THE Black Swan Racing Porsche may have lost a wheel in the opening seconds of practice one in the Bathurst 12 Hour, but as it turned out, that incident was not an ominous sign.
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The 911 GT3R shared by Marc Lieb, Timothy Pappas, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Luca Stolz ended up claiming third outright and first in Pro-Am class at Mount Panorama.
While the team did not get to see the chequered flag – the race being red flagged then declared after a horrific crash – it did not bother the Black Swan team.
They were delighted to have earned a podium after watching other faster Porsches drop out of contention as the endurance epic unfolded.
It was the second outright podium in as many years for German ace Lieb, who was a runner-up in the Competition Motorsport Porsche 12 months earlier.
"This race was typical of Bathurst, many accidents, many dramas,” Lieb, who also competed in the 2013 Bathurst 1000, said.
“We did exactly what we set out to do, so roll through without any problems and leave the car in one piece. We succeeded.
“We may not be the fastest Porsche out there, but we had a great strategy. That's why we are very satisfied. This is a huge success for the team that was in Bathurst for the first time.”
Like Lieb, Sunday’s result was the second outright Bathurst 12 Hour podium for Bleekemolen as well. The result added to his second placing in the 2012 edition when racing an Erebus Mercedes.
“That was an incredible race. Drivers and team have made no mistakes, which is not easy in Bathurst,” the Dutch driver said.
“Being third in the overall standings on the podium, we did not expect that. This is a dream.”
Both Pappas and Stolz, like the Black Swan team itself, enjoyed the success in their maiden 12 Hour tilt.
New York native Pappas labelled it a career highlight, while the result also points to good things to come as they continue their Intercontinental GT Challenge bid.
“That was a fantastic race. We came all the way from the US and really enjoyed Bathurst,” Pappas said
“Winning the Pro-Am Class and finishing third in the overall standings is one of the biggest accomplishments of my career. Thanks also to Porsche. I'm proud to be a part of Porsche Motorsport history.”
“That was my first race on this fantastic circuit and my first race with the 911 GT3R. At the beginning it was difficult, but when I found my way around, I had a lot of fun,” Stolz added.
