2012 Bathurst 12 Hour - 24-26 February

[Trustno1]

Originally Posted by cptkablamo

A bunch of new Audis are in country. I have a story coming up on it.

yep

1 running around 2 day @ Winton

[osrg]

Originally Posted by Trustno1

yep

1 running around 2 day @ Winton

I would assume that it would be Zagame's......

[B24]

Im happy to see the organisers have the sense not to run V8 supercars in this event. It was bad enough last year listening to all the noisy minority booing the winning Audi because their beloved Lowndes didn't win the event.
There should be a rule that no V8 supercar drivers compete as they only attract idiots who embarras everyone else when they dont get their way.
JR was right when he called them a pack of .......And they havent changed..

There was a question about running the lasted Holden/Ford hero car. It was done in previous 12hr races where they were canned by a BMW 130i. It was great to them put in their place after destroying the B24...

There is plenty of talent out there who can put on a great drive for everyone to enjoy.
Is Brabham driving in the 12hr? What about Atkinson?
Would also be great to see Mark Webber turn a few laps before the F1 season starts too. How about our drivers competing on the U.S?
Would also be fantastic to see a Japanese team running a LFA.

[Driver TBA]

Originally Posted by B24

Im happy to see the organisers have the sense not to run V8 supercars in this event. It was bad enough last year listening to all the noisy minority booing the winning Audi because their beloved Lowndes didn't win the event.
There should be a rule that no V8 supercar drivers compete as they only attract idiots who embarras everyone else when they dont get their way.
JR was right when he called them a pack of .......And they havent changed..

There was a question about running the lasted Holden/Ford hero car. It was done in previous 12hr races where they were canned by a BMW 130i. It was great to them put in their place after destroying the B24...

How very bitter and how very sad.

[Sheep Stations]

Don't agree with B24's sentiment, but Roses old nail has no place in this event. It's not GT3 spec, it's not even a production car and it's not relevant. End of story.

[nafe!]

Originally Posted by Driver TBA

How very bitter and how very sad.

+1

Just to clarify, from what i remember the last b12hr race holden ran in they finished 3rd after the disqualification of an EVO ahead. Hardly being canned.

I honestly dont care wether holden or ford enter a car as im far more concerned with the fairness of this decision.

WTCC are allowed to enter, genuine race cars.

Endurance specials completely modified like Team Pizza's cars and the Mcleod Astra

Commodore Cup cars etc...

But a guy who supports these 12hr and 24 hr races across the world consistently and is a local entrant, with a local racing product gets banned just because the organisors dont like the image of a v8 being in the race.

If an entrant wanted to enter a BMW, Mercedes or Audi race car in some kind of touring car form, such as a Italian V8superstars car i bet it would have been allowed in.

[B24]

Well we are entitled to an opinion. I know how sensitive the V8SC supporters can be, but you will just have to harden up when someone throws a bit of mud at you.

At the end of the day the V8SC series and there fan's has plenty of events but this is not one of them. I would like to see Mal run his car too(or some other pre-owned private entries) but as stated it would create problems in every aspect of the event.

The results I was referring tö:
http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/re.../2007.MOUN.R12

[bluesport]

Originally Posted by B24

Im happy to see the organisers have the sense not to run V8 supercars in this event. It was bad enough last year listening to all the noisy minority booing the winning Audi because their beloved Lowndes didn't win the event.
There should be a rule that no V8 supercar drivers compete as they only attract idiots who embarras everyone else when they dont get their way.
JR was right when he called them a pack of .......And they havent changed..

There was a question about running the lasted Holden/Ford hero car. It was done in previous 12hr races where they were canned by a BMW 130i. It was great to them put in their place after destroying the B24...

There is plenty of talent out there who can put on a great drive for everyone to enjoy.
Is Brabham driving in the 12hr? What about Atkinson?
Would also be great to see Mark Webber turn a few laps before the F1 season starts too. How about our drivers competing on the U.S?
Would also be fantastic to see a Japanese team running a LFA.

