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BMW Team SRM has confirmed that it will run both of its M6 GT3s as Pro Class entries in next year’s Bathurst 12 Hour.
The team this week announced a partnership with Tony Longhurst, who has bought an M6 to race in the 12 Hour with fellow Bathurst legends Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall.
Longhurst’s car will be run alongside the team’s regular entry, which is owned by Dean Grant and driven in Australian GT by Steven Richards and Max Twigg.
Richards has confirmed to Speedcafe.com that Grant’s car will too feature an all-Pro driver line-up, with the team awaiting sign-off on factory drivers from Germany.
A factory ace is also expected to be added to the Longhurst/Skaife/Ingall entry as a fourth driver as part of the marque’s determination to conquer Mount Panorama.
The full driver roster is likely to be finalised by the end of next month when both cars will be in action at the Challenge Bathurst sprint meeting.
“We’re 90 percent sorted and within the next month we’ll know exactly where we are,” Richards told Speedcafe.com of his driver line-up.
“I think BMW have 30-odd factory drivers, but there’s a lot of racing on in that first part of the year, so it’s not a simple picture to paint.
“(But) that (factory drivers) is definitely the path we’re going down with both cars.
“BMW have made it clear that they are very keen to have a Bathurst 12 Hour win under their belts.”
Longhurst, 59, approached Richards about fielding a BMW next February after watching this year’s race with Steven’s father, Jim.
Ingall, a customer at Longhurst’s Boat Works marina, then helped stitch together deals with Castrol and Skaife, who in turn secured backing from Vodafone.
Although full of enthusiasm for the 12 Hour, Longhurst says he has no plans to field the car in Australian GT next year.
“If we win I’ll keep the car as a trophy and if we don’t I’ll sell it,” Longhurst told Speedcafe.com.
“It’s a one-off for Bathurst, so everything we’re doing is focussed around that.
“We’ve got a big test program planned to make sure we’re all comfortable in the car to give it the best shot we can.
“We’ll be doing Challenge Bathurst and then a full blown test on the Monday after that, which we’ll have engineers out from Germany for. it’s a very serious effort.”
Longhurst’s preparation also included campaigning a Richards-run Porsche at last weekend’s Bathurst Carrera Cup round.
Crashing out in qualifying proved a reminder to the veteran that all three drivers will need to be comfortable in the BMW before tackling the mountain.
Longhurst and Skaife have already driven the M6 at Phillip Island, while more trips to the seaside circuit are planned over the next six weeks.
“We’ve got a lot of experience, we shouldn’t have butterflies, we should be smart and we shouldn’t make any mistakes at our age,” said Longhurst.
“But it’s Bathurst and it can dig its claws into you and you can go from hero to zero very quickly, like what happened to me last weekend.
“That was a good wrap over the knuckles because the mistake I made was not being used to the car.
“I bounced it off the kerb like I’d done a million times before, but the Porsche is a lot more rigid than what I’m used to and I went from being in 100 percent control to a passenger.
“But I was able to get myself committed to a qualifying lap which I hadn’t been able to do for a long, long time, so I felt really good about that.”
Longhurst won the 12 Hour in 2009 aboard a Mitsubishi Lancer production car prior to the race’s move to its GT3 format two years later.
Skaife has one 12 Hour start to his name with the Mazda works team in 1994 (DNF), while Ingall formed part of Holden’s factory entry in 2009 (15th).
VIDEO: Skaife and Ingall on their Bathurst partnership
