2007 Bathurst 12 hour

[Ferrer]

But in a formula such as BTCC I don't think the slightly reduced weight would compensate for the longer wheelbase and wider track of the 3-series, especially as I've read many reviews panning the 1-series' rear suspension

And also the 3-series has better aerodinamics than the 1-series.

[fpv_gtho]

BMW are looking good with about an hour left to run http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/re.../2007.MOUN.R12

Currently 1-2 in Class A with the 335i
Currently 1-2-3 in Class C with the 130i
Currently 1st in Class F with the 120i

Other notables are:

WRX Sti Spec C currently leading Class B, 2nd outright ahead of the second 335I
BF Falcon XR8 currently leading Class D, ahead of the Class A FPV F6 Typhoon
Celica SX currently 1-2 Class E
159 2.4 JT currently leading Glass G ahead of Astra diesel CDTI in Class H

[motorsportnerd]

The reborn 2007 Bathurst 12 hour race has been run and won. It was an interesting race and a great weekend. The race was won by the BMW 335i Twin Turbo of Paul Morris/Craig Baird/Garry Holt - so I was rather wrong with my tip as to the winner. The Astra VXR didn't even manage to win its class.

I arrived at the circuit at 5am for the 5.45am start and got myself a good position on the start finish straight for the start of the race. In qualifying on the Saturday afternoon, Paul Morris managed to secure pole position in the BMW 335i Twin Turbo with a 2m 32.12s lap, just ahead of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 of Rick Bates which set a 2m32.3s lap. Nice and close between the top two cars, and this boded well for a good race.
The rest of the top 10 was as follows:
3rd Chris Pither BMW 335i Twin Turbo 2m 32.8; 4th Neil Crompton Subaru Impreza WRX STi C-Spec 2m 34.3; 5th Mark King Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 2m 34.6; 6th Christian D'Agostin Subaru Impreza WRX STi 2m35.2; 7th Chris Atkinson Subaru Impreza WRX STi C-Spec 2m35.9; 8th Bob Pearson Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 2m 37.8; 9th Luke Searle BMW 130i 2m38.5; 10th Garth Walden Holden Commodore VY SS 2m38.7.

I suggested that the pole winning car would be capable of a 2m25s time - perhaps the BMW would have if it was allowed to run slick tyres. However, all cars had to use street tyres.

