2013 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour: 8-10 February

[Oldtony]

Seeing as the discussion in the B12 12 thread has now mainly moved to contemplation of next years event I thought it was time to start a new thread devoted to the 2013 event.
The Earlier Feb schedule should help with the attraction of more local GT3 cars as there will be a greater seperation between the enduro and the opening of the GT Championship unless there is some unexpected rescheduling of Clipsall
The opening of the tyre regs. while not quite the free for all some asked for regarding suppliers (Michelin, Pirrelli, Khumo) is interesting. The main thing there is the move for production cars to slicks. Should improve the corner speed compatability in traffic of the prodcars and GT. Will also make the cut off qualification lap time more achievable and allow entrants in that field to look at improved outright placings.
The 7litre "invitation" class is a bit of a worry. The intention may be to fit Mal Rose and some existing limited build specials in but could provide the opening for something that was as dominant as the Monaros. Something developed from GT3 Moslers for instance.
Meanwhile $5500 in August is a long way ahead to put your money down with no announced major sponsor.
And how do Tony Quinn or Tony Cochrane fit in to the picture.
The BCC seem to be on board but what about NSW Events, and are there any TV negotiations under way?
As the exam papers say "discuss".

[alfacors]

Likely to be live streaming and the 3 hour highlights again. Hopefully the live coverage we had on Speed as well (not that I have it, I will watch it live in person instead).

I would have thought the Invitiational Class would be subject to the Organiser's approval - i.e. you can just run anything you like, it would still need to "fit" with the event. So possibly no 7L versions of existing Class A eligible vehicles for example.

End of August is still almost 4 months away, so plenty of time to line up a sponsor. And to save $5500, a lot of teams will love to save that and spend on tyres/fuel/parts/accomm etc. Or simply save it completely.

Relaxing of the tyre regs is a step in the right direction. Not too many radical changes at once. If we can get a grid of say 35-40 cars I think it would be a real spectacle. Hopefully more 458s as they sound mega. TV coverage and internet coverage cannot convey how good they sound. Far more "race" sounding than anything else.

Will Audi Sport be back? Black Falcon? Clearwater? Maybe some of the Asia based teams? Maybe some Carrera Cup Asia teams?

[R4z3rw33n]

Originally Posted by alfacors

Likely to be live streaming and the 3 hour highlights again. Hopefully the live coverage we had on Speed as well (not that I have it, I will watch it live in person instead).

I would have thought the Invitiational Class would be subject to the Organiser's approval - i.e. you can just run anything you like, it would still need to "fit" with the event. So possibly no 7L versions of existing Class A eligible vehicles for example.

Inclusion for any competition special is likely dependent on whether the car has potential to compete with GT3 entries on outright pace. Seems this would be grounds for exclusion, considering any factory participation is likely dependent on potential for outright victory.

Originally Posted by alfacors

End of August is still almost 4 months away, so plenty of time to line up a sponsor. And to save $5500, a lot of teams will love to save that and spend on tyres/fuel/parts/accomm etc. Or simply save it completely.

Relaxing of the tyre regs is a step in the right direction. Not too many radical changes at once. If we can get a grid of say 35-40 cars I think it would be a real spectacle. Hopefully more 458s as they sound mega. TV coverage and internet coverage cannot convey how good they sound. Far more "race" sounding than anything else.

Will Audi Sport be back? Black Falcon? Clearwater? Maybe some of the Asia based teams? Maybe some Carrera Cup Asia teams?

The participation of which ever factory affiliate Audi elect to field is, as far as I'm aware, entirely funded by Audi Australia. They seem to consider the event a pretty decent showcase.
If someone's willing to fund their participation, Black Falcon will return. Considering they'll likely be within the region a few weeks before the event, it's within the realms of possibility.

Realistically, the event organisers should have been targeting European and Asian competitors from the outset, for reasons stated in the 2012 event thread:

Originally Posted by R4z3rw33n

It's probably worth noting the event promoter's objectives there aren't 100% connected with reality; Arab teams traditionally haven't spent a great deal of money competing abroad (exempting individual operators - e.g. Al Masood, Bin Laden - via third-party operations) in recent years.

Any European (GT3) factory-affiliate teams competing in races within the UAE have primarily attended as a result of third-party funding - local amateurs have significantly funded their presence (e.g. Bin Laden, Al Qubaisi).

They've prioritised the wrong region - at least for certain competitors.
This isn't to say it hasn't secured any competitors (e.g. United Autosports - their presence being connected to this is questionable, though). It just hasn't been a significant volume.

Our neighbouring Asian states are (or, should be) realistic targets. Malaysia, China and, potentially Japan, should have been targeted to a much greater extent. Regardless of whether the entries gained are Porsche Cup runners or, GT3 packages - there's a significant volume of runners, interested in competing elsewhere.

Clearwater is a fine (albeit likely minority) example.

[ff s conscience]

Putting the proddies in slicks isn't all good.

Their braking zones will be shorter, making them riskier to pass.

Their brakes will require more cooling and probably engineering.

In changeable weather any multi stud/bolt wheel changes will disadvantage them.

They'll need more tyres to complete the event.

[Oldtony]

Worried the prodys you despise might be too competitive ff?
But you are right up to a point. Just allowing slicks isn't the whole answer. To be effective some allowance would have to be made regarding wheel rim dimensions for the fitting of suitable slicks, and you are also right about the lack of quick change ability compared to the GT3.
If you read the existing series prod regs there is a fair bit of freedom regarding brakes and cooling them so that could be OK for most given some tactical thinking by crews and drivers.

[Reload]

Decided to take the gamble and book accommodation for the 2013 event.
The hotel manager has already had numerous rooms booked which can only be done if you book the 3 nights. The manager said that some of his bookings are from race teams who have heard that a couple of major sponsors have begun talks ??????