Bathurst 12 Hour
Intercontinental GT Challenge | |
---|---|
Venue | Mount Panorama Circuit |
Corporate sponsor | Liqui Moly |
First race | 1991 |
Duration | 12 Hours |
Most wins (driver) | John Bowe (3) Jules Gounon (3) |
Most wins (manufacturer) | Mazda (4) |
The Bathurst 12 Hour, currently known as the
Background
The event was inspired by the long-running
History
Production origins
In 1990, Vincent Tesoriero, a race promoter and former Bathurst 1000 competitor, looked at the decline of
The race was originally scheduled to run from 9am to 9pm but this was disallowed by
In 1992, manufacturer-backed teams began to appear with large teams entered and funded by Mazda, Holden, Citroën and Peugeot. Porsche would also provide factory support from 1993 onwards. Honda, Nissan, Maserati, BMW and Lotus were also represented but not by factory-supported teams. The Mazda team would go on to dominate the event with the Mazda RX-7, winning the next three consecutive races at Mount Panorama.[2]
Facing rising costs, the
Hiatus
After no major race for production cars for a number of years, the concept was revived with the short-lived Bathurst 24 Hour races in 2002 and 2003. The races were run by Nations Cup owners PROCAR and were dominated by the Holden Monaro 427Cs of Garry Rogers Motorsport. The Bathurst 24 Hour only lasted two years before PROCAR owner Ross Palmer was forced to abandon the race due to rising costs.
Revival
The Bathurst 12 Hour was successfully revived in
The 2008 and 2009 races were won by Mitsubishi Lancers, with Rod Salmon and Damien White amongst both line-ups. The 2009 race was particularly dominated by Mitsubishi, with the marque finishing in the first four positions.[2] Garry Holt would then repeat his 2007 victory in 2010, driving again with Morris and also with John Bowe. The race was interrupted for an hour after a tree fell across Conrod Straight.[8] The number of entries grew over this production-based period, peaking at 48 in 2009, while the final race held strictly to production car regulations in 2010 attracted 42 entries.[5] During this time, the event itself grew in stature each year, firmly entrenching itself as one of the biggest race meetings at the start of the domestic Australian racing season, along with the Adelaide 500 and the Australian Grand Prix.
International expansion
In
The 2013 event ended the two-year run of poor entry numbers, with a record field of over 50 cars.[13] Another first for the event saw the opening round of the 2013 Australian GT Championship incorporated into the first hour of the race. The results of the GT Championship round were based on the positions of the cars that had elected to race for GT Championship points at the end of the first hour of racing. Teams could then either continue on and complete the full race, or withdraw their car after the first hour. Drivers were allowed to cross-enter between cars so that they could race one car in the one-hour GT Championship race and then drive another car that was entered for the full 12 hours.[14] Erebus Motorsport took the first win for an Australian team under the GT regulations with German drivers Bernd Schneider, Thomas Jäger and Alexander Roloff taking their Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG to victory.[15]
In August 2015, the
Intercontinental GT Challenge
The
The
Impact of COVID-19
In October 2020, the 2021 race was cancelled, predominantly due to the international travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[32] Supercars, part-owners of the event, instead ran the Mount Panorama 500 in February as the opening round of the 2021 Supercars Championship.[33] After further COVID-19 concerns, the 2022 race was delayed from February to May.[34] The 2022 event also featured several major regulation changes, including the removal of the all-professional class for the first time since 2016.[35] Twenty cars entered the race, which featured extended pre-dawn running, cooler temperatures and rolling fog due to the autumn date, plus intermittent rain throughout the day. Having finished second in 2018, Kenny Habul, who owns a property on Conrod Straight, led his SunEnergy1 Racing team to victory. The driver line-up included Jules Gounon who won the event in consecutive runnings, having been part of the Bentley line-up in 2020.[36]
Winners
Events which were not held at Mount Panorama Circuit are indicated by a pink background.
- Notes
^2 – The 2010 race was red flagged for approximately an hour after a tree fell across Conrod Straight and had to be removed.[8]
^3 – The 2018 race was red flagged on lap 273 following a multi-car accident at Sulman Park at 5:25 PM, with twenty minutes remaining in the race. As the debris was unable to be cleared to allow the race to restart before the deadline of 5:43 PM (race regulations state the race starts at 5:45 AM and ends with one full completed lap once the leader crosses the finish line after 5:43 PM), the race results were backdated to lap 271 meaning that two of the three cars involved in the incident were classified.[37]
^4 – Race record for laps & distance covered.
