Craft-Bamboo Racing confirms a return to the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour in the pro category, as part of the 2020 Intercontinental GT Challenge. The team will compete at the infamous Mount Panorama circuit in Australia with one entry, and a possibility of a second entry to be confirmed at a later date. The driver lineup is yet to be finalized, but it is likely to again be fielded by Mercedes-AMG factory drivers at the famous race down under.
After challenging for outright victory for much of the 2019 edition of the Bathurst 12 Hour, including a monumental fight back through the field to lead several hours of the race, contact in the seventh hour of the race led to a technical issue, which ended the team’s challenge. Craft-Bamboo Racing has set a clear target for victory in 2020, in order to better the teams best finish of P3 overall at Mount Panorama in 2015.
The team again displayed the true potential of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the Suzuka 10 Hours, where the team fought at the front for the entire race and missed a podium finish by a mere 3 seconds at the line.
The Bathurst 12 Hour is not only the opening round of the 2020 Intercontinental GT Challenge, but is also one of the most exciting GT races in the world, with the Mount Panorama circuit throwing a unique challenge year after year. The famous Mount Panorama circuit near Sydney, dubbed “The Mountain”, is legendary for its 1000km endurance races held since the 1970s. Having started as a national event in the 1990s, the 12 Hour’s switch of focus to GT machinery in 2011 revitalized the race and has made it a must-attend race for the cream of international GT teams. Held in the Australian summer, the narrow and fast circuit features significant elevation change, making the 12-hour endurance race a true test of teamwork and driver skill for the entire duration.
The 2020 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour runs from the 31st of January to the 2nd of February, with Free Practice commencing on Friday, Qualifying and the Pole Position shootout on Saturday, and the main race in the early hours on Sunday. The race will be broadcast live on 7mate in Australia, with online streams across a multitude of channels for international audiences.
QUOTES
Darryl O’Young | Director of Craft-Bamboo Racing
The Bathurst 12 Hour gets more competitive each year, with top teams from around the world coming to Mount Panorama to take on this amazing circuit. There is a big strategy game in this race, so it keeps the drivers, engineers, and crew on their toes for the entire 12 hours, which makes it really challenging yet exciting throughout. We expect nothing less in 2020, and after a full season with the Mercedes-AMG GT3, we are confident we have a strong package to fight for the win. The organizers do a fantastic job, so it is a race we look forward to and make a priority in our racing calendar each year.
Source. Craft-Bamboo Racing
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