Despite enduring a frustrating Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour last weekend, the Grand Prix Motorsport Mazda 3 MPS team of Jake Camilleri and Scott Nicholas recorded their best ever finish in the event, and nearly cracked the magical outright top-ten.

The crew displayed stunning pace in the wet race, and at times were the fastest car on the circuit despite persistent braking dramas which held the crew back to an 11th place finish, and second in the STP Performance Car class.

For team manager Graeme Murray the result is somewhat bittersweet, with the outfit more than capable of a stronger result if it were not for the niggling issues.

"In the three years we have taken the Mazda 3 MPS to Bathurst, this is the strongest the car has ever been," said Murray.

"We spent a lot of time concentrating on the front of the car, and for some unknown reason the left-hand-front brake calliper was leaking air into the braking system throughout the day.

"During the race we had to make three or four extra pit stops, which just threw our strategy out the window, but Jake and Scott did an awesome job considering the problem and the conditions.

"There's not a scratch on the car, and they were right on the pace all weekend long; to race with only two drivers for the entire 12 hours in those conditions is really quite an achievement.

"I couldn't be happier with the guys on the team, they did a top job all weekend long.

"I think looking at the results sheet, the standard of the field was so much higher this year, which bodes well for the future of the event.

"Bring on the rest of the Championship, the six-hour at Eastern Creek and the 12 Hour next year, we can't wait!"

With the Bathurst 12 Hour also counting towards the Australian Manufacturers Championship, it puts Camilleri and the Grand Prix Motorsport crew in a strong position heading into the second round at Tasmania's Symmons Plains Raceway in April.

Grand Prix Motorsport would like to thank Castrol, Esanda, All Star Tuning Systems Allianz for their continued support.

The GWS Personnel BMW 130i team endured a character building Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour over the weekend, with the two team machines racing hard to the finish despite a pair of early setbacks.

The lead car, crewed by Peter O'Donnell, Allan Shephard, Christian D'Agostin and Steve Briffa fought back from an early race electrical glitch to be placed 15th after 12 gruelling hours, while the second GWS entry with Geoff Fontaine, Bruce Thomlinson and David Ryan on board was classified in 18th.

In an event featuring an incredible range of weather conditions, much of the race was slowed behind the safety car, and was actually stopped at one stage when a tree fell on the circuit in the early afternoon.

"All of the running under the safety car really made it hard to make up time," said O'Donnell.

"We lost about 24 minutes trying to uncover and fix the electrical problem, but luckily we had my road car BMW 130i on hand to use for spare parts.

"Once we were back on track it was a rocket, and without the dramas you can always ask 'what if?'"

While it was only O'Donnell's second ever Bathurst 12 Hour, a personal highlight was being behind the wheel for the 6:30am start from grid position number 24.

"From my perspective, to take the race start and drive for the first hour was pretty awesome.

"Christian and Steve were bloody quick, and their advice during debrief sessions held over the weekend was invaluable in getting Allan and myself up to speed.

"I think after the weekend we have had, and the development miles put on the car in recent times, it will set us up for a really good year."

For Shephard, the early race glitch makes him all the more hungry to have a strong season in preparation for next year's 12 Hour.

"After the gremlins, the car ran faultlessly, and we would have otherwise have been on schedule for a top-ten finish," said Shephard.

"The team and the drivers worked like clockwork all weekend long, you really couldn't ask for a better combination of speed and stability."

Unfortunately the second team car suffered a setback when it made contact with the slow moving Alfa Romeo, bending the front suspension, which required significant pit lane attention.

O'Donnell and Shephard now will now focus their efforts on the Australian Championship, which is scheduled to continue in Tasmania in April.

GWS Personnel and True Blue Motorsport would like to thank The Shire Conveyancer, Spinifex Australia, Rogue Lager and Briffa Smash Repairs for their continued support in the Australian Manufacturers Championship and Bathurst 12 Hour.

New GWS Personnel Motorsport Website

GWS Personnel Motorsport is proud to announce that their website is now online at www.gwsmotorsport.com. The site features all of the latest news, photos and driver profiles from the team in their quest for Australian Manufactures Championship and Bathurst 12 Hour glory.