Pro driver Patrick Long has an extensive list of tracks on which he’s competed. But this coming weekend, the accomplished Porsche factory driver will take his first crack at the legendary Mount Panorama Racing Circuit during the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour endurance event being held Feb. 9 in Australia.
Driving alongside David Calvert-Jones and Alex Davison in the IceBreak Competition Motorsports’ Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car, Patrick has been spending some time at CXC Simulations preparing for the challenge with the Motion Pro II racing simulator. Through this training, Patrick was able to begin the process of learning the track’s layout – which should help him get up to speed quicker when pulling onto the ‘real’ track for the first time. But beyond layout, the CXC simulator also helped Patrick begin to get a ‘feel’ for the course.
“When you watch online videos, you focus on visual references of walls and passing zones and things,” Patrick said after virtually pounding around Mt. Panorama for a few hours. “But the Motion Pro II was able to simulate bumps and curbs — things that aren’t readily obvious watching video or driving a non-motion sim. My anxiety levels are already a lot lower going into this weekend.”
In theory, the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour race will be streamed live online athttp://www.bathurst12hour.com.au/ . Be sure to tune in and root on the IceBreak Competition Motorsports team, which will be carrying the CXC logo, and check back to CXC Simulations’ website for more racing news.