Bathurst 24 Hour
Encyclopedia
Mount Panorama Circuit
Mount Panorama Circuit is a motor racing track located in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home of the Bathurst 12 Hour motor race, held each February, and the Bathurst 1000 motor race, held each October...
in 2002 and 2003. Only two 24-Hour races were held before the collapse of the management organisation PROCAR.
Classes and Entrants
The Bathurst 24 Hour featured various classes. The entrants were mainly drivers from local racing competitions including the Nations CupAustralian Nations Cup Championship
The Australian Nations Cup Championship was a motor racing title sanctioned by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport from 2000 to 2004.-History:...
, Super Touring
Australian Super Touring Championship
The Australian Super Touring Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for Super Touring Cars.-History:Super Touring was introduced into Australia in 1993 when CAMS replaced the existing Group 3A Touring Car category with a new two class Group 3A...
and Carrera Cup
Australian Carrera Cup Championship
The Australian Carrera Cup Championship is a sports car racing championship open to drivers of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. First held in 2003, it is administered by Porsche Cars Australia and sanctioned by CAMS as an Australian Championship...
competitions. Both the races also had international drivers entering their international cars in the races.
Class A
Class A (known as Class 1 in 2002) featured mainly vehicles from the FIA GT ChampionshipFIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia and South...
and Australian Nations Cup Championship
Australian Nations Cup Championship
The Australian Nations Cup Championship was a motor racing title sanctioned by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport from 2000 to 2004.-History:...
regulations. These were cars such as the Holden Monaro 427C
Holden Monaro
The Holden Monaro is an automobile that was produced by GM Holden Ltd, an Australian subsidiary of General Motors, between 1968 and 1977 and between 2001 and 2005...
, Mosler MT 900R
Mosler MT900
The MT900 is a sports car built in the United States and the United Kingdom by Mosler. Three submodels have also been produced. The MT900R was a racing version of the MT900. The basic car was updated as the MT900S for 2005, with the MT900S Photon being its racing variant. The original MT900 was...
, Lamborghini Diablo GTR
Lamborghini Diablo
The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engined sports car that was built by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001. It was the first Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of . After the end of its production run in 2001, the Diablo was replaced by the...
, Ferrari 360 N-GT
Ferrari 360
The Ferrari 360 is a mid-engine midsize two-seater sports car produced from late 1999 until 2005. The 360 replaced the Ferrari F355 and was itself replaced by the fairly similar Ferrari F430...
, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Porsche 911 GT3 RC and a BMW M3 GTR V8
BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...
. In both times the 24 Hour race was held, the Holden Monaro 427C came out on top.
Class B
Class B (known as Class 3 in 2002) comprised entrants from the Nations CupAustralian Nations Cup Championship
The Australian Nations Cup Championship was a motor racing title sanctioned by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport from 2000 to 2004.-History:...
Group B competition and the Carrera Cup
Australian Carrera Cup Championship
The Australian Carrera Cup Championship is a sports car racing championship open to drivers of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. First held in 2003, it is administered by Porsche Cars Australia and sanctioned by CAMS as an Australian Championship...
, but there was also a Morgan Aero 8
Morgan Aero 8
The Morgan Aero 8 is a sports car designed and built by Morgan Motor Company at its factory in Malvern Link, England .Notable owners have included Richard Hammond of BBC's Top Gear....
featured in this class. This class was won on both occasions by a Porsche 993 GT3 S Cup
Porsche 993
The Porsche 993 is the company's internal name for the version of the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between late 1993 and early 1998, replacing the 964...
. The 2004 class winning car was driven by Jürgen Alzen
Jürgen Alzen
Jürgen Alzen is a race car driver from Germany.He drove one race in both the FIA GT Championship and the American Le Mans Series of 2001 for his own Alzen Porsche team. He has also raced in Australia appearing in both the 2002 and 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour races held at the Mount Panorama Circuit...
, Uwe Alzen
Uwe Alzen
Uwe Alzen is a German racing driver specialised in touring car racing and sports car racing....
