BRITISH TEAM BROOKSPEED CONFIRM BATHURST 12 HOUR RETURN

Brookspeed return to the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2018 – Photo: Supplied

GLOBETROTTING British team Brookspeed has confirmed their return to the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour in 2018.

The team has entered their pair of Porsche Cayman GT4 MRs for their second attempt at winning the ever-growing GT4 class of Australia’s International enduro.

Brookspeed’s pair of Cayman entries filled two of the three spots on the all-Porsche GT4 podium this year, The No. 40 car of Aaron Mason, David Drinkwater and Adrian Watt finishing second in class and 24th outright.

The sister No. 41 car of Queensland drivers Colby Cowham, Lindsay Kearns and Ashley Jarvis finished third in class and 27th outright.

“We have entered our 2 Cayman GT4 ‘MR’s. #40 and #41,” Confirmed team owner Martin Braybrook.

“They will be heading to Bathurst after the COTA 24 (Circuit of the Americas 24 Hour race) and Dubai 24.

“The 2 cars covered 42,000 kilometers in the container last year, going from the UK to Abu Dhabi, then to Bathurst, Misano and back to the UK.

“We don’t have drivers confirmed and will probably be looking for a full line up of 6 drivers, 3 drivers per car.”

The return of Brookspeed is expected to coincide with rapid growth in the GT4 category, one that already attracted eight entries this year.

The class was won by German team ProSport Performance in their Cayman GT4, while the stunning KTM X-Bow of local outfit M Motorsport grabbed pole. Two factory-supported Ginetta G55s also started the race.

The field is expected to grow this year with an influx of GT4 machinery now being promoted by a majority of the major manufacturers currently involved in GT racing.

“It’s certainly our intention to enter the BMW M6 GT3 and, under the right circumstances, the brand-new BMW M4 GT4 in the 2017 race,” BMW Team SRM team owner Steven Richards said earlier this year.

Richards’ team entered a pair of M6 GT3 entries this year but said the opportunity to expand to the GT4 class was high on their agenda.

“The BMW M4 GT4 made its racing debut at the Dubai 24 Hour race earlier this year and there are plans for a full customer racing program in 2018. With the growth of GT4 around the world we’re working with BMW to make sure the car is in Australia, and racing it at Bathurst would be the ideal place to showcase the car, so that’s what we are working towards.”

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