Asian Motor Sports

The WPS Bathurst International Motorsport Festival kicked off today with several categories hitting the famous Mount Panorama circuit.

Practice and Qualifying for the Legends V8 Utes, Aussie Racing Cars, Historic Touring Cars and Australian GT championship featured throughout the morning until late afternoon at the legendary Bathurst circuit.

For the first time ever, the Legends V8 Ute race featured the champion Australian Touring Car drivers of yesteryear – including Kevin Bartlett, Bob Holden, Bo Seton, David Parsons and Andrew Meidecke – the latter posting the fastest laptime ahead of the first Legends race tomorrow.

“It was great to get out the on Mount Panorama again and it didn’t take long to get back into the groove,” Meidecke said. “By the end of the second session I was really getting my braking areas right and felt pretty comfortable being back behind the wheel. My fastest time was under two seconds slower than Jack’s best time so I’m looking forward to the races tomorrow and Sunday.”

VIP Petfoods’ Paul Kemal posted the fastest time in the Aussie Racing Cars qualifying session ahead of James Ward and Rief Corbett, however the big surprise was V8 Supercar driver Paul Morris qualifying sixth on debut in a Team BOC Aussie Race Car.

“It was the most fun I’ve had around the mountain in ages, I just had it pinned to the boards most of the way around the track and I can’t wait for the race,” said Morris. “I’ve watched them at the V8 Supercar rounds for a few years now and I can’t wait to get in amongst it tomorrow.”

Other V8 Supercar personalities included series commentator Neil Crompton who qualified twelfth in a Teng Tools Commodore, and Fujitsu Development Series drivers Tony D’Alberto (ninth) and David Clark (thirteenth) both driving Aussie AU Falcons.

Des Wall was fastest in the Biante Historic Tourers whilst Greg Crick in a Dodge Viper and Bryce Washington in a Porsche Carrera lead the Australian GT field.

Action at Mount Panorama continues tomorrow with the first races for each series getting underway on the six-kilometre circuit in addition to hotlaps in either a WPS BA Falcon V8 Supercar or a V8 Super School Commodore being offered (at a price) to spectators.