Team TRTPower Rankings: Bathurst 12 Hour
Holy cow. What a thing.
We’re back for more in 2025, providing you with all of the HOT/NOT/WHAT from Australia’s international enduro, the Bathurst 12 Hour.
ABOUT THE RANKINGS: The TRT Power Rankings are compiled by your nominations from social media and edited by the TRT editorial team. They’re designed to give a balanced, as fair as possible critical overview of those things that excelled and those things that struggled, at each event. It’s (mostly) a democracy, and what you nominate generates the order, so have your say next event via our social media channels, @theracetorque on Facebook, Twitter and Insta. Look for the call out each evening and get commenting!
HOT
1. BMW
In a day when strategy was all-important, the Bimmers played the game absolutely perfectly. While they weren’t the fastest cars overall lap time-wise during the race, the Team WRT duo saved gas. Staying out long gifted the M twins free pit stops when opportune safety car stops materialised early. The van der Linde brothers were mega, ditto Augusto Farfus, while the second car of Valentino Rossi, Raffaele Marciello and Charles Weerts were in the game all day long, too. Also: how good is Rossi’s star power? Brilliant reward for the manufacturer that tipped the most into the event over the past three years.
2. THAT Pass for Second
Raffaele Marciello: Coming through, don’t care. The Bathurst Regional Council doesn’t have to worry about the nature strip grass maintenance on Conrod Straight this week…
3. THAT Race Start
Three wide contact up Mountain Straight on lap one was seriously wild… a bee’s wiener off being the biggest NOT of all time. A better wake-up call than all of the coffee in the world. Breathtaking.
4. The Bathurst 12 Hour
What a brilliant thing. The perfect kickoff to the motorsport season. The crowd, the vibe, the race, it’s just great.
5. THAT David Russell Pass
Thoroughly nuts, around the outside over Skyline. Wowee.
6. 75 Express
This team just keep on keeping on, don’t they? Year after year, they are in the conversation. Kenny Habul rolled out his laps early, although he utilised the chrome horn to remove some ‘pelicans’ from his path. Luca Stolz did the lunchtime work, and Jules Gounon did Jules Gounon things in bringing it home. Did some of the panel damage hold the crew back in the final rundown? We’ll never know. Expect them to be on the podium again next year.
7. Arise Racing
Chaz Mostert was brilliant in the opening segment to use the cold Mountain air to charge through to the lead in the lead Arise Ferrari. The fastest car in the race, but too thirsty in the final run down, with a late pit stop relegating the car co-piloted by Will Brown and David Serra from the lead to fourth.
8. Racing Action
9. Qualifying
Breathtaking. Sensational. Close. Fast. Despite a daggy old track surface, the speed was wheeled out on Saturday afternoon in some brilliant sessions. Ultimately, Lucas Auer nailed home a convincing pole lap.
10. Jacky Ickx
An absolute legend of world motorsport – it was fantastic to have him back on board at Bathurst, where he was involved in handing over the 1977 Bathurst 1000 trophy to the National Motor Racing Museum, while also fulfilling his role as an ambassador for Genesis.
Craft-Bamboo
Gotz/Auer/Ojeda were in the Murray’s corner bunker early, but organically moved back onto the lead lap quickly, and were in the conversation throughout to place fifth after just running short of fuel. A highlight was Auer’s mega lap to bag pole position.
Absolute Racing
The Pro Porsche looked pretty good early with a conservative run through the opening pit cycles, but didn’t have enough in the final sprint home. Unfortunate not to get Matt Campbell in for a double stint at the finish.
The TV of Things
- A totally brilliant production that was addictive for 12.5 hours for those playing along at home.
- Once again there were some unique to the 12 Hour camera angles, which were a nice touch.
- The below wing cam blew up the internet – it was ace.
- The below opener, epic.
- Garth Tander, fantastic insight breaking things down for punters. We need more of this. For an example, see: below cheese toastie reference.
- Much love from Grant Denyer, which was reciprocated by the internet.
Track to Town and Back
The original and one of the best. Nothing says you are here for race week than blasting the full field into the main drag of town.
KTM Vantage Racing
They got there, it’s done. Well played.
Combined Sedans
An absolute fan favourite, especially for international punters tuning in on the live stream.
Ferrari Challenge
Genuinely, was much better than it could have been. With a fleet of largely inexperienced drivers, either in racing high-powered sports cars, or racing at Mount Panorama for the first time, anything was possible. Sure, one of the most experienced drivers in the field dropped it into the Cutting fence during the opening race, and most of the field couldn’t figure out how to line up for the second encounter – but it’s a base to work from, with most of the cars still intact.
Tom Randle’s Acting
The competition is done, nominate the man for a Logie Award.
Also, full marks to Tickford’s content team for utilising the opportunity presented by the Supercars-mandated testing to launch the Castrol livery in a thoroughly unique fashion.
Reckless Brewing
Any event that collaborates with one of our favourite breweries on planet earth gets an all-round HOT.
Pit Stop Professionalism
Truly fantastic fuel stops for Craft Bamboo. Nice race suits…
WHAT
Biggest Rollover of the Weekend
That isn’t supposed to happen
It wouldn’t be a sports car meet in Australia without him
Is that you B3?
Which box on the media application form did he have to tick?
Pic: Andrew Cooke
Is Richard doing sex correctly?
NOT
1. Stephen Grove
An absolute shocker, you hate to see it. Our thoughts are with Stephen for a speedy recovery.
2. Method Motorsport McPhillamy Shunt
Ryan Sorenson dropped it on top of the hill and punted the desperately unlucky Marcel Zalloua temporarily out of the race. The shunt finished a somewhat troubled weekend for the squad.
3. Maxime Martin
In the fence hard exiting The Chase. Otherwise, they would have been in the conversation at the finish.
4. Pro Audi Tears
Contact from Kenny Habul after a miscommunication saw Liam Talbot limp back to the pits with a flat tyre. Steering dramas at The Chase later removed the crew from the running entirely.
5. Kenny in the Wars
Kenny Habul found himself penalised after becoming entangled with a slower car in the Chase. Also in his stint, he also banged doors with Liam Talbot’s Audi, nearly cleaned up Elliott Schutte at turn two and was involved in the massive shunt that finished off Stephen Grove, with the final three moments ruled fair racing.
6. Grid Size
Clearly, it was the elephant in the room coming into the meet, and no doubt all concerned with organising the event will be focused on rectifying it for 2026. Ultimately, padding out the field probably wouldn’t have added much excitement, many storylines or drama. That said, how about a Corvette and Mustang program for next year?
7. Pit Stop/Restart One Percenters
So. Many. Penalties. We lost count.
8. Craig Lowndes
A small tap with the wall down the Esses saw the 222 car sidelined early, after Cam Waters put in a big qualifying drive, and Tom Randle had a large first stint. Very un-Lowndes-like.
9. Channel 7
Saturday’s channel hokey pokey sure raised the ire of punters trying to figure it out at home…
10. Craft Bamboo Bunkered
A misunderstanding with Will Brown saw Maximilian Götz backed into the bunker and down a lap, which they quickly recovered without the aid of the lucky dog.
Wave By Blues
Clutch Dramas for the Aston Martin
Tough break after having a staunch run.
Koundouris Bunkers
Rossi in the Fence Entering the Pits
We’ve all guttered a wheel, although not with 2hr15min to go in the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Oil Downs
Computer Dramas
SOCIALS
10/10
Straya
Close
Great with the Birds
Views
The Man’s an Animal
MEMES
