Final Preparations Underway for Bathurst 12 Hour

The build-up to the 2014 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour is in full swing as overseas cars begin arriving at Mount Panorama today.

A majority of the international vehicles will be delivered to the Mount Panorama pit complex today and tomorrow ahead of setup commencing Wednesday for both international and local teams.

Event logistical partners Gibson Freight have been responsible for shipping millions of dollars worth of vehicles from around the world to converge on the Mountain this week.

Teams will travel from all corners of the world for the event this week with Europe, the United States and Asia all represented alongside the strong contingent from New Zealand and the strongest Aussie attack yet.

More than 150 international team members and drivers will arrive in Bathurst this week to begin the preparations for the February 7-9 Event.

Phoenix Racing (Audi R8) and HTP Motorsport (Mercedes Benz SLS) are traveling from their respective bases in Germany while Anglo-American GT team United Autosports will make their way from their base in Leeds, in the UK. The AF Corse Ferrari crew will travel from their base in Piacenza, Italy.

California-based Competition Motorsports will travel from their home in the Western United States while the works Nissan Motorsport NISMO Global Athlete team will make their way south from Tokyo, Japan.

Those outfits will transition from a cold northern winter to Bathurst where temperatures are expected to sit in the low-to-mid thirties (Celsius) this week.

Top Asian GT outfit Clearwater Racing will travel from their Singapore base for the third time in an attempt to go from third place (2012) to second (2013) to victory this year.

Meanwhile, long-term 12-hour supporters Motorsport Services will head out from their factory at the Hampton Downs circuit on New Zealand’s North Island.

The New Zealand teams actually have significantly less distance to traverse than the team coming from the furthest away in Australia – the West Australian-based Maximum Motorsport. The team transporter carrying their Subaru Impreza WRX STi left for Bathurst on Sunday and will arrive on Wednesday, having completed the approximately 3,700km journey.

The remaining Australian teams have slightly less distance to cover, but still represent all of the mainland states in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

A majority of teams will be in place by Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, with race scrutineers beginning their technical checks of cars the day before practice commences first thing Friday morning, February 7.