The three-day Easter festival of motor sport concluded today in overcast conditions, but that didn’t keep people away with Event organisers announcing an improved three-day attendance of 10,134 – up approximately 1,000 people over 2011.

Patrons donated generously to official charity, Legacy, with officials reporting pleasing results from the charitable efforts.

The big story of the day occurred in the Formula 3 races, where Chris Gilmour now holds the new outright Mount Panorama lap record at 2:04.6817 after breaking it in the second of three races contested.

British driver and Championship Leader James Winslow won two of the three races and the weekend overall and says Formula 3 on the Mountain could have a big future.

“There is a real opportunity for this to become a major event on the global Formula 3 landscape,” he said.

“This is one of the very best race tracks in the world and if it can be built into a key global event for Formula 3 the Japanese and European competitors will come, there’s no doubt about it.

“A lot of people have been watching overseas and paying attention to what happened this weekend – and the lap times don’t hurt either!”

The FW1 Aussie Racing Car Series ended in thrilling fashion after a bruising weekend on the Mountain not without its fair share of drama.

Adrian Cottrell edged out Kyle Clews for the race four win by just 0.06 seconds after a thrilling race, but Clews had done enough to secure the overall round victory, with Cottrell on the podium in second and Peter Carr third.

A major crash in the earlier race saw driver Shane Howard airlifted to the Royal North Shore hospital in Sydney, however the driver is in a stable condition and underwent further tests in the afternoon.

A safety-car free one-hour Production Sports Car race ended with Porsche GT3 Cup racer Neale Muston ending his dominating weekend on top again, taking the flag first by nearly a full minute.

Tim Mackie and Scott Bargwanna combined to take their Lotus Exige HPE to second place with Andrew Miedecke teaming with regular driver Jamie Augustine in the thundering Daytona Coupe to finish third. A pair of Lotuses completed the top five.

The Kenda Tyres HQ Endurance challenge also completed a one-hour race, their second of two for the weekend.

Several safety cars affected the outcome, with drivers not required to execute a driver change choosing to pit earlier in the race and gain an advantage, leaving yesterday’s winners Paul Butler and Rod Dawson back in sixth place, despite setting the quickest lap.

Rod Raatjes won the race, David Keleher second and Warrin Trewin third.

Greg Toepfer was unable to complete a sweep of the Historic Touring Cars Group N races, failing to finish today’s third and final race and leaving the win to Bathurst driver Michael Anderson in his Ford Falcon GTHO. Cameron Warner and Leon Bell completed the podium.

The final two outings for the NSW Road Racing Club regularity were dominated by Roger Ranflt, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The Evo lapped within just a few tenths of a second of its nominated time of 2:44.0 seconds and thus scored the lowest penalty points on each outing today.

Alex Veryinis (HSV Clubsport) and Les Smith in his Renault Clio were also in contention throughout the day. A massive 47 cars competed across the weekend.

The Porsche Club of NSW was all change, with Saturday’s pace setters down the order in the first run today, with Tim Bickford scoring the least number of penalty points in the first run this morning. Paul Dortkamp (Porsche 928) was on top of the standings in the second session.

JAMES WINSLOW HAS extended his winning streak to eight wins from nine races after taking round three of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers’ Championship at Mount Panorama, whilst Chris Gilmour finished second and now holds the outright Bathurst lap record.

Winslow won both races today but Gilmour’s quickest lap in the race two was 2:04.6187 and a new – official – outright lap record.

In the historic debut of Formula 3 cars on the Mountain, the racing lived up to expectations with plenty of close racing and stunning lap times – but Winslow was again dominant with Gilmour leaving his run too late in today’s feature race.

As such the runaway championship leader now heads the standings by 42 points, nearly a full round clear of Gilmour.

“It’s been an amazing weekend overall and after some early hitches it all came together,” the Briton said.

“After the technical problem earlier in the weekend where we failed the ‘box’ test with the rear wing after contact from another car, we recovered brilliantly and were able to come through and win both races today.