Well said.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by cptkablamo

A bunch of new Audis are in country. I have a story coming up on it.

What does 'new' mean exactly? 2011 spec, or 2010 cars updated?

[peckstar]

Watched the Aus GT race on sunday, it was by far the most boring of the races.

the cars sounded horrible.

If this is the future of the 12 hour, then i fear for the future

[cptkablamo]

[Oldtony]

Just a note.
Further back in the forum I note someone has said entries close Dec 1st.
According to the entry form they actually close on Dec 23rd.
(And I'm almost sure somewhere in the fine print there would be provision for late entries at the organisers discretion if accompanied by a very fat fee)
I think th Dec 1st, date probably was picked up from the 24hr series site as entres from Europe or the Mid East using the frieght package would have to commit earlier.
The publication of a nice fat entry list would give some of us a great Christmas present.

[porsche91722]

Originally Posted by peckstar

Watched the Aus GT race on sunday, it was by far the most boring of the races.

the cars sounded horrible.

If this is the future of the 12 hour, then i fear for the future

Do not fear , I don't think that the future of the B12 will hinge on the success or not of Mr Q's Sunday afternoon gentlemans driving club and for once, about Aus GT being boring, I agree with you.

[nafe!]

From what i can see there are no v8supercar fans disapointed by this decision...just racing fans disapointed. Personally im not a v8supercar fan, and i agree with the concerns about it attracting that fan base but i hardly think one car that is eligible to compete in the same events overseas would have created an issue for the image of the event or detract from entries who are happy to race against whole fields of varying spec race cars, some far less appealing then the Mals car overseas. The bogan fans would hardly make the effort to attend the 12hr even if it had half a dozen supercars in it. Anyway the decisions been made, with or without good reason.

This is on speedcafe, describing Blackfalcon as showing interest...not as a confirmed entry.

The make-up of Mercedes-Benz’s involvement in the 2012 Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour is set to become clearer by the end of the month.

Fresh from finishing fourth in the 2011 Vodka O Australian GT Championship in his Erebus Racing SLS GT3, Peter Hackett will this week meet with Mercedes bosses and fellow customer team representatives in Germany about the Mount Panorama event.

Erebus Racing will campaign two of the German cars in next year’s Australian GT Championship, but according to Hackett, will not race either car at Bathurst due to the opening round of the series taking place in Adelaide just one week after the 12 Hour.

The situation sees Hackett trying to source a European car for the event, while also exploring opportunities to assist the potential involvement of international teams.

German endurance racing outfit Black Falcon has already sent an expression of interest to Bathurst race organisers about entering two cars, while Hackett told Speedcafe.com that there are more European Mercedes squads eyeing off the race.

“There’s a lot of conjecture about Mercedes Benz’s involvement in the 12 Hour,” Hackett told Speedcafe.com.

“As Erebus Racing, we absolutely have an interest in the race. We’re very keen to enter, and there are European teams that would like to enter, but it comes down to a commercial decision for them.


Black Falcon is one of several customer SLS teams in Europe

“I’ve been invited to attend the SLS Customer Sports Christmas party this week, and while we’re there we will be discussing the possible involvement of Black Falcon in the 12 Hour, as well as some of the other SLS GT3 teams like Heico Motorsport and Gravity Charouz Racing.

“We’ll be discussing how we can assist them at Bathurst, whether it’s by finding local drivers that can help them with their budgets, finding staff or motorhomes on the ground for them or whatever.”

Having sent engineers from its crack HWA outfit to this year’s Australian GT Championship round at Bathurst, Hackett is convinced that a factory assault would be taken very seriously by the marque.

“Mercedes-Benz does not do anything by halves. If they come, they will come to win, and more specifically to beat Audi,” said Hackett.

“But they’ve yet to decide if the Bathurst 12 Hour is important enough in global terms to invest as much money in as they’d need to in order to win.

