HE had heard of the 12 days of Christmas, but when it came to the 12 Hour for Christmas, it was a total surprise for Brad Schumacher.
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It was on Christmas Eve that the Bathurst driver received a phone call which ultimately led to him signing up to race for MARC Cars Australia in this year's Bathurst 12 Hour.
While it won't be the first time Schumacher has contested the Mount Panorama enduro - he earned a class C podium on debut last year when racing for Ginetta Australia - when he officially signed his deal on Friday it confirmed an even bigger opportunity.
MARC Cars has not only enjoyed six consecutive class victories since making its Bathurst 12 Hour debut in 2014, but the team has contested enduro events across the globe including the Zandvoort and Hungry 12 Hour and the Zolder 24 Hour.
"I got a phone call actually on Christmas Eve, I wasn't expecting it, and asked if I was interested in driving a MARC Cars Mustang GT3 for the 12 Hour," Schumacher said.
"At the time I didn't know who I was speaking to and I was on the back foot a little bit.
"That I got the call on Christmas Eve, I didn't think it was a gee-up, but I was just caught off-guard, I'd had no prior indication of it. Once the conversation evolved over the next 15-20 minutes, I realised it was no joke and it was actually very serious.
"From there basically over the Christmas break we went back and forth about the formalities of the drive and were able to come to an agreement. It's great news I'm going to be able to race in such a competitive car this year in the Bathurst 12 Hour.
"It was pretty cool."
More exciting news followed when the men who will share the seat of the brand new Mustang - one of four MARC Cars will campaign in the Invitational Class at the Mount - was confirmed.
Schumacher already knew that he was sharing with Geoff Taunton - who will line up for his fifth Bathurst 12 Hour - and talented teenager Bayley Hall, who raced in the ECB SuperUtes Series during last year's Bathurst 1000 event and got good seat time at November's Challenge Bathurst.
But on Friday afternoon Schumacher was informed he would also battle for class honours alongside Warren Luff.
The now 43-year-old boasts Luff 20 starts in the Bathurst 1000, was amongst the field in the two editions of the Bathurst 24 Hour staged in 2002 and 2003 and made his 12 Hour debut in 2008.
To share a seat with a driver of Luff's pedigree will make Schumacher's experience in the January 31 to February 2 event even more special.
While Schumacher had been offered a drive with Ginetta Australia once more after last year's third in class, he said the opportunity "to jump up into a high class car running with the big guys was hard to pass up."
The opportunity came about not only on the back of what he did in the 12 Hour last year - a race which was his first against an international GT field - but MARC Cars also took note of his strong 2019 season.
The Bathurst driver was the outright winner of the New South Wales Production Sport Cars Championship and placed third outright in CUE Enduro Super Series in his Kelso Electrical Porsche 991 GT3.
"I've done a lot of racing over the past 12 months and I've had a lot of good results, a lot of pole positions, a lot of wins up in the GT class and you know, in the Australian racing community I guess it doesn't go unnoticed," he said.
"When it comes to an event like the Bathurst 12 Hour, which is so highly contested and requires such a broad range of quality drivers, I guess I've potentially brought myself up to that level."
With MARC Cars he has the opportunity to prove himself at that level and clinch the most prestigious podium of his racing career.
"There's no doubt that the team is certainly looking to be very competitive in the Bathurst 12 Hour," he said.
"The 12 Hour internationally is such a highly regarded event and everybody is watching. It is crucial for the ongoing sales of these factory delivered GT cars that they do well at events like this.
"There's no doubt it's an extremely competitive car and it's been proven the car is capable of sub two minute, five [seconds] laps at Mount Panorama and that's in the hands of good pro-am drivers.
"It's certainly got all the capabilities to be right up there and just run consistent laps.
"It's great looking car, there's no doubt about it, and it will have a presence on track. It's very wide and long and there's a lot of aero and mechanical grip in that car. Also with the big V8 with over 650 horsepower, it's really, really strong up and down the straights of the mountain."
Schumacher will head to Queensland to take part in testing behind the wheel of the Mustang from January 16-18.
It will allow him to not only familiarise himself with the car he will race, but learn more about MARC Cars and vice-versa for the team to learn about Schumacher. It is a partnership which could lead to even more highlights for the Bathurst driver.
"I did know a lot about them, [but] I didn't know how successful they've been over the course of the last few years, especially on the world stage of endurance racing," he said.
"They've had wins in all types of 12 Hour and 24 Hour races across the globe and to get the opportunity to race with MARC Cars is great because it opens up the opportunity for international events for myself as well."
