Contents. his year s Bathurst 12 Hour is, on paper, the most enthralling in its almost decade-long GT3 era.

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3 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Contents 3 EDITORS: Daniel Herrero Mat Coch CONTRIBUTORS: Tom Howard Brett Murray Slade Perrins DESIGN: Justin Murray Rachel Cherry SALES/MARKETING: Justin Murray PARTNERS: ARMOR ALL Castrol EDGE Mercedes-Benz Michelin PIRTEK Preston Hire Supercheap Auto TyrePlus Contents 04 Meet the 2019 contenders 11 The history of the Bathurst 12 Hour 15 Tale of Results from Bathurst 12 Hour Previous Bathurst 12 Hour winners 20 A lap of Mount Panorama 23 By the numbers 24 Bathurst dream team to take on GT elite 27 Balance of Performance explained 29 In-car warning system 30 Changing of the guard 32 Walkenhorst s redemption 35 TV times 36 Habul returns to the scene of his boyhood dream realised entry list 40 Team profiles 49 Support line-up 50 Introducing the AMG GT4 52 Track schedule LIQUI-MOLY BATHURST 12 HOUR JAN 31 - FEB 3, 2019 MEET THE CONTENDERS 04 The key players of this year s race TALE OF Audi claims third victory in red-flagged race 23 DREAM TEAM! TRIPLE EIGHT TRIO JOIN FORCES TO TAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN Superstars ready to climb the mountain again Daniel Herrero Speedcafe.com Journalist T his year s Bathurst 12 Hour is, on paper, the most enthralling in its almost decade-long GT3 era. While the entry list is skinnier than in past years, the number of Pro class entries is up slightly on 2018, and the rollcall of teams and drivers screams quality. The megastar combination, at least in the eyes of the local crowd, is that of Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, and Jamie Whincup, in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 run by Supercars powerhouse Triple Eight Race Engineering in partnership with well-credentialled Australian GT outfit Scott Taylor Motorsport. Audi is also stacked with talent across its pair of factory representatives, including last year s provisional pole-sitter Kelvin van der Linde and three-time Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 winner Garth Tander. BMW fired several shots last year but ultimately came up short, and we eagerly anticipate what impact Walkenhorst and Schnitzer will have in Bentley ventures Down Under with its new Continentals for the first time, and the big British cars are surely due better fortune than last time around. At Porsche, Matt Campbell has a chance to show his talent in a factory entry, having impressed so much in a privately-entered 911 in the last two years, while the Ferrari 488, Nissan GT-R and Aston Martin Vantage make their returns to Bathurst. Even the Pro-Am ranks, which bring the number of distinct GT3 models in the race to a neat 10, boast a former Bathurst 12 Hour winner. Ironically, the wealth of talent that has assembled in 2019 numbers only six past winners in Australia s international enduro, meaning that we could well see new faces writing their names into Mount Panorama s rich, 80-year history. Make no mistake, this is a race that has already developed a proud history all of its own. The men and women that take it on know what the prize is, and how much it means to all those who seek it. To win the Bathurst 12 Hour means beating some of the very best sportscar teams in the world, at one of the very best race tracks in the world. Who will it be this year? We re about to find out. mercedes-benz.com.au

4 4 MEET THE 2019 C Mercedes-AMG Car: Mercedes-AMG GT3 Teams: Team Vodafone/Triple Eight, The Bend Motorsport Park/Erebus Motorsport, SunEnergy1 Racing/Scott Taylor Motorsport, Craft-Bamboo Racing/Black Falcon, Nineteen Corp Black Falcon, GruppeM Racing A Mercedes-AMG GT3 has never won the Bathurst 12 Hour, but with six entries to its name spread across Pro and Pro- Am classes in 2019 it stands a very real chance of changing that fact. Among these are local favourites Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, and Shane van Gisbergen, the Triple Eight Supercars drivers united for the first time in a single entry all three have won the race on at least one occasion before. They ll be run out of the Scott Taylor Motorsport garage, as will the Erebus entry of David Reynolds, Luke Youlden, and Yasser Shahin. The third car in that shed is the SunEnergy1 entry of Kenny Habul, Tristan Vautier, and Thomas Jaeger, which last year finished on the outright podium and won the Pro-Am class (with Whincup at the wheel). Craft Bamboo/Black Falcon has a fearsome all-pro entry with Maro Engel, Luca Stolz and DTM champ Gary Paffett while GruppeM Racing are similarly strong with Maxi Buhk, Maxi Goetz, and Raffaele Marciello. The final entry is for local racer Mark Griffith, who has highly credentialed racers Yelmer Buurman and Christina Nielsen alongside him in another Pro-Am entry. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 is a strong all round car, and has won a number of the world s biggest races and championships, including the Australian Endurance Championship for the last two years.

5 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Meet the Contenders 5 ONTENDERS Audi Car: R8 LMS GT3 Teams: Audi Sport Team Valvoline, Hallmarc, Audi Sport Team MPC, Matt Stone Racing/Aussie Driver Search There are fewer Audis on the grid this year than last, but the quality runs deep throughout. The two Audi Sport Team Valvoline entries boast incredible depth with Audi factory drivers Christopher Mies, Christopher Haase, and Markus Winkelhock among the favourites. Mies set the outright Bathurst lap record late last year, though that was when the team took all the Balance of Performance measures off his car and let the German run rampant across the Mountain. Its performance won t be that strong in the race, but it ll certainly be front running. Garth Tander shares the sister car with Kelvin van der Linde, who is incredibly fast but also erratic, and Frederic Vervisch. Three Pro-Am entries see two BTCC champs pair up with Pete Storey; Matt Neal making his Bathurst return after nearly two decades and Gordon Shedden joining the fray. Elsewhere, Supercars youngster Todd Hazelwood and Pirtek Enduro Cup co-driver David Russell will share with Roger Lago, who has ditched the Lamborghini for an Audi R8 LMS GT3, while Marc Cini will race with Lee Holdsworth and Dean Fiore as he did a year ago. BMW Car: M6 GT3 Teams: Walkenhorst Motorsport, BMW Team Schnitzer Supremely fast in the early stages of last year s race, the Bathurst 12 Hour ultimately ended in disappointment for the German marque 12 months ago. Chaz Mostert starred but was involved in a mid-race tangle that ultimately ended the day for his car. Mostert returns with BMW Team Schnitzer a powerhouse squad for the Bavarian brand. Augusto Farfus and Martin Tomczyk will join him in the team s single entry. Another BMW M6 GT3 will be steered by Christian Krognes, Nick Catsburg, and Mikkel Jensen and while it doesn t have the star power, the Walkenhorst Motorsport entry should still be a factor as the big Beemer tends to suit the Mount Panorama circuit. Ferrari Car: 488 GT3 Teams: HubAuto Corsa, Spirit of Race/AF Corse Ferrari has claimed honours at Bathurst with its 488 when driven by Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes, together with Toni Vilander, in However that car, entered by Maranello Motorsport, is not racing this year and instead the Prancing Horse is relying on entries out of Asia to represent it. Of them, the HubAuto Corsa entry of Nick Foster, Tim Slade, and Nick Percat looks strongest. Both Foster and Slade campaigned for the team in the 2018 Blancpain GT Series Asia, while Nick Percat has had multiple GT3 outings, though never before in a Ferrari 488. The other entry, for Spirit of Race, will see ex-f1 racer Pedro Lamy with Mathias Lauda, son of Mercedes F1 s Niki Lauda, partner with Paul Dalla Lana, an accomplished gentleman driver. mercedes-benz.com.au

6 6 McLaren Car: Team: 650S GT3 Objective Racing It s the swansong event for the McLaren 650S GT3 with just a sole example of the machine which three years ago claimed victory at the Mountain set to compete. The 650S GT3 will be replaced this year by the all-new 720S GT3, and as a result interest in running the older spec car has been comparatively weak. Tony Walls will be joined by Warren Luff once more, while GT Academy driver Andrew Watson steps into the car as the third driver last year it had been Jaxon Evans though he s since been snapped up as a star of the future by Porsche. Regarded as one of the fastest GT3 cars ever produced, the 650S GT3 was always somewhat of a beast incredibly fast but needed to be pushed to the very limit to extract that performance. As a result it has typically underperformed in anything other than the hands of a professional driver, though Tony Walls has nabbed a few wins in Australian GT competition with it in recent years. Porsche Car: 911 GT3 R Teams: Porsche Motorsport/EBM, Black Swan Racing, Competition Motorsports/McElrea Racing Though not racing himself, Earl Bamber has sent two cars under his Earl Bamber Motorsport umbrella with a trio of accomplished drivers in both. World Endurance Champion Romain Dumas heads the first car with Sven Müller and Mathieu Jaminet, while Dirk Werner, Dennis Olsen, and Australian Porsche superstar Matt Campbell are in the sister car. McElrea Racing will sport a car for Competition Motorsports, with David Calvert-Jones, Kevin Estre and the latest Porsche junior Jaxon Evans filling its ranks in what will be a Pro-Am entry. The final Porsche 911 GT3 R is the Pro-Am entry of Black Swan Racing with Tim Pappas, Jeroen Bleekemolen, and Marc Lieb in a four-pronged attack for Porsche that spans Pro and Pro-Am classes. The successful marque has never won the Bathurst 12 Hour, with luck having played against it in recent years. With the same specification car as last year it stands as good a chance as ever this time around. Bentley Car: Team: Continental GT3 Bentley Team M-Sport Operated by M-Sport, one of the most credentialed outfits in world motorsport, the Bentley squad this year boasts an all-new car for the Bathurst 12 Hour. Debuted in Europe in 2018, the Mount Panorama event marks the first time the latest spec Bentley Continental will be seen on our shores. The team s two entries boast accomplished racers throughout, with Steven Kane leading Jules Gounon and Jordan Pepper in the #107 entry, and Andy Soucek with Maxime Soulet and Vincent Abril in the sister car. With no prior experience at the Mountain with the new cars, it will be a slightly more difficult weekend to begin with, but M-Sport should not be underestimated, nor its two cars written off.