The cars lined up ready for the start, with the pole winning Paul Morris BMW conspiciously absent. The course commentators didn't know where it was. So, the race started without it. Rick Bates got the jump at the start. What was impressive was the way the AWD Turbo Subarus and Mitsubishis just launched at the start - no wheelspin or anything. The BMW 335i which started 3rd on the grid was lucky not to be swamped.
Rick Bates led the first few laps in the Evo, with Pither (BMW), Crompton (Subaru), Atkinson (Subaru), King (Mitsubishi) and D'Agostin (Subaru) closely following.
The Morris BMW did start, but from pit lane. Apparantly a fuel leak caused them a few problems on the warm-up lap so they had to pit and attend to it. However, Morris quickly cut through the field to be up into the top seven after only 5 laps.
I watched a few laps of the race from the pit straight before heading to my car and driving to the top of the circuit. I parked at McPhillamy Park (one of the great things about the Mount Panorama circuit is that you can park right next to the track and watch the race from your car - providing its not the Bathurst 1000, where the crowds would make this impossible), where I was joined by Nota. We stayed at the top of the circuit for the next ten or so hours, before heading back down to the Pit Straight to watch the finish.
The early laps were lead by the Mitsubishi of Bates, but Pither quickly took the lead in the BMW and started to build a gap. However, after on 30 minutes, the BMW headed to the pits with serious brake problems (the brakes were literally on fire). With new discs/pads it was on its way again, having lost a few laps. At about this point, the two factory Subarus of Crompton and Atkinson passed the Bates Mitsubishi and assumed a lead they would have for more then half the race between them. Morris moved up to third and then challenged the Subarus for the lead of the race after about 40 minutes of racing. Morris lead for half an hour or so before problems with the engine management system (the car refused to rev to the redline) slowed Morris and he headed to the pits. The BMW lost a couple of laps, and with with BMWs in early problems, it now seemed that Subaru would dominate the race.
Well - they did, except that the BMWs, especially the Morris car, had a lot more speed than the Subarus and started to gradually reduce the gap. Morris was able to unlap himself at about the 3 hour mark when the safety car came out on track to allow a couple of cars stopped on track to be retrieved.
Atkinson had assumed the lead by this time in the second of the factory Subarus, as the lead car had a few braking issues.
The Subaru of Atkinson/Cody Crocker/Dean Herridge impressed a lot of people. Not only did it lead for more than half the race, but the three drivers are known more for their rally skills, not their race circuit skills. The three quickly adapted to not having pace notes and having to deal with traffic around them and confidently lead for a very long time. It helped that of the leading cars, this was the only one not to have any problems at all.
The Atkinson Subaru should in fact have won the race, except it was undone during a safety car at the 8 hour mark. Firstly, Subaru called Atkinson in too early for his pitstop. Then the safety car failed to bunch up the whole field correctly. This allowed the Morris/Baird BMW to turn a near 2 minute deficit into a 2 minute lead......
The BMW then lead to the finish. A late drama saw the BMW dropping fuel from its overflow (although therotically production cars, most of the cars in the field were fitted with dry-break fueling systems). The car was black flagged - and a Subaru victory looked to be on again. Baird was at the wheel of the BMW at the time and held a near two minute lead over Atkinson. However, the problem was quickly fixed, and Baird resumed his lead cut in half.
There were no further dramas, and the Morris/Baird/Holt BMW crossed the line to take the win by 1m 8sec from the Atkinson/Crocker/Herridge Subaru.

The BMW deserved the win. It started from the back after problems in the warm up and worked its way through to the lead, only for more problems to cost the car a couple of laps. It again worked its way back to the lead, before losing a bit more time, and then had to do it all again. The BMW was clearly the fastest car on the track.
The 2nd placed Subaru was unlucky. The rally drivers did a great job. It wasn't Atkinson's first time in a circuit race, but it was Crocker and Herridge's first time. A slightly conservative strategy nearly came good for them.
Third was the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 of Bob Hughes/Rick Bates/Peter Gazzard - four laps behind the two leading cars after suffering a few setbacks, but a reward for perseverance.

[motorsportnerd]

Pictures of all the cars in the race in finishing order to follow (excuse the photography, I'm neither a good photographer and I have a very basic digital camera).

1st overall/1st in Class A: Paul Morris/Craig Baird/Garry Holt BMW 335i Twin Turbo 257 laps
2nd overall/1st in Class B: Chris Atkinson/Cody Crocker/Dean Herridge Subaru Impreza WRX Spec C 257 laps
3rd overall/2nd in Class B: Bob Hughes/Rick Bates/Peter Gazzard Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 253 laps
4th overall/2nd in Class A: Chris Pither/Barry Morcom/Beric Lynton BMW 335i Twin Turbo 253 laps
5th overall/3rd in Class B: Neil Crompton/Grant Denyer/Chris Alajajian Subaru Impreza WRX Spec C 248 laps
6th overall/1st in Class D: Andrew Moffat/Drew Russell/Shaun Juniper BMW 130i 247 laps

[henk4]

great stuff, you must have enjoyed yourself.

