Having conquered Philip Island in early testing, the iconic Mount Panorama in the recent 2019 Bathurst 12 Hour, the Bend Motorsport Park is delighted to announce that the Brabham BT62 has completed its triple crown by breaking the lap record on the International Circuit at The Bend in routine testing.
Measuring 4.95km, the International Circuit lap record was initially held by Supercar driver David Reynolds with a time of 1:47.6978 in an AMG GT3, set during the Australian GT category of the Shannons Nationals in April 2018.
That time was subsequently broken by Formula 3 driver Cameron Shields in his 2008 Dallara during the South Australian State Championships with a 1:41.7753 in October 2018.
When The Bend was announced as the official Australian testing partner for Brabham Automotive, those that saw what the incredible BT62 was capable of, knew it wouldn’t be long before the lap record fell to the Australian supercar manufacturer.
In a recent testing session on the International Circuit, the Brabham BT62, driven by Luke Youlden, recorded a time of 1.41.6.
Commenting on the record breaking lap Luke, who also drove the BT62 to its record lap at Bathurst, said, “When I came in and was told the time I was pleasantly surprised. We were running routine test laps and weren’t aiming to break any records but the BT62 is such a phenomenal car that this won’t be the last lap record it breaks – we seem to be making a habit of this!”David Brabham has been a huge advocate of the Bend circuit since it opened and commented:
“The BT62 continues to prove it has Brabham DNA of record breaking speed with amazing drivability and handling that gives the driver the confidence to get the most out of themselves and the car. Our team have done an incredible job in creating a car that is only at the start of a very exciting journey!”
Brabham Automotive has been testing at the Bend since May 2018 and will continue to test the BT62 as it ramps up its racing programme as part of its recently announced Road to Le Mans.
The Bend itself has its own journey to Le Mans, having recently announced that a round of the Asian Le Mans series will be held at The Bend on the 10-12 January 2020.
The Asian Le Mans series will be run on the GT Circuit at the Bend, which, at 7.7km long and with 35 turns is the second longest permanent circuit in the world, with only the Nordschleife Nürburgring being longer. No mean feat when the infamous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps measures just over 7km with 19 turns.
With a number of circuits to choose from and manufacturers lining up to test and race at the Bend, the benchmark has now been set for future lap record attempts.
For more information contact: Michael Rossi - Marketing Manager, The Bend Motorsport Park 0439 141 010 / m.rossi@thebend.com.au
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