, Michael Bartels
Michael Bartels
Michael Bartels is a professional racing driver. He is a multiple FIA GT champion and former Grand Prix driver who failed to qualify for 4 Formula One races with Lotus.-Career:...
and Arno Klasen
Arno Klasen
Arno Klasen is a German racecar driver best known for his long career in VLN endurance racing series on the Nürburgring.Klasen started his career in karting...
. Another notable car in this class was the Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale
Ferrari 360
The Ferrari 360 is a mid-engine midsize two-seater sports car produced from late 1999 until 2005. The 360 replaced the Ferrari F355 and was itself replaced by the fairly similar Ferrari F430...
.
Class D
Class D (known as Class 5 in 2002) was mainly entrants from the Australian Super Touring Championship which ran a variety of makes, most of them being from Japanese manufacturers. The entrants had to comply with the following rules: the cars must be GT Performance cars under the price of A$160,000. Entries included HSV Y Series GTSHSV GTS
The HSV GTS is an Australian high performance luxury sedan, produced by HSV. The fundamental underpinnings are based on the mainstream Holden Commodore models of the same years. The car is powered by GM's 6.2 litre LS3 V8 engine, with a maximum power output of 442 PS...
, Ford Falcon GT
Ford Performance Vehicles
Ford Performance Vehicles is the Melbourne-based, premium performance vehicle partner of automobile manufacturer Ford Australia. The company, which is as a joint venture between Prodrive and Ford Australia, has produced a range of Ford based models under the FPV brand name since April...
, Ford Tickford AU Falcon TE50
Ford AU Falcon
The Ford AU Falcon and Fairmont are the first of the sixth generation series of the Ford Falcon, a full-size car produced by Ford Australia...
, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...
, Subaru WRX, BMW E46 M3
BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...
, BMW M Coupe
BMW M Coupe
The BMW M Coupe is a Shooting-brake styled high-performance automobile produced by BMW. As of February 2009, two generations of the M Coupe have been manufactured, one based on the E36/8 Z3 Coupe and the second off of the E86 Z4 Coupe. Both generations have a "sister" Convertible/Roadster model...
, Mazda RX7 and Nissan 350Z
Nissan 350Z
The Nissan 350Z is a two seat sports car that was manufactured by Nissan from 2002 to 2009 and marks the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line. The 350Z entered production in late 2002 and was sold and marketed as a 2003 model. The first year there was only a coupe, as the roadster did not debut...
.
Class E
Class E (known as Class 9 in 2002) featured production cars (mainly from the Production SeriesAustralian Production Car Championship
The Australian Production Car Championship is a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of production cars, which must compete in close to standard specification...
which cost under A$90,000). Most of the vehicles are mid-sized vehicles. Entries from various makes include the Toyota Celica
Toyota Celica
The Toyota Celica name has been applied to a series of coupes made by the Japanese company Toyota. The name is ultimately derived from the Latin word coelica meaning "heavenly" or "celestial"....
, Ford Falcon XR6T
Ford BA Falcon
The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan...
, Honda Integra Type R
Honda Integra
The Honda Integra is a compact luxury performance coupe made by Honda during the years 1985 to 2006. The sporty front wheel drive car is able to house five passengers with a two door hatch or four door sedan available.The Integra was on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list six times, in...
, Honda S2000
Honda S2000
The Honda S2000 is a roadster that was manufactured by the Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. It was launched in April 1999 and was created to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The car was first shown as a concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995, following which it was launched in...
, Alfa Romeo 156
Alfa Romeo 156
The Alfa Romeo 156 is a compact executive car introduced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 155...
and both the Holden Commodore VX SS
Holden VX Commodore
The Holden VX Commodore, Berlina and Calais range of full-size cars were the eleventh instalment of Holden Commodore, a model manufactured by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors...
and Holden Commodore VY SS.
Class F
Class F (known as Class 10 in 2002) was the final and lowest class of the 5 competing classes and featured FIA-approved Super Production cars, mainly from the lower classes of the Production SeriesAustralian Production Car Championship
The Australian Production Car Championship is a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of production cars, which must compete in close to standard specification...
. This class contained the largest variety of vehicles (in terms of manufacturers featured in this class). Class F consisted of Toyota Altezza, Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world...
