BATHURST 6 HOUR – THE LONG HAUL

The premier production car race of the year makes a return this weekend to the Australian motorsport calendar, the Bathurst 6 Hour.

After last year’s edition was postponed due to the worldwide pandemic, but in 2021 is back and it promises to be the most intriguing yet. BMW has dominated the Bathurst 6 Hour through its various nameplates since the event’s inception back in 2016, but faces a new challenger in the Ford Mustang.

BMW M3s and M4s dominate the entry in Class X Extreme Performance where a combined seven will fight it out for outright honours.

Supercars Championship leader Shane van Gisbergen spearheads the Bavarian attack teaming with Shane Smollen and Rob Rubis in a brand new M4 built by reigning race winner Beric Lynton.

Van Gisbergen’s entry forms part of a three-car entry organised by Lynton, who will again be joined by Tim Leahey in an M3, while Steve Ellery is joined by sons Tristan and Dalton in a similar BMW.

Blanchard Racing Team driver Tim Slade joins car-owner Brad Carr in his newly acquired M3, while Erebus Motorsport endurance driver David Russell joins 2018 winner Grant Sherrin in the Sherrin Rentals M4.

Two further BMWs are joined by the sole HSV GTS in Class X to be driven by Tony Virag, Barry Sternbeck and former Australian Touring Car Champion John Bowe.

Outside of the top category, Classes A1 and A2 provide the other chances for outright success filled with Japanese turbos, Australian V8s and American muscle.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evos have dominated production car racing in the past having won the Bathurst 12 Hour before GTs were introduced.

Bathurst 6 Hour – The Long Haul – Images: InSyde Media

Leading the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo attack is Michael and Ben Kavich, who will contest the event as they have done previously representing the Race for a Cure. The cause aims to raise money to support the lifesaving clinical trials research program of Breast Cancer Trials, which will be highlighted by the colour pink featuring predominately on the team’s Garth Walden Racing-entered Evo.

Full Gas Racing trades in its Subaru Impreza WRX STI to enter an Evo built by driver Matthew Boylan, who teams with Dimitri Agathos. Previous Toyota 86 Series winner Jimmy Vernon is joined by GT racer Mark Griffiths in his frontrunning state series Evo.

Adding an Aussie flavour to Class A1 will be two FPV GT-Fs, one being driven by long-time Super2 driver Aaron McGill, who will team with Michael Caine. In the second, Jeremy Gray will hope for better luck than in previous years driving his GT-F alongside Jeff Hume and Stephan Robinson.

Three Mercedes-Benz A45 AMGs have entered, two of which will be run out of the Garth Walden Racing stable.

Germany is represented by two BMW 1Ms, one spearheaded by Super2 pole winner earlier this year at Bathurst Angelo Mouzouris and Formula Ford young gun Cody Donald, while multiple GT champion Mark Eddy has entered his Audi TT RS.

HSV is represented in the naturally aspirated Class A2 where it will go up against the potentially outright contending Ford Mustang.

The leading HSV is expected to be the Jack Motorsport’s VF Clubsport R8, which finished third outright in the 2019 event and will be joined by a wide array of The General’s high-potent beasts.

Five new Ryan McLeod-built Mustangs are expected to take the battle up to the BMWs led by George Miedecke’s example co-driven by Paul Morris.

Porsche Sprint Challenge frontrunner Bayley Hall is joined by former Supercars racer Cameron McLean and Steve Hay in another Mustang.

Majority shareholder of Triple Eight Race Engineering, Tony Quinn is joined by Grant Denyer and businessman Tim Miles in another.

Class B1 and B2 is a battle between Holden’s final Australian-built Commodores, while Peter O’Donnell BMW 335i is the dual Bathurst winning example, which won two Bathurst 12 Hours when owned by Garry Holt. It is also thought to have completed more laps around The Mountain than any other.

Class C will be hotly contested between Holden Astra VXRs, Volkswagen Sciroccos, Renaultsport Meganes, Mazda 3 MPS and BMW’s venerable 130i.

Production siblings the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ will go head-to-head on track, but the Bargwanna family’s Volkswagen Golf GTI and Kia’s Proceed GT provide stiff competition.

Mazda and Suzuki will square off in Class E, with the two-car Swift Sport team entered by Team Group Suzuki Racing aiming to defend its class crown from two years ago.

Supported by TCR Australia, GT World Challenge Australia, Trans Am National Series, Excel Challenge, Historic Touring Cars and Radical Cup Australia, the Bathurst 6 Hour event will be the biggest yet across the Easter long weekend.

To find out more information, pick up Auto Action 1807, which is on sale now.

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