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The Bathurst 6 Hour is set to revive an iconic era at Mount Panorama which two-time Bathurst 1000 winner Will Davison says is what motor racing “was built upon.”
The Mountain hosts three endurance-based events annually – the most iconic Bathurst 1000, the GT-based Bathurst 12 Hour, and the production car-focused Bathurst 6 Hour.
The last of those, which takes place on April 7-9 across Easter weekend, is the newest endurance race of the three.
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In the late 2000s, the Bathurst 12 Hour was largely production car-based. A shift towards GT3-led regulations meant production cars needed a new event. So, in 2016, the Bathurst 6 Hour was born.
Now in its seventh year, the race continues to attract big-name drivers. This year’s event is headlined by two-time Supercars champion Marcos Ambrose who will make his first competitive start at Mount Panorama since 2015.
Other big-name drivers include Supercars race winners Will Brown and Anton De Pasquale as well as Sandown 500 podium finisher Thomas Randle.
Among the stars is Will Davison, who will be an outright contender for the win in a BMW M3 in only his second Bathurst 6 Hour start.
“There’s certainly a place for it in motorsport because it’s certainly what car racing was built upon,” Davison told Wide World of Sports.
“There is such a huge variance in cars out there and classes and driving standards and I can’t compare it to anything else I do. I go there very open-minded and just enjoy it.
“Motorsport has moved on a long way. There are so many different categories and everything’s so controlled and the more that’s happened, I think the more an event like this actually is able to sort of stand out on its own a little bit.
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“I think, after all these years racing for me, it’s more appealing to me now than it probably was 10 years ago.
“Everyone’s there enjoying themselves, production cars are very, very complicated to try and get them reliable and performing well.
“There is a lot of compromise but there is something pretty cool about that.”
That element of “babying” a car isn’t all that different to the early era of motor racing at Mount Panorama.
Although the Bathurst 1000 has morphed into a race with purpose-built race cars, its roots are in production-based racing where cars came straight off showroom floors.
“Ultimately it comes down to your preparation before the event really,” said Davison.
“Of course, you’ve got to look after the car a little bit more and circulate. It’s longer pit stops. The tyre we use is a very unique tyre, very hard, very durable. So we’re not really needing to change tyres every pit stop.
“We know road cars these days are littered with program sensors and overriding sensors that interfere with the performance, so it goes against what we’re trying to achieve in the car.
“You are able to do it just, it takes something quite different. So, you can see it as a frustrating form of racing or just a unique form of racing and I think that’s how I look at it.
“You’re expecting there could be dramas and obviously you do everything you can to avoid them and just look after the car and minimize things going wrong.
“Ultimately, if you can do that, particularly in our class with our car, we should be in with a good shot.”
WHEN AND WHERE IS THE EVENT?
The Bathurst 6 Hour takes place at Mount Panorama across April 7-9.
WHAT IS A PRODUCTION CAR?
WHAT RACING CATEGORIES ARE ON TRACK?
The Bathurst 6 Hour is the headline attraction and is supported by GT World Challenge Australia, the combined Australian Production Cars and GT4, Nissan Pulsars, and Hyundai Excels.
WHAT ABOUT TCR AND TRANS AM?
The TCR Australia Series and National Trans Am Series will return for round two of their season at Phillip Island on May 12-14.
WHO HAS PREVIOUSLY WON THE BATHURST 6 HOUR?
2016 – Chaz Mostert and Nathan Morcom
2017 – Paul Morris and Luke Searle
2018 – Grant Sherrin and Ian Sherrin
2019 – Beric Lynton and Tim Leahey
2020 – Not held due to COVID-19
2021 – Shane van Gisbergen, Shan Smollen, and Robert Rubis
2022 – Cameron Hill and Tom Sargent
WHO ARE THE BIG NAMES RACING?
Marcos Ambrose is arguably the biggest name racing. The two-time Supercars champion will join George Miedecke and Tim Brook in a Class A2 Ford Mustang GT (No.95).
Two-time Bathurst 1000 winner Will Davison will contend for outright honours in Class X behind the wheel of the No.23 BMW M4 with Beric Lynton and Tim Leahey.
Davison’s Supercars teammate Anton De Pasquale is another outright contender in the No.4 BMW M4 with Anthony Soole and Adam Burgess.
Bathurst 1000 podium finisher and TCR Australia Series winner Tony D’Alberto will join Duane West in the #90 HSV GTS.
Sandown 500 podium finisher Thomas Randle will pilot the #92 BMW M2 with Ben Kavich and Michael Kavich.
Supercars winner John Bowe will be a Class A1 contender in a Ford Falcon alongside Aaron McGill in the No.33 entry.
Two-time Bathurst 1000 podium finisher Steve Owen is another notable entry in Class A2 in the No.48 Lexus RC F with Scott Gore and Keith Bensley.
BATHURST 6 HOUR RULES AND CLASSES EXPLAINED
Each entry is allowed up to three drivers, only one of which can be rated as a professional.
No driver can complete more than three-and-a-half hours of the race, or face big penalties if they exceed their maximum driving time. The maximum continuous driving time allowed is three hours.
Compulsory Pit Stops (CPS) must be completed throughout the race. Class X cars must complete six, Class A1, A2 and B1 must complete four, and all other classes must complete three.
Only one CPS can be served during a safety car intervention, otherwise, they must be served under green flag conditions.
Cars are split up by classes, rated from fastest to slowest. Class X is for the fastest cars around Mount Panorama and is cost-capped at $140,000.
Class A1 is for cars slightly slower than Class X that are turbocharged or supercharged while Class A2 is for naturally aspirated cars. Here, you’ll find the Mitsubishi Lancer, Mercedes A45, Ford Mustang, and HSV GTS.
Class B1 and B2 are for forced induction and naturally aspirated cars that aren’t quite as quick as Class A entries. Key cars include the Holden Commodore and BMW 335i.
Class C features giant-killing hatchbacks llike the Mazda 3, Renault Megane, Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Scirocco, and Holden Astra.
Class D is for two-door sports cars, namely the Toyota 86, Mazda RX-8, and Honda Integra Type R.
Class E features the slowest cars, of which there are two Mazda 3 hatchbacks.
WHEN DOES THE BATHURST 6 HOUR START?
The Bathurst 6 Hour gets underway at 11.45am AEST.
HOW CAN I WATCH THE ACTION?
Stan Sport will carry all the action live and ad-free from 12pm on Saturday and 9am on Sunday.
Three hours of free-to-air coverage will be carried on 9Gem and 9Go from 2pm on Saturday only.
SATURDAY STAN SPORT SCHEDULE (all AEST)
12:15am – Australian Production Cars/GT4 – Race 1 – 40 minutes
13:05am – Hyundai Excels – Race 1 – 20 minutes
1:35pm – Bathurst 6 Hour – Qualifying 1 – 20 minutes
2:15pm – Bathurst 6 Hour – Qualifying 2 – 20 minutes
2:55pm – GT World Challenge Australia – Race 1 – 60 minutes
4:10pm – Australian Production Cars/GT4 – Race 2 – 40 minutes
5:00pm – Nissan Pulsars – Race 3 – 20 minutes
5:25pm – Hyundai Excels – Race 2 – 20 minutes
SUNDAY STAN SPORT SCHEDULE
9:20am – GT World Challenge Australia – Race 2 – 60 minutes
10:35am – Australian Production Cars/GT4 – Race 3 – 40 minutes
11:45am – Bathurst 6 Hour – Race – 6 hours
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