NOT one to just let a special guest come and go, mayor Graeme Hanger was eager to welcome Mark Webber to Bathurst on Friday.
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The former racing driver, who is a nine-time grand prix winner and former World Endurance Champion, has come to the regional city for the Bathurst 12 Hour.
READ ALSO: Bathurst 12 Hour: What you need to know...
While fans would surely love to see him compete, he is actually here to do a few hot laps of Mount Panorama in the 911 GT2 RS Clubsport on Friday and Saturday.
A few lucky people were expected to be joining him as passengers.
“I’m going to be doing some demos in that car and we thought it would be good to put some passengers in,” Webber said.
This is the second year in a row he has come to the 12 Hour, his first time also not as a competitor.
As someone who has travelled the world, he can understand why the international drivers are eager to race around Mount Panorama, saying it was an “old school track” that hadn’t undergone much change.
“It’s brilliant that you keep it as it is,” Webber said.
Cr Hanger said it had been more than 20 years since Webber had competed at Mount Panorama and is was a pleasure to welcome him back to drive on the circuit, even if it wasn’t in the 12 Hour itself.
“The fact that he’s now an ambassador for Porsche and heavily involved in their team, it’s great to have him back here,” he said.
“He’s a legend in motor sport around the world, not just in Australia.”
The Bathurst 12 Hour will commence at 5.45am on Sunday, February 3. Tickets can be purchased from the event’s official website, or people can watch live coverage from start to finish on 7Mate.
