Onslow-Cole targets B12hr start

FRESH from a big victory in a 24 Hour Race held at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic last weekend, British GT ace Tom Onslow-Cole has targeted the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour as his next ‘must win’ race.

Driving with three others - including former 12-Hour runner Peter Kox - Onslow-Cole helped steer a Scuderia Praha Ferrari 488 GT3 to a monster 38-lap victory in the Brno 24 Hour GT race held on Sunday, building on his already impressive GT resume'.

The former British Touring Car Championship racer successfully switched to a GT career several years ago and has flourished in the discipline, having made starts in a majority of the big races around the world.

Having grown up watching racing at Mount Panorama, Onslow-Cole says he considers Bathurst’s around-the-clock epic one of the ‘big five’ enduros.

“Watching the cars roar up and over the mountain at Bathurst was a highlight of my year, as a kid,” he told bathurst12hour.com.au

“After a successful 10-year career in touring cars, including race-winning programs with Vauxhall, BMW and Ford, I switched to GTs and, since then, I’ve had the ‘big five’ in my sights: 24 Hours of Le Mans, Spa 24 Hours, Nürburgring 24 Hours, Daytona 24 Hours and, of course, Bathurst 12 Hour.

“I’ve already raced at Le Mans and Spa 24 Hours, and I’ve now done a deal for Nürburgring 24 Hours, next year, so adding the Bathurst 12 Hour would be awesome.”

Onslow-Cole, who is a seven-time race winner in the BTCC, has become something of a GT all-rounder, with experience in a majority of the current-specification GT3 machinery that will tackle the Mountain next February 3-5.

“Looking at the grid, which already has more than 50 cars on it, I’ve raced most of the GT3s entered. In fact, I’ve now raced in most current GT3 cars: Mercedes (SLS and GT), Nissan, Ferrari (458 and 488), Aston Martin and Bentley, and I’d happily scale the mountain in any of them!

“My season starts at Dubai 24 Hours where I’m looking to go one better than my second place overall result and I’d love nothing more than to follow this with my Bathurst debut.”