SIX years ago he was the Bathurst driver embarking on his first full season of racing, now Brad Schumacher is the Bathurst driver who has landed a drive with a factory Audi team.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And where better to live out that dream scenario than at Mount Panorama as one of the outright contenders for the Bathurst 12 Hour?
Schumacher will join former 24 Hours of Nurburgring winner Kelvin van der Lind and French professional Nathanael Berthon in the #74 Audi Sport Team Valvoline entry for the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Since the endurance event has transitioned to allow GT3-specification cars Audi has won three Bathurst 12 Hour crowns. Schumacher now knows first-hand just how serious they are about adding a fourth.
"An outright win at the Bathurst 12 Hour is the only circumstance Audi are thinking of, I can assure you," he said.
"They're extremely serious about this event, that serious that I attended a test day down at The Bend where they hired out the circuit privately to get me in the very car I'll be driving.
"This is the pinnacle of my career, to be offered to drive with an Audi factory team, and I'm just lapping it up, taking it all in, learning and enjoying the experience. I'll be trying to do my best and represent Bathurst."
Schumacher has been representing his home town well since he made his first foray into full-time racing in 2017. That year as a rookie he won the New South Wales Production Sports' State Championship.
The driver and his Bathurst team have gone on to experience more special moments like winning an Aussie Tin Tops race from pole position at Mount Panorama in 2020 and taking out the trophy class of their first season in the GT World Challenge Australia.
This season the Schumacher Motorsport Team is back in the GT World Challenge Australia series with their Audi R8 LMS.
Schumacher was told before the season opener that Audi was considering him for a 12 Hour seat. He went on to take class honours for the round and rank well in the outright battle as well.
"Effectively I got tapped on the shoulder and got told 'Perform well here and we might talk about the 12 Hour'," Schumacher revealed.
"I thought 'Oh wow, that's pretty big'. To be honest I tried not to let it take my concentration off what the job was for us down at Phillip Island that weekend and as it turned out, I had quite a good weekend. I showed really good pace all weekend and finished fourth outright in the second one-hour race against a hat full of big names.
"I was back at work the following week, received a phone call and was offered the drive to drive with Audi in their factory team entry for the 12 Hour. I couldn't believe it."
The 35-year-old has since overcome the initial shock of being offered such an opportunity and the test day at The Bend has made him felt comfortable in the car.
He knows he was given the seat as Audi officials have faith in his ability and have been impressed by his speed, but it is still something that Schumacher had never thought possible back when he first cut laps in the Kelso Electrical Lotus Exige.
"You look around at the calibre of drivers in the GT world, not just here in Australia alone but internationally, Audi take their GT racing extremely seriously. So to have been called and given the offer to jump in for a factory drive in our home town here in the 12 Hour, which is my favourite race in the world, obviously I was never saying no," Schumacher said.
"There's absolutely no way that I'd ever thought I'd make it to this level of racing.
"I definitely didn't think a year and a half ago when we were stepping a little out of our comfort zone as a small Bathurst team into the big world of GT racing, that a) we would get so many favourable results and take out a championship in our first year running and then b) get the offer to drive for Audi as a factory team driver.
"I could honestly retire happy now - being a factory team driver for Audi, it's amazing to have that status. I definitely didn't think I'd see myself in these shoes, but there's been a lot of hard work, no doubt about it."
It's not just Schumacher, who made his 12 Hour debut in 2019, that has been given the huge opportunity either.
His race crew will also work with Audi professionals during the 12 Hour.
"It's not only me that's getting to come along for the ride with Audi, it's our guys that are coming along and get to work with the best mechanics Audi have on offer," he said.
"I'm glad I can live out my dream in the sport I love, but my guys that work so hard for me throughout the year can also get the opportunity to work with such a high class team and learn as well.
"Audi knows it just doesn't take the skill of a good driver, but the skill of a good team behind the driver and we're finishing races, preparing well and not having mechanical issues."
The Bathurst 12 Hour event commences with practice on Friday before the race itself starts 5.15am Sunday morning.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.westernadvocate.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News