BENTLEY CONFIRMS DRIVERS FOR BATHURST CHALLENGE

January 22, 2015 by Bentley

•Two Continental GT3s ready for opening race of the 2015 season

•Four Works professional drivers joined by two Silver team mates

•Guy Smith, Steven Kane and Matt Bell for car #10

•Andy Soucek, Maximilian Buhk and Harold Primat for car #11

(Crewe, 22nd January 2015) Bentley Motorsport announces its six-man driver line-up for the opening race of Bentley's 2015 season, the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour. With the regulations of the event stipulating that every car must feature a combination of professional and amateur drivers, four of the 2015 Bentley Boys – Guy Smith, Steven Kane, Andy Soucek and Maximilian Buhk - are joined by two Silver-rated drivers in Matt Bell and Harold Primat for the gruelling endurance race.

The Bathurst 12 Hour is the first race in a busy 2015 schedule for Bentley Motorsport. Three works-supported teams will race the Continental GT3 in five series around the world, while the factory team competes in the Blancpain Endurance Series and the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Bentley's Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, comments:

'The whole team is full of anxious excitement about the start of the season. Opening the schedule at Bathurst is certainly a daunting challenge, but our preparation over the winter has been thorough and the cars and drivers are ready. The Continental GT3 can do well at Mount Panorama, and if we can set the car up effectively then we should be able to have a good race. The Bathurst 12 Hour is becoming one of the great endurance races in the world and I'm delighted that we're going to compete there for the first time.'

Guy Smith and Steven Kane will be joined in the #10 Continental GT3 by fellow British driver Matt Bell, who will race with Bentley after previously competing with Steven Kane in the 2013 Blancpain Endurance Season. Steven comments:

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'Bathurst is a really exciting new challenge both for the car and for us as drivers. You have to be incredibly precise over the top of the mountain, but the Bentley is so poised that we should be able to attack. I'm also really looking forward to racing with Matt again and I think we stand a good chance of a strong finish.'

In the #11 sister car, newly-signed Bentley Motorsport drivers Andy Soucek and Maximilian Buhk will partner with experienced GT3 racer Harold Primat who, like Maximilian, also races for Bentley's new European works-supported operation, Bentley Team HTP. The Bathurst 12 Hour will be the first race in the Continental GT3 for all three drivers and they are relishing the prospect, as Maximilian Buhk explains:

'After the winter break, we're definitely ready to go racing again. Making the switch to the Bentley is really exciting, and we want to start at Bathurst as we mean to go on this season – by looking after the car, racing hard and finishing well. Harold and I finished second here last year in a really close finish, so naturally we'd love to go one better this year.'

Bentley's progress throughout the race can be followed via the @BentleyComms Twitter feed or at www.bentleymedia.com.

2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Race Schedule