HubAuto Confirms All-Australian Lineup for Bathurst 12H

An Aussie driving trio will headline the first entry from one of Asia’s top GT teams in February’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

HubAuto Corsa, a leading force in Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia, has entered a Ferrari 488 GT3 in the race and have called on regular drivers Nick Foster and Tim Slade to lead the driving squad.

They will be joined by Slade’s Brad Jones Racing Supercars teammate Nick Percat in a combination filled with both local knowledge and Ferrari experience.

Based in Taiwan, 2018 marked HubAuto’s first as a Ferrari customer outfit. The team won two races this year and finished fifth in the Blancpain GT Asia team standings.

They will be the first Taiwanese team to contest the Bathurst 12 Hour.

Its entry marks the return to Bathurst for Ferrari, winners of the 2014 and 2017 races but absent from the grid in 2018.

“We are really inspired by our achievements this year – from Morris’ vision through to the guys and girls working tirelessly behind the scenes,” said HubAuto operations manager Phillip Di Fazio.

“We have a proven package having done a great job in 2018. Now our focus is winning the 12 Hour.”

Foster, who forged his reputation in Australia with a series of strong results in Formula Ford, F3 and Carrera Cup, said the team was well established heading into their second year with the Ferrari.

“The team has come a really long way since it all came together at the start of the year,” Foster said.

“We’ve had really strong results from the get go and hit the ground running. We fell short in the last race to win the championship in our rookie year, but to still finish second overall was really positive.

“We then got to have a stab at the Suzuka 10 Hour and proved the calibre of our little Taiwanese organization against the Intercontinental GT Challenge field.

“They underestimated us but we stuck the cars first and third on the grid and ran top three throughout. We didn’t get the result we wanted but we showed what we were capable of.

“To come back and have a go at that level is really exciting.”

HubAuto will be the second Asian-based team to enter a Ferrari in the race, with Singapore-based Clearwater Racing having contested three 12-hour races, finishing third outright in 2012 and second a year later.