“It’s one of the best tracks I’ve ever driven a Formula 3 car at. It is direct competition to Macau in terms of the kind of challenge it is. Coming down the mountain you need huge commitment over skyline in 5th gear, and it’s flat out.

“We broke the outright lap record here this weekend – I think I was a few thousandths off – so to win the Event and be that close to the record, we’re really happy.

“I’ve got a 42 point lead at this stage is a good start,” he added.

“An unbelievable start and we couldn’t have planned it better. Hopefully I can continue to win races and if I do the championship will look after itself.”

Chris Gilmour finished second, but will be remembered for this weekend’s dramatic second race where he and Winslow traded the fastest ever laps logged on the hallowed 6.213km circuit, the benchmark falling four times with Gilmour eventually holding the new record at the mid-2m04 benchmark.

Despite just missing out on the overall win, Gilmour said he was thrilled to create some history this weekend.

“I can die happy now,” he joked.

“It’s pretty amazing to be here, full stop – but to do something like set the outright lap record that gets talked about so much is pretty special. It requires so much commitment and a great car to do the job here and we had that.

“In the end our car came on a bit too late to tackle James but we’re gaining momentum and looking good going into Darwin.”

Nick Foster took his Money Choice Team BRM Dallara to third after a race-long battle with Gilmour, the Porsche racer enjoying his weekend with a trio of third-placed efforts in just his second F3 event.

Jordan Skinner was unable to back up his race one success, falling victim to the Mount Panorama concrete after spinning out of race two, at turn one, at half-race distance.

In the feature race he and team-mate John Magro made contact coming into Murray’s corner at the end of the first lap, Magro spinning out of the race and Skinner continuing at the rear of the field after a visit to pit lane to fix some underlying damage.

The Forpark Australia F3 National Class was again an open book this weekend, Queenslander Ben Gersekowski becoming the third race winner from three rounds in the F3 ‘race within a race’ for F304 model cars.

Gersekowski headed home the class battle in the BF Racing / Cooltemp Dallara to recover some points after a season-opening incident in the Clipsal 500 that destroyed his original Vics Timber-sponsored car.

He finished fourth outright in today’s feature race despite his car sounding decidedly off thanks to a broken exhaust.

“After the Clipsal incident in race three, and a rough start in Tasmania – to bounce back here is an unreal way to get back on top. Winning here is a massive bonus,” Gersekowski said.

“I was actually running with the championship class guys at the start of the race but on the fourth lap in the car started sounding different. I was speaking to Brett (Francis, team manager) on the radio and was a bit concerned, but he said ‘keep pushing’.

“Both Hayden and Adrian have picked up extremely well. I’ve had to work for it this weekend. It’s really tough and from here it’s a matter of consistency – this weekend has got my confidence back.”

Less than 20 points cover round one winner Hayden Cooper, round two winner Adrian Cottrell and Gersekowski in the Forpark Championship with four rounds to go.

The next round of the F3 Australian Drivers’ Championship will be staged at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway and will feature the second running of the City of Darwin Cup on June 15-17.

Racing began in earnest today with the five race categories present launching into action, and the two regularity competitions taking to the track to race the clock.

In the Kenda Tyres HQ Holden challenge, Rod Dawson and Paul Butler led from pole position to win the first of two Kenda Tyres HQRA one-hour endurances races today, taking the flag first by more than 13 seconds in an 18-lap affair.

The 69 Designs sponsored HQ led home the Security Merchants car of Rod Raatjes with the Tascar Motorsport entry of John Wise, a long-time HQ competitor, in third place.

Gary Bonwick was fourth whilst Victorian David Keleher completed the top five with 15 cars finished the race on the lead lap in a race that featured pit stops and – for some – a driver change mid-event. The race went safety-car free for its duration in a show of clean driving from the big HQ Holden pack.

The ever exciting FW1 Aussie Racing Cars put on a show, Darren Chamberlain leading home a tightly grouped pack in race one to win ahead of Kyle Clews and Peter Carr, with Darrin Masini in fourth place less than one second behind the winner after a late-race safety car bunched up the field.

Race two saw Peter Carr take a commanding three-second victory, managing to ‘break the draft’ following a three-lap safety car for a crash at the top of the mountain.

