Holdsworth joins Audi squad

LEE HOLDSWORTH will add his name to the list of established Virgin Australia Supercars Championship full-timers to join the grid at the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour next February.

Holdsworth confirmed on his Facebook page yesterday that he would join Marc Cini and Dean Fiore aboard the Hallmarc Racing Audi R8 LMS on the Mountain next February.

The Preston Hire Racing driver joins an established list of Supercars full-timers already confirmed on the 2017 grid, including Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, Shane van Gisbergen and Mark Winterbottom.

Cini, who is the most experienced driver in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia history, is a 12-hour regular and this year raced a previous-generation R8 with Mark Eddy and factory Audi ace Christoper Mies - ultimately failing to finish after a crash ended their day after completing 157 laps.

Fiore contested this year's Porsche Carrera Cup Australia championship and also partnered Michael Caruso in a factory Nissan in the Supercar enduros.

The Holdsworth / Cini / Fiore combination is likely to be an early favorite for the B.R.M Chronographs Pro/Am Cup, open to entries fielding an 'unseeded' driver amongst their line up.

Holdsworth has one prior Bathurst 12 Hour start to his credit, finishing sixth outright in 2013 driving an Erebus Motorsport SLS AMG with Peter Hackett and Tim Slade.

Holdsworth also posted an image of the Hallmarc team's striking new livery that they will utilise at the 12-Hour, unveiled at a recent Winton test day.