At the season-opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the EBM squad are eager to repeat their success from last year. In 2018, the team under the Le Mans winner Earl Bamber (New Zealand) claimed the first Porsche win at Mount Panorama. Thanks to this victory, the 911 GT3 R fielded by EBM takes up the race sporting the starting number one. For the event Down Under, 40 vehicles from eleven manufacturers line up on the grid to contest the most important championship for GT3 sports cars.
Lowndes is one of the most successful drivers on the 6.213-kilometre Mount Panorama Circuit. He has won the famous long-distance Bathurst 1000 race seven times. Moreover, the 45-year-old clinched overall victory at the twelve-hour event in 2014 and 2017. Last year, Lowndes took up the race from P19 and fought his way up the order to finish on fourth.
“I’m really excited to be joining the Porsche family for the Bathurst 12 Hour, teaming up with factory drivers Earl and Laurens" Craig Lowndes
His other notable successes over and above his Bathurst feats were in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. He won the Australian touring car series three times and received the Barry Sheene Medal for his outstanding performances five times. Craig Lowndes: “I’m really excited to be joining the Porsche family for the Bathurst 12 Hour, teaming up with factory drivers Earl and Laurens. Earl Bamber Motorsport is the reigning race-winning team so it’s exciting to help them defend their title. Earl and I have been teammates in the past and get on extremely well, so with a Belgian in the mix, it should also be a bit of fun too. It’s my first time racing in a Porsche and the new 911 GT3 R looks fantastic, I can’t wait.” For Sebastian Golz, 911 GT3 R project manager at Porsche Motorsport, the EBM team and Lowndes represent a near perfect constellation: “I was barely able to hide my delight when we heard that Craig Lowndes would join Laurens and Earl in our Porsche 911 GT3 R at Bathurst. You’d be hard pressed to get a better line-up than that!”
Info
The long-distance Bathurst event is contested from 31 January to 2 February. The free practice on Friday will be followed by the qualifying on Saturday. Traditionally, the race takes off on Sunday shortly before dawn at 5.45am local time (Saturday, 7.45pm CET). Fans can watch the race live on https://www.bathurst12hour.com.au/. A detailed preview outlining Porsche’s Bathurst campaign will follow shortly before the race.
