The most revered corner in the sport

IT'S NOT hard to reach high speeds around the Mount Panorama Circuit.

In fact, with more than half of the circuit made up of straight lines, it’s easy to see why the GT3 entrants at the 2019 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12-hour will nudge 280km/h along the 1.9km stretch of Conrod Straight.

But it isn’t the expansive straights or high speeds that are going to cause some restless nights for drivers in the lead up to this years’ race. It’s the 23 turns they will need to negotiate in between those glorious straights.

Of those 23 corners, the Dipper is renowned as one of the most difficult and unforgiving corners in Australian Motorsport.

The third sharp corner in the Esses, the Dipper is aptly named after the sudden ‘dip’ that occurs on the sharp left-hand turn. Having been likened to the sinking feeling of a rollercoaster, the tumultuous left-hander is a stark representation of the elevation change around Mount Panorama.

In addition to some restless nights, the infamous corner has produced some of the most memorable moments in Australian motorsport.

In the closing stages of the 2017 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, the Sparesbox Dipper claimed the scalp of the No. 22 Mercedes driven by Shane Van Gisbergen following an awkward bounce off the exit kerb caused Van Gisbergen to lose control.

After making contact with Andrew McPherson’s lapped No.51 Porsche exiting Caltex Chase, the No. 22 Mercedes carried too much speed through the Esses and down the Dipper, sending it nose first into the concrete wall.

The impact left the Mercedes with a cracked radiator and forced it to a stop on the exit of Caltex Chase. Van Gisbergen was left to wonder what could have been as Jamie Whincup sealed a fairy tale GT debut by driving the No.88 Maranello Motorsports Ferrari 488 to victory with co-drivers Toni Vilander and Craig Lowndes looking on in delight.

Australia’s Largest Online Auto Parts Store, Sparesbox, will return to Mount Panorama as the naming rights sponsor for the Dipper at the 2019 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12-hour.

Buoyed by the prospect of playing a pivotal role in the race, Sparesbox CEO Leon Saliba hopes that means slightly less controversy this time around.

“We’re really excited to be returning to the dipper for the 2019 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12-hour. Being a part of the event in 2017 was incredible, although we’re hoping no one takes any paint off the dipper this time around”

Content provided by Sparesbox. To find out more about the company, visit www.sparesbox.com.au