Maurice Masini finished second and Adrian Cottrell third though big names like Trent Young – who had been in the top five in race one – failing to finish.

Adelaide driver Jordan Skinner won today’s debut Formula 3 race on Mount Panorama, leading from start to finish in a stunning performance to chalk up his first ever race victory.

A large battle waged for second place between John Magro, Nick Foster and James Winslow early in the race before Winslow charged his way through to ultimately finish second, after starting last.

Winslow also set the fastest lap of the race, a stunning 2:05.30s lap that is a class lap record. Allan Simonsen’s 2:04.95 set in the drive Bathurst sprint event last year is deemed the outright race lap record with F3 driver expecting it to be overcome tomorrow.

A dominant performance from Greg Toepfer saw him dominate today’s pair of Group N Historic Touring Car races driving his HQ Monaro.

Bathurst driver Michael Anderson, driving a GTHO Falcon, was second in both races on what is his first ever race meeting on the Mountain. Tasmanian driver Leon Bell (Holden Monaro) finished third in race one but failed to finish the second, the final spot on the podium snared by Falcon GT driver Cameron Worner.

The CUE Production Sports Cars had a pair of races today – one each for the individual drivers who will combine for tomorrow’s one-hour mini endurance affair.

Neale Muston dominated race one to win by nearly 15 seconds in his Porsche GT3, leading home Lotus drivers Simon Hogg and Peter Lucas.

Driving solo tomorrow, Muston again dominated the second race later in the afternoon with Scott Bargwanna second and Ben Porter third. Touring Car Masters star Andrew Miedecke finished fourth in the Daytona Coupe he will share with Jamie Augustine tomorrow.

Alex Veryinis was the dominant performer in the New South Wales Road Racing Club’s pair of regularity sessions, running the closest to his nominated time in both of today’s sessions driving a HSV Clubsport.

Doug McPherson (Porsche 964) and Mark Croudace (Porsche 968 Clubsport) were the best of the large field in the Porsche Club of NSW’s two on-track outings today, respectively.

The on-track action continues tomorrow with the Event commencing at 0820am.

In near-perfect conditions, seven race and regularity categories commenced their on-track activities with a raft of practice and qualifying to set the grids for when racing commences tomorrow.

Carr edged out Cottrell in the FW1 Aussie Racing Cars but the man who won last years’ title wasn’t concerned about missing out on the Friday bragging rights.

“To be honest, you could be first, fourth or eighth and still have a great chance at winning in this field,” Cottrell said.

“It’s just a massive slipstreaming battle. We know we have the pace so it should be good fun racing as it always is around here.”

Kyle Clews, Darren Chamberlin, Trent Young and VIP Petfoods driver Klark Quinn – making a one-off appearance this weekend – completed the top six.

Meanwhile, Queenslander John Magro recorded the fastest ever qualifying lap of Mount Panorama today as he took pole position for the third round of the 2012 Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship – the open wheelers’ first ever visit to Bathurst.

Magro’s 2m05.50 saw him take pole ahead of his team-mate Jordan Skinner and championship leader James Winslow – all three drivers underneath the 2m06-seconds barrier today with more pace and a new Bathurst race lap record expected in race one tomorrow afternoon.

Greg Toephfer dominated the Australian Historic Touring Cars Group N qualifying session, his Thundering HQ some four seconds up the road from Leon Bell in a Monaro with the Falcons of Cameron Worner and Michael Anderson in close company.

The 24-strong field includes some stunning machinery including several very competitive Torana XU-1s and the thundering Ford GT Falcons in a nod to Bathurst’s history.

Fresh from winning the first round of the Radical sports car series, Neale Muston changed over to his regular Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Car and dominated proceedings in the CUE Production Sports Cars pair of qualifying sessions – but the Porsche pilot will have to hold back a plethora of Lotuses in the race tomorrow before he can get to the podium.

Garth Walden and Scott Bargwanna are in close company with the New South Welshman with the Jamie Augustine / Andrew Miedecke Daytona Coupe in close company just in behind the leading quartet of cars.

