Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall unite for Bathurst 12 Hour assault

LONGTIME rivals Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall will co-drive together for the first time, teaming up for the Bathurst 12 Hour in February next year.

The duo will share a BMW M6 GT3 with Tony Longhurst for the event. Between them, the trio share 10 Bathurst 1000 victories.

The car will be prepared by pseudo BMW works crew, Team SRM, which is run by Carrera Cup driver Steve Richards.

“This driver line-up is a sign of exactly how serious BMW is taking its return to Mount Panorama,” said BMW Australia CEO Marc Werner.

“We are incredibly excited to be teaming up with some genuine Bathurst legends for the Bathurst 12 Hour, a race that is fast becoming not only one of the most prestigious in the country, but a must-win for teams and manufacturers around the world.

“Between the two BMW Team SRM entries there is a remarkable amount of Bathurst experience and history. Names like Richards and Longhurst have a great affiliation with BMW, not just at Bathurst, but in Australian motor racing in general.

“To see former winners like Skaife and Longhurst driving together again, and bitter rivals like Skaife and Ingall joining forces, this really is a fascinating story.

Skaife alone has won the Great Race six times, and this will be his debut event in a GT3 car.

Longhurst is the only driver from the trio to have a Bathurst 12 Hour victory to his name, standing on the top step of the podium following the 2009 race.

Skaife and Ingall were long-time rivals following a fiery confrontation at Eastern Creek (now Sydney Motorsport Park) in 2003.

The event became known as the ‘Shriek at the Creek’, and the pair refused to speak to each other for almost a decade. Ingall and Skaife now work together as part of the Fox Motorsport broadcast team for the Supercars Australia championship.

A comprehensive testing schedule is planned for the Bathurst Legends ahead of the 12 Hour, with backing for the entry provided by Vodafone and Castrol.