Bathurst – Matt Campbell: “The team did a fantastic job”

The famous Grello triumphed on the slopes of Mount Panorama during the 12 Bathurst 2024 Hours this Sunday. There Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) No. 912 from Manthey EMA Racing co-driven by Ayhancan Güven, Matt Campbell and Laurens Vanthoor crossed the finish line in first position despite two penalties.

At the wheel when taking the checkered flag, Matt Campbell had a perfect start to the season after having already won the 24 Hours of Daytona at the end of January. “ This is obviously a great start. of year, said the Australian. Another victory at the Bathurst 12 Hours (after a category victory in 2017 and a first overall coronation in 2019. Editor’s note), what a race! We had fantastic speed all day and in all conditions, and the team did a fantastic job. We made a small mistake in the middle of the race, but we came back very quickly and the whole team did a phenomenal job afterwards, especially during the pit stops. Laurens was incredible during his stints and Ayhancan showed great speed, making no mistakes in his first race here, so I'm really happy for him too. »

« It was my first time with Manthey Racing and at Bathurst, adds Ayhancan Güven. We had a plan for the weekend and everything came together during the race. Laurens had a very good first stint, and when I got in the car, I found myself in first position. I kept this position and we made good progress during the first six hours, but the penalty unfortunately caused us to fall back. From that point on we were behind, but the key point for me was the pit stop when we switched from slick tires to wet tires, the team made the quickest pit stop and we were able to regain the lead. We started to control the race, but the rain made things difficult, as it was my first time riding in the wet here. After 10 laps I found my rhythm and it felt good. To be honest, the easiest part of the weekend was watching Matt from the sidelines in the last stint! I am very proud and grateful to work with two great drivers and the entire Manthey EMA team. I will never forget this race! »

« It was a very nice race, confirms Laurens Vanthoor. I really wanted to come back to Bathurst, preferably with Manthey EMA and Porsche of course, to have the best chance of winning. And that's what happened in the end. We were very strong from the start and dominated most of the race. Apart from the penalty, we rode flawlessly and were able to take the victory. Personally, I've been trying to win here for a long time, but I've never succeeded. This was one of the big races missing from my list, so I'm very happy! »

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