News
IMPROVED PRODUCTION, HERITAGE TOURERS JOIN SUPPORT PROGRAM
THE Mount Panorama return of the immensely popular Improved Production and Heritage Touring Car classes anchor the 2019 Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour support program, confirmed today. Both categories have regulars at Bathurst in recent years, making their return to Easter even more notable in 2019.Improved Production and Heritage Touring Cars join B6HR regulars Production Sports Cars and the Porsche Club of New South Wales (regularity) while Series X3 Hyundai Excel one-make racing also returns following a successful debut this year.Improved Production Racing continues to grow in stature thanks to recent starring appearances at the Bathurst 12 Hour and Adelaide 500 Supercars Events.Their return to Mount Panorama is set to bring a full, 55-car field stacked with variety next Easter.”Improved Production racing at Bathurst has always been spectacular and we’re excited to be partnering with James O’Brien and the very popular 6-hour event on our return,” said Category representative, Garry Mennell.”The different strengths and weaknesses of the cars involved allow them to be strong at different points of the circuit – some are better down Conrod and some faster across the top. That, and the huge variety in the field, from Rotaries and turbocharged cars to later model Holdens and Fords, promotes fantastic racing.”We know competitors from around Australia will flock to the HI-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour to be part of the weekend and we’re certain of a full grid once again.”Heritage Touring Cars return to the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour with the full history of major endurance racing at Mount Panorama behind them.The class features genuine examples of both Group C (1974-1984) and Group A (1985-1992) machinery from a wildly popular period in Australian Motorsport.They are the same cars that raced in the Bathurst 1000 and continue to be presented in the original liveries and specifications as seen back in the day.As such, fans will see Nissan’s iconic GT-R ‘Godzilla’ take on Ford Sierra RS500s while Group C-specification Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons take fans back to the Brock-v-Johnson era of Bathurst racing.”We’re the custodians of these magnificent Group C and A touring cars, and we love taking them to the track for everyone to enjoy,” said Heritage Touring Cars director, Ed Singleton. “There is no better opportunity to show them off and share them with the fans than a blast around Mt Panorama at the Bathurst 6 Hour event.”We’ll be assembling a big field of Heritage Touring Cars, made up of Godzilla GTRs, Sierras, BMWs and Walkinshaw Commodores, big banger Commodores, Falcons, Torana’s, Escorts and Corollas all battling it out for class honours right through the pack.”The support race program includes three sprint races for Improved Production, Excels and Heritage Touring Cars, while the Production Sports Car field will tackle a pair of one-hour mini-endurance races.The NSW Production Sports Car series has fielded strong grids in recent years, made up of a mixture of current GT3 machinery mixed with a wide array of Sports Cars across several classes.The 2019 Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour will be held on the Easter Long Weekend (19-21 April) next year.