British sportscar maker Radical is the latest firm to make a bid for a place on the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour grid.
The Cambridgeshire-based company is currently putting together a recognition document for its RXC to be granted eligibility in the race’s third Invitational Class.
The first of the closed-top RXCs arrived in Australia earlier this year for owner Kim Burke, while a second will need to be sourced under Bathurst’s two-car Invitational rule.
The performance of the road-legal RXCs sit between Radical’s existing SR3 and SR8 models that race in its one-make series around the world.
Recently appointed general manager of Radical Cars Australia, Rod Wilson, says that the company should be in a position to formally lodge entries as soon as next month.
“We’ve had the discussion with the race organisers and are currently having the UK put a recognition document together for the Radical RXC,” Wilson told Speedcafe.com.
“The 12 Hour has already embraced us on the requirement that we can bring two cars to the event.
“Kim Burke has an RXC here so he would be on the top of the list and we’ve got two other people really interested in the cars waiting to see the certification go through.”
If a second customer car is not sold, Wilson isn’t ruling out a factory entry being sent from the UK.
“If we said to them (Radical UK) that we’ve got three drivers we could put in a works car, that would really help us get to the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour, then I’m sure that they would help us,” he said.
Burke’s car has completed tests at Sydney Motorsport Park and Phillip Island, including with Radical Australia driver coach James Winslow aboard.
While the car is fitted with a 3.7 litre, naturally aspirated Ford Cyclone V6, the 3.5 litre, Ford EcoBoost turbo is expected to be utilised for a Bathurst campaign.
“It’s not 100 percent confirmed, but the preferred option is the 3.5 litre twin-turbo,” said Wilson.
“We would have the intentions to upgrade the current car we have here from its current configuration.
“It’s just horsepower and reliability, really. The turbo is a very good engine and is quite robust.”
Wilson expects that an RXC would do a 2:12s lap of Bathurst with “fresh rubber and a good driver”, ensuring it fits perfectly into the Invitational category, which stipulates a minimum 2:12s lap time.
Should the entries come to fruition, the RXCs will compete against Ryan McLeod’s MARC V8s and Bruce Henley’s Mazda RX-8s.
Wilson hopes that the RXCs may also compete in next year’s Highlands 101 Australian GT event, entered in the GT Challenge class.
The push to run the RXCs at Bathurst comes as Radical Australia attempts to diversify its Sydney-focussed customer base across the country.
The track-day orientated company’s workshop is based at Sydney Motorsport Park, where a host of the SR3 and SR8s are prepared.
The Radical Australia Cup will also be in action at the Bathurst 12 Hour on February 6-8, joining Formula Ford and Improved Production on the support program.
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