Audi ace among over 400 Challenge Bathurst entries

Audi factory driver Christopher Mies will take to Mount Panorama as part of a 400-plus field for November’s Challenge Bathurst event.

Mies, a two-time Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour winner and 2015 Australian GT Champion, will drive an Audi Sport Customer Racing Australia R8 LMS in what has become a valuable test event for February’s sportscar enduro.

Other GT3 entrants for Challenge Bathurst include Dean Canto/Jim Manolios in a Lamborghini Gallardo, Tony Walls in a McLaren 650S, Yasser Shahin in a Mercedes-AMG, and James Koundouris in an Audi R8.

They will take part in the Pirelli Supersprint component of the event on the Thursday and Friday, which features almost 150 entries including a number of GT4s and production cars.

Canto set the fastest lap of the 2017 Challenge Bathurst when he lapped Mount Panorama in 2:05.593s.

Liqui-Moly Regularity takes place on the Saturday and Sunday, with over 250 entries who will have access to the oil brand’s ambassador, John Bowe, during the weekend.

“Challenge Bathurst is now firmly entrenched in the calendars of so many competitors and we are pleased to welcome so many back to the Mountain, as well as many first-timers this year,” said Challenge Bathurst promoter, James O’Brien.

“The Pirelli Supersprint competition is likely to be a taste-test for the big endurance races coming up on the Mount Panorama schedule next year, while the Liqui-Moly Regularity will continue to offer people a chance to get track time at Bathurst who may otherwise never have the chance.”

This year’s edition is the second in a row to attracted more than 400 entries, and will be held from November 15-18.

Entry list: Supersprint