While this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour will attract some of the world’s leading drivers to Mount Panorama, such is the global appeal of the race that Radio Le Mans will broadcast from the track.
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Radio Le Mans is well known in the motor sporting community as the leading voice of endurance racing.
This year’s 12 Hour coverage will be headed up by renowned announcer John Hindhaugh and the Radio Show Limited crew for a fifth year in a row.
The main reason for Radio Le Mans coming to cover the 12 Hour was because of its international attention.
“The national interest in it [12 Hour] was quite large and the reason we wanted to come here, was because we were getting requests from our listeners,” he said.
“It was about an eight month to two year process to get down here for the first time and as soon as we got here, we realised what the potential was for the event.
“I should’ve been here 20-30 years ago, the place is awesome.”
Mr Hindhaugh said it’s hard to think of a better endurance race than the Bathurst 12 Hour, when it comes to depth of the drivers.
“You look at Spa 24 Hours and 24 Hours Nürburgring, which are both iconic tracks, what you don’t get in those events is the Australasian drivers,” he said.
“You don’t get the depth of the Whincups, Winterbottoms, Van Gisbergens and Tanders and all those others guys who have clocked up a gazillion Supercar wins.
“You have to go back to 2004 before there was a Bathurst 1000 winner who isn’t here this weekend.
“The field of drivers is probably one of the best in the world.”
Mr Hindhaugh described the 12 Hour event as “unique”, as their is only one Mount Panorama.
He said that the iconic Bathurst circuit is similar to Le Mans and the Nürburgring – that the atmosphere is tied to the track.
Mr Hindhaugh was also full of praise of the efforts of the Bathurst Regional Council.
“I come from a country [England], where you’re normally at loggerheads with the local council when motor racing is concerned,” he said.
“Here you have a motor racing circuit that has been embraced by the local council and invested in.
“This is a city that is completely invested and embedded in this race.”
Mr Hindhaugh was even full of praise of the Central West region and rural New South Wales, labelling it as “absolutely glorious”.
He said the constant focus on the Bathurst region must do the area some good, economically, as the 12 Hour attracts guests from all over Australia and the globe.
You can listen to Mr Hindhaugh’s commentary at www.radiolemans.co.