The pilots-winners of the 12-hour Bathurst competition let their emotions run wild after reaching the hard-earned triumph in the Enduro Mount Panorama.
Jules Gunon, Kenny Habul, Luke Stoltz and Martin Conrad led the # 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 to a landslide victory when the Mercedes-AMG cars finished 1-2-3.
The victory was especially special for Habul, who knew Peter Brock’s “King of the Mountain” as a personal teacher and inspirer.
“I’ve lost the gift of speech. I have half woody, I’m so excited,” Habul said.
“Brockie was so kind to me when I was a kid, I had a difficult childhood and he took me in and he took care of me when I was 13, 14 years old. He is such an incredible inspiration in my life.
“Thank you Mercedes AMG, thank you mountain, thank you Bathurst for that, thank you Australia for the best race.
“I’ve been everywhere I’ve traveled to Spa, Suzuka, Hungary, wherever I mean, it’s the best track in the world and the most challenging.”
Gunon has now gone one-back in the Australian International Endurance Race, but that hasn’t made this time any less significant.
“It’s so iconic, I’m so proud to be here, and now we’re winning, it’s amazing,” Gunon said.
“Thanks to Mercedes, the Triple Eight team is amazing. I am really, very, very happy.
“Triple Eight is so professional, their checklists and stuff that I’m not surprised they’re so successful at everything they do. I was very impressed with their work. “
Speaking about the last leg in which he kept a gap of less than 10 seconds ahead of Mara Engel in a Craft-Bamboo Racing car, Gunon expressed that determination forced him to cross the line.
“I pressed a lot, Maro too, it was very difficult,” said Gunon.
“It was the first one to give up, but I never give up.
“I am very happy for Kenny, Martin and Luke, who were fantastic today.
“It was crazy weather when I was driving, I was like this is a remake of 2020, please, no rain, I was looking at the clouds.”
Triple Eight Race Engineering completed the podium, Shane van Gisbergen, Brock Feeney and Prince Jeffrey Ibrahim took home the silver medal in the Mercedes-AMG № 888.
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https://autoaction.com.au/2022/05/15/12-hour-winners-speechless
