Hello and welcome to motorsport.
This afternoon it is the 4 Hours of The Bend, the second Asian Le Mans Series race of their 2019/2020 season.
This is the first time the series has visited Australia, with the race taking place at the newest circuit in the country - The Bend Motorsport Park at Tailem Bend in South Australia.
Ultimately, this series is not that important nor is this race particularly exciting given the field has no real names you'd recognise in it, aside from a view Domestic Airline Supercars Championship drivers.
The series champion will, however, receive an invitation to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. #asianlemansseries #motorsport
The Bend Motorsport Park offers a variety of circuit layouts - as does any modern motorsport complex so you can run anything from cheap club racing through to events like this.
The 4 Hours of The Bend is running on the 7.7km GT layout. This layout is the second longest permanent race circuit in the world, behind Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
(Nurburgring Nordschlieffe, Circuit de la Sarthe and Bathurst do not count as they are not permanent race circuits). #asianlemansseries #motorsport
BOOGITY BOOGITY BOOGITY LET'S GO RACIN' BOYS!
FIRE IN THE GARAGE!
And they're picking up the bit that's on fire, waving it around and the fire is going everywhere setting more things on fire. #asianlemansseries #motorsport
This race features an entry from JLOC - Japan Lamborghini Owners Club.
The last time I came across JLOC at a race meeting was at Le Mans in 2009 where they turned up without a car.
I don’t think they actually do the start of this race and the car is still sitting in pit lane. #asianlemansseries #motorsport
Half-distance now and Shane van Gisbergen is in the no.1 car and recovering from an incident I didn’t see.
Also most of the second hour was spent behind the safety car following that exploding car. #asianlemansseries #motorsport
One hour to go and I've completely lost interest in this race. Suspect the Shane van Gisbergen car is going to win because it basically got a free pit stop when the safety car came out earlier, so it's trundling around in second but has a minute or so time advantage over the car in first that will need to stop twice between now and the end of the race.
Driving standards are still not exactly top shelf. #asianlemansseries #motorsport
Matt H