So Close, Yet So Far for RAM Motorsport at Bathurst 6 Hour
RAM Motorsport has narrowly missed out on a hat-trick of Class A1 wins in the 2023 Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour, falling back to second place in the closing stint due to a turbo boost issue with the Mercedes A45 AMG.
The team had dominated the class throughout the weekend, topping each practice session and qualifying on pole position (ninth outright).
A solid opening stint from Mike Sheargold kept the car on the lead lap, before subsequent runs from Brett Hobson and Dylan O’Keeffe elevated the car well inside the outright top 10.
Heading into the last stint, O’Keeffe was well-placed in sixth outright, before the turbo problem saw him losing straight-line speed and conceding the class lead with a handful of laps remaining.
Despite the lack of performance, O’Keeffe still brought the Mercedes home 10th outright and second in Class A1.
“It was a bit deflating to miss out on three class wins in a row, considering how perfectly everything had gone throughout the weekend, but second place isn’t too bad,” Sheargold said.
“We had a great run the last two years, and this year it just wasn’t meant to be. The team and drivers performed faultlessly all weekend, it was just one of those unlucky things that sometimes happens with these production cars.”
Sheargold and Garth Walden also competed in the pair of Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia presented by AWS races, finishing fifth in the Am Class in Race 1 and third in Race 2 for an overall weekend result of fourth.
“The start of Race 1 went well – I made up a few positions off the rolling start and was in a nice rhythm before handing over to Garth,” Sheargold said.
“Unfortunately, when Garth was in the car, there was a deflating tyre which meant we had to make an unscheduled pit stop.
“Race 2 was better – Garth raced well at the start, my pace was consistent at the end and we were able to come away with a solid finish.
The next GT World Challenge Australia round will be held at Phillip Island next month.