Reflectors installed to improve Bathurst visibility

Officials have installed reflectors in key locations to help drivers at the start of tomorrow morning’s Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

Sunrise in Bathurst is 06:27 in the morning, almost 45 minutes after the race begins.

With no night sessions to this point of the weekend, the race start will be the first time they experience the Mount Panorama in the dark.

While that poses some additional degree of difficulty, it is an accepted part of the show.

However, lessons learned during the 2022 event have been carried over this weekend.

Last year’s race was held in May, which saw both a different start time and more night-time running owing to its later place on the calendar.

Night-time practice sessions were implemented to help drivers acclimatise, while reflective markers were placed atop key apex walls across the top of the mountain.

With only 45 minutes of running before the sun rises, and the pre-dawn glow likely to illuminate the circuit to an extent well before the sun arises, organisers don’t feel the need to go to the extent they did a year ago.

However, there are two corners where they have replicated what they did a year ago.

As drivers descend the Mountain, a barrier sporting Boost Mobile branding the with company’s orange and white logo on an otherwise black wall will be especially difficult to see.

Officials have therefore fitted a reflector atop the wall, with two more on the right-hand kink that feeds cars into Forrest’s Elbow.

The intent is to help drivers spot the track edges in the opening laps as their view is obstructed by other cars, and the glare of headlights.

The 25-car field will be headed by the GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 after Maro Engel recorded a 2:00.8819s.

He’ll share the front row with the Supercheap Auto Racing Mercedes, which was piloted by Broc Feeney in a performance that caught the eye of his European rivals.