Boom American teenage racer Austin Cindric will become the youngest driver in history to contest the Bathurst 12 Hour when he joins an impressive driver line-up for Erebus Motorsport's two car assault on next month’s showpiece event.
Sixteen-year-old young gun Cindric, the son of renowned Penske Racing President Tim Cindric, will join some of the best young drivers from Australia in Erebus Motorsport’s quest to add to its Bathurst 12 Hour silverware.
Accomplished V8 Supercar driver Dean Canto will link with Erebus Motorsport’s 2014 Australian GT Championship winner Richard Muscat and last year’s Bathurst 12 Hour placegetter Jack Le Brocq in the ‘pro class’ #36 SLS AMG GT3 entry.
Cindric will feature in the team’s youthful ‘amateur class’ entry in the #63 SLS AMG GT3 alongside talented Australian Formula 3 racers Simon Hodge and Nathan Morcom, who have both held the Bathurst F3 lap record in recent years.
The pro class and amateur class entries will provide Erebus Motorsport with the opportunity to be gunning for two separate podiums as the team attempts to emulate its past Bathurst 12 Hour success, having previously netted an historic win in 2013 along with podium finishes in 2012 and 2014.
Erebus Motorsport General Manager-Motorsport Barry Ryan said it was exciting to put together a driver line-up of varied experience and backgrounds – with five of the drivers having won Championships in various categories.
“The 2015 Bathurst 12 hour is shaping up to be as strong and as big a challenge as ever and we are ready to target winning again this year,’’ said Ryan.
"Erebus has selected a very young but extremely talented group of drivers to attack the mountain for the around the clock event. Championships amongst all these drivers are a plenty, from Karting to V8 Supercar.
"Podiums in the past three years and winning in 2013 gives us great confidence that we are capable of going all the way again in 2015.’’
Erebus Motorsport GT Team Principal Daniel Klimenko said the appointment of Cindric and a host of other youngsters continued the team’s mantra of providing young drivers with opportunities in motor racing via initiatives such as the Erebus Academy which has produced the likes of Muscat and Le Brocq in recent years.
“I think our driver line-up has the perfect balance of youth and experience,’’ said Klimenko.
“Sometimes the world doesn’t want to give young guys a chance but this is what the Erebus Academy is all about.
“Believing in a 16-year-old is nothing unusual for Erebus, we ran Matthew Soloman at the age of 16 with Mika Hakkinen at Zhuhai and there’s nothing to say Austin won’t be just as good.
“The whole list of drivers entered for the Bathurst 12-Hour is a who’s who of drivers. It’s actually a stronger event than the Dubai 24-Hour.
“But if you want to be the best, you have to race the best. Whoever wins is going to earn this and earn every bragging right that comes with it.’’
Cindric, who last year alone raced at 17 different tracks across five different series in the United States, Canada and Australia, said he was excited about the opportunity to test himself on the famed Mount Panorama circuit.
“The Bathurst 12 Hour event is something many drivers dream of doing. I'm really looking forward to my first race in Australia and for it to occur at a track as historic as Bathurst makes it really cool,’’ said Cindric.
“The opportunity to compete for the overall win with a team like Erebus, so early in my career, is unbelievable. I can’t thank Ryan, Barry and everyone at Erebus Motorsport enough for believing in me and helping to make this happen.”
Canto, who finished a heartbreaking narrow second in a V8 Supercar at Mount Panorama in the 2012 Bathurst 1000, said he was excited to be linking with a team with such an outstanding record in the Bathurst 12-Hour in what will mark his second start in the endurance event.
“It’s a really big event now the Bathurst 12-Hour with awesome cars and a great track - 12 hours around Bathurst will be a new experience for me,’’ said Canto.
“Erebus ticks all the boxes – they’re strong for pit stops and strategy, they know the ins and outs of the car and they know the event, which they’ve had plenty of success at.
“And we’ve got a strong combination as well so hopefully we can make the most of that.
“Barring anything out of our control, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be aiming at a podium with the combination we have and hopefully we can be standing on the top step.
“I have full faith in the team, drivers and myself that we can be there. I’m grateful for the team for the opportunity and I’m looking forward to the Test Day on January 21 and getting in the car for the first time.’’
After claiming the Australian GT Championship in his debut season with Erebus Motorsport last year, Muscat said he was eager to test himself against some of the best GT drivers in the world at the 12-Hour.
“I did quite a bit of GT racing last year and I am quietly confident with our team line-up,’’ said Muscat.
“Dean was one of the fastest guys last year in the 1000 and Jack has been in the car before at Bathurst so our line-up should be strong and hopefully we can go for the win.
“I am very thankful to Barry Ryan and Erebus Motorsport for giving me the opportunity. It will be great to once again benchmark myself against some of the best GT drivers in the world.’’
Coming off the back of a memorable podium finish at the event last year alongside Erebus V8 Supercar star Will Davison and Greg Crick, Le Brocq is hoping to raise the bar even higher in 2015.
"I feel very privileged to be back with Erebus Motorsport GT in the Bathurst 12 hour and I can't wait to hit the track after what was a very exciting race last year and try to better our results,'' said Le Brocq.
"We have a great line-up in the #36 SLS and I'm really looking forward to working with Dean, Richard and the team over the weekend. With my previous experience in the SLS at Bathurst, Dean's many years of knowledge around the mountain and Richard's recent endurance racing overseas in an SLS, it gives us a great platform to build off and hopefully give us one of the strongest line-ups in the field"
Hodge is the current Australian F3 Champion and has the honour of holding the Bathurst lap record with a time of 2:02.7.
He said securing the 12 Hour drive provided a much-needed boost after his recent Dubai 24 Hour campaign ended in qualifying after his co-driver was involved in a nasty crash. However, he used the experience to his advantage by watching the race from another team's garage
"As a driver, we all hate being at a race and not doing the business, but in hindsight I'm so glad I had the time at D24 to watch what was going on from the sideline,'' said Hodge.
"It gave me a unique perspective of how teams and drivers work together, battle the elements and keep on going. It only increased my resolve to race GT cars and I'm absolutely thrilled to be driving at a Bathurst 12 Hour with Erebus.''
Morcom brings to the table plenty of GT3 experience, having competed in the ADAC GT Masters series in Europe last year. He also held the Bathurst Formula 3 lap record until that was surpassed by teammate Hodge last year.
“This is a great opportunity to be able to show what I can do and be a team player,’’ said Morcom.
“At the end of the day it’s the team that matters most, not just the individual and I’m very keen to show I can deliver in that respect.
“Being able to swap data, learn about managing tyres, concentration, weather change, low light and driving with a bit up my sleeve, is something I’m keen to do. The SLS will better suit my driving style.
“GT Enduro racing is my focus for 2015, rather than a complete championship so this is a great way to start the year.’’
Erebus Motorsport will hold a test day at Phillip Island on January 21 in the build-up to the Bathurst 12 Hour.
EREBUS MOTORSPORT 2015 BATHURST 12-HOUR DRIVERS
Car 36
Jack LeBrocq (seeded)
Dean Canto (seeded)
Richard Muscat (un-seeded)
Car 63
Simon Hodge (seeded)
Nathan Morcom (un-seeded)
Austin Cindric (un-seeded)