GWR/RAM Mercedes-AMG Fastest in Second Practice

The No. 45 GWR Australia/RAM Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of Brett Hobson topped second practice for this weekend’s Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

Hobson set the fastest time of 2:05.317 late on in an incident-free 40-minute session reserved for FIA Bronze-rated drivers, but also open to Silver-rated drivers who are contesting the Intercontinental GT Challenge season opener for the first time.

That put the No. 45 Mercedes-AMG, which is one of only two Silver Cup class entries, 0.022 seconds up on the No. 89 Team KRC BMW M4 GT3 EVO that had led the bulk of the session in the hands of Bathurst debutant Maxime Oosten.

Brad Schumacher made a series of late improvements aboard his No. 55 Jamec Racing/Team MPC Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II to go third-fastest.

Eduardo Barrichello, another Bathurst novice, was fourth-fastest in the Heart of Racing by SPS Mercedes-AMG, ahead of 75 Express owner/driver Kenny Habul and the No. 193 Ziggo Tempesta-backed Arise Racing GT Ferrari 296 GT3 of Lorenzo Patrese.

For a second session in a row, the Volante Rosso Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo did not appear on track owing to ongoing gearbox problems.

Practice for the Bathurst 12H continues with the third session at 2:10 p.m. local time (Thursday 10:10 p.m. ET).

RESULTS: Practice 2