Bathurst test for Onslow-Cole

BRITISH ace Tom Onslow-Cole will test for MARC Cars Australia at this week's Challenge Bathurst event at Mount Panorama.

Less than a month after publicly confirming his desire to tackle the Mountain, the 29-year-old will link with Ryan McLeod's MARC Cars Australia squad this weekend at the two-day 'Lightning Sprint' event for his first taste of the epic 6.213km Mount Panorama circuit.

The move comes as the experienced Brit seeks to expand his career on the Mountain with a start in the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

“I’m looking forward to driving at Bathurst,” the Milltek Sport-sponsored driver said.

“We’re taking part in the Challenge Bathurst Lightening Super Sprint, which has a very impressive list of names on the entry, including some that will be racing in the 12-hour race in February.

“I’ve been learning the track on the simulator and it’s incredible. The Sprint will be a great opportunity for me to get some real-life experience there and I’m incredibly grateful to Ryan for inviting me to drive his cars. Hopefully, with some track time under my belt, I’ll be able to secure myself a good seat for Bathurst 12 Hours.”

When the news broke of OC’s desire to race ‘Down Under’ he had to put his middle-of-the-night jump-into-action skills, honed in 24-hour racing, to use. The time difference meant the news hit the Australian press at 04.00hrs UK time and, within 15 minutes, OC’s phone was ringing and waking him from his bed not far from Silverstone International Circuit in the UK.

“I’ve learned the art of waking up quickly, having contested twelve 24-hour races in the last three years!” he commented.

“So, answering the calls from Australia at 4am was pretty easy, but I’m glad the first one was from Ryan at MARC Cars - we go back a little way and it’s a team I’ve raced with before.”

It’s no surprise OC, who has been a Rockstar Energy Drink Athlete for seven years, received immediate interest from teams ‘Down Under’. He’s got a solid GT3 endurance racing record that includes second place in Dubai 24 Hours; wins at Paul Ricard 24 Hours and 24 Hours of Brno; and multiple podiums at Mugello 12 Hours, Zandvoort 12 Hours and Barcelona 24 Hours, to name a few.

The Challenge Bathurst Lightening Super Sprint begins on Thursday 24th November. It is a two-day event for elite and experienced motorsport competitors looking to fine-tune and test their skills, in a rare opportunity to gain valuable practice for the Bathurst 12 Hours race.

Further information can be found here: www.challengebathurst.com/lightning