Rod Dawson was the only driver to break the 3-minute barrier in the Kenda Tyres HQ Holden endurance challenge, dominating proceedings in the second qualifying session to take the top spot for tomorrow.

HQ regulars Kieren Pilkington, Jamie Furness and Warren Trewin completed the top five ahead of the series’ unique pair of one-hour ‘mini endurance’ races tomorrow and Sunday.

Two regularity categories also completed laps today, the New South Wales Road Racing Club and the Porsche Club of NSW each taking to the track in order to set their ‘benchmark’ lap times prior to their first competitive session tomorrow morning.

Regularity competition pits competitors against the clock and their own consistency, each entrant required to nominate a set lap time and then attempt to get as close to it as possible – without breaking it.

On-track action commences at 0820am tomorrow morning with entry to the precinct free – save for a Bank Note donation to the official Event charity, Legacy.

Saturday’s action include the first one-hour HQ Holden race, plus the first race for F3 cars on Mount Panorama at 14;10pm.

For more information and complete Event results head to www.bathurstmotorfestival.com.au

This three day festival of racing was returned to the Mountain last year with a successful Event that featured exciting racing, great weather and a relaxed, family atmosphere with more than 9,000 attending the Event across the three days.

This year there will be more of the same with new categories joined by old favorites across three days of racing action on the Mountain.

Action commences tomorrow (Friday, April 6th) from 0820am with a full day of practice and qualifying before racing begins on Saturday morning – with a mixture of short, sharp sprint races mixed with several ‘mini endurance’ races with plenty of activity in pit lane.

Following is a summation of several key storylines ahead of this weekend’s Bathurst Motor Festival.

FORMULA 3 TO MAKE BATHURST DEBUT

Australia’s fastest racing cars will make their Mount Panorama debut this weekend as round three of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship joins the Bathurst Motor Festival. It marks the first time since 1979 that ‘wings and slicks’ open wheelers will have raced at Bathurst and is the result of nearly 18 months of planning and preparation.

Formula 3 is a global category and recognized worldwide as a major stepping stone to Formula 1 – in face, current Williams F1 driver Bruno Senna won his first ever car race in Australian Formula 3. Meanwhile, Top IndyCar frontrunner Will Power is a graduate of the class in Australia, whilst 85% of this year’s F1 field have F3 experience globally.

The biggest question of all is ‘how fast will they go?’ – a question key engineers and drivers in the series expect to be somewhere well below the current race lap record of 2m06.3 – and potentially under the ‘outright’ lap record of 2m04.8 seconds set late last year by Allan Simonsen.

Formula 3 cars hit the track for practice on Friday morning at 0930am – with three, 30-minute races to be held across Saturday and Sunday.

FAST FEMALE TEAM MAKES RETURN TO BATHURST ‘HOME’ IN AUSSIE RACING CARS

HAVING BEEN LAUNCHED in the lead-up to last October’s Bathurst 1000, the La Femme Academy of Motorsport is gearing up for its maiden race meeting at Mount Panorama, during Easter’s Bathurst Motor Festival.

Through courses to be run in Melbourne, the Academy aims to aid the participation and development of females in Australian motorsport; both on-track as drivers and off-track in roles such as mechanics and team managers.

Spearheaded by experienced campaigner Kosi Kalaitzidis, the program broke cover at Bathurst last year, announcing an entry in this year’s Aussie Racing Car Super Series with Lauren Gray behind the wheel.

HQ HOLDENS TURN ENDURO AND TARGET LAP RECORD

ARMED WITH A new tyre package, the popular HQ Holden class will be chasing their long-standing Mount Panorama lap record during Easter’s Bathurst Motor Festival.

The April 6-8 event will be the first major HQ hit out on the new Kenda Tyres, through a two-year deal inked between HQ Racing Australia and local Kenda importer Highway Tyres. With a bumper field of leading competitors from across the country set to converge on Bathurst, the class hopes to challenge their existing lap record.

Dating way back to 1997, Peter Holmes holds the current HQ lap record, with a lap of 2:56.0330 around the famous 6.2km circuit. That time was set during the era of using high-octane aviation gas to fuel the cars, with the class now using pump fuel.

