HE has two Bathurst 12 Hour wins to his name and now German star Chris Mies has the Mount Panorama track record as well.
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On Friday afternoon as part of the Challenge Bathurst Supersprint, Mies clocked a scorching 1:59.2910 lap behind the wheel of an Audi R8 Ultra.
In averaging 187 kilometres per hour for his lap in the Audi Sport Customer Racing entry, Mies earned himself a piece of history.
Given it was set in official sprint conditions in a CAMS speed event, even though there were no normal competition restrictions, Mies’ effort stands as the new outright lap record.
It betters the mark of 2:01.5670 Shane van Gisbergen set in the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour aboard a McLaren 650S.
While Jenson Button was hand-timed as doing a 1:48.8 in his McLaren-Mercedes MP4-23 Formula One car at the Mount in 2011, as it was a showcase event it does not stand as an official record.
READ MORE: Mies’ machine sets the pace on opening day
READ MORE: Schumacher hopes to race in 12 Hour
“I dreamed about this for years. Being on my favourite track in a GT3 car with no restrictions and no weight - this shows you how fast these GT cars can be,” Mies tweeted.
“Also big thanks to Garth Tander for sacrificing your sessions before to prepare my run! My heart rate didn’t go below 160 in this lap, I’m still shaking writing this.”
Mies, who shared his seat in the Audi with Tander on Thursday, was the standout across the two days of the Challenge Bathurst Supersprint.
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He clocked his record on the fifth lap of his Friday afternoon session, the sixth Group A Supersprint period, with Dean Canto’s 2:04.9480 in a Lamborghini Huracan the next quickest.
Though sacrificing his run in Group A for Mies, in the final Group C Supersprint session in the same Audi, Tander clocked a hot 2:00.3310.
Mies won the 2011 and 2012 editions of the Bathurst 12 Hour behind a wheel of an Audi R8 LMS GT3.
He will aim for a third next February.
Unfortunately for Bathurst driver Brad Schumacher, the afternoon was one he would rather forget.
While his Friday began in impressive fashion as he peeled off a 2:12.6450 lap in his new Lotus V6 Cup Car R – one he purchased with a maiden Bathurst 12 Hour tilt in mind – in the afternoon session he came to grief.
His Lotus sustained extensive damage when it hit the tyre wall on Griffins Bend after dropping the rear right wheel into the grass and losing control. While he was able to walk away from the crash, he was taken to Bathurst Base Hospital due to leg and pelvis injuries sustained in the impact.
Bathurst’s David (2:37.9720) and Stuart Pennells (2:37.9740) took part in the Group B Supersprint in their twin Radical SR3 RS entries, while Tim Burt clocked a best lap of 2:28.1060 in his Group C Nissan Skyline R34.