7 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Meet the Contenders 7 Lamborghini Car: Huracan GT3 Teams: Wall Racing, Trofeo Motorsport One of the most dominant cars in Europe last year, the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 has not yet had the same success in Australia. Underneath its carbon fibre skin is the same running gear as powers the Audi R8 LMS GT3, the two cars part of the Volkswagen Audi Group after all, though over the top is the usual aggressive Lambo styling. Two examples, both Pro-Am entries, will race this year with Wall Racing preparing one car and Trofeo Motorsport the other. Both have four drivers installed, with car owner Adrian Deitz joined by Jules Westwood, and ex-supercars racers Cam McConville and Tony D Alberto. The latter is the 2018 Australian Endurance Champion, though in a Mercedes, with this set to be his first outing in a Huracan. In the other example, Australian GT boss Jim Manolios will race with Dean Canto, Ben Porter, and former Ferrari F1 racer Ivan Capelli. Nissan Car: Team: GT-R NISMO GT3 KCMG A cult car, the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 is now fairly long in the tooth, though the Balance of Performance regulations should keep it somewhat competitive. This year privateer squad KCMG has entered a pair of cars, and recruited former race winner Katsumasa Chiyo to share one of its cars with Matsuda Tsugio and Aussie racer Joshua Burdon. The team s other car will be steered by Alexandre Imperatori, Edoardo Liberati, and Oliver Jarvis, who has raced in A1GP, Super GT, DTM, the World Endurance Championship and more. There s no doubting the driving line-up, but with an older spec car compared to others in the field it will need something truly brilliant for Nissan to claim another 12 Hour this year. Aston Martin Car: Team: Vantage GT3 R-Motorsport Though at the end of its competitive life, the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 remains potent, and R-Motorsport has been one of the driving forces of its longevity in Europe. There were victories at the start of last season s Blancpain GT Series despite its age, though this year s Bathurst 12 Hour is its swansong as a current spec machine. Its driving ranks lack a big name star, though Jake Dennis is on the payroll as Red Bull s Formula 1 test driver. While it should be capable of running with the pace at the head of the field, the issue will come down to fuel economy the V12 engine under the bonnet of the Aston is famously thirsty. mercedes-benz.com.au

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9 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Meet the Contenders 9 Best of the rest Battling it out behind the Class A cars will be three other class-based races with trophies and bragging rights on the line in each. Class B is the exclusive domain of Porsche, with the current-spec Porsche Cup Car set to duke it out on the Mountain for the first time. We saw one race here last year, but this is the first time the Carrera Cup field has been allowed to roll their current cars out of the shed in February, with a three car field taking up the challenge. With ABS and traction control, Class B is set to be faster than it ever has. BMW, KTM, and Ginetta will compete in Class C, specifically for GT4 machinery. The little brothers of the GT3 cars of Class A, a trio of KTM X-Bows, with their unique lift up roof, will take on a pair of Ginetta G55s and a sole BMW M4 GT4 flying the flag for the Bavarians. Four MARC cars complete the field in the Invitational Class, with two examples each of the MARC I and MARC II. Last year we saw the debut of the Mustanginspired MARC II V8, with IndyCar star Paul Tracy set to steer one of the beefy V8s this year with Paul Morris and Keith Kassulke in a factory effort. mercedes-benz.com.au

10 Together we have pushed to the limits. Secured countless victories. Met every challenge and stayed on course throughout. On the racetrack, and on the road. Michelin and Porsche: connected by a successful tight teamwork for more than 50 years. With the highest demand on performance and continuous goals. PORSCHE AND MICHELIN OVER 50 YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION.

11 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour The history of the Bathurst 12 Hour 11 The history of the Bathurst 12 Hour T he Bathurst 12 Hour first sprang to life in 1991 with Allan Grice, Peter Fitzgerald, and Nigel Arkell guiding a Toyota Supra turbo to victory. Manufacturer interest gathered momentum following the initial staging of the event with Mazda putting in a concerted effort that reaped rewards with a factory backed RX-7 rotary winning from 1992 to Due to rising costs, the promoter was forced to retreat from holding the race at Mount Panorama with the race running at Eastern Creek in 1995, won by Dick Johnson and John Bowe, before it was discontinued the following year. While the future of reviving the 12 Hour remained in limbo, the idea of an endurance race saw the staging of the Ross Palmer-run 24 Hour races which were held for two years; 2002 and Both instalments were won by the all-conquering Holden Monaros built and prepared by Garry Rogers Motorsport. The 12 Hour for production cars bounced back in 2007 when it was part of the Bathurst Motor Festival before moving away from that event from Moves to introduce GT3 specifications into the race were made in 2011, before another shot in the arm when an all-pro subclass within Class A was introduced in 2017, making the event an even greater drawcard for international squads. This year there are set to be 28 GT3 cars, including 15 Pro and 13 Pro-Am entries, taking on Mount Panorama. GT3 Era 2011: Team Joest conquers the Mountain The Team Joest Audi R8 GT3s dominated the first of a new era of Bathurst 12 Hour contests headlined by the GT3 regulations. Allowing GT3 machinery to compete for outright victory upset the production car fraternity but a modest entry of 26 cars lined up for the blast around the revered Mount Panorama circuit. It was the German Team Joest squad which shined the brightest with its two Audi R8s dominating the race, leading 223 of the 292 laps. The all-australian R8 entry of triple Supercar champion Craig Lowndes, Warren Luff and Mark Eddy pipped the Christopher Mies, Marc Basseng, and Darryl O Young sister car to pole position by just 0.3s. Following an intriguing tactical battle between the cars it was Mies/Basseng/O Young which prevailed with a margin of 0.7s over team-mates Lowndes/Luff/Eddy. The Porsche GT3-R of Tony Quinn, Klark Quinn and Craig Baird secured the final place on the podium despite being a lap behind the Audis after losing ground under a Safety Car. mercedes-benz.com.au

12 : Mercedes become the mountain masters An all-star German line up of Touring Car legend Bernd Schneider, GT ace Thomas Jaeger and Alexander Roloff helped Australia s Erebus Motorsport win the 2013 Bathurst 12 Hour. The race continued to grow on the international stage receiving a record entry of 53 cars. The field included a couple of familiar faces from Formula 1 with Mika Salo and Ivan Capelli joining the Maranello Motorsport and Trofeo Motorsport entries. The 2013 edition of the race also doubled as the Australian GT Championship season opener. However, it was the lead Erebus Mercedes SLS of Schneider, Jaeger and Roloff that grabbed the headlines with the trio emerging from a deluge in the final two hours of the race to take victory by a lap. 2012: Audi triumphs again with Phoenix Racing The Bathurst 12 Hour was once again an Audi affair when Phoenix Racing took out the 2012 edition of the growing endurance classic. The squad was one of three new international crews, who flocked to the race alongside the British United Autosports entry and the renowned Black Falcon Mercedes SLS team. The race also welcomed the Australian Mercedes SLS crew from Erebus Motorsport. After starting from pole position, the #1 Phoenix Racing Audi of 2011 winners Mies, O Young and German debutant Christer Jons led the majority of the contest of which eight of the 12 hours were held in wet weather. The tricky conditions provided a high attrition rate with just three Class A cars reaching the finish. The previous year s runners-up Lowndes, Luff and Eddy were one of the casualties when their race unravelled after seven hours. A spin on the entry to the pits and a penalty saw the #2 Phoenix Audi lose four laps before Eddy crashed at the top of the mountain, ending their race prematurely. It was contest full of incidents prompting a record amount of Safety Cars periods with 15 in total. A crash inside the first hour ruled out the Lago Racing Lamborghini and the VIP Petfoods Aston Martin of Tony Quinn. The Team Engstler BMW Z4 and the Maranello Ferrari of Salo, Allan Simonsen, John Bowe, and Peter Edwards also retired before the halfway point. At the front, the race developed into a battle between the two Erebus Motorsport entries with little separating the #36 and #63 cars. However steering damage to the latter with V8 Supercar driver Lee Holdsworth at the wheel ended their victory hopes, finishing the race in sixth. In the end, the lead Erebus Mercedes SLS of Schneider, Jaeger and Roloff took the chequered flag. Despite receiving three drive-through penalties and a mechanical black flag, Clearwater Racing finished second piloted by Baird/ Griffin/Sun. The VIP Petfoods Porsche of Shane van Gisbergen/Klark Quinn/Matt Kingsley came home in third with the latter a late replacement for Tony Quinn, who injured himself earlier in the race at the wheel of his Australian GT Aston Martin. The lead Phoenix entry suffered its own drama in Hour 7 when Mies spun into the gravel trap at Murray s Corner. Luckily, he was able to recover and resume the lead of the race. In the end Mies/O Young/Jons came through to take the victory by 1:13s from Erebus Motorsport s Jeroen Bleekemolen, Peter Hackett, Tim Slade and American Bret Curtis. Despite being unsuited to the conditions, the Clearwater Racing Ferrari 458 was third in the hands of Craig Baird, Irishman Matt Griffin and Mok Wen Sun.

13 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour The history of the Bathurst 12 Hour : Emotions run high as Maranello Motorsport strikes Craig Lowndes led Maranello Motorsport to an emotional vicotry in the 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour Lowndes combined with co-drivers Mika Salo, John Bowe and car owner Peter Edwards to recover from two drive-through penalties to win the race. Allan Simonsen, who perished at the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours. The Dane was part of the previous year s team, and as a mark of respect organisers renamed the pole position award in his honour. The five-time Bathurst 1000 winner had to survive a Safety Car restart with 13 minutes to go that saw a 15 second lead evaporate. Maxi Buhk in the HTP Mercedes ranged up along the outside of the Ferrari with the just minutes remaining, but Lowndes hung on to win by just 0.4s Will Davison and Shane van Gisbergen were third and fourth in the #63 Erebus Mercedes and the Quinn McLaren respectively; the top four separated by just three seconds at the finish. It would prove an emotional triumph for Maranello Motorsport with victory arriving just months after the death of regular driver 2015: NISMO Godzilla claims tense 12 Hour Nissan claimed a remarkable victory in the 2015 edition, surviving a Safety Car-strewn race which revisited Bathurst history. Brought home by diminutive Japanese driver Katsumasa Chiyo, the GT-R sliced its way from third position and into the lead after the restart from a 20th Safety Car period with just over four minutes remaining. GT superstar and pole-sitter Laurens Vanthoor claimed second for Phoenix Audi while Stefan Mucke finished third in the Craft Bamboo Aston Martin. It was the first win by the Japanese manufacturer since Jim Richards and Mark Skaife took a second successive Bathurst 1000 victory in the R32 Skyline GT-R in Wolfgang Reip pitted the GT-R from the lead with 1hr 43min remaining, handing it to Florian Strauss who did a quick-fire 40-minute stint before Chiyo completed a tense final hour. hit with two drive-through penalties and a dehydrated Matt Bell before claiming fourth. Bell s drink bottle malfunctioned in his initial stint causing him to vomit in the car and seek medical treatment before recovering to negotiate the final stint and give team-mates Guy Smith and Steven Kane a sniff of victory. David Brabham was taken to the medical centre in a neck brace and subsequently to nearby Orange Hospital for precautionary x-rays after an incident with Stefan Mucke at The Cutting. Mucke later described the late-race incident, where he attempted to drive through a gap left by Brabham but ended up making side-to-side contact with the Flying B Bentley and putting it into the wall, as a misunderstanding. Reigning event winners Maranello Motorsport withdrew from the event early after suffering a car destroying crash in practice. The #10 Bentley almost took an against-the-odds win after being mercedes-benz.com.au

14 : Tempers fray as Supercars team-mates battle Ferrari and Maranello Motorsport won the Bathurst 12 Hour for the second time in four years in 2017, in a race which had a real sting in the tail for the factory-backed #22 Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG entry. The Prancing Horse s hopes suffered a setback when Craig Lowndes was bizarrely unloaded by Craig Baird in the STM Merc at a Safety Car restart. Tony Vilander, however, put Maranello back into a strong position with a sterling early afternoon drive in the # In the end, the race came down to a final hour showdown between Triple Eight Supercars team-mates Jamie Whincup in the Ferrari and Shane van Gisbergen in the Mercedes-AMG. Van Gisbergen emerged five seconds ahead after his final pit stop with 45 minutes remaining, but Whincup had a tyre advantage. 2016: van Gisbergen leads McLaren to victory Shane van Gisbergen, Alvaro Parente, and Jonathon Webb combined to give McLaren its first win in a major GT3 endurance race in After Portuguese Parente and Webb drove the Tekno Autosportsentered 650S for the majority of the day, van Gisbergen hopped into the cockpit with two hours remaining. Despite a drive-through penalty for pit lane speeding which nearly put the McLaren off the lead lap, van Gisbergen s sizzling pace and a strategy play put the New Zealander back into the lead with 40 minutes remaining. He caught the Kiwi within a couple of laps and managed to survive despite putting two wheels in the dirt when the pair bumped as he tore past down Conrod Straight. A desperate van Gisbergen would soon shunt an Am class Porsche into the wall exiting The Chase as he attempted to keep in touch with the leader, bringing about the 15th Safety Car period of the race. Stewards had no sooner issued the defending champion with a penalty on the restart than he lost control exiting The Dipper, slewing into the concrete and bringing Car #22 s day to an end inside the final 20 minutes. It resulted in disconsolate co-driver Maro Engel stating on live television, All I have seen is a lot mistakes by Shane, a comment for which he later expressed regret. David Calvert-Jones, Patrick Long, Marc Lieb, and Matt Campbell, were runners-up despite each driver incurring a pit lane penalty at some stage. While Katsumasa Chiyo closed the gap in the dying stages, van Gisbergen prevented a repeat of the Japanese driver s 2015 heroics as he eased to a 1.3s win. The day had not been without drama for the orange #59 McLaren, with van Gisbergen setting the current lap record (2:01.567s) early on before a technical problem which he described as a heart in my mouth moment saw Parente lose 45 seconds on the side of pit straight power cycling the car. The Chiyo/Rick Kelly/Florian Strauss Nissan GT-R took second as the big guns of Supercars joined the field following the controversial test day clash of a year earlier. The Steven Kane/Guy Smith/Matt Bell Bentley Continental rounded out the podium, while the fourth-placed Phoenix Audi of Laurens Vanthoor/Markus Winkelhock/Alex Davison also beat the previous race record of 296 laps (set in 2014) by a single lap.