Kenda tyres have also come on board as the major sponsor of the HQ Challenge this weekend.

SUPERCARS AND SUPERSTARS MAKE UP PRODUCTION SPORTS CAR FIELD

FEW DRIVERS WILL hit Mount Panorama at next weekend’s Bathurst Motor Festival in as rich a vein of form as Production Sports driver Neale Muston.

Muston, who will race a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car over the April 6-8 event, heads to Bathurst as a two-time defending NSW Production Sports Car Champion and the leader of the Radical Australia Cup.

If racing two different cars in two separate categories wasn’t enough, Muston has even more on his plate, coaching a top-level junior female soccer team for Sydney club Northbridge FC. With Muston at the helm, they’ve tasted success, but it’s come at a cost to his racing.

LOCAL READY FOR MOUNT PANORAMA DEBUT

HE’S LIVED IN Bathurst his whole life, but Michael Anderson will satisfy a long-held ambition during this weekend’s Bathurst Motor Festival – racing at Mount Panorama for the first time.

Anderson – who runs local building company Kenwood Homes with his father – is counting down the hours until he hits the track for the first time for practice on Friday morning. He’ll do so aboard a Ford Falcon XY GT in the Group N Historic Touring Car ranks, which features Production and Touring cars built before 1972, such as Ford’s Mustang and Holden’s Torana and Monaro.

“I’ve lived here my whole life, 27 years, and I’ve tried to do it before, but with work commitments and a few other things like licensing, it just never panned out,” Anderson explained.

FREE ENTRY IN SUPPORT OF CHARITY

With three big days of on-track action, spectator entry to the April 6-8 event at Mount Panorama will be via a ‘bank note’ donation to official Event charity, Legacy.

Anderson – who runs local building company Kenwood Homes with his father – is counting down the hours until he hits the track for the first time for practice on Friday morning. He’ll do so aboard a Ford Falcon XY GT in the Group N Historic Touring Car ranks, which features Production and Touring cars built before 1972, such as Ford’s Mustang and Holden’s Torana and Monaro.

“I’ve lived here my whole life, 27 years, and I’ve tried to do it before, but with work commitments and a few other things like licensing, it just never panned out,” Anderson explained.

“You can travel around the country going racing. We’ve got a racetrack in our hometown but there aren’t many opportunities to race on it. I’m excited it’s actually come together.”

Anderson joined the Group N ranks two years ago, having previously spent time racing motorcycles.

“I really like the vibe of historic cars and wanted to get involved,” he said.

“For a while I actually looked at building a car to race. But I ended up finding a guy that was getting divorced and had to get rid of his car, which we’ve now rebuilt. I’m enjoying driving it.”

So keen was Anderson to race at the event, he was involved in rounding up competitors to ensure a strong turnout of Group N machinery this weekend.

Anderson will be part of a 25-car field, and he’s rebuilt his Ford’s engine over summer for the occasion. Having done the bulk of his running at other circuits in New South Wales in the local Group N championship, Anderson is looking to visit some interstate tracks for the first time in 2012.

“We pulled the engine out after the last round at Eastern Creek in November,” he said.

“We wanted to get more horsepower out of the car for Bathurst; it’s going to be very important this weekend. We’re looking at doing a few more tracks this year, but the Motor Festival is the big race meeting for us.”

Anderson will be joined in the Group N field by fellow Bathurst racer Bob Munday, the reigning state champion, who drives a Mustang. They’re set to enjoy plenty of hometown support across the three races this weekend.

Spectator entry to the event will be via a ‘bank note’ donation to the official event charity, Legacy.

“It’s for a good cause and it’ll help bring a lot of people along,” Anderson said of the unique entry price.

“As the event’s been getting closer, I’ve had a lot of people ringing me about it; they want to come and see the XY GT on the track. It should be a good weekend.”

With three big days of on-track action, spectator entry to the April 6-8 event at Mount Panorama will be via a ‘bank note’ donation to official Event charity, Legacy.

