The privateer Grove Porsche team has signed Kiwi star Earl Bamber and British ace Ben Barker for the 2014 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour from February 7-9.
The highly credentialled pair will join Carrera Cup racer Stephen Grove in the Class B GT3 997 Cup car which finished fourth in class and 11th outright in the 2013 Australian Carrera Cup Championship.
Star V8 driver Scott McLaughlin had been pencilled in to drive in the Grove car however a date clash with the V8 SuperTourers round at Manfeild on the same weekend rendered him unavailable.
“We’ve got the young guys on board this year and that is what we wanted,” Grove said.
“There were a lot of them in the 12-hour last year and they are really hungry to succeed – that’s what we want.
“Earl and Ben are great in Porsche’s and have lots of experience so we want to go there and punch above our weight.”
Grove is relishing the chance in the 12 Hour, which he classes as his favourite event, with Bamber and Barker who both have considerable experience including the blue riband Porsche Supercup last year.
Bamber won the 2013 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia title, where he beat the highly-rated Martin Ragginger.
He also contested a limited Porsche Supercup campaign scoring a pole position in the final round at Abu Dhabi.
Bamber subsequently won a Porsche scholarship that will see him compete in the full 2014 Porsche Supercup championship.
Barker is also well known to Australian fans, having won the 2010 Australian F3 / Gold Star championship, before winning the rookie of the year prize in Carrera Cup Australia the following season.
Following a strong season in Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2012, Barker contested a full Porsche Supercup campaign last year, finishing 10th overall.
Barker, third in Supercup rookie standings last year, said he was looking forward to joining the Grove team next month.
“It’s going to be fantastic to be teaming up with Stephen and Earl for such a brilliant event,” Barker said.
“Stephen has put together a great team and not only are they very professional but very competitive, too.
“I think that it if it all goes to plan we might end up getting a very strong result.”