15 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Tale of The tale of 2018 Audi claims third victory in red-flagged race A udi Sport Team WRT and its trio of Robin Frijns, Stuart Leonard, and Dries Vanthoor, each became firsttime winners in a Bathurst 12 Hour cut short by a shocking crash. The accident, which gave Audi its third victory in total at Mount Panorama, saw the race red flagged and ultimately called with just over 20 minutes left on the clock, and two drivers hospitalised. Frijns, Leonard and Vanthoor took the victory following a brief red flag suspension after a three-car shunt involving the #95 MARC Car, #69 Audi and the #19 Mercedes-AMG. Bryce Fullwood in the MARC Car and Ash Walsh in the Audi slammed into the wall at McPhillamy Park, before the latter was hit hard in the passenger side by John Martin in a Mercedes-AMG. Both Martin and Walsh escaped serious injuries, and Walsh even received his trophy for winning the Am class with brothers James and Theo Koundouris in hospital. As spectacular, and frightening, as the race-ending crash may have been, it was an anticlimactic end to the contest at the front of the field. The top seven outright finished on the lead lap, but several had been nervous about their fuel status as the 12th hour wound down. Jamie Whincup stood on the podium for a second year in a row when the Mercedes- AMG he shared with Tristan Vautier, Kenny Habul, and Raffaele Marciello, finished second. Third went to Pro-Am class winners Black Swan Racing and their Porsche piloted by Marc Lieb, Luca Stolz, Jeroen Bleekemolen, and Tim Pappas. Competition Motorsports bagged another strong result, namely second in class and fourth outright, for Matt Campbell, Alex Davison, Patrick Long and David Calvert- Jones. Many others had the Bathurst-standard sorry tales to tell. Pole-sitter Chaz Mostert had thoroughly dominated the very early hours in the Team Schnitzer BMW but caused a four-car crash when he tried to round up a backmarker and two Class A competitors at Forrest s Elbow on Lap 217. That was the end of the day for Mostert and co-drivers Augusto Farfus and Marco Wittmann, while the then-third-placed #17 Bentley lost six laps as a result. Either of the Jamec-Pem Audis might have won but Markus Winkelhock was cruelled by a transmission problem while leading in Car #74 on Lap 239. Kelvin van der Linde put Car #22 in the wall at The Dipper when he attempted an excessively ambitious move around a lapped car while trying to stick with the front-running sister #74 R8. Luke Youlden was mixing it with the factory drivers in an ageing Lamborghini when he was taken out by a backmarker around an hour into the race. Meanwhile, overheating accounted for the McLaren of Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, and Come Ledogar, in a car which never really hit the heights expected of such a driving crew. mercedes-benz.com.au

16 BATHURST 12 HOU 16 Pos Car Competitor/Team Drivers Vehicle Class Laps Fastest Lap 1 37 Audi Sport Team WRT R.Frijns/S.Leonard/D.Vanthoor Audi R8 LMS APP 271 2: Mercedes-AMG Team SunEnergy1 K.Habul/T.Vautier/J.Whincup/R.Marciello Mercedes-AMG GT3 APP 271 2: Boston Athletic Club T.Pappas/J.Bleekemolen/L.Stolz/M.Lieb Porsche 911 GT3 R APA 271 2: Ice Break & Virgin Australia D.Calvert-Jones/P.Long/M.Campbell/A.Davison Porsche 911 GT3 R APA 271 2: EuroMechanica L.Vanthoor/K.Estre/E.Bamber Porsche 911 GT3 R APA 271 2: Manthey-Racing R.Dumas/F.Makowiecki/D.Werner Porsche 911 APP 271 2: Strakka Racing N.Leventis/L.Williamson/C.Waters/D. Fumanelli Mercedes-AMG GT3 APA 271 2: Haemokinisis/Trofeo Estate J.Manolios/R.Millier/I.Capelli/D.Canto Lamborghini Huracan APA 270 2: Laser Plumbing and Electrical S.Richards/T.Glock/P.Eng BMW M6 GT3 APP 270 2: Supabarn J.Koundouris/T.Koundouris/A.Walsh/D. Padayachee Audi R8 LMS AAM 269 2: YNA Autosport S.McLaughlin/F.Ross/A.Watson/A.West McLaren 650S GT3 APA 269 2: WM Waste M.Twigg/C.Baird/T.D Alberto Mercedes-AMG GT3 APA 268 2: JBS Australia R.Lago/D.Russell/S.Owen Lamborghini R-EX APA 267 2: Audi Sport Team WRT P.Lamy/P.Dalla Lana/M.Lauda/W.Davison Audi R8 LMS APA 267 2: Daimler Trucks Brisbane D.Reynolds/J.Martin/L.Talbot/M.Griffith Mercedes-AMG GT3 APA 266 2: Bentley Team M-Sport S.Kane/G.Smith/J.Gounon Bentley Continental APP 265 2: Grove Group S.Grove/B.Grove/B.Barker/D.Gaunt Porsche GT3 Cup B 260 2: MARC Cars Australia K.Kassulke/R.Salmon/W.Brown MARC II V8 I 258 2: Paul Reed Smith Guitars C.Putman/C.Espenlaub/J.Foster Porsche 911GT3 Cup B 257 2: The Porsche Broker D.Stutterd/S.Fillmore/A.Fawcet Porsche 911 B 256 2: Safe-T-Stop R.Gartner/H.Morrall/D.Wall/J.Bowe Lamborghini Gallardo AAM 256 2: The Boat Works Racing A.Seton/M.Brabham/T.Longhurst BMW M4 C 250 2: Ginetta Australia M.Simpson/C.Cowham/L.Kearns Ginetta G55 C 246 2: Interlloy G.Wood/T.Harrison/C.Hill KTM X-Bow GT4 C 245 2: MARC Cars Australia G.Denyer/T.Everingham/G.Jacobson MARC Mazda V8 I 244 2:

17 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Bathurst 12 Hour 2018 results 17 R 2018 RESULTS MARC Cars Australia R.Thomson/Z.Goddard/D.Ridge MARC Mazda V8 I 243 2: Valvoline / Jamecpem G.Tander/K.van der Linde/F.Vervisch Audi R8 LMS APP 241 2: Mercedes-AMG Team Strakka M.Buhk/M.Gotz/A.Parente Mercedes-AMG GT3 APP 237 2: JET Battery Services D.Jorgensen/C.Lawrence/B.Strom/K.Wittmer BMW M4 GT4 C 188 2: BP Ultimate D.Grant/X.West/C.Hill BMW M4 GT4 C 162 2: Daytona Sportcars B.Schoots/A.Macrow/M.Caine Dodge Viper I 162 2: Daytona Sportcars J.Augustine/D.Thomas/R.Howell Dodge Viper I 145 2: DNF 95 Eastgate Engineering G.Taunton/J.Busk/B.Fullwood MARC Focus V8 I 244 2: DNF 74 Valvoline Jamecpem C.Mies/C.Haase/M.Winkelhock Audi R8 LMS APP 238 2: DNF 777 The Bend Y.Shahin/L.Youlden/T.Enge Lamborghini Gallardo APA 219 2: DNF 43 BMW M Power A.Farfus/C.Mostert/M.Wittmann BMW M6 GT3 APP 217 2: DNF 40 On Track Motorsport G.Mennell/K.Booker/A.Zerefos/M.Caine Porsche 997 GT3 Cup B 193 2: DNF 88 Ginetta Australia W.Tregurtha/J.Robson/B.Walsh Ginetta G55 C 133 2: DNF 54 MARC Cars Australia P.Morris/K.Alford/C.Parrish MARC II V8 I 123 2: DNF 58 YNA Autosport S.van Gisbergen/C.Lowndes/C.Ledogar McLaren 650S GT3 APP 119 2: DNF 67 Gotzinger Smallgoods M.Haber/J.Camilleri/A.Cameron MARC II V8 I 87 2: DNF 46 Prosport Performance GABH J.Viebahn/M.Schelp/M.Braams Porsche Cayman PRO4 C 84 2: DNF 23 Team Carrera Cup Asia P.Tresidder/C.van der Drift/A.Tang/C.Yi-Fan Porsche GT3 Cup B 82 2: DNF 3 Audi Sport Customer Racing A.Samadi/D.O Keeffe/D.Gaunt Audi R8 LMS AAM 66 2: DNF 18 Bentley Team M-Sport M.Soulet/V.Abril Bentley Continental AAP 58 2: DNF 82 Bolt Masters, Castrol A.Bagnall/M.Halliday Audi R8 LMS APA 41 2: DNF 9 Hallmarc M.Cini/D.Fiore Audi R8 LMS APA 41 2: DNF 48 Interlloy J.McMillan/D.Crampton KTM X-Bow GT4 C 31 2: DNF 96 GAP Solutions / SEKTOR Jon Goodacre MARC Focus V8 I 75 2: mercedes-benz.com.au

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19 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Bathurst 12 Hourwinners 19 Previous Bathurst 12 Hour winners Year Drivers Entrant Car Robin Frijns Stuart Leonard Dries Vanthoor Craig Lowndes Toni Vilander Jamie Whincup Álvaro Parente Shane van Gisbergen Jonathon Webb Katsumasa Chiyo Wolfgang Reip Florian Strauss John Bowe Peter Edwards Craig Lowndes Mika Salo Thomas Jaeger Alexander Roloff Bernd Schneider Christer Jons Christopher Mies Darryl O Young Marc Basseng Christopher Mies Darryl O Young John Bowe Garry Holt Paul Morris Tony Longhurst Rod Salmon Damien White Graham Alexander Rod Salmon Damien White Craig Baird Garry Holt Paul Morris Not held John Bowe Dick Johnson *(Race held at Eastern Creek) Neil Crompton Gregg Hansford Alan Jones Garry Waldon Mark Gibbs Charlie O Brien Garry Waldon Nigel Arkell Peter Fitzgerald Allan Grice Audi Sport Team WRT Maranello Motorsport Tekno Autosports NISMO Global Athlete Team Maranello Motorsport Erebus Motorsport Phoenix Racing Joest Racing Eastern Creek International Karting TMR Australia SKWIRK.com Eastern Creek Karts Mazda Motorsport Mazda Motorsport Mazda Australia Mazda Australia Audi R8 LMS GT3 Ferrari 488 GT3 McLaren 650S GT3 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 Ferrari 458 GT3 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Audi R8 LMS GT3 BMW 335i Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX BMW 335i Mazda RX-7 Mazda RX-7 Mazda RX-7 Mazda RX-7 Toyota Supra Turbo mercedes-benz.com.au

