In a thrilling showdown at Mount Panorama, BMW and Mercedes-AMG have secured the front row for the upcoming 2024 Repco Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race. Sheldon van der Linde of Team WRT clinched BMW’s first pole position at Bathurst in six years, setting the stage for an exhilarating battle on Sunday.
BATHURST 12 HOURS: PARADE | QUALIFYING
Van der Linde’s impressive performance in the Pirelli Shootout on Saturday afternoon placed the #32 WRT BMW at the forefront, with the #888 National Storage Mercedes-AMG, driven by Supercars standout Broc Feeney, closely trailing in second place, just 0.256 seconds behind.
The Repco Bathurst 12 Hour will feature a competitive 29-car field, although the #50 KTM XBOW was withdrawn following a Practice 6 incident involving Trent Harrison. Van der Linde’s pole position lap time of 2m01.9810s in the BMW M4 GT3, which he shares with Charles Weerts and Dries Vanthoor, reflects the intense competition among the drivers.
Expressing his excitement, van der Linde stated, “Just coming back to Bathurst and driving the track is an honor. My team-mates have done an amazing job so far.” However, he acknowledged the challenge, adding, “I was pushing on the second lap and unfortunately I went off.”
Feeney, poised for a strong performance, shared his thoughts on the qualifying session: “It’s hard work across the top of the Mountain but it is a great car.” He will be joined by Will Brown and Mikael Grenier in the Mercedes-AMG lineup for the race.
Other notable contenders include Maro Engel of Team GruppeM and Matt Campbell of Manthey EMA, securing third and fourth positions respectively. Luca Stolz, driving the SunEnergy1 Mercedes-AMG, rounded out the top five.
With the stage set for a fiercely competitive race, fans can anticipate a gripping showdown as the drivers tackle the iconic Mount Panorama circuit which starts at 5:45am local time.
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