff Morgan / Rick Bates Porsche 997 GT3 Cup
10 Racing Dynamics Andrew Waller / Cade Bell / Craig Willis Porsche 997 GT3 Cup
23 Falcon Property Group Roger Lago / Matthew Kingsley / David Russell Porsche 997 GT3 Cup
39 Bakrhouse Quarter / McGrath Paul Tressider / Shane Smollen / Simon Middleton Porsche 997 GT3 Cup
66 Motorsport Services Ltd Scott O’Donell / Simon McLeannan / TBA Porsche 996 GT3 Cup
67 Motorsport Services Ltd Allan Dippie / Stephen Thompson / Mark Maddren Porsche 996 GT3 Cup
Class C – GT4
25 Michelin Paul Freestone / Hayden Pullen / David Seiders Chevrolet Corvette Z06
44 Donut King Racing Tony Alford / Peter Leehmuis / Mal Rose Nissan GTR
62 Simply Sports Cars Adam Gowans / Richard Meins / Chris Lillington-Price Lotus Exige S
63 Eagle Rob Thompson / Jon Mills / TBA Lotus Exige S
80 Bruce Lynton BMW Beric Lynton / Matthew Mackelden / John Modystach BMW M3
Class D – Production High Performance
3 Maximum Motorsport Dean Herridge / John O’Dowd / Angus Kennard Subaru WRX STi
28 GWS Personel Peter O’Donnell / Matt Hansen / Christian D’Agostin BMW 335i Turbo
43 Easts Holiday Parks Leigh Burgess / Damien Flack / Neil McFadyen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
Class E – Production – Performance
16 Bezcorp Security ` Paul Nelson / Bob Holden / TBA Ford Falcon XR8
26 GWS Personel Bruce Thomlinson / Geoff Fontaine / Richard Gartner BMW 130i
27 The Shire Conveyancer Allan Shephard / Garth Duffy /TBA BMW 130i
50 Racer Industries Ryan McLeod / TBA / TBA Holden Astra VXR
68 Motorsport Services Ltd. David Glasson / Dennis Roderick / Aaron Harris BMW 130i
NEW WEBSITE
The new website for the Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour is now online. Check out www.bathurst12hour.com.au for more information about the 2011 event.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
You can follow the ArmorAll Bathurst 12 Hour on Twitter here. Our active Facebook group and community can be found by clicking here.
CLASS STRUCTURE: 2011 ARMOR ALL BATHURST 12 HOUR
For a complete list of eligible vehicles please download from the new look website: www.bathurst12hour.com.au/competitor-info/vehicle-eligibility-class-structure
Congratulations on the return of the GT endurance racing to Mount Panorama. This is more than the first and second 24hr meet which makes it a success. I would be great to see an invitation class of the classic NGT,GT performance class of 2002/2003 joining the event. Just no Monaro as it will only kill the event again..
Looking forward to Feb 2011!!
Well done people
Great to see a good field, a little thin but it’s a start.
Can we hope this might be the precursor to a round of the FIA GT3 Championship (or similar)??
Please give us a relevant International series race in Australia, other than F1, and not something that would either have to rely on or have to share with the V8′s and thus be controlled or indeed eventually strangled by those 1 show ponies.
About time that the population at large get to see some real motor sport, at least motorsport as it once was instead of a procession of the one mechanical device with different skins.
very disapointing no sportswagon no commodores wtf needless to say i was personally very upset when the 24hr died but this is a way back some what go the chev power
Bathurst 12 Hour was forging ahead in leaps and bounds , giving us back the true Bathurst tradition of a variety of production based vehicles in true endurance racing. This is something that the V8 Supercar formula of Silhouette Racecars with no relevance to cars available for purchase has lost sight of. To involve GT cars in the 12 hour has pushed out the relevant cars, reduced entry lists ,and stalled / reversed spectator interest. I predict only a dozen cars left circulating at race end unless they are preserved by a “pace car athon ” Return to the 2010 rules, support and foster the event this event has enormous potential
The entry list of cars for the 12 hour is obviously small, but it is a quality field & i for one are very pleased with the inclusion of GT cars & guest drivers. This type of racing & the event itself is what motor racing is about, it is a shame that it won’t be shown ‘live’ on TV, so i guess i’ll be watching the live stream.What fantastic support catorgories have been chosen, again a pity they won’t see any air time.This will be a fantastic weekend of racing.
Congratulations on the entry list for the 12hour.
There is a larger number of level one competitors than at any 12hr or 24hr held before this event. There is no doubt it will grow to larger numbers as time goes by. Both teams and supporters.
Thankyou for providing the Bathurst 12hr
It’s disappointing to see all the posts bagging V8 Supercars here. If there were no V8 Supercars series Mount Panorama wouldn’t be the track it is today and there would be no 12H at the mountain.