Bathurst 12H news

HISTORIC HORSEPOWER IN STORE FOR ARMOR ALL BATHURST 12 HOUR

SOME OF THE MOST iconic cars from Australian Motorsport history will return to Mount Panorama during the 2011 Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour Event.

In what is set to be a blast from Bathurst's past, Group C & A Historic Touring Cars will race at the February 4-6, 2011 Event for the first time.

Group N Historic Touring Cars, Improved Production and the venerable HQ Holden's all return for another year promising big fields and plenty of action across two days of practice, qualifying and racing as the lead in to the 12 Hour race itself.

Some of the future stars of the sport will also be showcased as the nimble Formula Vee Open-Wheelers return after a year's absence.

The Group C & A Historic Touring Car class has seen substantial growth in recent years with more than 30 cars now regularly attending major Events.

The class features original cars only - replicas are not allowed - meaning that some of the most historic cars from Bathurst's history will return to the track next year, some possibly for the first time since they last raced there.

The diverse grid could potentially include cars like the famous Nissan 'Godzilla' GT-R, Holden Dealer Team A9X Holden Torana's, Group C Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons, turbocharged Ford Sierra's, the ex-Jim Richards' BMW M3 and many more.

"Our cars represent the halcyon days of Touring Car racing from 1974 right through to 1992 and Mount Panorama is really the spiritual home of them all," said Edward Singleton, Group C & A Category Manager.

"The ownership group is very excited to have been invited to race at the Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour and we are confident that we are going to put on a fantastic show for everyone there.

"The grid will be full of variety like the 'Big Banger' Group C cars to the nimble BMW M3s, which should be great to watch across the top of the Mountain, and also smaller cars like Escorts, Gemini's and Dolomites.

"Everywhere you look there will be action and we are all excited to return to the track where a lot of motorsport legends were born in these very cars."

Event Director James O'Brien said that the support card for the 2011 Event promised big fields and great racing for fans trackside.

"There really is something for everyone at the 2011 Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour," Mr. O'Brien said.

"From the high-performance, exotic GT cars and the massive array of Production cars racing in the Armor All 12 Hour, to some iconic cars from the sport's history, open wheelers and great one-make racing in the HQ's. It's possible that we have assembled perhaps the widest variety of cars ever to race at Bathurst at the one Event.

"We expect there to be more than 200 cars on the Mountain and near-to full grids in every category. It's going to be a very spectacular sight."

The 2011 Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour is set to be the best yet and will include a broader vehicle eligibility list.

GT vehicles will join with production vehicles in 2011, with a total of 31 manufacturers eligible to compete in the around-the-clock Enduro at Mount Panorama from 4 to 6 February 2011.

Historic Group N Touring Cars, Group A&C Historic Touring Cars, Improved Production, HQ Holden's and Formula Vee will feature throughout Friday and Saturday's action, ensuring a racing program that caters to nearly every type of Australian Motorsport fan.

-source: bathurst12hour.com.au