Skip advert
Advertisement

2013 Bathurst 12-hour race report

Report from the 2013 Bathurst 12-hour endurance race, with a host of GT3 racing cars battling for victory

More famous for its annual 1000 kilometre V8 Supercar race, the Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst, Australia has made its mark as a premier 12-hour endurance venue.

Featuring a class field of FIA GT3 cars with a highly international entry list, 2013’s instalment offered a full spectrum of triumphs and tragedies that captivated viewers in a way only top-flight endurance racing can.

Advertisement - Article continues below

After 268 laps (1041 miles/1665km) of the precipitous mountain circuit, the Erebus Racing Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 of Germans Alex Rollof, Thomas Jaeger and sportscar ace Bernd Schneider emerged victorious, one lap ahead of the Clearwater Racing Ferrari 458 GT3 driven by New Zealander Craig Baird, Irishman Matt Griffin and Singaporean team owner Mok Weng Sung. The final step on the podium was taken by the Porsche 911 GT3 R of Klark Quinn, Shane van Gisbergen and Mat Kingsley.

With a 53-strong entry list including GT4 and Production cars, Schneider started the week cautiously, qualifying sixth as he gently upped the pace with race performance in mind. ‘It’s such a difficult place,’ he explained. ‘On Friday, we could not learn the circuit because of the traffic. You can't learn the braking points if you always have cars in front of you.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Advertisement - Article continues below

‘From my first race stint I was really happy because the balance was very good and very consistent, so I could push hard. Once we had heavy rain I was not driving, it was more like surfing down the hill and I was really happy that I could get back in the pits.

‘We have achieved something really special, especially since it’s my first time here and such a difficult race,’ he concluded.

Similar to Spa-Francorchamps, rain is often a factor at Mount Panorama and so it proved with a torrential downpour in the penultimate hour, allied to gale-force winds. In all, 15 stints behind the pace-car were required, 43 laps in total.

It was during a rain-induced restart that the second Erebus Mercedes SLS, the pole-winning car of Aussies Tim Slade, Lee Holdsworth and Peter Hackett, damaged its steering in a clash with a backmarker and fell from second place to an eventual sixth.

While none of them finished the race, Mercedes F1 test driver Brendon Hartley (Audi R8 LMS ultra), Dutch Le Mans veteran Peter Cox (Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560 GT3) and former Ferrari Formula One stars Mika Salo (Ferrari 458 GT3) and Ivan Capelli (Corvette Z06-R GT3) further added to the event’s standing, while exceptional online streaming and commentary from the Radio Le Mans team presented a modern-world viewership alternative that should ensure the event’s future.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Porsche 911 (992.2) 2025 review – the 911 for the digital age
Porsche 911 Carrera (992.2) – front
In-depth reviews

Porsche 911 (992.2) 2025 review – the 911 for the digital age

The 992-generation 911 has taken time to reveal its character, but it’s evolved into a sports car with enormous breadth and ability
6 May 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

TVR: Why we think it’s all over
TVR Griffith
Opinion

TVR: Why we think it’s all over

There’s barely a flicker of life when it comes to TVR and the ‘new’ Griffith. We can only fear the worst
17 Jul 2025
Save £30k on a new Range Rover and buy a Renault 5 with the savings!
Range Rover
News

Save £30k on a new Range Rover and buy a Renault 5 with the savings!

Discounts on new Range Rovers are so big you could buy a new Renault 5 with the money you save…
15 Jul 2025
​Best hot hatchbacks 2025 – affordable new performance cars
Best hot hatchbacks 2025
Best cars

​Best hot hatchbacks 2025 – affordable new performance cars

Contracted though the hot hatch market may be, there are still some great models out there, from the electric Alpine A290 to the five-cylinder Audi RS…
14 Jul 2025