2008 champion, Englishman James Winslow and reigning titlist Chris Gilmour might be bitter rivals for the championship once again – however both also agree that the forthcoming Bathurst challenge represents something truly exciting.

Formula 3 open-wheelers have never raced at Bathurst ensuring that the Bathurst Motor Festival presents not only a massive challenge to drivers – but also to as they attempt to set up the vehicles for the circuit.

But with more than 180 F3 race starts and 30 wins between them, both drivers agree it’s perhaps the most exciting moment in Australian F3 history.

“In my career I have been very fortunate to race Formula 3 cars at great places like the Macau Grand Prix and Spa Francorchamps in Europe – and this should be right up there with those amazing tracks,” Winslow said.

“Bathurst is an amazing circuit and known around the world as one of the best circuits anywhere so to be able to drive Australia’s fastest racing cars there is a privilege.

“I think at the end of Conrod Straight we’re going to be really shifting, quicker than any speeds we’ve ever reached in Australia before because there are no straights that long. When we get that quick we create a lot of downforce it will mean braking into the chase is going to be amazing – just huge.

“The top of the Mountain has some really quick left-handers which will be fifth or sixth gear corners and that will be exhilarating, for sure.”

Gilmour, who edged out Winslow to win the 2011 title by just a handful of points late last year, says his forthcoming return to Mount Panorama is ‘like going back to the early part of my career’.

“I can’t wait – I’ve been hanging out for years to get back after racing Formula Fords there in 2003,” the Queenslander said.

“To be racing back at the Mountain in Australia’s fastest open wheeler is going to be amazing.

“I can’t wait to see if it’s flat out across the top – through McPhillamy and onto Skyline. It’s an amazing bit of road and I’m really excited to see how quick we can go there.

“Coming over the hill, all you can see are paddocks and a race track that just dips away into nothing. To take that on in an F3 car will be something else.

Of course, the biggest question of all is with regards to what sort of lap times the nimble, 540kg, 220hp Dallara’s will produce around the 6.213km circuit.

“I’m really interested to see what sort of lap times we can do there,” Winslow said.

“.. and I’m hoping around the low two-minute mark. If we can go under two minutes it would be pretty sensational but I think a high 2:01 lap will be where we sit.”

Gilmour agreed: “We were joking about it and putting some money on who was going to do what – and I went out there a bit and said sub-two minutes, but I think probably something like 2m01s and 2m02s are going to be the benchmark.

“But it will be very, very fast.”

The Bathurst Motor Festival will double as round three of the F3 Australian Drivers Championship, Englishman James Winslow leading the standings after an impressive start to a year. Defending champion Chris Gilmour – who beat Winslow last year – sits second in the standings.

A compact yet hugely competitive field will tackle the mountain across three races, on Saturday and Sunday.

They will be joined at the Bathurst Motor Festival by the Production Sports Cars, Aussie Racing Cars, HQ Holdens, Group N Historic Touring Cars and Regularity events for the NSW Road Racing Club and the Porsche Club NSW.

With three big days of on-track action, spectator entry to the April 6-8 event at Mount Panorama will be via a ‘bank note’ donation to official Event charity, Legacy.

Muston, who will race a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car over the April 6-8 event, heads to Bathurst as a two-time defending NSW Production Sports Car Champion and the leader of the Radical Australia Cup.

He kicked off his 2012 with victory in the Radical season opener at Eastern Creek a fortnight ago. After winning the two sprint races, Muston encountered late gearbox problems in the 50-minute final but held on to win by just 0.1246s over Ed Singleton.

“It was very exciting,” Muston said.

“I had about a 15-second lead, then a Safety Car came out and my gearbox started giving me trouble.

“I got caught with two or three laps to go and I was trying to hold off Ed. I know Eastern Creek pretty well, so I was able to keep in-front of him in all of the overtaking places, but I think with another lap he probably would’ve gotten us.

“And, of course, no sooner had I crossed the finish line, it seized and locked in fourth gear. I was a little bit lucky to win that one – usually it doesn’t work that way!”

Switching his focus back to the Porsche, Muston is eyeing a strong result at Bathurst next weekend in the first round of the Production Sports season. In the Easter 2011 event he was among the pace-setters – but the races were less kind.

