Queensland’s Sarah Harley will be the sole female driver in the 2012 Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour on February 26. Harley will be a part of a three driver team, racing for Queensland House and Land with team owner Rob Thomson and ex-Formula 1 driver, Austrian Christian Klien in a Lotus Exige S in Class C for GT4 specification.
Harley has been friends with team owner Thomson for a number of years through their association in Queensland Production Sports Car racing and is glad to have been given the opportunity of driving the Lotus at Bathurst. “I've known Rob Thomson for a number of years now from my time in Production Sports Car racing,” said Harley “We've talked about Bathurst in the past but this year, I was in the right position to commit. It all came together pretty quickly and we only finalised the deal on the last day entries could be accepted, so I'm ecstatic and very appreciative of Rob's faith in me to do the job that's required of a third driver.”
Harley has previously raced at Mount Panorama in a Mazda MX5 in the popular Production Sports Car category at the Festival of Sporting Cars Easter meeting in 2008 and is relishing the opportunity to return to the famous 6.213km circuit. “Bathurst is one of those tracks you always want to race,” she said. “I've been fortunate to have raced on the mountain before, which was a few years ago in my Mazda MX5, but to head back this time in Rob's Lotus which is a much quicker car, will be a highlight. I can't wait.”
With a racing career spanning a decade, Harley began her career in karting and reached the national level as a regular competitor in the 2003 Ford Kartstars Series. Harley still competes in karting, racing in the Prokart Endurance Racing series on a regular basis. Since 2007, she has been a regular face in the Queensland Production Sports Car category where she has achieved class wins in her Mazda MX5. Harley has also driven a variety of different cars, such as Formula Ford, Porsche 944, Future Racers and has recently had two successful tests in a Radical SR3 at Eastern Creek.
Having the experienced Christian Klien as part of the Queensland House and Land team is a valued bonus. A veteran of 49 Formula 1 Grands Prix scoring a total of 14 points in his career that saw him race for Jaguar, Red Bull and Hispania and now a factory driver for Aston Martin Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, Harley is excited and ready to learn from the experience the Austrian has to offer. “The opportunity to spend a whole race weekend as a teammate to someone with Christian's experience is massive,” Harley said. “I'll be watching his every move and aiming to learn as much as I can. I believe Rob met Christian while racing for Aston Martin at the Nurburgring 24 Hour and Christian's invite to race is due to their friendship, which hopefully means the team atmosphere should be less formal. My personal trainer Phil Young from GP Human Performance knows him well also from his years on the Formula One circuit and he says Christian's a really nice guy. So I'm looking forward to meeting him.”
Her expectations from this year’s race are realistic as she appreciates her learning curve will be steep in comparison to that of her more experienced co-drivers. “I'm not even thinking about Christian as a team mate in terms of my performance. He'll be quick and that's that. Rob owns the car and is easily comfortable in it. So for me, my goals are to do the lap times asked of me, stay out of trouble, be kind to the car and give Rob and Christian a great car to bring home. I'm happy to keep it as simple as I can.” She also added that being the only female in the race is not a huge deal to her. “I've been the lone female on the grid plenty of times so I'm comfortable with it,” she added. “I'm a driver first and foremost and the gender issue isn't a concern for me. I'll be there to race just like everyone else and aiming to get the job done as best I can.”
While the Lotus will not contend for outright honours, Harley says, “The team’s goal is to finish and then see how we’ve performed during the race and whether a class podium or win is possible. Who ever is in the car at that time will bring it home as best they can.”
Harley is hopeful that a decent result at the 12 Hour will lead to bigger and better things for her career. “I currently have an offer to compete in this year's FW1 Aussie Race Cars series with La Femme Motorsport,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity that’s on the table, I'm excited and it’ll be a great chance to promote women in sport. There's finally going to be a dedicated female presence at the track for all the women in the crowd who love their motor sport and a genuine opportunity for women in motor sport to compete with all the backing they need.”
The 2012 Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour is on February 24-26, 2012.
 [copyright-free photo by Phil Willams - www.freewebs.comphilwillmedia]nsp_119.JPG)
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