Bathurst is one of the most well known racetracks in Australia, effectively scaling a mountain through the course with a steep descent that tests the limits of driver skill. It’s a narrow circuit, designed more for smaller cars in a different era, but it has played host to numerous sprint and endurance races over the years.
This year sees the LiquiMoly Bathurst 12 Hours race, featuring 30 GT3 level cars fighting their way along the meandering track. Craft-Bamboo Racing is fielding 2 cars- their pair of Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3s. The first Vantage will be piloted by the team of Stefan Mucke (DE), Darryl O’Young (HKG) and Alex Macdowall (GB). This trio drove for Aston Martin Racing’s FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) works team last year. Although it will be Mücke and MacDowall’s first attempt at mastering the 6.2-km long mountain road, O’Young has contested the race three times taking the overall race win twice in 2011 and 2012.
The team will race its second Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 in the Pro-Am class with drivers Jonathan Venter, Jean-Marc Merlin and Frank Yu. Despite being just 18 years old, Craft-Bamboo Racing’s GT Asia driver Venter has competed in Bathurst 12 Hours twice and hopes to lead the team to class victory. Experienced gentleman driver Merlin is looking forward to adding Bathurst 12 Hours to his extensive list of endurance races that includes the FIA WEC, 24 Hours of Le Mans in both LMP2 and GT, ELMS, Spa 24 Hours and Dubai 24 Hours, which he has contested seven times. Completing the line-up is Craft-Bamboo Racing’s regular driver Yu, who returns to Bathurst hoping for a stronger result than when he first contested the race in 2012.
This will be the first time an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 has contested the 12-hour race and Aston Martin Racing team principal John Gaw believes that Craft-Bamboo Racing is the right team to represent the brand in the high-profile race.
The Bathurst 12 Hours starts at 05.50 on Sunday 8 February.
