Tony Bates has recruited two star co-drivers for his 2022 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour campaign, signing Repco Supercars Championship front-runners David Reynolds and Cameron Waters to join him in the C-Tech Laser/Alternative Freight Services/OneLedger Accountants Audi R8 GT3.
All three drivers have previous Bathurst 12 Hour experience; Reynolds has six prior starts in the event, while Waters has one previous start in 2017, aboard the Strakka Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Bates has also made three appearances in the event, and is thrilled with his driver line-up for this year’s edition of the once-around-the-clock enduro.
“With the driver combination I’ve put together, I feel this year is my best chance of achieving a really strong outright result,” Bates said.
“Everyone knows how good David is in a Supercar, but he’s had lots of GT experience and he did a great job in the Audi at Phillip Island.
“Cameron is a fast, talented driver who has been on the podium at the Bathurst 1000 the last couple of years, so he’s coming into the event with great form on the Mountain.
“With this year’s rules requiring all teams to have at least one amateur driver, there’s no reason we can’t contend for an outright podium or even the win if everything goes our way on race day.”
Reynolds is also a fan of the rule changes, believing it will allow the non-professional drivers to shine.
“All the bronze or unseeded drivers have to spend at least three hours in the car, and at least one of those hours needs to be in the second half of the race,” Reynolds explained.
“This means the Am drivers will make a genuine contribution to the outcome of the race in the later stages. Fortunately, Batesy is one of the best Am drivers around, so we’re strong in that department.
“I’ve been getting excited for the 12 Hour for ages! The race starts earlier this year, so we’ll be racing in the dark for longer which is awesome.
“I always enjoy teaming up with Tony, but Cam and I are good mates as well and even though we’ve been in the same Supercars team before, this will be the first time we’ve actually shared a car.”
Waters is also excited for the event, and believes the team’s selection of engineer will be an advantage.
“My Tickford Supercars engineer, Sam Potter, is going to be our race engineer for the weekend, so I’ll have the familiarity of working with someone I already have a good relationship with,” Waters said.
“Pottsy and I are both looking forward to working together in a different environment and optimising the performance of the Audi.”
Practice for the Bathurst 12 Hour will kick off on Friday ahead of qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Event Schedule
Friday, 13 May
10:05am – Practice 1 Bronze Drivers Only (30 min)
10:45am – Practice 2 (30 min)
3:15pm – Practice 3 Bronze Drivers Only (40 min)
5:05pm – Practice 4 (40 min)
Saturday, 14 May
8:05am – Practice 5 (60 min)
10:00am – Practice 6 (60 min)
1:20pm – Bronze Driver Qualifying (25 min)
1:55pm – Pro Driver Qualifying (25 min)
4:10pm – Top 10 Shootout (1 lap)
Sunday, 15 May
5:15am – Race (12 hours)