20 20 CIRCUIT GUIDE: Location: Length: Direction: Fastest point: Corners: Qualifying lap record: Race lap record (12Hr): Bathurst, New South Wales kilometres Anti-Clockwise Conrod Straight 23 (14 Left 9 Right) 2:01.286s (Shane van Gisbergen, Tekno Autosports, McLaren 650S, 2016) 2:01.567s (Shane van Gisbergen, Tekno Autosports, McLaren 650S, 2016) FORREST S ELBOW Named after Jack Forrest, a motorcycle racer who scraped his elbow away after dropping his bike on the corner, Forrest s Elbow is a sharp, downhill left-hander. The exit is crucial for lap speed. A LAP OF MO THE CHASE Added in 1987 when the world came to Mount Panorama for the first time for the World Touring Car Championship, The Chase sits where another crest in Conrod Straight used to be. In just over 80 years, it remains the only major circuit modification. Cars drop into the fastest corner in the nation before a hard, uphill braking zone and then another right on exit from the complex. CONROD STRAIGHT At 1.916km, Conrod Straight is the longest in Australia and like Mountain Straight features a considerable rise midway along. While it builds to the fastest point of the circuit, it is also a rare opportunity for drivers to relax. MURRAY S CORNER: Ironically, the lap is bookended by relatively tame 90-degree corners, though Murray s is an easy place to lock a brake as it is the second of two major stops in quick succession HELL CORNER: The first of 23 bends, Hell Corner begins the lap with a 90-degree left-hand turn. Heavy braking is required following the slight uphill climb at the end of the main straight.. 1 MOUNTAIN STRAIGHT: Cars exit Hell Corner onto the 1.111km Mountain Straight, which features a significant hump that is steeper to driver s right than left. Cars reach speeds up to 250km/h.

21 UNT PANORAMA THE ESSES A tricky descent where visibility of the road surface is all but non-existent, The Esses can bite hard, while taking too much ripple strip through the lefthander can easily unload a car into the wall. This complex is also an important braking zone before the drop soon becomes too steep to do so Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour A lap of Mount Panorama SKYLINE So-named because the track drops ahead and all that is visible is sky, Skyline is the chute which marks the end of the climb. 21 THE DIPPER Essentially a continuation of The Esses, The Dipper sees the track plunge into what is actually a sharper than 90-degree left-hander, where the left-front corner of the car picks up off the road surface. REID PARK / SULMAN PARK / McPHILLAMY PARK: The Reid Park/Sulman Park/McPhillamy Park sequence is generally regarded as drivers favourite section of race track in the country A flowing right leads onto the climb up to Reid Park and a change of direction right up against a concrete wall which sucks cars in. The plunge towards the Metal Grate follows, where drivers aim at a drain right next to a wall before pulling left. The highest point on the circuit is the crest just prior to the McPhillamy Park gates; 862m above sea level and a full 174m higher than the lowest point (Murray s Corner). Here, drivers aim almost at the inside wall and let inertia carry them across to corner exit GRIFFINS BEND: Turn 2, named after Mayor Martin Griffin who opened what was then known as Mount Panorama Scenic Drive in March 1938, Griffins Bend is characterised by a relatively steep braking zone into a positively cambered corner. The camber does, however, turn dangerously negative if drivers step off the racing line through the corner. 8 9 THE CUTTING: A blind corner on approach, The Cutting is the culmination of a narrow, double-left uphill run which requires near-perfect car placement. Overtaking is virtually impossible, the exit is characterised by a 1:6 gradient, and there exists a tricky rise after the following right-hander. mercedes-benz.com.au

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23 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour By The Numbers 23 By the numbers Daniel Herrero Speedcafe.com Journalist Hour 09 Lowndes 09 Benz, 06 Jamie 08 Belgian, 01 multiple This year represents the 17th running of a 12 Hour endurance race at Mount Panorama. Robin Frijns, Stuart Leonard, and Dries Vanthoor became the 36th, 37th, and 38th different Bathurst 12 winners last year Number of multiple winners (most recently Craig in 2017) A total of nine marques have won the Bathurst 12 Hour (Toyota, Mazda, BMW, Mitsubishi, Audi, Mercedes- Ferrari, Nissan, McLaren) Number of Bathurst 12 Hour-winning drivers in this year s field (Christopher Mies 2, Craig Lowndes 2, Thomas Jaeger, Katsumasa Chiyo, Shane van Gisbergen, Whincup) Number of different nationalities on last year s outright podium (2 Dutchmen, 2 Australians, 2 Germans, Briton, Frenchman, Italian, American) The #888 Triple Eight/Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 is the only car in the field with race winners 10 Number of different GT3 models entered in this year s race 297 The race record number of laps, set in 2016 by Shane van Gisbergen, Alvaro Parente and Jonathon Webb. That count equates to 1845km at an average of km/h. Last year s winners completed 271 laps in a race which ran just over 20 minutes short The race record of 2016 therefore also represents the highest average speed, km/h. Last year s average speed was km/h : The smallest winning margin in history is s, when Craig Lowndes beat Maxi Buhk to the line in 2014 The official outright lap record which Christopher Mies set in an unrestricted Audi in last November s Challenge Bathurst meeting (The Bathurst 12 Hour race lap record, set by Shane van Gisbergen in a McLaren 650S in 2016, is 2:01.567) mercedes-benz.com.au

24 24 Bathurst dream team to take on GT s elite Tom Howard Speedcafe.com Editor B oasting a combined 15 major wins at Bathurst it is easy to see why Triple Eight s 12 Hour driver line-up has been described as the dream team. The prospect of previous race winners Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen combining in a Triple Eight/Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 has seen the trio listed among the hot favourites to take out the Mount Panorama GT classic. While the race will welcome the cream of GT racing from across the globe, on paper the experience and success at Bathurst the Triple Eight drivers have accrued at Australia s iconic 6.2km ribbon of tarmac is unrivalled. Lowndes heads into the race a two-time Bathurst 12 Hour winner having triumphed in Ferraris for Maranello Motorsport in 2014 and His last victory saw the seven-time Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 winner combine with Whincup and Finn Toni Vilander in a dominant Ferrari 488 that was run largely by Triple Eight. That win arrived on Whincup s Bathurst 12

25 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Bathurst dream team to take on GT s elite 25 Hour debut which the seven-time Supercars champion then followed up with a second place finish last year behind the wheel of an almost identical Mercedes-AMG GT3 to what he will race this year. Adding to the already potent roster is van Gisbergen, who is arguably the most adept to GT3 machinery having won the Blancpain Endurance Series as a factory driver for McLaren in 2016 alongside a win at the Bathurst 12 Hour. The Kiwi was also in the mix to claim back-toback Bathurst 12 Hour wins before becoming involved in a late race tangle while ironically hunting down the eventual race winning Lowndes/Whincup/Vilander Ferrari. It was to become one of the most iconic moments in the race s GT3 history helped by an explosive television interview from then team-mate Maro Engel, who criticised van Gisbergen s driving. Funnily enough Engel will return the race this year after sitting out 2018, and will also be among the six car Mercedes-AMG Bathurst assault. In a bizarre twist it will also be the first time Lowndes, Whincup and van Gisbergen will have driven together despite having been at the same Triple Eight stable for the last three years. Piecing together such a formidable driver line-up will inevitably raise expectations and pressure to live up to the mantle come race week. While their Bathurst records are exemplary, a mix of experience and skill is not always enough to conquer the mountain which has a habit of biting back. Likewise, GT racing is seldom predictable with reliability, strategy and Balance of Performance all variables that can change the outcome of a race. Yes, we go to Bathurst as hopefully one of the favourites, Lowndes, who drove the Mercedes- AMG GT3 for the first time at Phillip Island last week, told Speedcafe.com. With the three of us, it s the first time we ve driven together. All three of us are talking the same language in the sense of what the car behaviour is, so that s a good sign. Both Shane and Jamie have driven the car before so I m a little bit guided by them in the sense the characteristics of the car, trail braking, the traction control, where all the dash instruments are, because obviously it s a different layout to the Ferrari. Because they ve driven it before they sort of have been working on more of the set-up and characteristics of the car. We know each other extremely well. We always remember that battle between Jamie and Shane in the closing stages a couple of years ago, so it s... at least we re now all in one car. There s going to be some huge, strong competition from Europe and America, and I think it s going to come down to staying out of trouble. Twelve hours is a long day in the seat, and one thing I ve learned about the12 Hour is basically to take it easy, just to really not try and... like I do in the Bathurst 1000, is not trying to be the leader, you just want to be on the lead lap, and stay out of trouble. There s huge closing speeds, with different cars in different categories, so you ve just got to make sure you just stay out of trouble. Meanwhile, the strength of the Triple Eight line-up once again highlights how important and serious the 12 Hour has become on a global stage since it adopted GT3 regulations in In recent years, winning the Supercars Championship and the Bathurst 1000 has been the squad s focus but the 12 Hour has well and truly infiltrated the team s objectives. Having won in 2017 the squad knows how to conquer the event, but that victory has not diminished the desire to triumph again this year. The 2017 race was a bit of an eye opener and that was good, Triple Eight team manager Mark Dutton told Speedcafe.com. To go there and roll with and work with the Ferrari boys and get the win, that was immensely rewarding. We had good results, so the expectations are high for the team for this one and we re really excited. The cars are good and we ve got arguably for Bathurst in particular, the three best (drivers). The cream of the crop (form Europe, America and Asia) rolling out with big teams, like Audi, they spare no expense. So we feel like we re representing Australia, as well as Triple Eight in those instances, when you get to do that. So hopefully we can do the same this year. The sight of Triple Eight s tantalising trio could be a familiar one for years to come which will make grim reading for the opposition. GT racing is just growing and growing, all around the world in different countries and the Bathurst program in particular, it s bringing big name drivers, big name teams, it s an awesome event, Dutton added. So I believe it ll be something we do on a more consistent basis. Triple Eight s Bathurst 12 Hour program will begin on Friday with the opening practice session. mercedes-benz.com.au