“I think we qualified second and we won the first race, but got excluded with a stewards issue,” he recalled.

“In the second race I was leading and having a good battle with the Daytona of Andrew Miedecke, but I had a little incident on Mountain Straight. I spun, clipped the rear corner and that was it.

“The pace was there, but I’m hoping for a little bit more success this year.”

If racing two different cars in two separate categories wasn’t enough, Muston has even more on his plate, coaching a top-level junior female soccer team for Sydney club Northbridge FC. With Muston at the helm, they’ve tasted success, but it’s come at a cost to his racing.

“We went from club level to state level last year and won a SuperLeague premiership, so we’ve been promoted again and we’re up into the big-time now, the Premier League,” he said.

“That’s pretty demanding. We train a lot and play on Sundays; unfortunately it clashes with a lot of the racing.”

Fortunately, ‘Coach’ Muston won’t be required over the Easter weekend and he’s free to unleash his Porsche at Mount Panorama. As part of a diverse 39-car field, he’ll contest two sprint races and a one-hour final.

“I really try to plan my year around Bathurst events. If you miss one of those, you sort of kick yourself a bit, because it’s very difficult to get the track time there,” Muston said.

“It’s a circuit that’s second to none for a Porsche. My thing just loves it around there, with the mid-corner speed. They reckon that in a good Porsche Cup Car, you’re probably quicker than a V8 Supercar over the top of the Mountain; they just get you on the squirt going up and down the Mountain.

“It’s really adrenaline pumping stuff.”

Bathurst Motor Festival organisers have also confirmed that the Event website, www.bathurstmotorfestival.com.au will feature live timing for all categories across the weekend.

Production Sports Cars will be joined at the Bathurst Motor Festival by the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship, Aussie Racing Cars, HQ Holdens, Group N Historic Touring Cars and Regularity events for the NSW Road Racing Club and the Porsche Club NSW.

With three big days of on-track action, spectator entry to the April 6-8 event at Mount Panorama will be via a ‘bank note’ donation to charity.

For further information about the Bathurst Motor Festival, visit www.bathurstmotorfestival.com.au

The April 6-8 event will be the first major HQ hitout on the new Kenda Tyres, through a two-year deal inked between HQ Racing Australia and local Kenda importer Highway Tyres. With a bumper field of leading competitors from across the country set to converge on Bathurst, the class hopes to challenge their existing lap record.

Dating way back to 1997, Peter Holmes holds the current HQ lap record, with a lap of 2:56.0330 around the famous 6.2km circuit. That time was set during the era of using high-octane aviation gas to fuel the cars, with the class now using pump fuel.

“We haven’t been close to it for a few years,” Dale Youd from HQ Racing Australia said of the lap record.

“The new Kenda tyres have a slightly lower profile, which should give us slightly better handling. I’ve had some discussions with some of the guys and while it might limit our top-speed down Conrod – the cars are maxed out down there – the advantage with slightly lower gearing should mean that they’re slightly quicker everywhere else.

“With that and a high-quality field, I’m reasonably confident that we’ll be having a look at the lap record, which should be good.”

Being phased in throughout the year, the Kenda tyres were first used in a Victorian state round at Winton in early March. Represented by just under half of the field, Kenda drivers filled four of the top five spots in qualifying, with Ken Wright going on to win the weekend.

“This is probably our biggest dive into motorsport. We’ve had an interest in the past, but not to this extent,” Mitch Grant, Sales and Marketing Manager for Highway Tyres, said.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for Highway Tyres and Kenda, working with a group the size of the HQ competitor base.

“From the race meeting at Winton, Ken Wright was the overall champion of the day and he was very glowing in his appraisal of the tyres. Another driver running the Kenda Tyres, Stephen Whyte set the fastest lap of the day. So it was a great start.”

Using Holden’s popular HQ sedan, the low-cost class paved the way for one-make racing in Australia, holding their first race meeting in Tasmania in 1988. In 2012, it’s as strong as ever, with more than 40 entries received for the Bathurst meeting. Teams will tackle a pair of one-hour races and have the opportunity of enlisting a co-driver.

