Woody Allen is famously reported to have said that 80 percent of success is just showing up, but for Garth Tander, it will take a little more than that if he is to break through for a victory in the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.
The star of the Supercars circuit will have his third go as a member of the Valvoline Jamec Pem Racing team. He will drive one of the team’s Audi R8 LMS cars in the all-pro division of the endurance race, joining Audi factory drivers Kelvin van der Linde and Frederic Vervisch.
Tander knows his way around Mount Panorama and he knows what he isdoing behind the wheel, but his fortunes in the Bathurst 12 Hour have not been the best.
He has won the Bathurst 1000 on three occasions and way back in 2003, he was the Bathurst 24 Hour winner.
In his most recent outing with Jamec Pem, Tander was in the hunt for a win at the 12 Hour, Tander could do no better than 13th, as his car was damaged in a restart in the middle of the race. In 2016, he could do no better than eighth after a flat tyre early in the race.
“It’s an awesome opportunity to be back with the factory Audi effort, I’m honoured they have asked me back again,” Tander said.“I have great teammates in my car with Kevin and Fred and I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge of the track with them, and having them help me get the most out of the car.”
Nothing less than the most will do, as there are some extremely formidable cars up against the Audis.
“You would be hard pressed to put together a stronger all-round driving squad,” Valvoline Jamec Pem Racing’s Steve McLaughlan said.
McLaren and Porsche are a couple that may have a say in the outcome of the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, so Tander and his mates will need everything to click, including some luck, if they are to prevail.
