Three more legends return for Bathurst

ANOTHER THREE LEGENDS CONFIRMED FOR BATHURST

Another three Australian motorsport iconic figures, Kevin Bartlett, Andrew Miedecke and Garry Rogers, have confirmed their return to Mount Panorama as a part of the WPS Bathurst International Motor Festival next month.

The WPS Bathurst International Motor Festival will be held on April 13-16 at the famous Mount Panorama circuit. Promoted and managed by a joint venture between the Bathurst Regional Council and Global Entertainment Team Pty Ltd the event has gained inspiration from the world renowned Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival in the UK.

The trio will contest the Legends event which will involve several greats of Australian motorsport competing in cars from the Yokohama Ute Series.

Bartlett was one of Australia's best all-round drivers. His Bathurst career began in October 1958 when he competed in a 950cc Morris Minor in the Touring Car Scratch Race.

Over the next few years Bartlett progressed through the categories before ultimately securing a drive with the Alec Mildren Team in open wheel racing cars. In the Tasman Series of the 60's and 70's he mixed it with the best in the world and more than held his own.

"In my opinion there is no racing like open wheel racing and around Mount Panorama these cars were just a real buzz to drive," said Bartlett.

The greatest achievement of Bartlett's career was winning back-to-back CAMS Gold Star Championships, the pinnacle of Australian motorsport, in 1968 and 1969 defeating the likes of Sir Jack Brabham and Leo Geoghegan. In 1974 Bartlett joined with John Goss to claim the great race, the Hardie Ferodo 1000 at Mount Panorama aboard a Ford Falcon XA GT.

Bartlett last contested the Bathurst 1000 in 1990.

"Returning to Bathurst as a driver is something that I thought I would never have the opportunity to do, I thought there may have been a possibility to drive a pace car but to actually race again is something I am really looking forward to," said the 65-year-old Bartlett.

"The Festival will be the first time in almost 40 years I have competed at Bathurst while not being a professional driver and am excited about it. I still keep my skills up through conducting some test driving and occasional magazine shoots for magazines at various race tracks across the country.

"The group of drivers the organisers have got together for the Legends race are a great bunch. I raced against Garry Rogers and Bob Morris a few years ago in Darwin in a HQ race, it was a lot of fun and both drivers are very fair and great guys."

Miedecke competed at Bathurst for eleven straight years, from 1986 to 1996. He had a couple of top 10 finishes and co-drove with some of the best, including Peter Brock, Jeff Allam and Steve Soper.

A very successful car dealer in Port Macquarie, Miedecke was a regular fixture at the annual Mount Panorama meeting and was highly regarded as a driver, and his input into preparation was considerable.

Rogers enjoyed a very successful career as a race driver and over the past 15 years has expanded his resume to include considerable success as a team owner. Throughout his career he competed in fourteen Bathurst classics, with a number of top 10 finishes (a fourth to Dick Johnson in 1981) as well as successfully campaigning in the Australian Touring Car Championship at circuits all over the country. Sports Sedans was another category that attracted the skillful Victorian.

As a team owner/manager Rogers was responsible for winning the FAI 1000 in the year 2000 with Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna in the Valvoline supported Commodore.

In 2002 Rogers pulled off one of the all time great wins in Australian motorsport. Up against the might of the European endurance specialists, such as Porsche, BMW and Ferrari in the Bathurst 24-Hour Race, Rogers engineered, prepared and team managed the Holden Monaro CV to a stunning victory. Just to show that it was no fluke he did it again the following year, this time with a 1-2 result.

The on-track action for the Festival will include car club parade laps, Legends event in V8 Utes, Historic Touring Car racing, Aussie Racing Cars, Team Australia demonstration laps, GT Championship Cars as well as several manufacturer sessions.

There will also be nostalgia sessions where race and road cars from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s will cut laps of the famous 6.213km Bathurst circuit.

Off-track entertainment is set to include historic car displays, product displays, bands, dirt bike expression sessions and kids' entertainment areas.

Tickets are on sale through www.ticketek.com.au

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