MOTORSPORT: Changes for Bathurst 12-Hour

The Bathurst 12-Hour race has gained some serious traction the past couple of years and now changes have been made for next February's edition.

The key changes are to the class structure and the limiting of drivers in cars contending for outright honours to three.

This year the winning car, the Maranello Motorsport Ferrari 458, had four drivers – Craig Lowndes, John Bowe, Mika Salo and Peter Edwards.

While the 12-Hour has made important strides in recent years as an enduro of serious international importance, it will remain in the near term a long way short of October's Bathurst 1000 – let alone the (horse) race that stops the nation, the Melbourne Cup – in terms of capturing the public's attention.

The 12-Hour organisers chose to headline the changes for next year on a prize boost.

"Australia's longest race will next year also become one of the richest on the Australian calendar," they said.

"$50,000 will be awarded to the winning team of the 2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-Hour in a joint effort by the promoter and the Bathurst Regional Council to celebrate Bathurst's 200th anniversary.

"The Bathurst 12-Hour will bring both domestic and international recognition to the town's anniversary, via a growing group of international teams, drivers, media and international coverage supporting the event.

"The major prize adds to the prestige of a race already established as a 'must win' enduro both on the national and international racing calendars."

Motor racing promoters other than in America rarely make a noise about prize money, although the Bathurst 1000 – with at least six times the audience of the 12-Hour's improved numbers this year – would be more financially rewarding for the victors than the February event.

And the Melbourne Cup's first prize is $3.3 million from a total prize pool of $6.2 million.

That's 66 times more prize money for the winners for one 216th the time of racing (the Cup is run in about 3 minutes 20 seconds).

And, incidentally, the winner of last week's Indianapolis 500 in the US, American driver Ryan Hunter-Reay, received almost US$2.5 million (about A$2.7 million) out of a total prize pool of US$12.23 million.

Anyway, the 12-Hour organisers say they have made "detail changes in relation to the class structure, eligibility and technical regulations for the 2015 event in an effort to further boost competition throughout the field".

"All GT3-specification vehicles regardless of age will now be eligible only for Class A (GT3)," they said.

"In previous years, older-model GT3 vehicles (including Audi R8s and Lamborghini Gallardos in 2014) were entered in Class B despite having a performance advantage compared to the GT3 Cup Car models that have traditionally made up the bulk of the entries within the class.

"In 2015 Class B will be known as GT3 Cup and as such reserved for 2006-12 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup cars and Porsche 911 Cup S vehicles only.

"2014 model year GT3 vehicles will be eligible for the February 2015 race with new models, including the Bentley Continental GT3 and the Chevrolet Camaro GT3, added to the existing list of eligible vehicles (numbering more than 70 different models) for the first time.

"Class A GT3 vehicles will once again utilise the established Blancpain Endurance Series balance of performance (BoP) regulations at Mount Panorama [Bathurst].

"The remaining classes remain much the same structurally as 2014, with four invitational classes confirmed to join the three GT classes (GT3, GT3 Cup and GT4) to allow the widest possible vehicle eligibility list at the event.

"A maximum of three drivers per car will be allowed for vehicles entered in Class A (four in 2013), with several new trophies confirmed for 2015 that will allow more GT3 vehicles to compete for a Bathurst trophy.

"Vehicles with two seeded drivers will be eligible to compete for outright and pro-am trophies, while entrants featuring one seeded driver (or less) will be eligible to compete for the outright and gentlemen's trophy.

"The changes allow combinations with a focus on 'gentlemen' drivers only an opportunity to still compete for a spot on the Bathurst podium against teams with two professional drivers that have traditionally dominated the outright/Class A results list.

"The new GT3 structure will allow the outright, pro-am and gentlemen's first, second and third-placed finishers to all be presented with their trophies on the main podium following the conclusion of the race on Sunday, February 8.

"Driver seeding for all other classes remains free, however must apply to the driver seeding regulations to be eligible to compete for the pro-am or gentlemen's trophies, regardless of class."

Next February's 12-Hour will start at 6am - 15 minutes earlier than this year.

Entries open on July 1 and close on December 11. Tickets for the event have gone on sale this week.

2015 CHANGES IN SUMMARY
>> $50,000 prize money for outright winners to celebrate Bathurst's 200th anniversary celebrations.  
>> All GT3 vehicles entered only in Class A.
>> Class B for GT3 Cup vehicles (Porsche GT3 Cup cars).
>> Three drivers only in class A, maximum two seeded.
>> New pro-am and gentlemen driver trophies open up the Bathurst podium.
>> Start time 6:00am (6:15am in 2014).
>> 2014 homologated GT3 vehicles eligible.
>> Early bird entries open on July 1, close on July 31.
>> Tickets on sale now.