2019 Bathurst 12 Hour

[theracer120]

https://www.speedcafe.com/2018/12/21/ba ... ntry-list/

The entry list has been released with 43 cars. Overall the entry is down somewhat from last years but the outright GT3 class hasn't diminished noticeably with 28 entries from 10 manufacturers.

[theracer120]

https://www.speedcafe.com/2019/01/11/fo ... rst-debut/

Paul Tracy will be driving a MARC car in the 12 Hour.

[theracer120]

https://www.speedcafe.com/2019/01/18/ba ... evealed-2/

The full entry list has been revealed. The GT3 field is great although the lower classes are quite lacking.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Yeah, only 41 cars in total is a bit disappointing after the numbers of previous years, (12 down on last year) but as has been said a top class GT3 entry with "six Mercedes-AMG GT3s, five Audi R8 LMS, four Porsche 911 GT3 Rs, and a smattering of Aston Martins, Bentleys, BMWs, Ferraris, Nissans, Lamborghinis and a single McLaren 650S GT3."

Looking forward to seeing the new Bentleys for the first time at the mountain.... they ran the old model last year. Also good to see the 2017 winning Nissan GTR of Chiyo back after missing last year.

[erwin greven]

41 Entries for Bathurst 12H

Forty-one cars on finalized entry list for Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour…

date: January 18, 2019


A total of 41 cars are on the finalized entry list for next month’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, which will again serve as the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

The world-class grid mixes Australian talent with some of the best drivers from around the world, with more than 120 drivers from 22 different nationalities representing 13 different brands and entered by teams from ten different countries.

The list includes seven former winners of the 12-Hour – for a total of nine wins – and three Allan Simonsen Pole award winners, including defending pole-sitter Chaz Mostert.

Defending IGTC manufacturer’s champion Audi and reigning drivers champions, Tristan Vautier (overall) and Kenny Habul (Bronze) will all commence their respective title defenses at Bathurst.

Eight different Bathurst 1000 winners account for 19 Great Race victories, including seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes, while drivers entered have also won the Bathurst 6 Hour (Paul Morris and Chaz Mostert) and the twice-run Bathurst 24 hour (Garth Tander and Cameron McConville) races as well.

The current outright (Christopher Mies), Bathurst 12 Hour (Shane van Gisbergen), Supercars (David Reynolds), Carrera Cup (Jaxon Evans) and Production Car (Chaz Mostert) lap record holders at Mount Panorama all feature in the field.

The Virgin Australia Supercars Championship is represented by drivers that have won 338 races and 12 championships in Australia’s top category, including seven-time champion Jamie Whincup. Multiple Super2 series winners are also included as are winners of Porsche Carrera Cup Australia and the Australian GT Championship.

The international component includes drivers to have won more than 30 different highly regarded major national or international racing championships around the world, including the FIA World Endurance Championship and a majority of the major GT3-based championships around the world.

Champions of the Blancpain GT Endurance, Sprint and Asian titles are among the field, while British Touring Car and DTM Champions join their Supercars relatives on the grid representing the best Touring Car competitions in the world.

Two outright (and six class) winners of the LeMans 24 Hour, seven Spa 24 Hour winners and 10 Nurburgring 24 Hour winners also feature.

Three former Formula One drivers accounting for 126 Grands Prix starts are entered, as is a former IndyCar series champion with 30 victories to his credit.

Current or former champions of European, Australian and British Formula 3, Indy Lights, FIA GT, SuperFormula, Super GT, Carrera Cup Asia, France, Germany, Porsche Supercup, the ADAC GT Masters and British GT are also included.

The 2019 grid includes 28 cars in the outright GT3 class, representing 10 manufacturers. This group will be split between Pro, Pro-Am and Am categories prior to the race.

Class B’s all Porsche battle includes champions of the top one-make racers from both the Australian and Asian series, plus a Porsche WEC staple.

Class C for GT4 vehicles will see a battle between BMW, Ginetta and KTM for class honours. The Ginetta team is yet to confirm their final driving line-up.

The Invitational class will see a pair each of Generation 1 and Generation 2 MARC Cars competing for their own spot on the Bathurst podium.

Sportscar365

[Everso Biggyballies]

An in-car warning system designed to alert drivers of upcoming hazards will be used for the first time in Australia at next week’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

All cars will be fitted with a Motec warning light device that aims to help prevent a repeat of a frightening crash that saw last year’s race red flagged and hospitalised two drivers.

“It doesn’t override anything that’s already in place. But basically, it’s an additional communication device which will allow a light on the dash of the car to flash up to warn drivers when they’re coming up to a sector which has a change in conditions.”

They are saying that the VASC people will be monitoring the trial with a view to using it themselves. Probably not needed everywhere but certainly at long tracks like Mt Panorama where we have seen some alarming accidents in recent years cause by drivers arriving after blind corners at the scene of a incident and becoming part of it. Im not a great fan of Health and Safety in motor racing but this move is reasonable I think.

https://www.speedcafe.com/2019/01/22/ha ... 12h-trial/

[Everso Biggyballies]

A pretty strong Mercedes 6 car lineup....

Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries for the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-Hour

#19 – Griffith Corp. Team Nineteen, Black Falcon Mark Griffith, Yelmer Buurman, Christina Nielsen
#75 – SunEnergy1 Racing Kenny Habul, Tristan Vautier, Thomas Jaeger
#77 – Mercedes-AMG Team Craft Bamboo Black Falcon Maro Engel, Luca Stolz, Gary Paffett
#777 – The Bend Motorsport Park Yasser Shahin, David Reynolds, Luke Youlden
#888 – Mercedes-AMG Team Vodafone Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, Shane van Gisbergen
#999 – Mercedes-AMG Team MANN FILTER GruppeM Racing Maximillian Buhk, Raffaele Marciello, Maximillian Goetz

They tested at Phillip Island where Craig Lowndes commented on how much easier the Merc is to drive than the Ferrari he had driven (and won) in previous 12 hours. The CL/JW/SVG car starts as favourite to win.