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27 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Balance of Performance explained 27 Balance of Performance explained Mat Coch Speedcafe.com Journalist Behind the scenes of every GT race lies a delicate, and at times controversial, equalisation process designed to make the array of racing philosophies perform fundamentally the same. That s not to say a Mercedes will drive like a Porsche, but the intent is to produce a formula where, over a race stint, the myriad of approaches taken by the world s automotive manufacturers produces the same result no matter the badge on the bonnet. It s a process called Balance of Performance, with each and every car being put through a rigorous test each and every year to make sure that it doesn t hold an advantage over its rivals. The sport s boffins, headed by SRO Motorsport Technical Director Claude Surmont, set about testing all the cars in a back to back process before determining how to make a normally aspirated 12-cylinder engine equate to a turbo-charged unit with half the number of pots. To achieve the desired result there are a number of methods employed which all target different areas. Mechanical grip can be managed by specifying the size of wheel and tyre the car can use. Turbo-charged engines get boost pressure limits, and normally aspirated cars have airflow restrictors. Weight can also be added, even the cars aerodynamics are put through the wringer. Every car is considered both in isolation and in comparison to the rest of the field, helping to maintain the characteristics of each. Different performance figures are applied at different circuits, with Surmont producing four variations to suit the range of circuit styles. Mount Panorama, with its two long straights blasting up and down the Mountain, is considered in the same vein as Monza, and Macau. What comes out of the process is an ability for the best cars in the world to compete on an even playing field, all the while retaining the nuances that make them unique. It s why we can close our eyes and pick the guttural growl of the Mercedes-AMG GT3, or the slightly muted shrill of the Ferrari. It s why the Porsche 911 GT3 R with its engine behind the rear wheels can go toe to toe with the frontmounted donk in the BMW M6 GT3. In short, the Balance of Performance is the reason GT racing globally has become so competitive, all the while ensuring they look, sound, and perform like the car they re designed to be. Make Model Weight Restrictor Ride Height Fuel Rig Restrictor Aston Martin Vantage Gt x 41.5mm 75mm/180mm 34mm Audi R8 LMS x39mm 65.5mm/128mm 30mm Bentley Continental GT mm/132mm 35mm BMW M6 GT mm/93mm 36mm Ferrari 488 GT mm/98mm 32.5mm Lamborghini Huracan GT x39mm 65.5mm/128mm 30mm McLaren 650S GT x36mm 67mm/74mm 36mm Mercedes AMG GT x36mm 81mm/87mm 33mm Nissan GT-R NISMO GT mm/165mm 34mm Porsche 911 GT3 R x41.5mm 72.mm/1244mm 30mm mercedes-benz.com.au

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29 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour In-car warning system Hour to run in-car warning system Tom Howard Speedcafe.com Editor An in-car warning system designed to alert drivers of upcoming hazards will be used for the first time in Australia during the 2019 Bathurst 12 Hour. The 41-car field at the Mount Panorama GT classic 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 two driver hospitalised. Ash Walsh and John Martin were lucky to avoid serious injuries when the former s stricken Audi R8 was struck at high speed on the run from Sulman Park to McPhillamy Park by an unsighted Martin, driving a Mercedes- AMG GT3. The incident triggered calls to improve safety at a section of the circuit that has been witness to several high profile incidents over the years, including the death of Mark Porter in A CAMS investigation has resulted in all cars being fitted with a warning light on the dash of each car which is linked to race control and works in conjunction with the car s Motec data loggers and telemetry. If a danger is spotted race control can activate the system which will trigger the warning light inside the car to warn the driver of any impending hazards ahead. This will be used in addition to the traditional flag marshals. After last year s event, obviously, there was a number of incidents that highlighted the potential risks across the top of the mountain in some areas, Bathurst 12 Hour event director Kurt Sakzewski told Speedcafe.com. Obviously, it s challenging in what is very much a semi-permanent facility, so it is mostly a public road and obviously, the elevation changes at Mount Panorama are quite unique to a racetrack in Australia. But working with the team at Motec, we ve established that their race management intel warning light system will be able to be implemented to the 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour. It will work in combination with the Balance of Performance (BoP) loggers and the telemetry set-up that we ve already got placed in the cars. Basically, there s communications between the flag points and race control, and then race control themselves will set up a direct link to the system as well, so it complements the existing flag marshals. 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. It is understood Supercars will monitor the system s performance at Bathurst as it assesses the prospect of introducing the device to its cars in the future. mercedes-benz.com.au

30 30 Changing of the guard Mat Coch Speedcafe.com Journalist here s an old motorsport saying that goes, if you re standing still, you re T going backwards. In the white heat of competition where the difference between winning and losing is often intangible, any advantage or development could be the key to the next big success. And, as such, the sport is in a constant state of flux, of development, of change. That s no more evident than on the grid of this year s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour where of the 10 manufacturers represented in Class A, more than half of them are racing cars in a configuration we re unlikely to see again. In some instances it s a case of a new evolution, an upgrade to the current model, but two more are planning on racing all-new cars once the European GT season kicks off later this year. That means we ll see brand new cars on the Mountain in early Bentley is a year early, and the Bentley Team M-Sport outfit is poised to debut two of the latest spec Continentals this time around. We ve never seen them Down Under before, since the Bathurst 12 Hour is in effect the final event of the 2018 GT season, rather than the first of 2019 (despite the fact it falls well into the new calendar year). This is an anomaly of the homologation process that takes place in Europe towards the end of the winter, where all new cars are put through their paces ahead of their official competition debut. Bentley went through that process a year ago, meaning this time around we re going to see the latest spec Bentley for the first time. It has an allnew four-litre twin turbo V8, and takes in the Continental s new body styling, which sees a more aggressive grille and front bar. At the other end of its lifespan are the McLaren 650S GT3, and the Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3. The accomplished duo are now, in racing car terms, due to be put out to pasture as new models are beginning to roll off the production line. McLaren has already raced its newfor S GT3, with Shane van Gisbergen taking the wheel in the Dubai 24 Hours. Not an official GT3 event, it was effectively a racing shakedown for the car which will hit tracks in an official capacity from March. The new car has been developed in-house at McLaren, where the 650S was produced under licence. It will continue to sport a four-litre twinturbo V8 making it mechanically very similar to the car it replaces, and maintains the tradition of using a carbon-fibre tub as the 650S and MP4-12C before it did. Around that, McLaren claims 90 percent of the car has been either modified or optimised from the road going 720S on which it s based. As a result, there is just a single entry for its predecessor this year, the 650S GT3, a car which added McLaren s stamp to the GT map. That car s biggest single event win was arguably the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour, with van Gisbergen at the wheel along with Jonathon Webb and Alvaro Parente, and it banked championship wins around the world. So, big shoes to fill there. Similarly Aston Martin will this year introduce the successor to the Vantage V12 GT3. Successful even into its last season in 2018, the new car is both visually and mechanically a departure from the model which debuted in Gone is the V12, for a start, replaced with a Mercedes-based four-litre twin-turbo V8. The big open mouth grille has also disappeared, with a more tapered front end with a more stylised trademark grille

31 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Changing of the guard 31 mounted far lower than ever before. The car was given a debut of sorts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, running in an all-aston Martin supporting event to the French classic last July. There s at least one of these cars heading down under too, with former Australian GT boss Tony Quinn having already placed an order. Though it won t be seen at the Mountain this year, as R-Motorsport will field two examples of the earth-shaking Vantage V12, look for the new Vantage GT3 from New cars aside, rules in GT racing allow manufacturers to release one update kit during a car s life. However, there are a number of other tweaks that find their way onto cars over the years, with tweaks up and down pit lane evident this year over last. And there are more to come, with a swathe of manufacturers poised to release comparatively major updates to their cars over the next 12 months. Out of Japan, Nissan has developed a new GT-R NISMO GT3. Visually it shares a number of cues with the car it replaces, the cult classic which Katsumasa Chiyo rocketed to victory at Mount Panorama in 2015, but under the skin are a few subtle changes. The twin-turbo charged engine, for a start, is mounted further back to aid weight distribution, and it has new brakes too. It s a case of evolution versus revolution. Also set to race in its current guise for the last time is the Audi R8 LMS GT3, with an update pack set to be introduced post-bathurst. In fact, the two Audi Sport Team Valvoline cars, which are brand new for this weekend, had to be spec d back to their 2018 homologation after Audi delivered them to the Victorian team in readiness for Those changes centre around the aerodynamics, most obviously the front bar, with the company claiming that it provides more consistent and predictable downforce by simplifying the airflow to the rear end. That too has had some attention, with a gap in the rear bumper deigned to allow heat to escape the mid-mounted V10 engine. There are also stronger components underneath, from the gearbox to bearings and the clutch. It s an upgrade kit that, rather than making the car necessarily faster, is aimed at making the Audi R8 LMS GT3 easier to drive, and therefore faster, for privateer entrants. Porsche will this year introduce an update to the 911 GT3 R, which it claims will be more powerful and significantly better in terms of drivability. The German marque last year introduced some aerodynamic tweaks, with the dive planes on the front corners of the car the most obvious way to pick it. For next year the updates continue outside and in, with a bigger duct in the bonnet scooping the hot air out of the radiator mounted in the nose of the car. It s likely that this will be the last update to the current model 911 GT3 R before a new spec car, the 992 which is due to hit showroom floors next year, gets developed. Lamborghini has also been busy fettling the Huracan GT3, with two examples of the current car on the grid at this year s 12 Hour. Both will be run as Pro-Am entries, with the cars featuring much the same drivetrain as is underneath the Audi R8 LMS GT3. That makes sense, given both cars fall under the Volkswagen Audi Group, leaving primarily the aerodynamics as the differing point. For 2019 Lamborghini is introducing an update kit, called the EVO, to the car. Aerodynamically the update is a step forwarded, but so too in terms of drivability and ease of set-up. Those gains come as a result of a bigger rear wing, a new front splitter and diffuser, and tweaks to the V10 engine mounted in the middle of the car. This year also marks the first year that we should see the BMW M6 GT3 in its current form. The big German brute has struggled competing locally, its long wheelbase not suited to most Australian circuits, but Bathurst though is unlike any other circuit. There in the last two years the M6 has proved to be on the pace who will forget Chaz Mostert s stunning early stint from last year s race? The current car came into being for the 2016 season, replacing the Z4 GT3, with a 4.4-litre twin turbo V8. There was an Evo package available last year which means we ll see it on the Mountain for the first time this weekend. That included revisions to the suspension, drivetrain, brakes and aero, which BMW claimed was aimed at making the car easier to drive and more reliable. At Mercedes it s business as usual, with the AMG GT3 more or less unchanged over the car which finished second in the race a year ago. Ferrari too is yet to release an update for the 488, a car which in early January chalked up its 200th GT3 race win. The Ferrari made its global debut in Australia, over the Australian Grand Prix weekend in 2016, and went on to win the Bathurst 12 Hour with Maranello Motorsport and Triple Eight in Mercedes meanwhile claimed its first win globally at that same event in 2016, but is yet to chalk up a Bathurst 12 Hour win. With Triple Eight this year running a Mercedes with Scott Taylor Motorsport, that could all soon change. As they say, if you re standing still in motorsport, you re going backwards. mercedes-benz.com.au

32 32 Walkenhorst s redemption Slade Perrins Speedcafe.com Journalist M ount Panorama has bitten its fair share of racing cars over the years. Walkenhorst Motorsport know firsthand what it s like; adrenaline and above all, pure excitement pumping through the veins of every team member and driver, only to have it all ripped out from underneath you within seconds by a crash. After all, there s no rewind or restart button in real life. Walkenhorst Motorsport made the long haul out from Germany to Australia 16, 439km in 2017 to debut at the Bathurst 12 Hour with a formidable Pro-driver combination, hoping to challenge for victory in the ultra-competitive Class A field. Cruelly, they would not even make the start of the race on Sunday after Ricky Collard made contact with Lee Holdsworth s Audi at the Esses in qualifying on Saturday morning, tipping the BMW M6 GT3 into the concrete wall at the Dipper. Due to not having certain parts needed to complete the repair, Walkenhorst Motorsport were forced to withdraw from the event. Redemption, however, is on the cards as the team returns to the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2019 for another shot at conquering the Mountain. Walkenhorst Motorsport arrives off the back of an unforgettable 2018 season, highlighted by their remarkable outright victory at the 24 Hours of Spa with BMW. Christian Krognes, who was part of the Spa winning combination, will also drive for the team at this year s Bathurst 12 Hour alongside Dutch ace Nick Catsburg and Danish openwheel star Mikkel Jensen. Travelling from their base near Osnabrück in Germany, the team has spent months preparing for their second trip to Bathurst with the container carrying the car and all the equipment having departed in mid-november last year. As team manager Niclas Königbauer explains, with transit times so lengthy to

