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Kiwi Audi joins Bathurst 12 Hour field
New Zealand squad International Motorsport will field a Silver Cup entry in the Bathurst 12 Hour early next month.
Andrew van Leeuwen
Published: Jan 24, 2023, 11:59 PM
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The squad has teamed up with Melbourne Performance Centre to run an Audi R8, recently upgraded to 2022 spec, in the Intercontinental GT Challenge opener.
Car owner Andrew Fawcet will be joined in the driving line-up by fellow Kiwi and experienced racer Daniel Gaunt.
The pair shared a McLaren during the New Zealand GT season last year, finishing second in both the North and South Island Endurance Series and third in the New Zealand Endurance Final at Highlands Park.
Fawcet is a three-time Bathurst 12 Hour starter and finished third in class the last time he raced at the event in 2018.
That same year Gaunt drove two cars in the race, starting in an Audi with Ash Samadi and Dylan O'Keeffe before it crashed, then moving to the Grove Porsche after Brenton Grove became unwell.
O'Keeffe and Gaunt will be reunited at Bathurst this year, the Aussie completing the International Motorsport roster for what will be his fifth Bathurst 12 Hour start.
“Obviously Dylan and Daniel have driven together before; I was racing against them the last time we raced here back in 2018, now we’re all together in the same entry,” said Fawcet.
“Daniel and I had a good season in New Zealand aboard the McLaren in the endurance series, am looking forward to getting back into the Audi and seeing what we can all do together at Bathurst.
“It’s a long race, and as we all know, anything can happen. So, hoping for a clean weekend and to be there at the end.”
O'Keeffe added: “Driving a GT3 car around Bathurst is such a mind-blowing experience – there’s nothing like plunging down through Sulman Park towards the metal grate at 200 km/h with the concrete walls just centimetres away.
"You’re literally holding your breath and telling yourself to trust the downforce.
“Daniel and Andrew have both had plenty of recent seat time in GT3 cars, and I’ve done a lot of racing at Bathurst lately, so our combined knowledge will stand us in good stead for the 12 Hour.
“Like any endurance race, the key will be to stay out of trouble in the early stages and make sure we’re in a position to race hard at the finish.”
The Bathurst 12 Hour will take place on February 3-5.
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