Two of Australia’s most iconic motor sport names – Bathurst and Brabham – will be reunited at the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour next February. David Brabham will join Australian team Flying B Racing in the Bentley Continental GT3 at the February 6-8 2015 Event, not only brining the iconic Brabham name back to Mount Panorama but to the drivers seat of a Bentley racer as well.
The three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner, double American Le Mans series champion and 1997 Bathurst 1000 winner raced a Bentley prototype at Le Mans in 2003, finishing second, and has a long affinity with the brand.
Brabham will share the Flying B Racing Bentley with two drivers from this year’s winning Ferrari – car owner Peter Edwards and double winner John Bowe.
Flying B Racing was formed this year as an offshoot of defending Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour winners Maranello Motorsport, who will prepare and run the car at the event next year alongside their Ferrari entry.
The British-based youngest son of the late Sir Jack Brabham is affectionately known as a ‘Bentley Boy’ and said the opportunity to race at Bathurst with the brand – and the team – was too good to refuse.
“When the team rang to ask if I wanted to join them to race at the Bathurst 12 hour next year, I thought a Christmas present had come early,” Brabham said.
Brabham’s return to the Maranello family will come almost 10-years to the day that he and the late Allan Simonsen drove a Ferrari, run by the team, to victory in the Bahrain GT Festival.
“I have wanted to do this race for the last few years, but just couldn’t manage it, now I can and I am so excited to be racing in a Bentley with Flying B Racing. I was second for Bentley at Le Mans in 2003 so I have a great relationship with them and to race for last year’s winning team gives me an excellent chance to win what has now become a truly international event.
“It has been pleasing to see this race grow in stature over the years and the competition there will be a fantastic challenge to overcome. I can’t wait.”
While continuing to race competitively in top-level sportscar and GT racing, Brabham has also recently launched ‘Project Brabham’, a unique open-source model designed to return the iconic Brabham Racing team to top-level racing while making the sport more accessible and engaging to fans at the same time.
The project recently hit a milestone target, raising £250,000 (Approx. AU$460,000) through the first round of crowdfunding via more than 2600 sources from around the globe. Visit the Project Brabham crowdfunding page http://igg.me/at/project-brabham for further details.
The Flying B Racing outfit will be supported by sponsors Asia Pacific Digital and Perfection Fresh at the 2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.
For more information about the 2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour please visit www.bathurst12hour.com.au