Legendary 12hr car returns

RIC SHAW Racing will return to the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour in 2017 with one of the most famous and successful models of car to have ever tackled the race.

Shaw's team will field a Mazda RX-7 SP in the Invitational class next February, the iconic Mazda model entrenched in the B12hr record books as the most successful model to ever compete in Australia's around-the-clock enduro.

Mazda won the race in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and then won the Eastern Creek 12-Hour the following year for good measure.

As well as having previously contested the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, Shaw's privateer outfit from Sydney has also twice contested the Nurburgring 24 Hour in the rotary-powered racer - finishing both times.

Noted Production Car racer Shaw heads the driving duties in the No. 35 car, with life-long mates Andrew Bollom and James Parish sharing the ride.

Bollom recently won the Targa Tasmania 'Early Modern' class in the same car, showing it's ability to go the distance.

"The SP RX7 will be one of the slower cars now in the field, but in it’s day it could not be beaten," Shaw explained.

"Back then the 12 hr race was for Production based cars with few modifications and now it shows the changes in the race with the GT3 rockets of today."

“Bathurst is the best place to race a car like the SP, as it was born there and as it has no electronic aids like today's cars, you really get to know what the driving challenge at Bathurst is all about.”