33 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Wlakenhorst s redemption 33 and from events especially concerning the Intercontinental GT Challenge, some European teams go to the extent of effectively building up two race teams to ensure they are properly organised. The main problems are always the period of time (when it comes to preparation), Königbauer told Speedcafe.com. So that means we have to start getting final agreement with the drivers, the manufacturer, and everything like that. This is quite tough to really finalise this that we can say yes, we re going that way. As soon as this is done, actually even before we have to think about how we can manage it, and for us it was clear if we do that, we want to keep our own container. The problem is then the whole equipment more or less stays away for one year, so that means we had to build up a second racing team, equipment wise and so on; just in a couple of weeks. We bought a container, we came up with an idea how we can use like a second level in the container and the flight cases; we built special flight cases, he continued. We did everything that if you re arriving at Bathurst or wherever, we can set up our things quite easy and quick. And also, if something happens like we have a damaged car or whatever, that we always have the chance to bring the car back. That was also quite tricky to really make sure where can we position the car in the container, or do we need a second container? What can we do to ensure in a very short time to get that container and get everything set-up? And that was more or less the initial preparations. Agreeing that the Intercontinental GT Challenge is the one of the biggest logistical feats in motorsport, Königbauer said the risks such as their 2017 heartbreak do play on his mind, but it makes the decision to return to Bathurst easier. It didn t make the situation harder, it makes it easier, he reasoned of the team s early withdrawal from the 2017 event. We just said there s still a challenge open, we have to accept it and, I mean, the whole race weekend, the whole race by itself we really enjoyed it so much, for the whole team, that we said we will come back at one point. After one year, with a break, it s even better that we can join two years later and hopefully have a little more luck this time. Paying homage to Walkenhorst Motorsport s 24 Hours of Spa win in July last year, the team have sent over their Spa winning chassis to compete in the Bathurst 12 Hour wrapped in a similar livery to that with which they claimed victory in the Ardennes. The livery of the car is more or less exactly the same as in Spa; the chassis is the Spa winning chassis, Königbauer explained. So, it s exactly the same car. For Bathurst, I m quite positive that this livery will stay. We have everything (resources wise) with us to create a new livery on site, but for Bathurst, I guess 95 percent the livery we will stay. We re just talking a little bit and have one or two different ideas, but I don t think that we will do it. So yeah, it will stay the Spa 24 livery. Speaking of their Spa 24 Hours win, the German described the experience for him and the entire Walkenhorst Motorsport team as a once in a lifetime and a changing moment in its history. It was crazy, I think there s just a few race weekends like that in the whole lifetime in a racing team. So that means, with one car you do not have any issues from the start to the end, every driver; every team member was feeling so comfortable, he said. It was great, we did a zero-mistake job with the pit crew, the drivers, with everything. We didn t get penalised or any penalty. It was just amazing. We knew that we had the pace; we knew that one time we can win. Now it s the preparation for Bathurst. I mean, the guys are practicing a lot for the pit stops and for everything. It s not like yeah, we can do it. We re okay. We won Spa, which could happen at Bathurst, so now everyone of those guys are super keen on showing even better results, better pit stops, everything should improve. mercedes-benz.com.au

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35 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour TV Times 35 TV broadcast and times Seven s coverage will commence with Saturday afternoon s Pirelli Top 10 Shootout at 1600 local time/aedt on 7mate. The race will be live on the same channel all day on Sunday from 0530 AEDT. Mark Beretta will again host the telecasts, while the commentary line-up of John Hindhaugh, Richard Craill and Jonny Palmer is also the same as in In pit lane, Beretta will be joined by Seven s Alex Hart, Supercars Chad Neylon, and Shea Adam, while Briony Ingerson is a new addition as a colour reporter. The telecast will also be streamed on 7plus in Australia and via the event s website for overseas markets, while Radio Le Mans will provide live audio commentary of each 12 Hour session. Saturday 1600 AEDT 7mate Top 10 Shootout Sunday 0530 AEDT 7mate Bathurst 12 Hour mercedes-benz.com.au

36 36 Habul returns to the scene of his boyhood dream realised Brett Murray Speedcafe.com Contributor U S-based Australian racer Kenny Habul took one step to realise a boyhood dream last year and it was onto the podium at the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour. He had just teamed with Jamie Whincup, Tristan Vautier and Raffaele Marciello to bring the SunEnergy1 Mercedes-AMG home in second place outright and tears of pride were washed away by the spray of the champagne. The result was the best of Habul s career and provided the foundation for a memorable year which resulted in him clinching the Intercontinental GT Challenge Bronze Drivers title at Laguna Seca in October. Habul will share his SunEnergy1 Mercedes- AMG Pro-Am entry in the 2019 Bathurst 12 Hour with his long-time French team-mate Vautier and 2013 outright race winner Thomas Jaeger. The car will be prepared by Scott Taylor Motorsport, which is also working with Triple Eight Race Engineering on a sister car for Whincup, Craig Lowndes and Shane van Gisbergen.

37 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Habul returns to the scene of his boyhood dream realised 37 STM will additionally be preparing a Mercedes-AMG in the Pro-Am class for David Reynolds, Luke Youlden, and Yasser Shahin, in collaboration with Erebus Motorsport. Last year was pretty amazing really. We ticked a lot of boxes, said Habul. To finish on the podium at the Bathurst 12 Hour last year was probably the highlight of my career and then to go on and win the Intercontinental GT Challenge drivers title was the icing on the cake. Thomas and Tristan are both terrific drivers and have a lot of laps under their belts at Bathurst and that is always a big asset to have going into a 12 Hour. Habul s career started in Formula Ford in Australia in the late 1990s and was reignited with NASCAR and sportscar events in the US after several years devoted to building his successful solar energy business. His passion for motorsport was ignited when he worked as part of Peter Brock s Melbourne operation as a youngster. Habul was a massive Brock fan and has come to own several Brock Special road cars, plus the famous # Bathurst 1000 winner as part of his US-based collection. It was a pretty amazing feeling to be standing on the podium at Mount Panorama last year. It was boyhood dream stuff, said Habul. It s a feeling I definitely would like to experience again. A good result at Bathurst would provide a foundation on which we could hopefully build an Intercontinental GT Challenge drivers title defence over the next 10 months or so. Following Bathurst last year, Habul took a Bronze Driver podium in the 24 Hours of Spa, Round 2 of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, and another class win at the Suzuka 10 Hours. The final round at Laguna Seca was marked by on-track drama caused by a slower competitor which saw Habul lose valuable time for repairs, but he managed to get back on track with minutes to spare and clinch the Bronze Drivers title. Habul, who has built SunEnergy1 into the fifth largest developer of utility-scale solar projects in the US, is a proud Australian and carries a logo on the front of his car and his helmet which combines a grinning crocodile and an Australian flag. The 46-year-old used the Mercedes-AMG customer program to full advantage with different teams preparing his car throughout the year at the international events. It is a privilege to be a part of the Mercedes- AMG family and to enjoy the support they provide, said Habul. I don t have the time to run my own car full-time, but Mercedes-AMG do a terrific job through their customer network to hook me up with professional teams, like Scott Taylor Motorsport, to help us get the job done. Bathurst is once again the start of what is now an expanded Intercontinental GT Challenge which Habul will take on in 2019, culminating in the Kyalami 9 Hour on November mercedes-benz.com.au

38 38 BATHURST 12 HOUR 2 Class A Pro GT3 No Team Name Model Driver 1 Driver 2 Driver 3 2 Audi Sport Team Valvoline Audi R8 LMS Christopher Mies Christopher Haase Markus Winkelhock 18 KCMG Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 Alexandre Imperatori Oliver Jarvis Edoardo Liberati 22 Audi Sport Team Valvoline Audi R8 LMS Kelvin van der Linde Garth Tander Frederic Vervisch 27 HubAuto Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 Nick Foster Tim Slade Nick Percat 34 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 Christian Krognes Nicky Catsburg Mikkel Jensen 35 KCMG Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 Katsumasa Chiyo Matsuda Tsugio Joshua Burdon 42 BMW Team Schnitzer BMW M6 GT3 Augusto Farfus Chaz Mostert Martin Tomczyk 77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft Bamboo Black Falcon Mercedes-AMG GT3 Maro Engel Luca Stolz Gary Paffett 107 Bentley Team M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 Steven Kane Jules Gounon Jordan Pepper 108 Bentley Team M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 Andy Soucek Maxime Soulet Vincent Abril 760 R-Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Jake Dennis Matthieu Vaxiviere Marvin Kirchhoefer 888 Mercedes-AMG Team Vodafone Mercedes-AMG GT3 Craig Lowndes Jamie Whincup Shane van Gisbergen 911 EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R Romain Dumas Sven Muller Mathieu Jaminet 912 EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R Dirk Werner Dennis Olsen Matt Campbell 999 Mercedes-AMG Team MANN FILTER GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Maximilian Buhk Raffaele Marciello Maximilian Goetz

39 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Entry List ENTRY LIST Class A Pro -AM GT3 No Team Name Model Driver 1 Driver 2 Driver 3 Driver 4 3 Audi Sport Team MPC Audi R8 LMS Pete Storey Gordon Shedden Matthew Neal 6 Wall Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Adrian Deitz Julian Westwood Cameron McConville Tony D Alberto 9 Audi Sport Team MPC Audi R8 LMS Marc Cini Lee Holdsworth Dean Fiore 11 Objective Racing McLaren 650S GT3 Tony Walls Warren Luff Andrew Watson 12 Competition Motorsports / McElrea Racing 19 Griffith Corp. Team Nineteen. Black Falcon Porsche 911 GT3 R David Calvert-Jones Kevin Estre Jaxon Evans Mercedes-AMG GT3 Mark Griffith Yelmer Buurman Christina Nielsen 29 Trofeo Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Jim Manolios Ben Porter Ivan Capelli Dean Canto 51 Spirit of Race Ferrari 488 GT3 Paul Dalla Lana Pedro Lamy Mathias Lauda 62 R-Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Florian Kamelger Andreas Baenziger Peter Leemhuis Mathew Parry 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Kenny Habul Tristan Vautier Thomas Jaeger 98 Matt Stone Racing Audi R8 LMS Todd Hazelwood Roger Lago David Russell 540 Black Swan Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R Tim Pappas Jeroen Bleekemolen Marc Lieb 777 The Bend Motorsport Park Mercedes-AMG GT3 Yasser Shahin David Reynolds Luke Youlden Class B: GT3 Cup No Team Name Model Driver 1 Driver 2 Driver 3 Driver 4 4 Grove Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Stephen Grove Brenton Grove Ben Barker 23 Team Carrera Cup Asia Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Chris van der Drift Paul Tresidder Jinlong Bao Philip Hamprecht 43 Ashley Seward Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Danny Stutterd Sam Fillmore Richard Muscat Class C GT4 No Team Name Model Driver 1 Driver 2 Driver 3 Driver 4 13 RHC-Jorgensen/Strom by MarcGT BMW M4 GT4 Daren Eric Jorgensen Brett Strom Gerard McLeod 48 KTM / M Motorsport KTM X-Bow GT4 Justin McMillan Glen Wood Dean Lillie Peter Major 50 KTM / M Motorsport KTM X-Bow GT4 David Crampton Trent Harrison Tim Macrow Caitlin Wood 55 Ginetta Australia Ginetta G55 GT4 TBA TBA TBA 56 Ginetta Australia Ginetta G55 GT4 TBA TBA TBA 71 KTM / M Motorsport KTM X-Bow GT4 Dean Koutsoumidis Jake Parsons James Winslow Class I Invitational No Team Name Model Driver 1 Driver 2 Driver 3 Driver 4 20 T2 Racing by Liajen Motorsport Marc Car Marc II V8 Adam Hargraves Daniel Jilesen TBA 91 MARC Cars Australia Marc Car Marc II V8 Keith Kassulke Paul Morris Paul Tracy 92 Liajen Motorsport Marc Car Marc I Jason Busk Geoff Taunton Bryce Fullwood 96 MARC Cars Australia Marc Car Marc I Hadrian Morrall TBA TBA mercedes-benz.com.au