Multiple winners
By driver
Wins | Driver | Years |
---|---|---|
3 | John Bowe | 1995, 2010, 2014 |
Jules Gounon | 2020, 2022, 2023 | |
2 | Garry Waldon | 1992, 1993 |
Rod Salmon | 2008, 2009 | |
Damien White | 2008, 2009 | |
Garry Holt | 2007, 2010 | |
Paul Morris | 2007, 2010 | |
Christopher Mies | 2011, 2012 | |
Darryl O'Young | 2011, 2012 | |
Craig Lowndes | 2014, 2017 | |
Matt Campbell | 2019, 2024 | |
Kenny Habul | 2022, 2023 | |
Luca Stolz | 2022, 2023 |
By manufacturer
Wins | Manufacturer | Years |
---|---|---|
4 | Mazda | 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 |
3 | Audi | 2011, 2012, 2018 |
Mercedes-AMG | 2013, 2022, 2023 | |
2 | Mitsubishi | 2008, 2009 |
BMW | 2007, 2010 | |
Ferrari | 2014, 2017 | |
Porsche | 2019, 2024 |
Allan Simonsen Pole Position Trophy
In 2014, a trophy was introduced for the fastest time in qualifying, named after Allan Simonsen who died at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans. Simonsen, who had raced several times in Australia as part of a long and varied career, held the Bathurst 12 Hour race lap record at the time, as well as driving the fastest officially timed lap around Mount Panorama in a closed-wheel car.[17] The introduction of the trophy coincided with the relaxing of qualifying restrictions from previous years, with the removal of the minimum allowed lap time (two minutes and six seconds), therefore allowing a major improvement in qualifying times.[17] Despite the name, the trophy is given to the fastest qualifying time, not the car that starts on pole position in the case of a grid penalty, as initially occurred in 2019.[38]
In 2014, Simonsen's former team at the 12 Hour, Maranello Motorsport, narrowly missed pole to Maro Engel by less than a tenth of a second.[39] Maranello went on to win the race itself. In 2015, Laurens Vanthoor set the fastest ever officially recorded time of Mount Panorama in qualifying.[40] This time was only to last twelve months, with Shane van Gisbergen beating the time by over one second in qualifying for the 2016 race.[41] In 2017 a top ten shootout was introduced, as per the Bathurst 1000, with the fastest time winning the trophy.[42] In 2018, Chaz Mostert became the first Australian to take the trophy as well as making BMW the fifth manufacturer to win the trophy in the five years since its inception.
The 2019 battle for the trophy had several twists, with the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 of Jake Dennis initially taking the trophy after setting the fastest time in the Top 10 Shootout, despite a two-place grid penalty that he had earlier received for pit-lane speeding.[38] Later, the car was excluded from the Top 10 Shootout for a technical infringement, granting the trophy to the Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Raffaele Marciello.[43] On the race's return in 2022 from a one-year hiatus, the one-lap shootout was replaced by two fifteen minute sessions due to concerns over low tyre temperature, the first for 6th to 10th and the second from 1st to 5th in the earlier qualifying session.[44] Over the sessions, Chaz Mostert became the first driver to win the trophy for the second occasion, taking pole by the smallest margin in the race's history.[45]
Year | Driver | Vehicle | Entrant | Lap Time |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Maro Engel | Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 | Erebus Motorsport | 2:03.8586 |
2015 | Laurens Vanthoor | Audi R8 LMS Ultra
|
Phoenix Racing
|
2:02.5521 |
2016 | Shane van Gisbergen | McLaren 650S GT3 | Tekno Autosports | 2:01.2860 |
2017 | Toni Vilander | Ferrari 488 GT3 | Maranello Motorsport | 2:02.8610 |
2018 | Chaz Mostert | BMW M6 GT3 | Schnitzer Motorsport | 2:01.9340 |
2019
|
Raffaele Marciello | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | GruppeM Racing | 2:02.9348 |
2020
|
Matt Campbell | Porsche 911 GT3 R | Absolute Racing | 2:03.5554 |
2021 | Not awarded | |||
2022
|
Chaz Mostert | Audi R8 LMS Evo II | Melbourne Performance Centre | 2:02.4930 |
2023 | Maro Engel | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | GruppeM Racing | 2:00.8819 |
2024 | Sheldon van der Linde | BMW M4 GT3 | BMW M Team WRT
|
2:01.9810 |
Broadcasts
In the early days of the race in the 1990s, the race was broadcast on free-to-air television by
The estimated viewing audience for the 2014 race was over half a million people from 150 countries.[48]
Event sponsors
- 1991–94: James Hardie
- 2007–09: Wright Patton Shakespeare (WPS)
- 2010–12: Armor All
- 2013–2020, 2022–2023: Liqui Moly[51]
- 2024: Repco
See also
- Bathurst 24 Hour
- Bathurst 1000
- Bathurst 6 Hour
References
- Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Normoyle, Steven; Greenhalgh, David (2018). The History of the Bathurst 12 Hour: A Race Around the Clock. St Leonards, New South Wales, New South Wales: Chevron Publishing.
