On 5th February, the legendary Mount Panorama Circuit will host one of the most spectacular races in Australia. The starting field of 61 cars at the Bathurst 12 Hour will include four BMW M6 GT3s.
The two race cars from BMW Team SRM will be accompanied by one BMW M6 GT3 from the Marc GT team. Walkenhorst Motorsport is also competing in the 12-hour race, with one car. The #99 BMW M6 GT3 will be sporting a custom BMW Motorsport Junior Programme livery to officially commemorate a special anniversary: this season, the talent promotion programme for young racing drivers celebrates its 40th birthday. The legendary BMW Junior Team – also known as the “Wild Riders Ltd.” – debuted in 1977. BMW works driver Jörg Müller (GER) will be at the wheel of the #99 car, as will the two BMW Motorsport Juniors Ricky Collard (GBR) and Nico Menzel (GER).
BMW Motorsport is sending some well-known DTM drivers “Down Under” to support the teams. Marco Wittmann (GER) and Timo Glock (GER) will be competing at the legendary Mount Panorama Circuit.
Wittmann will be racing in the Bathurst 12 Hour for BMW Team SRM. He had already completed testing on this circuit in Bathurst for the same team back in November. He will share driving duties in the number 60 BMW M6 GT3 with team manager Steve Richards (NZL) and Mark Winterbottom (AUS), the 2015 V8 Supercars champion.
Glock will compete in the classic endurance race in the number 7 car for BMW Team SRM. He will be joined by Australian motorsport legends Mark Skaife, Russell Ingall and Tony Longhurst. Australia is not unfamiliar territory for Glock: as a Formula 1 driver, he competed in the Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne on five occasions. However, the Bathurst 12 Hour will be the first race at the Mount Panorama Circuit for both Glock and Wittmann.
Marc GT will be represented by Chaz Mostert, Morgan Haber and Max Twigg (all AUS). Accompanied by Richards, Twigg completed the 2016 Australian GT Championship season in a BMW M6 GT3 for BMW Team SRM.
The 6.213-kilometre Mount Panorama Circuit is situated approx. 200 kilometres west of Sydney. The drivers have to overcome gradients of 16 percent. So far, BMW has claimed overall victory twice: in 2007 and 2010. The 2017 race will take place on Sunday 5th February at 5:45hrs local time. The winner will be crowned 12 hours later.