40 40 PRO CLASS TEAM: AUDI SPORT TEAM VALVOLINE MANUFACTURER: AUDI CAR: AUDI R8 LMS CHRISTOPHER MIES (GER) Age: 29 B12Hr starts: 8 B12Hr wins: 2 (2011, 2012) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour wins 2 Nurburgring 24 Hour wins 2015 Australian GT champion CHRISTOPHER HAASE (GER) Age: 31 B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 9th (2015) 2 Nurburgring 24 Hour wins 2016 Sepang 12 Hours winner 2009 FIA GT3 European champion MARKUS WINKELHOCK (GER) Age: 38 B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 2nd (2015) 2 Spa 24 Hours wins 2017 California 8 Hours winner 2012 FIA GT1 World champion 2 ALEXANDRE IMPERATORI (SUI) Age: 31 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: DNF (2017) 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champion OLIVER JARVIS (GBR) Age: 35 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 3rd (2017) 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours class winner (LMP2) 4 Le Mans 24 Hours outright podiums EDOARDO LIBERATI (ITA) Age: 26 B12Hr starts: Debut 2016 GT Asia champion 18 TEAM: KCMG MANUFACTURER: NISSAN CAR: GT-R NISMO GT3 TEAM: AUDI SPORT MANUFACTURER: AUDI CAR: R8 LMS GARTH TANDER (AUS) Age: 41 B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 8th (2016) 2002 Bathurst 24 Hour winner 3 Bathurst 1000 wins 2007 Supercars champion KELVIN VAN DER LINDE (RSA) Age: 22 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 27th (2018) 2017 Nurburgring 24 Hour winner 2014 ADAC GT Masters champion FREDERIC VERVISCH (BEL) Age: 32 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 27th (2018) 2008 German Formula 3 champion 22 TEAM: HUBAUTO CORSA MANUFACTURER: FERRARI CAR: 488 GT3 NICK FOSTER (AUS) Age: 26 B12Hr starts: 1 B12Hr class podiums: 1 (B) 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour class podium (B) 2015 Carrera Cup Australia champion TIM SLADE (AUS) Age: 33 B12Hr starts: 6 Best result: 2nd (2012) 2012 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up NICK PERCAT (AUS) Age: 30 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: DNF (2016) 2011 Bathurst 1000 winner 27

41 PRO CLASS CHRISTIAN KROGNES (NOR) Age: 28 B12Hr starts: Debut Hours of Spa winner 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Driver Profiles NICKY CATSBURG (NED) Age: 30 B12Hr starts: Debut WTCC race winner MIKKEL JENSEN (DEN) Age: 24 B12Hr starts: Debut 1 ELMS race win TEAM: WALKENHORST MOTORSPORT MANUFACTURER: BMW CAR: M6 GT3 TEAM: KCMG MANUFACTURER: NISSAN GT-R CAR: GT-R NISMO GT3 KATSUMASA CHIYO (JPN) Age: 32 B12Hr starts: 4 B12Hr wins: 1 (2015) 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour winner 2015 Blancpain Endurance Pro Cup champion MATSUDA TSUGIO (JPN) Age: 39 B12Hr starts: Debut 2 Super GT championships JOSHUA BURDON (AUS) Age: 26 B12Hr starts: Debut 2016 Asian Formula Renault champion 2018 China Endurance Series champion 35 AUGUSTO FARFUS (BRA) Age: 35 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: DNF (2018) 2015 Daytona 24 Hours class runner-up (GTLM) CHAZ MOSTERT (AUS) Age: 26 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: DNF (2017, 2018) 2014 Bathurst 1000 winner MARTIN TOMCZYK (GER) Age: 37 B12Hr starts: Debut 2011 DTM champion 42 TEAM: BMW TEAM SCHNITZER MANUFACTURER: BMW CAR: M6 GT3 MARO ENGEL (GER) Age: 33 B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 7th (2014) 2018 Blancpain Endurance Cup champion TEAM: MERCEDES-AMG TEAM CRAFT BAMBOO BLACK FALCON MANUFACTURER: MERCEDES CAR: AMG GT3 LUCA STOLZ (GER) Age: 23 B12Hr starts: 1 B12Hr class wins: 1 (2018) 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour outright podium 2016 Blancpain Sprint class champion (Silver Cup) GARY PAFFETT (GBR) Age: 37 B12Hr starts: Debut 2 DTM championships 77 mercedes-benz.com.au

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43 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Driver Profiles PRO CLASS STEVEN KANE (NIR) Age: 38 B12Hr starts: 5 B12Hr podiums: British Junior Formula Ford champion JORDAN PEPPER (RSA) Age: 22 B12Hr starts: Debut 2014 Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup Germany champion 43 JULES GOUNON (FRA) 107 VINCENT ABRIL (FRA) 108 Age: 24 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 16th (2018) 2017 Spa 24 Hours winner TEAM: BENTLEY TEAM M-SPORT MANUFACTURER: BENTLEY CAR: CONTINENTAL GT3 ANDY SOUCEK (ESP) Age: 33 B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 7th (2016) 1 Blancpain Endurance race win (2017) MAXIME SOULET (BEL) Age: 35 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 7th (2016) 1 Blancpain Endurance race win (2017) Age: 23 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 12th (2017) 2015 Blancpain Sprint champion TEAM: BENTLEY TEAM M-SPORT MANUFACTURER: BENTLEY CAR: CONTINENTAL GT3 JAKE DENNIS (GBR) MATTHIEU VAXIVIERE (FRA) MARVIN KIRCHHOEFER (GER) Age: 24 B12Hr starts: Debut 2011 French F4 champion Age: 24 B12Hr starts: Debut 3rd in 2014, 2015 GP3 Series 760 CRAIG LOWNDES (AUS) JAMIE WHINCUP (AUS) SHANE VAN GISBERGEN (NZL) 888 Age: 23 B12Hr starts: Debut 2012 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC champion TEAM: R-MOTORSPORT MANUFACTURER: ASTON MARTIN CAR: VANTAGE GT3 TEAM: MERCEDES-AMG TEAM VODAFONE MANUFACTURER: MERCEDES CAR: AMG GT3 Age: 44 B12Hr starts: 7 B12Hr wins: 2 (2014, 2017) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour wins 7 Bathurst 1000 wins 3 Supercars championships Age: 35 B12Hr starts: 2 B12Hr wins: 1 (2017) 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour winner 4 Bathurst 1000 wins 7 Supercars championships Age: 29 B12Hr starts: 5 B12Hr wins: 1 (2016) 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour winner 2016 Blancpain Endurance champion 2016 Supercars champion mercedes-benz.com.au

44 44 PRO CLASS TEAM: EBM MANUFACTURER: PORSCHE CAR: 911 GT3 R ROMAIN DUMAS (FRA) Age: 41 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 6th (2018) 2 Le Mans 24 Hours wins 2016 World Endurance champion 3 Pikes Peak Hill Climb wins SVEN MULLER (GER) Age: 26 B12Hr starts: Debut 2016 Porsche Supercup champion MATHIEU JAMINET (FRA) Age: 24 B12Hr starts: Debut 2016 Carrera Cup France champion 2018 ADAC GT Masters champion 911 DIRK WERNER (GER) Age: 37 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 6th (2018) 2015 Daytona 24 Hours class runner-up (GTLM) 2 Grand-Am Sports Car class championships (GT) DENNIS OLSEN (NOR) Age: 22 B12Hr starts: Debut 2017 Carrera Cup Germany champion MATT CAMPBELL (AUS) Age: 23 B12Hr starts: 5 Best result: 2nd (2017) 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours class winner (LMGTE Am) 912 TEAM: EBM MANUFACTURER: PORSCHE CAR: 911 GT3 R MAXIMILIAN BUHK (GER) Age: 26 B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 2nd (2014) 2013 Spa 24 Hours winner 2015 Blancpain Sprint champion RAFFAELE MARCIELLO (ITA) Age: 24 B12Hr starts: Debut 2018 Blancpain Sprint Cup champion 2018 Suzuka 10 Hours winner MAXIMILIAN GOETZ (GER) Age: 32 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 28th (2018) 2013 Spa 24 Hours winner 2014 Blancpain Sprint champion 999 TEAM: MERCEDES-AMG TEAM MANN FILTER GRUPPEM RACING MANUFACTURER: MERCEDES CAR: AMG GT3 PRO-AM CLASS PETE STOREY (GBR) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 23rd (2015) H Barcelona class winner (A5) GORDON SHEDDEN (GBR) Age: 39 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 23rd (2015) 3 British Touring Car Championships MATTHEW NEAL (GBR) Age: 52 B12Hr starts: Debut B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 23rd (2015) 3 TEAM: AUDI SPORT TEAM MPC MANUFACTURER: AUDI CAR: R8 LMS

45 PRO-AM CLASS 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Driver Profiles 45 TEAM: WALL RACING MANUFACTURER: LAMBORGHINI CAR: HURACAN GT3 ADRIAN DEITZ (AUS) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: Debut 1 Australian Endurance Championship podium TONY D ALBERTO (AUS) Age: 33 B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 12th (2018) 2017 Bathurst 1000 podium 2007 Super2 champion JULIAN WESTWOOD (GBR) B12Hr starts: Debut 2015 Blancpain Endurance Am Cup champion Hours of Spa class winner (Am Cup) CAMERON MCCONVILLE (AUS) Age: 44 B12Hr starts: 5 Best result: 3rd (201 0) 2002 Bathurst 24 Hour winner 6 MARC CINI (AUS) Age: 57 B12Hr starts: 7 B12Hr class podiums: 2 (Pro-Am 1, Am 1) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour class podiums LEE HOLDSWORTH (AUS) Age: 35 B12Hr starts: 5 B12Hr class podiums: 1 (Pro-Am) 2009 Bathurst 1000 podium DEAN FIORE (AUS) Age: 35 B12Hr starts: 4 B12Hr class podiums: 1 (Pro-Am) 2018 Bathurst 250 (Super2) winner 9 TEAM: AUDI SPORT TEAM MPC MANUFACTURER: AUDI CAR: R8 LMS TONY WALLS (AUS) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 20th (2017) 2 Australian GT race wins (2016) WARREN LUFF (AUS) Age: 42 B12Hr starts: 9 Best result: 2nd (2011) 2011 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up 5 Bathurst 1000 podiums ANDREW WATSON (GBR) Age: 24 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 11th (2018) 1 International GT Open race win (2015) 11 TEAM: OBJECTIVE RACING MANUFACTURER: MCLAREN CAR: 650S GT3 DAVID CALVERT- JONES (AUS) Age: 49 B12Hr starts: 5 Best result: 2nd (2017) 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour class winner (Pro-Am) KEVIN ESTRE (FRA) Age: 30 B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 5th (2018) 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours class winner (LMGTE Pro) 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour class podium (Pro) JAXON EVANS (NZL) Age: 22 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: DNF (2018) 2018 Carrera Cup Australia champion 2018 Carrera Cup Shootout winner 12 TEAM: COMPETITION MOTORSPORTS MANUFACTURER: PORSCHE CAR: 911 GT3 R mercedes-benz.com.au