- ^ a b c McNally, Connor; Normoyle, Steve. "Easter Racing at Mount Panorama". Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Alfa Romeo Submit the First Entry For 2008 WPS Bathurst 12 Hour". Italia Speed. 25 October 2007. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ a b c "Armor All withdraws support from Bathurst 12 Hour". Speedcafe. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "WPS Bathurst 12 Hour - Qualifying". National Software. 7 April 2007. Retrieved 22 February 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "WPS Bathurst 12 Hour Race". National Software. 8 April 2007. Retrieved 22 February 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "Fallen tree shortens Bathurst race". Drive.com.au. 14 February 2010. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- ^ "Australian GT cars confirmed for 12 Hour". Speedcafe. 29 March 2010. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^ "Bathurst 12 Hour entry list released". Speedcafe. 10 January 2011. Archived from the original on 29 March 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^ "Audi takes one-two in Bathurst 12 Hour". Speedcafe. 6 February 2011. Archived from the original on 7 March 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^ "Team Phoenix picks up from Team Joest and delivers a second-straight Bathurst 12 Hour win for Audi". Fox Sports News. 26 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Touring Car Star Showdown at Bathurst (+ Entry List)". Bathurst 12 Hour. 25 January 2013. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Aussie GT in 12 Hour Explained + Entry List". Bathurst 12 Hour. 21 December 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Erebus holds on for dramatic Bathurst 12 Hour victory". Speedcafe. 10 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Ferrari Wins Bathurst 12-Hour Thriller". Bathurst 12 Hour. 9 February 2014. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ a b c "New Format and Allan Simonsen Pole Position Trophy set for 2014 Bathurst Qualifying". Bathurst 12 Hour. 10 December 2013. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ "Nismo Nissan GTR Wins the 2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour". Bathurst 12 Hour. 8 February 2015. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ "Green light for Bathurst Easter 6 Hour race". Speedcafe. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ "Bathurst to begin 2016 Intercontinental GT Series". Speedcafe. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ^ "Álvaro Parente renova contrato com McLaren". Diário de Notícias. 13 January 2012. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ "SVG leads McLaren to Bathurst 12 Hour victory". Speedcafe. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ "Bathurst 12 Hour to adopt all-pro class". Speedcafe. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
- ^ Lomas, Gordon (5 February 2017). "Lowndes, Whincup, Vilander take Bathurst 12H". Speedcafe. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
- ^ "Tourist Trophy awarded to B12H winners". Speedcafe. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
- ^ Coch, Mat (4 February 2018). "Martin, Walsh, to be transferred to hospital after B12Hr crash". Speedcafe. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
- The Western Advocate. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
- ^ Goodwin, Graham (3 February 2019). "Earl Bamber Motorsport Wins Dramatic Bathurst 12 Hour – dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ Dagys, John (2 February 2020). "Bentley Breaks Through for Bathurst 12H Win – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ Dagys, John (1 February 2020). "Grid Reduced to 34 Cars After Carnage-Filled Saturday – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ McAlpine, Heath (19 October 2020). "2021 BATHURST 12 HOUR CANCELLED". Auto Action. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Supercars 2021 Calendar Revealed". Supercars. 3 December 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Mulach, Jordan (14 January 2022). "2022 Bathurst 12 Hour pushed back to May". WhichCar. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ McCarthy, Dan (25 February 2022). "BATHURST 12 HOUR CLASS STRUCTURE CONFIRMED". Auto Action.
- ^ O'Brien, Connor (15 May 2022). "Gounon leads SunEnergy1 Racing to Bathurst 12 Hour glory". Speedcafe. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Live blog: The 2018 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour at Mount Panorama". Fox Sports Australia. 4 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- ^ a b Goodwin, Graham (2 February 2019). "Marciello Takes Pole At Bathurst For Mercedes AMG – dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ "Erebus Steals Pole from Favourites on the Mountain". Bathurst 12 Hour. 8 February 2014. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ "Vanthoor sets fastest-ever lap at Bathurst to snatch 12 Hours pole". Motorsport.com. 7 February 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ "Shane van Gisbergen puts Tekno McLaren on Bathurst 12 Hour pole". Autosport. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ Bartholomaeus, Stefan (10 November 2016). "Top 10 Shootout for Bathurst 12 Hour". Speedcafe. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
- ^ Howard, Tom (2 February 2019). "Pole winning Aston excluded from B12H shootout". Speedcafe. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ van Leeuwen, Andrew (14 May 2022). "Shootout dumped from Bathurst 12 Hour". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Perrins, Slade (14 May 2022). "Mostert stuns van der Linde to snatch Bathurst 12 Hour pole". Speedcafe. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Free to Air and Online Coverage to Return in 2013". Bathurst 12 Hour. 24 July 2012. Archived from the original on 1 January 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
- ^ "SPEED Australia to broadcast Bathurst 12 hour race live and exclusive from Mt Panorama in 2012". Fox Sports News. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
- ^ a b "Record Audiences Watch 12-Hour Thriller on the Mountain". Bathurst 12 Hour. 9 February 2014. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ "2015 Bathurst 12 Hour: Live on Seven". Bathurst 12 Hour. 17 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ "New broadcast deal announced for 2020 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour". Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ "Liqui Moly extends Bathurst 12 Hour backing". Speedcafe. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.