The 2023 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour happens from February 3-5. Image: Ross Gibb Photography. The New Year hangovers are still alive and kicking however currently we’re flat chat into the lead up to the second-best occasion of the Australian motorsports year; the Bathurst 12 Hour on the 5th of February. I for one could not be better– I’m no fan of the off-season. Whilst the Bathurst 1000 is, for me, still The Great Race, the 12 Hour runs it a close second. And now that the occasion has actually been brought back to its appropriate put on the calendar (after needing to run it in May in 2015 due to surround constraints and so on) we can ideally delight in some excellent weather condition and a big crowd. The entry list appears like it ought to get near to 30 automobiles as things stand at the minute, offered all the problems around world freight at the minute. That’s a respectable effort and offers a platform to develop on for 2024 when the target needs to be 40 high quality entries in my viewpoint, in line with pre-pandemic numbers. Now, let me be extremely open. I personally protested a go back to an exclusively PRO motorist class as the leading class for this occasion in 2023. GT3 racing relies extremely greatly on the AM chauffeurs (the novices who go racing for enjoyable and fund the majority of it) the world over, no place more so than here in Australia. The 2022 occasion simply would not have actually occurred unless the AM chauffeurs had actually been offered the chance to win the race outright as an outcome of the PRO/AM classification being the leading class. That’s not to state that it’s difficult for a PRO/AM automobile to win the race outright versus an all-PRO entry, however it’s not that most likely. The reward for the (mainly in your area based) AM chauffeurs to enter their automobiles in the PRO/AM class last year was high and the organisers got a sensible grid in extremely tough situations. My belief was that all those owners/drivers must have been provided another year of this structure as a benefit for their assistance in 2022, with a go back to the pre pandemic structure for 2024. The powers that be took a various view and the 2023 occasion includes a complete PRO class. Some in your area based AM chauffeurs appear to have actually chosen to sit the occasion out and will most likely be missing out on from the grid as an outcome. That’s the call. Now, provided the method the grid is forming up until now, the organisers might well be shown right to be returning to the complete PRO classification as the lead class. And all credit to them if we wind up with a truly strong group of 10-12 leading level PRO cars and trucks plus another 10-12 excellent PRO/AM or AM/AM automobiles running. The indications look extremely appealing at the minute provided the dedications revealed up until now from the similarity BMW and AMG. You understand that there’ll be some strong Audis in there plus a Porsche or 2. Naturally, the greatest statement to date needs to be that from the WRT group (2018 winners with Audi) who are not just bringing 2 brand-new BMW M4 GT3 automobiles (the very first time that design has actually raced in Australia) however likewise among the most significant names in Motorsports as part of their chauffeur line up– Valentino Rossi. There’s no doubt that he’s going to be a substantial drawcard for the 12 Hour and his existence will not just enormously increase regional attention however around the world exposure for the race. I truly hope now that a few of the regional AM motorists who have actually been, naturally, in 2 minds regarding whether to go into the race this year will have a rethink having actually seen the manner in which the occasion is forming up and will wish to belong of it. It’s likewise incumbent on the organisers to make certain that they’re doing whatever they can to improve the occasion for those regional people and motivate them to come along. I ‘d actually prompt them to get on the phone now and guarantee that the grid is as huge and varied as possible. And the fantastic aspect of regional AM chauffeurs is that they’re most likely to utilize regional PRO motorists as part of a PRO/AM line up. Having home-grown heroes taking on the leading GT motorists from throughout the world is a huge part of this occasion. Hang on– there’s likewise the chance to see a genuine Red Bull Formula 1 vehicle in action at the track! I belonged of bringing the McLaren F1 cars and truck to Mount Panorama in 2011 and it was an outright adventure. And the cars and truck that Red Bull are bringing is a pre hybrid age cars and truck– so it’s complete sound! It’ll be intriguing to see who drives it on the day … The rumour is that I may be back at Bathurst on the tools once again this year. I actually hope that you’ll all exist too– or seeing it on package if you can’t make it. It’s time for fans, rivals, industrial partners and all, to support the efforts to bring the Bathurst 12 Hour back to authentic prominence in your area and globally. Delighted New Year and see you at the Mountain. Recently’s Roland’s View: Why Gen3 needed to occur.
- Sun. Oct 6th, 2024
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