By way of exaplantaion, the Bathurst 12 Hour is a race for GT3 cars run over 12 hours. GT3 cars are a tightly regulated racing category based on production cars (mainly Grand Touring in nature) but with many alterations allowed. The category uses a "Balance of Performance" (BoP) process to handicap the cars so that, in theory and all going well, their performance is identical on a idealised circuit. But, on any actual circuit some cars will perforem better than others sa each has different strengths and weaknesses.
The bottom line is that the teams can do little to alter the cars during a season, so every, say, BMW M4 GT3, should be the same as any other. But, in endurance racing, stategy is key. Starting at this event last year BMW's factory backed team, WRT, employed a clever strategy to use a little less fuel and thus a bigget gap between pit stops giving them greater opportunity to make a re-fueling stop under a safety car (giving up less track distance and time). And it worked returning them a 1-2 finish.
But that was last year, and everyone is wiser this year!
Day one at the Bathurst 12 hour was a blast. Super comfortable in our corporate suite with plenty of action. Also it was great to see plenty of schoolchildren!
Pirelli fit 12 sets of tyres per car, $1,840,000 worth over the event. Plus GST! Some teams leave the fitting to the last minute. WRT - W Racing Team have all their tyres fitted already.
The second day was equally excelent in our comfortable and well serviced suite above the pits. We had the privilege of some time with WRT BMW M4 car #32 drivers Jordan Pepper and Kelvin van der Linde who shared with us their love of the Mount Panorama circuit (top 3 of their tracks worldwide) and their perspectives of driving the track ( a lot more challenging than a simulator would suggest). Strategy is all important they advised, so not being top of the time sheets after qualifying and the Pole Battle (7th for #46 and 12th for #32) probably won't worry them too much.
The afternoon was rounded off by a guided garage tour through WRT - W Racing Team garage, marvelling at the banks of screens for data, not just on their car but what they can get on the competitors to optimise the strategy. The team were not fussed by the grid positions but, prophetically, were concerned about first corner issues.
The Ken Done recreation art car #32 looks amazing.
Indescribably superb day for the main race at the Bathurst 12 Hour, watching with all the comforts of a corporate suite and very enjoyable and enthusiastic company and the magical atmosphere of a pre-dawn start.
Car #32 made an opportunistic lunge into a gap about 1.01 car's width heading into the first corner and got tagged on the outside right front corner. Some time later a pit stop was required to repair this (see image above) which sent them tumbling down the timing screens.
Such is the nature of endurance racing that much later on, after a safety car period. #32 was at the front of the pack in P1. Sadly it was punted off (at corner 1 again) and finishing 12th.
Car #46 had been there or thereabouts all day and finished 3rd after being out of luck with pit stops and safety cars.
It was a fantastic weekend with great racing and even better company.