[motorsportnerd]

7th overall/2nd in Class C: Dean Grant/Mark Cini/Mark Eddy BMW 130i 246 laps
8th overall/3rd in Class C: Luke Searle/Peter Kelly BMW 130i 244 laps
9th overall/1st in Class D: John Bowe/Chris Delfsma/Jack Elsegood Ford Falcon BF XR8 244 laps
10th overall/3rd in Class A: Michael Trimbole/David Ryan/Andrew Fawcett Ford FPV Falcon F6 Typhoon 240 laps
11th overall/1st in Class E: Colin Osborne/Neal Bates/John Roecken Toyota Celica SX 240 laps
12th overall/2nd in Class E: Trevor Keene/Andrew Bretherton/Tim Slade Mini Cooper S 239 laps

[henk4]

have the cars from Class G and H already finished?

[motorsportnerd]

13th overall/3rd in Class E: Carl Schembri/Leigh Mertens/David Mertens Toyota Celica SX 238 laps
14th overall/2nd in Class D: Alan Letcher/David Turner/Nathan Callaghan Ford Falcon BF XR6 Turbo 232 laps
15th overall/4th in Class C: Nathan Pretty/Jason Richards/Shane Price/Jack Perkins Holden Astra VXR 230 laps
16th overall/1st in Class F: Iain Sherrin/Grant Sherrin/Stuart Jones/Jim Wallace BMW 120i 226 laps
17th overall/4th in Class E: Peter Conroy/Tery Conroy/Bob Hadley Honda Integra Type S 223 laps
18th overall/3rd in Class D: Richard Howe/Paul Faulkner/Don Tryhorn/Denis O'Keefe Ford Falcon BF XR6 Turbo 223 laps

[motorsportnerd]

have the cars from Class G and H already finished?

The first of the diesels is in this next batch (the Alfa). The Astra blew a turbo.
The two diesels spent the first six hours battling each other. The Alfa drivers were really working the car hard to keep ahead of the girls in the Astra - both Nota and I felt the tyre pressures in the Alfa might have been a little low....

19th overall/5th in Class E Shane Smollen/Phil Alexander/Paul Stubber/Garry Mennell 1997 BMW 323i - the oldest car in the field - 221 laps
20th overall/1st in Class G Kean Booker/Rocco Rinaldo/David Stone Alfa Romeo 159 2.4 JTD 218 laps
21st overall/6th in Class E Helen Stig/Amber Anderson/Danielle Argiro/Tegan Butchers Toyota Celica SX 211 laps
22nd overall/5th in Class C Allan Shephard/Steve Briffa/Martin Bailey Mazda3 MPS 206 laps
23rd overall/4th in Class B Mark King/Mark Brame/Jason Walsh Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 200 laps
24th overall/4th in Class D Brian Walden /Garth Walden/Michael Auld Holden Commodore VY SS 188 laps

[2ndclasscitizen]

How come there weren't any of the GT racing cars at the 12-hr?

[motorsportnerd]

25th overall/6th in Class E Richard Mork/Richard Prince/Peter Vicary/Martin Rambow Honda Integra Type R 109 laps.

The rest of the cars are classified as non-finishers. Many of them completed more laps than the Mork Honda Integra, but didn't cross the line, so they are marked as "DNF"

DNF/Class B Bob Pearson/Anton Mechtler/Bruce Stewart Mitsbuishi Lancer Evo 8 200 laps
DNF/Class F Jim Hunter/Warren Bossie/Jayson Williamson/Mathew Windsor Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS 198 laps
DNF/Class B Tim Sipp/Christian D'Agostin/Scott Nicholas Subaru Impreza WRX STi 194 laps
DNF/Class H Leanne Tander/Samantha Reid/Christina Orr/Lauren Gray Holden Astra CDTi Turbo 136 laps
DNF/Class A Dean Neville/Brad Lowe/Ben Neilson/Darrell Dixon Ford Falcon TE50 76 laps

[motorsportnerd]

How come there weren't any of the GT racing cars at the 12-hr?

The race was restricted to production cars costing less than $125,000. Sports/exotic cars under this limit such as the Lotus Exige/Porsche Cayman were excluded. The organisers decided that the event should be for production saloons/hatches/coupes rather than allow in the more exotic cars.

