An Audi R8 GT3 entered by Melbourne Performance Centre, and run by an International Motorsport crew from New Zealand; the My Land Partners #10 Audi R8 GT3 Evo 2 will be driven by car owner Andrew Fawcet, fellow Kiwi Daniel Gaunt, and Australian driver Dylan O’Keeffe – with the trio competing in the silver class.
The Bathurst 12-hour race is a continuation of the driving partnership of Fawcet and Gaunt, who shared a McLaren 720 S GT3 in New Zealand in 2022, finishing second in both the North & South Island Endurance Series, as well as finishing 3rd overall in the New Zealand Endurance Final at Highlands Motorsport Park last October.
Fawcett has raced at the 12-hour event three times, and last competed in 2018, where he finished third in class.
That same year Gaunt famously started the race in one car and finished in another! Gaunt was part of the driver lineup in an Audi R8 GT3 with Ash Samadi and Dylan O’Keeffe before the car retired during the race following a crash.
Gaunt then got the call up to sub in for Brenton Grove, who had become unwell during the race. Joining the Grove squad Porsche, they went on to win Class B.
Australian O’Keeffe has competed at the Bathurst 12-hour on four previous occasions, with the best result winning Class B in 2017.
“Obviously, Dylan and Daniel have driven together before, I was racing against them the last time we raced here back in 2018, and now we’re all together in the same entry,” says car owner Fawcet.
“Daniel and I had a good season in New Zealand aboard the McLaren in the endurance series, am looking forward to getting back into the Audi and seeing what we can all do together at Bathurst.”
The Audi R8 GT3 Evo 2 has recently been upgraded to the latest 2022 specification.
“It’s a long race; as we all know, anything can happen. So, hoping for a clean weekend and to be there at the end.”
It will be the third time that International Motorsport has run a car the Bathurst 12-hour in the modern era, with a best result of 11th.
Coverage of the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-hour will air locally and around the world on Saturday and Sunday, February 4 & 5.
In Australia, local audiences will be able to watch the race live and ad-break free on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports, with live, free-to-air coverage on the Seven Network and 7plus around Australia.
Coverage begins at 12:30 pm AEDT Saturday on both networks, with Liqui Moly Bathurst’s 12 Hour qualifying coverage, followed by support race action and the Pirelli Top-10 shootout.
Fox, Kayo and Seven will then be live from 5:30 am AEDT on Sunday, February 5, for the race start, with coverage continuing through to 6:00 pm local that day.
New Zealand audiences will be able to view via Sky Sports NZ, while global fans will be able to watch on YouTube via SRO’s ‘GT World’ platform and other international streaming partners.
Main image: Supplied | Words: Supplied