, Mitsubishi Magna
Mitsubishi Magna
The Mitsubishi Magna was a mid-size car offered between May 1985 and September 2005 by Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited . Manufactured at the Tonsley Park assembly plant, Magna spanned three generations before being replaced by the Mitsubishi 380...
, Mitsubishi Mirage
Mitsubishi Mirage
Mitsubishi launched the Mirage as a three-door front wheel drive hatchback in 1978, as a response to the first fuel crisis some years before. It had a distinctive design with large windows and Mitsubishi's Super Shift transmission . A five-door joined the range in 1979...
, BMW 320i
BMW E36
The BMW E36 is the third generation of the 3 Series compact executive cars produced by BMW. It was introduced in late 1990 for Europe and in late 1991 for US and Canada. It was the successor to the E30 3 Series and was eventually replaced by the E90 3 Series in 2005, though E36 coupes were still...
, Alfa Romeo 156
Alfa Romeo 156
The Alfa Romeo 156 is a compact executive car introduced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 155...
and BMW M3R
BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...
.
2002
The 2002 Bathurst 24 Hour2002 Bathurst 24 Hour
The 2002 Bathurst 24 Hour was an endurance motor race staged at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. The race, which was the first 24 hour event to be held at Mount Panorama, started at 4:00pm on 16 November and finished at 4:00pm on 17 November.The race...
race was won by Garth Tander
Garth Tander
Garth Tander is a multiple-championship winning Australian motor racing driver. Since 1998 Tander has been a competitor in touring car racing series V8 Supercar Championship Series. Tander was the 2007 series champion for the HSV Dealer Team and is a three-time winner in Australia's most...
, Steven Richards
Steven Richards
Steven Richards is a New Zealand racing driver, currently competing in the with the team. He previously raced in the V8 Supercar series for Ford Performance Racing....
, Cameron McConville
Cameron McConville
Cameron 'Cam' McConville is an Australian racing driver and motorsport media personality. While retired from full-time competition McConville still races occasionally and is an indemand endurance event co-driver. McConville spent 14 years as a professional driver, ten of those in the largest...
and Nathan Pretty, driving a Holden Monaro 427C
Holden Monaro
The Holden Monaro is an automobile that was produced by GM Holden Ltd, an Australian subsidiary of General Motors, between 1968 and 1977 and between 2001 and 2005...
. 532 laps were completed.
Pole position: John Bowe
John Bowe (racing driver)
John Bowe is an Australian racing driver, presently racing a 1969 Ford Mustang in the historic series, Touring Car Masters....
, Ferrari 360 N-GT
Ferrari 360
The Ferrari 360 is a mid-engine midsize two-seater sports car produced from late 1999 until 2005. The 360 replaced the Ferrari F355 and was itself replaced by the fairly similar Ferrari F430...
: 2:15.0742
2003
The 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour2003 Bathurst 24 Hour
The 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour was the second 24 hour race run at Bathurst. The race started at 2:00pm on 22 November 2003 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst and finished at 2:00pm on 23 November....
race was won by Peter Brock
Peter Brock
Peter Geoffrey Brock, AM otherwise known as "Peter Perfect", "The King of the Mountain" or simply as "Brocky" was one of Australia's best-known and most successful motor racing drivers. Brock was most often associated with Holden for almost 40 years, although he raced vehicles of other...
, Greg Murphy
Greg Murphy
Greg Murphy is a racing driver, best known as a four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. Greg Murphy joined Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond presenting Top Gear, when it had its first international Live show at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland from February 12 - 15th 2009, and again when the show...
, Jason Bright
Jason Bright
Jason Bright is an Australian racing driver currently competing in the V8 Supercar series.-Australia:...
and Todd Kelly
Todd Kelly
Todd Kelly is a V8 Supercar racing driver, currently living in Melbourne, Victoria. He is the older brother of former V8 Supercar and Bathurst 1000 champion, Rick Kelly. He drove for the Holden Racing Team from 2003 until 2007, and Jack Daniel's Racing in 2008...
, driving a Holden Monaro 427C. 561 laps were completed.
Pole position: Garth Tander, Holden Monaro 427C: 2:13.2856