A year following their intense battle at the Bathurst 12 Hour, Campbell and Jules Gounon found themselves once again in contention in 2024, though this time, the factory Porsche driver emerged victorious over the Mercedes-AMG GT3 pilot.
Despite encountering mid-race off-strategy adjustments and enduring two drive-through penalties, Campbell of Manthey EMA, alongside co-drivers Vanthoor and Bathurst rookie Guven, tenaciously held their ground amidst challenging track and weather conditions.
As a Safety Car period triggered a 30-minute sprint to the finish line, Campbell skillfully widened the gap to clinch his and Porsche’s second Bathurst triumph.
Following a dry first half, four hours of rain posed a formidable challenge to the drivers before slick tires resurfaced for the final push towards the finish line.
“This is awesome, it was a tough day,” remarked Campbell, who had previously claimed victory in 2019. “Hats off to everyone, we were not always running at the front. It wasn’t easy in mixed conditions. It’s phenomenal! It was a little bit of risk management as well, there was quite a bit of water off-line as well. We got there in the end.”
“Pretty amazing, I have been waiting for this and dreaming of this one for a while!,” expressed Belgian Vanthoor, who secured his inaugural win in the race.
Gounon aimed for Bathurst history with aspirations of securing a fourth consecutive win, a feat not even achieved by Australian Touring Car legend Peter Brock.
Once again, SunEnergy1 team owner Kenny Habul devised a strategy to field the team’s car as an All-Pro entry, minimizing his laps and allowing Gounon and Luca Stolz to shoulder the bulk of the driving duties.
While the top two positions remained firmly secured, a late surge came from Christopher Haase, propelling from fifth to third in one swift maneuver with merely seven minutes left in the race. This strategic move came from the Jamec Racing/MPC Audi and was shared with Kelvin van der Linde and Liam Talbot.
In fourth place, one of the standout performances of the race hailed from the Phantom Global Racing Porsche 992 GT3R. Starting from the 18th grid position, Joel Eriksson, Jaxon Evans, and Bastian Buus maneuvered their way into the top six after three hours and sustained their position, fending off teams with more Bathurst experience.
For BMW, the day brought mixed fortunes. While the two WRT M4 GT3s initially lost ground as they battled each other early in the race, Maxim Martin, Valentino Rossi, and Raffaele Marciello’s entry claimed fifth place.
However, the hope for a win for the polesitting M4 was dashed when Charles Weerts collided with the wall at The Cutting after five hours while attempting to overtake a GT4 car.
In the ProAm class, Alessio Picariello, Harry King, and Yasser Shahin secured a double win for Porsche and the Manthey EMA team as they surged to the lead in the final 30 minutes of the race, having earlier faced adversity after being forced off the track at Brock Skyline.
In the Silver Drivers class, the Wall Racing Lamborghini Huracan, driven by Tony D’Alberto, David Wall, Grant Denyer, and Adrian Deitz, claimed victory.
GT4 honors were claimed by Daniel Bilski, Mark Griffith, and Adam Christodoulou in the Mercedes-AMG GT4.
The Invitational class witnessed plenty of action, with Adam Hargraves, Daniel Jileson, and Cedric Sbirrazzuloi emerging victorious in the MARC GT, which underwent extensive overnight repairs following a major crash on Saturday.