9 days until the action starts.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Live TV and Streaming details.

A late call, but Channel 7 have announced it will be broadcasting the full event (race and qualy) live on 7Mate. Seven’s coverage will commence with Saturday afternoon’s Pirelli Top 10 Shootout at 1600 local time/AEDT . The race will be live on the same channel (7Mate) all day on Sunday from 0530 AEDT.

The event will also be streamed live from the event website for Australia and the rest of the world.
The telecast will also be streamed on 7plus in Australia.

Commentary team pretty much unchanged..... Mark Beretta will again host the telecasts, while the commentary line-up of John Hindhaugh, Richard Craill and Johnny Palmer is also the same as in 2018. In pit lane, Beretta will be joined by Seven’s Alex Hart, and Supercars’ Chad Neylon, and Shea Adam.

Details of the International stream here: https://www.bathurst12hour.com.au/st...nal-streaming/

Australia and NZ streaming info here: https://www.bathurst12hour.com.au/streams-tv/


Full schedule of events here: https://www.bathurst12hour.com.au/schedule/

Radio Le Mans will also provide audio commentary for 12 hour sessions.

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Thanks for this, Biggy.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Thanks for this, Biggy.

My pleasure Manfred. Enjoy.

[erwin greven]

BATHURST LIVE BROADCAST BY NISMO TV.

PRE-QUALIFICATION


TOP 10 SHOOT OUT


RACE 12H BATHURST

[Everso Biggyballies]

Perhaps the closest will will see of a return to running at circuits for Mark Webber....

Mark Webber is set to cut laps of Mount Panorama at this weekend’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour event.

The nine-time grand prix winner and former World Endurance Champion will jump behind the wheel of a limited edition 700 horsepower Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport road car at the 6.2km circuit.

Webber will attend the event for the second year in succession in his role as Porsche ambassador.

Last year the 42-year-old was taken for passenger laps around the famous circuit in a Porsche piloted by American racer Patrick Long.

https://www.speedcafe.com/2019/01/29/ba ... rk-webber/

[Everso Biggyballies]

Weather forecast is looking good at this stage.... but it is Mt Panorama so it can change in a heaqrtbeat.

AFTER a massive storm crashed into Bathurst on Monday night, clearer conditions are forecast for the 2019 running of the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour this weekend.

Early forecasts provided by the Bureau of Meteorology predict Sunday’s around-the-clock epic will see a maximum of 32 degrees with partly cloudy conditions, after an overnight low of 18.

A 20% chance chance of rain is forecast for the big day.

Recent weather in the Bathurst region has seen afternoon storms roll in after hot, clear days – which is what happened on Monday afternoon. However the conditions are expected to stabilise for the remainder of the week – with Friday and Saturday in particular looking almost perfect.

The early days of the event weekend also look promising, following a hot start on Thursday where the top is expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius.

A cooler change on Friday will see perfect weather for practice with a top of 25, while Saturday is headed for 28C – ideal conditions for quick lap times in the Pirelli Top-10 shootout and a vast contrast to last year.

Scorching conditions in 2018 saw track temperatures in the high 50-degree mark during the one-lap dash for pole and slowed lap times compared to those set in cooler conditions in previous years.

Scattered cloud on both days should make for perfect conditions for spectating trackside

You can keep up to date with the weather on this link : http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/bathurst.shtml

[Everso Biggyballies]

12 HOUR RECORDS:

Qualifying Record: 2m01.2860s (Shane van Gisbergen, McLaren 650S GT3, 2016) (Fastest ever official lap of Mount Panorama)

Race Lap Record: 2m01.5670s (Shane van Gisbergen, McLaren 650S GT3, 2016) (Also outright Mount Panorama lap record)

Most laps completed by Winners: 297 (1,845km) – Shane van Gisbergen / Jonathon Webb / Alvaro Parente, 2016 winners.

Least laps completed by Winners: 202 (1,255km) – Garry Holt / John Bowe / Paul Morris, 2010 winners.

Record Starting field: 52 – 2017

Smallest Winning Margin: 0.4132 (2014)

Largest Winning Margin: 1 Lap (2017, 2013, 2010)

Most cars on lead lap at finish: 7 (2018)

Record number of different leaders: 10 (2018)

Most wins by a single brand: Mazda (3), Audi (3), BMW (2), Mitsubishi (2), Ferrari (2)

Drivers with multiple victories: 9
(John Bowe, Garry Walden, Garry Holt, Paul Morris, Rod Salmon, Damien White, Darryl O’Young, Chris Mies, Craig Lowndes – all with 2 each).

[Everso Biggyballies]

Interesting re-creation of the old BASF BMW Procar livery, (well, thats what it reminds me of) albeit on Dees Wall's Lambo, as seen in the 12 hour garages.



The grid is now down to 40 cars with the withdrawal of one of the Ginettas.

The KTM looks quite interesting.... 3 of them present (not all in this livery)




MARC cars look good for what they are.
(Late news is V8 Supercar driver Anton de Pasquale has been drafted into the MARC team. Anton will be in the #91 Class I entry alongside former Paul Tracy, also on Bathurst 12 Hour debut, Paul Morris and Keith Kassulke. EEEK to being in a team with Tracy and Morris is all I can say)



The Bentleys look, well look unmistakebly like Bentleys....



Practice starts tomorrow, Friday.