“It’s still quite a quick car,” Youd said of the HQ.

“There’s not a lot of horsepower, but it’s a good all-round package, everything complements each other; we get the maximum out of them and they put on close racing.”

HQ Holdens will be joined at the Bathurst Motor Festival by the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship, Aussie Racing Cars, Production Sportcars, Group N Historic Touring Cars and Regularity events for the NSW Road Racing Club and the Porsche Club NSW.

With three big days of on-track action, spectator entry to the April 6-8 Event at Mount Panorama will be via a ‘bank note’ donation to official Event charity Legacy.

HAVING BEEN LAUNCHED in the lead-up to last October’s Bathurst 1000, the La Femme Academy of Motorsport is gearing up for its maiden race meeting at Mount Panorama, during Easter’s Bathurst Motor Festival.

Through courses to be run in Melbourne, the Academy aims to aid the participation and development of females in Australian motorsport; both on-track as drivers and off-track in roles such as mechanics and team managers.

Spearheaded by experienced campaigner Kosi Kalaitzidis, the program broke cover at Bathurst last year, announcing an entry in this year’s Aussie Racing Car Super Series with Lauren Gray behind the wheel.

“It will be a nice homecoming for the La Femme Academy of Motorsport,” Gray said of the second round of the 2012 Aussie Racing Car season.

“It was very exciting that we launched it at Bathurst during the week of the 1000 last year. To be able to go back and hit the track at Bathurst, we’re definitely looking forward to it.

“Hopefully we can put a good result on the board.”

Since the La Femme initiative was launched, the team has attracted plenty of interest. Gray debuted in the Aussie Racing Car field at Adelaide’s Clipsal 500 in March, and the team has been blown away by the online support they’ve received.

“The reaction to the program’s been enormous. It’s been fantastic to see,” Gray said.

“I couldn’t tell you how many emails we’ve been getting from people who are interested in the program or joining the team. We could almost employ someone fulltime at the moment just to answer all of that correspondence at the moment!”

Having spent the bulk of her career in Production Cars, Gray had a mixed Aussie Racing Car debut on the streets of Adelaide and sits 33rd in the standings. The series features scaled down cars, built around a control chassis and are powered by 1.2 litre, 125BHP motorcycle engines. They present a unique challenge to drivers.

“It’s been different. I can’t really compare it to anything else I’ve driven before,” Gray said.

“The best explanation I can give is that it’s like a big go-kart, but having said that, I think I was about seven when I last sat in a real go-kart!

“But it’s been fun. Once we can put the package together and get the car handling the way we want it and the engine performing the way we want it, I think it’s going to be extremely enjoyable.”

Putting on frenetic racing, the diminutive cars have built a big fanbase since the Aussie Racing Car Series was launched in 2001.Among the massive fields, the series attracts drivers from all walks of life, and Gray is one of two females in the 2012 field, alongside Ruth Bowler.

“To be able to race in a category where they have 40-odd cars, it shows that obviously the category has a lot to offer. And the fans enjoy what they’re seeing,” Gray said.

The 2012 Bathurst Motor Festival will be Gray’s fourth outing at Mount Panorama. The previous three have come in Production Cars at the Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour – most recently finishing fourth in class in a Toyota Corolla with father Michael and New Zealander Tony Head in 2010. She can’t wait to get back onto the famous circuit.

“It was a great result that year with our own team and our own car,” Gray said of the 2010 Bathurst 12 Hour.

“In the Aussie Racing Car, this is going to be completely different. I don’t really know what to expect, but I’m really looking forward to it.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t care what I went to Mount Panorama in, as long as I get to cut a few laps! It’s always great to race there.”

Aussie Racing Cars will be joined at the Bathurst Motor Festival by the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship, HQ Holdens, Production Sportscars, Group N Historic Touring Cars and Regularity events for the NSW Road Racing Club and the Porsche Club NSW.

With three big days of on-track action, spectator entry to the April 6-8 Event at Mount Panorama will be via a ‘bank note’ donation to official Event charity Legacy.