New car for returning B12hr GT4 contenders

US-BASED contenders for the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour’s GT4 class have already confirmed their intentions to return to the Mountain in 2019.

The RHC Jorgensen / Strom by MARC Cars squad will return to Bathurst next February in an effort to elevate themselves onto the podium of the hotly-contested GT4 class.

Supported by Queensland-based MARC Cars Australia, drivers Darren Jorgensen, Brett Strom, Cameron Lawrence and Kuno Wittmer finished 4th in class this year driving a BMW M4 GT4, making the flag despite a typically challenging Bathurst day.

The team will enter the 31 January – 3 February 2019 event with a brand-new car and a longer track record of local success behind them.

Jorgensen and Strom finished an outstanding second outright in the Bathurst 6 Hour Production Car race held at Easter this year, and then won the GT4 class at the Australian GT Endurance Championship event at Phillip Island two months later.

“We are returning in a brand-new BMW M4GT4 which will be shipped to MARC Cars in a few weeks,” Jorgensen said.

“Two drivers will definitely be back – Brett Strom and myself. We’re still working on the remainder of the driving line-up and we’re looking at whether we go three or four drivers – I love to drive the Mountain way too much and don’t like to give up my driver time!

“We’ve had a great year in Australia. The Bathurst 6 Hour was fantastic and in June we won the Australian GT Endurance Championship race at Phillip Island – and we’ll be back there in the Production Car later in November.”

As well as their existing Australian commitments, the team will also tackle the 12 Hours of Spa enduro later this year, using the same chassis they raced at Bathurst earlier this year.

The rapidly growing GT4 class is expected to expand even further in 2019 following a competitive battle in the race this year.

Young-guns Aaron Seton and Matthew Brabham paired with former Bathurst champion Tony Longhurst to win the race driving a BMW M4.

Their four-lap margin belayed the tight competition throughout the race.

Three different brands filled the GT4 podium with Ginetta Australia finishing second thanks to the efforts of Lindsay Kearns, Colby Cowham and Mike Simpson, while M Motorsport’s KTM X-Bow driven by Glen Wood, Trent Harrison and Cody Hill finished third.

Nine cars entered the race in the GT4 class, representing Ginetta, BMW, Porsche and KTM.

GT4 cars from McLaren, Audi and Mercedes-AMG are yet to tackle the event though several teams representing those brands have expressed intent to enter.

Tickets can be purchased via Ticketek, with access via the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour website – www.bathurst12hour.com.au