Mitsubishi Lancers have dominated the annual Bathurst 12 hour production car race at the famous Mount Panorama. Defending race champions Damien White & Rod Salmon were joined in their win by two time Bathurst 1000 winner Tony Longhurst.
Second place went to the Western Australian team of Sports Sedan star Tony Ricciardello and his fellow Western Australian team-mates Stuart Kostera and Glyn Crimp.
“After four 1000km races, this was my first 12 Hour race and it was a great experience. Reliability wasn’t an issue all weekend and everything ran like clockwork,” said Ricciardello who normally pilots a 700 BHP V8 powered Alfa Romeo in the Australian Sports Sedan Championship.
The final spot on the podium went to a late charging Jason Bargwanna for his ProDuct Motorsport team-mate Brad Jones with only a fuel issue in his final pit stop robbing him of what could have been a last minute attempt at second place after he fought to regain a lead lap position.
The pair completed 19 pit stops throughout the race due to a fuel issue with their Mitsubishi Lancer, however, using all of their strategic experience to ensure they stayed in contention for the event.
“We just continued to circulate all day, stayed out of trouble, had 19 pit stops due to a fuel pick up problem, also had some boost and electrical dramas, so all in all it is very busy race but it was pleasing to get up here on the podium at Bathurst,” said Bargwanna.
Race pole-sitter Steve Owen leading the field away as the 47-car field headed up the Mountain for the 6.30 am start, but his race came to a premature end when his Mitsubishi Lancer endured gearbox problems in the second hour of the race.
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The Ferrari team of Nick O'Halloran and Alan Simonsen took out the Sandown GT classic last weekend. Held over two one hour heats the black Ferrari crossed the line over 16 seconds ahead of the Viper of Ross Lilley and former Nations Cup Champion Greg Crick.
Tony Quinn making his debut in the ex Peter Hackett Aston Martin DBRS9 led the race at various times but fell back to third late in the race.
The Lamborghini team of Ted Huglin and John Bowe came through to finish fourth with former F1 driver Ivan Capelli impressing everybody with his speed in the Maserati Trofero.
Max Twigg in a Porsche GT3 Cup Car was sixth to take out Class B over the team of Michael Locisano and Marc Cini with high profile Hollywood actor Eric Bana also in a Porsche in third.
Only 13 cars finished the race which was dealt a blow on Friday when the cars of Championship Contender John Kaias and Kim Bourke came together during private practice.
With Kaias out Mark Eddy in the Lamborghini became the Australian National GT Champion after a seventh place finish.
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Monday, February 23, 2009
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