“Each car needs to have 10 engineers and mechanics flown in per car, so if five cars come… you’ve got a massive investment.”

Regardless of the Bathurst situation, Hackett expects to compete in several VLN Series rounds at the Nurburgring next year with Mercedes.

“We’re in the process of sorting through which rounds we’ll do now,” said Hackett of the VLN.

“The series works on a seeded and unseeded driver format, so if you can come in as an unknown from Australia and do a decent job, then it can be very beneficial to their program.”

Audi has already confirmed its 2012 Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour plans, with Craig Lowndes set to lead a Team Phoenix run operation. CLICK HERE for more.

Ferrari and Lamborghini meanwhile will be well represented by private teams, with cars owned by Australian businessman-racers Peter Edwards, Ted Huglin and Roger Lago all appearing at Sprint Bathurst earlier this month. CLICK HERE for more.

[ff s conscience]

The V8's struggle to go for 6 hours at Bathurst, poor things , Let 'em have a go at 12hrs by all means, doesn't phase me.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by ff s conscience

The V8's struggle to go for 6 hours at Bathurst, poor things , Let 'em have a go at 12hrs by all means, doesn't phase me.

seriusly poorly thought out response,

no eveidence to support your thought pattern

[Rob Bailey]

Originally Posted by ff s conscience

The V8's struggle to go for 6 hours at Bathurst, poor things , Let 'em have a go at 12hrs by all means, doesn't phase me.

And the Audi team?

[Oldtony]

Originally Posted by ff s conscience

The V8's struggle to go for 6 hours at Bathurst, poor things , Let 'em have a go at 12hrs by all means, doesn't phase me.

Not the V8s that have the problem with 6hrs, it's the attention span of the fans.

[peckstar]

better 60000 fans with a 3 hour attention span, (oh yeah, its an 11 hour TV coverage on race day too)

than 3000 fans with a 12 hour attention span

I dont get the need to compare or bag out the other. Why not be just happy we can have two good races at Bathurst, accept they are different and talk about that series.

If there is a need to compare the "12 hour" to the "1000" then the "12 hours" days are limited (if they are not already)

as for this need to call v8 fans bogans, Seriusly if you are into motorsport you are a bogan. Accept it

[ff s conscience]

Originally Posted by peckstar

seriusly poorly thought out response,

no eveidence to support your thought pattern

The poor darlings cluck like a bunch of old chooks at rhe very thought of tackling the mountain for 1000km, how are they gunna cope with potentially double that, when they crash and burn and falter normally, poor little dears.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by ff s conscience

The poor darlings cluck like a bunch of old chooks at rhe very thought of tackling the mountain for 1000km, how are they gunna cope with potentially double that, when they crash and burn and falter normally, poor little dears.

the 12 hour cars dont crash burn and falter? 16 cars finished last time.

[Woolley]

Guys, can we keep this to a duscussion of the 12hour, not of V8s or of each other. This nit-picking is getting tedious and is off topic. Also remember the rule 'attack the post not the poster'.

[bluesport]

Originally Posted by Woolley

Guys, can we keep this to a duscussion of the 12hour, not of V8s or of each other. This nit-picking is getting tedious and is off topic. Also remember the rule 'attack the post not the poster'.

Woolley, that's what it's about.......some bogans want V8supercars enterd in the 12hr.

[Woolley]

My bad, should have said 'not of V8 Series' as opposed to the prospect of V8s joining the series. Some of those Ferraris are V8s, anyway!

[R4z3rw33n]

Originally Posted by peckstar

bWhy not be just happy we can have two good races at Bathurst, accept they are different and talk about that series.

If there is a need to compare the "12 hour" to the "1000" then the "12 hours" days are limited (if they are not already)

Originally Posted by peckstar

I think i have already answered that
but in summary

some bogans dont want V8supercars enterd in the 12hr

Diatribe aside, what's the issue with denying entry to V8SC packages/similar?

As you have stated, they're separate events and, evidently (based on the organiser's desired focus) each has a very different ethos.