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 show piece 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 place getter 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 Supercars.”
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.”
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.”
Lead driver in the amateur entry, Simon Hodge is the current Australian F3 Champion and has the honour of holding the Bathurst lap record with a time of 2:02.7.
Erebus Motorsport will hold a test day at Phillip Island on January 21 in the build-up to the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Great to see a team fostering up and coming young drivers! Well done!
What an opportunity for a talented young racer thanks to Erebus Motorsport GT.