Russell Ingall is an unlikely starter in the Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour.
Ingall was pencilled in to drive Holden’s factory-entered Sportwagon, but due to the close nature of the first round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series in Abu Dhabi, Holden’s Motorsport manager Simon McNamara has said that Ingall is likely to sit out the race, making way for another driver.
In the latest driver entry list sent out today, loyal Holden steerers Cameron McConville and Nathan Pretty are locked into the drive, with the third driver listed as TBA (see below for full entry list).
“100 percent, Nathan and Cam are driving, but what we do with the third bloke is up in the air,” McNamara told Speedcafe.com.au.
“I don’t want Russell to be sidetracked with his V8 Supercar deal. He has a new car and a new track to deal with, so he needs to keep focussed.
“I just want to make sure we have consistent pace across the board and the right guys. They need to get along, which isn’t really a drama, but we need the right people to do the right job. We’ve got a good team under Mike Henry who runs the show.
“It might not be a full-blown V8 Supercar driver. We might have a look a young bloke. Andy Jones and Shane Price have done it for us in the past, but we might look even younger. It’s a good opportunity on giving a young guy a chance to bank some laps around the track.”
One Holden affiliated driver who could fit that role is Nick Percat. The reigning Formula Ford Champion has close ties with Walkinshaw Racing.
The third driver is expected to be confirmed in the coming days, with the race meeting being held on the February 12-14.
McNamara told Speedcafe.com.au that he is looking forward to the 12 Hour, noting the events laid-back nature.
“It’s a great weekend, and I’m looking forward to our beast and the boys having a fang around the mountain.
“From an internal point of view, myself standing there watching it, it’s the same as watching the Bathurst 1000. It’s our baby out there and we want to make sure it works.
“It’s a great weekend. The big difference between the 1000 and the 12 Hour is that the 12 Hour isn’t not a political fight with knifes and things flying around everywhere. It’s just a good, club feel weekend where guys just want to race and aren’t interested in the stuff that goes with the higher level of racing.”
For the full Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour entry list CLICK HERE