[motorsportnerd]

DNF/Class D Denis Cribbin/Roland Hill/Paul Jenkins Ford Falcon BF XR6 Turbo 79 laps
DNF/Class B Gary Deane/Rob Rubis/Rod Dawson Subaru Impreza WRX STi 52 laps

I didn't get any pictures of these two cars unfortunately.

[SlickHolden]

Great stuff MSN.. Have fun??

[motorsportnerd]

Yep - sure did.
There were a couple of interesting points from the 12-hour result.
The first is that todays production cars are very reliable. Of the 32 cars that finished, only seven failed to finish. And of the seven cars that failed to finish only three failed to complete at least 100 laps.
The crowd wasn't very large. Those that were there appeared to be enjoying the racing and there were lots of comments along the lines of "Great to see cars that have body roll and have screeching tyres" - a reference to how much downforce the V8 Supercars that dominate Australian racing have.
The race itself has potential - however, it will need more manufacturers to get involved with factory teams. More big name drivers would help as well.
While I personally believe the race should stay for production cars, there will need to be a debate on just what a "production car" is. Firstly, does it include exotics? Secondly, what level of modifications are allowed? This year, teams could modify exhaust systems, electronics/engine management systems (ie: chipping) and some other minor engine modifications. Certainly the turbo cars were rumoured to be running non-standard boost levels. The teams could also play around with shock absorbers, spring rates, etc - though the suspension otherwise remained standard and the braking systems completely standard. On the other hand, slick tyres - the simplest and cheapest way to improve a cars performance - were not allowed.
Mazda Australia has already said that modifications should be limited to just a roll cage and perhaps electronics. To pull in more spectators, however, it may be necessary to allow a few more mods so that the cars look and sound more spectacular.
The question about exotics is another interesting one. I've talked to some people who are dead against them - even to the point of not allowing the Cayman or Exige to run even though both are under the price limit. I've talked to others who feel that the exotics should be allowed, and not only that there shouldn't be a price limit. Which raises the question, if exotics are allowed, should the race stick to the standard production rule, or go down the GT3 route with much more modifications allowed?
Also, there's the question of whether the race should focus on the outright battle or whether (like the original Bathurst 1000 concept in the 1960s) it should focus on class battles.
For example, should the race continue in its current format, its possible that by 2010 race will see the new generation Nissan GTR, Toyota Supra, Subaru Impreza WRX, Mits Lancer Evo X (assuming of course that all four are sold in Australia and are under the price limit), and the successor of the current HSV GTS and Ford Falcon Typhoon on the track as fully supported by factory efforts. This might sound like a mouth watering prospect, but it would take away the focus on the class battle between the Hot Hatches or the family sedans or the diesel/alternative fuel cars.
Personally, I think the race should remain production based. A price limit similar to the current one should be retained. But to keep out exotics, a simple rule saying a certain number of examples of the car must be sold in Australia each year (say 100 or 200). Obviously, this lets in the Porsche Cayman and possibly even the Exige. But it keeps even more specialised clubman racers like the Elfin Streamliner out.
Also, the race will need some sort of Ford v Holden focus to bring in the spectators. One cannot get away from the fact that Australian motorsport has been built on the Ford v Holden rivalry for decades. This race shouldn't be solely about Ford and Holden - but obviously both manufacturers have cars which could challenge for outright honours. As Holden tried to do with the Astra CDTi and VRX this year, both manufacturers also have cars which comply with the various class rules.
Next year, the race probably needs two HSV VE GTS with Holden motorsport drivers and two Ford FPV Falcon F6 Typhoon with Ford motorsport drivers. Providing Subaru, BMW and Mitsubishi front up once again with factory or semi-factory cars and drivers, the Fords and Holdens won't have it all their own way.
There's plenty of ways this race could go. One thing I can say is that it should be allowed to develop over the coming years - and that there's every chance I'll be there again in the future as well.