46 46 PRO-AM CLASS MARK GRIFFITH (AUS) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 4 B12Hr class podiums: 1 (I) 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour class podium (I) 2 Australian GT class championships YELMER BUURMAN (NED) Age: 31 B12Hr starts: Debut 3rd in 2012 GT1 World Championship CHRISTINA NIELSEN (DEN) Age: 27 B12Hr starts: Debut 2 IMSA Sportscar class championships (GTD 2016, 2017) 19 TEAM: GRIFFITH COMPETITION CORP. MOTORSPORTS TEAM NINETEEN. BLACK FALCON MANUFACTURER: MERCEDES PORSCHE CAR: AMG GT3 RGT3 JIM MANOLIOS (AUS) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 8th (2018) 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour class podium (Am) BEN PORTER (AUS) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: Debut 2018 Blancpain GT Series Asia competitor IVAN CAPELLI (ITA) Age: 55 B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 8th (2017) 93 Formula 1 starts 29 TEAM: TROFEO MOTORSPORT MANUFACTURER: LAMBORGHINI CAR: HURACAN GT3 DEAN CANTO (AUS) Age: 38 B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 5th (2015) 2012 Bathurst 1000 runner-up TEAM: SPIRIT OF RACE MANUFACTURER: FERRARI CAR: 488 GT3 PAUL DALLA LANA (CAN) Age: 52 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 14th (2018) 2017 World Endurance class champion (LMGTE Am) PEDRO LAMY (POR) Age: 46 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 14th (2018) 5 Nurburgring 24 Hour wins 2 World Endurance class championships (LMGTE Am) MATHIAS LAUDA (AUT) Age: 37 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 14th (2018) 2017 World Endurance class champion (LMGTE Am) 51 TEAM: TEAM: SPIRIT R-MOTORSPORT OF RACE MANUFACTURER: MANUFACTURER: FERRARI ASTON MARTIN CAR: CAR: 488 VANTAGE GT3 GT3 FLORIAN KAMELGER (AUT) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 26th (2015, 2017) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour class podiums (C 2013, 2015) ANDREAS BAENZIGER (SUI) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 3 Best result: 26th (2015, 2017) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour class podiums (C 2013, 2015) MATTHEW PARRY (GBR) Age: 25 B12Hr starts: Debut 2013 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC champion winner PETER LEEMHUIS (AUS) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 7 B12Hr class wins: 3 (C 2012, 2014, 2015) 3 Bathurst 12 Hour class wins 62

47 PRO-AM CLASS 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Driver Profiles 47 KENNY HABUL (AUS) Age: 45 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 2nd (2018) 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up 2018 IGTC Bronze Drivers champion TRISTAN VAUTIER (FRA) Age: 29 B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: 2nd (2018) 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour runner-up 2018 IGTC Drivers champion THOMAS JAEGER (GER) Age: 42 B12Hr starts: 3 B12Hr wins: 1 (2013) 2013 Bathurst 12 Hour winner 75 TEAM: SUNENERGY1 RACING MANUFACTURER: MERCEDES CAR: AMG GT3 TODD HAZELWOOD (AUS) Age: 23 B12Hr starts: Debut 2017 Super2 champion ROGER LAGO (AUS) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 9 B12Hr class wins: 1 (B) 2011 Bathurst 12 Hour class winner (B) DAVID RUSSELL (AUS) Age: 37 B12Hr starts: 9 B12Hr class wins: 2 (B 1, C 1) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour class wins (B 1, C 1) 98 TEAM: MATT STONE RACING MANUFACTURER: AUDI CAR: R8 LMS TEAM: BLACK SWAN RACING MANUFACTURER: PORSCHE CAR: 911 GT3 R TIM PAPPAS (USA) Age: 45 B12Hr starts: 1 B12Hr class wins: 1 (2018) 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour podium 2 ALMS class championships (GTC) JEROEN BLEEKEMOLEN (NED) Age: 37 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 2nd (2012) 2013 Nurburgring 24 Hour winner 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours class winner (LMP2) MARC LIEB (GER) Age: 38 B12Hr starts: 2 Best result: 2nd (2017) 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours winner 2016 World Endurance champion 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour class winner (Pro-Am) 540 YASSER SHAHIN (AUS) Age: TBA B12Hr starts: 1 Best result: DNF (2018) 1 Australian GT race win (2016) DAVID REYNOLDS (AUS) Age: series: Supercars B12Hr starts: 4 Best result: 5th (2016) 2017 Bathurst 1000 winner LUKE YOULDEN (AUS) Age: 40 B12Hr starts: 5 B12Hr class wins: 2 (F) 2 Bathurst 12 Hour class wins (F) 777 TEAM: THE BEND MOTORSPORT PARK MANUFACTURER: MERCEDES CAR: AMG GT3 mercedes-benz.com.au

48 TAKING IT TO EXTREMES OFFICIAL OIL CASTROL EDGE WITH FLUID TITANIUM. STRONGER UNDER PRESSURE. IT S MORE IT S MORE THAN JUST THAN OIL. JUST IT S OIL. LIQUID IT S LIQUID ENGINEERING. ENGINEERING. CastrolRacingAU

49 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Support line-up for Support line-up for 2019 A wide variety of support categories will take to the Mount Panorama Circuit on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Formula Ford has joined the program in conjunction with the event s expansion to four days. The Radical Australia Cup once again open its season at the Mountain, joined by Combined Sedans, which includes ex-supercars, as well as Group S Historic Sportscars, incorporating cars from the 1950s to the 1970s. mercedes-benz.com.au

50 50 Introducing Mercedes-AMG s latest GT4 weapon Brett Murray Speedcafe.com Contributor T he Mercedes-AMG GT4 is one of a host of cars on display in Harris Park at this year s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour. With the catchcry Join the World s Fastest Family, the car was launched to a select group of special guests at the Mercedes me store in Melbourne last week. Following its visit to the spiritual home of Australian motor racing, it will become part of the local AMG Driving Academy where potential customers will have the opportunity to try before the buy. Featuring an extended focus on safety, it is eligible for the CAMS Australian GT Championship and has been earmarked for both gentlemen racers and aspiring young drivers looking to make the step to GT3 racing and beyond. The new Mercedes-AMG GT4 is powered by a twin-turbo 4.0 litre V8 engine with direct injection that will produce up to 375 kw (510 hp) and up to 600 Nm of torque with a top speed in excess of 250km/h. The car will retail in Australia for AU$320,000 and can be purchased directly from AMG in Germany. This is a natural progression for most of our customers, said Mercedes-AMG chief driving instructor Peter Hackett, who was on hand to unveil the car. The GT4 is a perfect stepping stone for people who have explored the limits of highperformance road cars like the GT R and want more. It provides an opportunity to learn about the components of the car like adjustable ABS and traction control as well as aerodynamics. In a GT3, learning that stuff comes at mindnumbing speeds and can be quite confronting, but with the introduction of the GT4 you can learn about that with a similar amount of exhilaration, but with the speed at which everything is coming at you being numbed a little. Hackett spruiked that the new Mercedes- AMG is the safest GT car now available, a trait

51 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Introducing Mercedes-AMG s latest GT4 weapon 51 which is one of the highest priorities for the company s customer base. Most of our customers are businessmen with families and safety is a major priority, he explained. There is no safer GT car than the AMG GT4. The safety system and cell is exactly the same as what we have in the GT3 car. The driver is basically mounted in the car and the pedal box and steering wheel come back to them. So instead of having a seat that is on runners, which is a weak point in a car in any accident, we have a situation where the driver is centralised and stable. Hackett believes the car will be attractive to serious circuit racers as well as weekend enthusiasts. The car is a more accessible car and a more understanding car, he added. It s more achievable and a logical step if you are an enthusiast or an avid driver; this a car you can buy and own. You can take it to the track without a heap of support staff with you and an engineer looking at data on a laptop. You could take this car club sprinting if you wanted. You don t need to go racing, but it is an extremely capable race car as well with the all-important safety features. Mercedes-AMG GT4 technical overview Engine Power/maximum torque Transmission Electronics Wheels/tyres Weight Tank capacity Acceleration Maximum speed AMG 4.0 litre V8 biturbo engine (3,982 cm3) Up to 375 kw (510 hp)*/up to 600 Nm* Sequential AMG 6-speed racing transmission Motorsport electronics including adjustable ABS and AMG traction control AMG alloy wheels, 11 18, forged (VA 305/ / HA 305/680-18) < 1,390 kg* 120 litre motorsport safety tank km/h under 4 sec* Over 250 km/h* Sales price 198,850 euros (excluding sales taxes) / AU$316,000 * Subject to approx. Balance of Performance mercedes-benz.com.au

52 52 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Thursday January 31 Start Duration Category Session 8:30 0:20 Combined Sedans Practice 8:55 0:20 Formula Ford Practice 9:25 0:20 Group S Practice 9:55 0:20 Radical Practice 10:25 0:20 Combined Sedans Qualifying 10:55 0:20 Formula Ford Qualifying 11:35 0:20 Group S Qualifying 13:15 0:20 Radical Qualifying 13:45 0:35 Combined Sedans Race 1 14:30 0:30 Formula Ford Race 1 15:10 0:30 Group S Race 1 Friday February 1 Start Duration Category Session 7:15 0:45 Radical Race 1 8:05 0:35 Combined Sedans Race 2 8:50 0:30 Bathurst 12 Hour Practice 1 (excluding Class A Platinum and Gold drivers) 9:25 1:00 Bathurst 12 Hour Practice 2 10:30 0:30 Formula Ford Race 2 11:10 1:00 Bathurst 12 Hour Practice 3 13:30 14:00 Group S Race 2 15:15 1:00 Bathurst 12 Hour Practice 4 Saturday February 2 Start Duration Category Session 7:15 0:30 Formula Ford Race 3 7:55 0:30 Group S Race 3 8:35 1:00 Bathurst 12 Hour Practice 5 9:45 0:45 Radical Race 2 11:20 0:45 Bathurst 12 Hour Qualifying 1 (all classes) 12:10 0:30 Bathurst 12 Hour Qualifying 2 (Class A only) 15:50 0:35 Combined Sedans Race 3 16:40 Bathurst 12 Hour Top 10 Shootout Sunday February 4 Start Duration Category Session 5:45 12:00 Bathurst 12 Hour Race All times in local/aedt

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