The inclusion of GT cars into the Bathurst 12 Hour has breathed new life into the category with world-class manufacturers Audi, Mercedes Benz, Ferrari and Lamborghini all getting involved and in 2012, the race will also boast a former F1 driver.
Austrian Christian Klien gave the event a significant boost when he agreed to compete and he will join the Class C Lotus of Rob Thomson and Sarah Harley as they look to take on the big guns at Mount Panorama.
The 28-year-old is a veteran of 51 Grands Prix with Jaguar, Red Bull and Hispania and along with the other two drivers, they form a combination that covers all aspects of the racing world.
The eclectic mix of drivers will tackle the 6.213km circuit in Thomson’s Queenslandhouse-andland.com Lotus Exige S – a veteran car of three Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour starts and one of three such examples currently entered against Corvette and Nissan in Class C.
Thomson met Klien while racing an Aston Martin at the famous Nurburgring 24 hour event in Germany, before inviting him to join his Bathurst program soon after.
“We met at the Nurburgring, both driving Aston Martins,” he said of Klien – who also raced the works Aston LMP1 Prototype at LeMans last year.
“Then when he came to Australia to drive with Paul Dumbrell at the Gold Coast event we continued talking and put the plans together to do Bathurst together. Christian and his father really enjoy Australia so it was a chance for them to come back – and an opportunity to get behind the wheel as well and learn the circuit.”
He says the reaction people have when told a Formula One driver would be joining the team come February 24-26 was pleasing, to say the least.
“People who don’t know the sport just nod and say ‘that’s good’. But people who know and understand the sport can’t believe we have managed to sign the only F1 driver in the field!”
Thomson met Harley – a Bathurst rookie – while racing against her in Queensland Production Sports racing and decided to give her an opportunity to experience Bathurst in the bright red Lotus.
“I’ve known Sarah around the tracks in Queensland and she jumped at the opportunity,” he explained.
“It’s a chance for her – for both of us – to get experience alongside a really top quality driver. With the data and cameras in the car she will know exactly what Christian is doing so it’s going to be a great learning experience.”
Weighing a little over 1000kg and with a tiny two-litre engine powering it, the Exige is an unlikely Bathurst weapon – but the team intends to play to its strengths throughout the 12 hour epic.
“We should stop once for every two stops the other cars in our class make,” Thomson explained.
“That will give us a great advantage – and that ratio might even be more compared to the class A cars. It’s a very reliable car. We haven’t gone overboard stressing it with too much power and in the past it has proven very reliable. Naturally there have been some issues with other cars, though ... but our car has been good.”
With Klien expected to set the pace of the Lotus trio, Thomson said his outfit had a firm plan about how they would be attacking Australia’s longest race this February.
“The plan is for us to run our own race. We’re not worried about anything outside of our own class and we’re going to run to a pace that we’re very comfortable with.
“If we drive our own race and stay out of trouble then I think we can aim at a class win.”
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