Grapevine: Circuit Masterminds to Race at Bathurst

Renowned circuit designer Hermann Tilke will join Peter Hansen, acting chief executive to the new Grand Prix circuit to be built in Bahrain, to take part in the 2002 Bathurst 24 Hour classic in Australia.

The duo, who are currently working on the project for the Bahrain circuit that will host a Formula One race in 2004, will share a production Honda S2000 with Melinda Price in one of Australia's most popular racing events alongside the Formula One Grand Prix.

The race will take place at the Bathurst circuit on November 16 and 17.

"We are extremely excited to be able to race together," said Tilke. "It was something we talked about when we met for the first time at the Malaysian Grand Prix in March 2002.

"We are now working closely together on circuit design and circuit management of the Bahrain facility, which is believed to be the largest motorsports project in the world. So it is a perfect fit that we can also race together."

Both men have experience in motor racing. Hansen was Danish touring car champion in 1980, and he also raced in the World Sportscar Championship in 1982. Tilke was second in the European Touring Car Championship in 1984, and also competed in the Spa 24 Hours, the Nurburgring 24 Hours and in the Daytona 24 Hours.

The popular Australian race will see more Formula One names involved, as Italian Claudio Bersini, one of Michael Schumacher's Formula One engineers at Ferrari, will engineer and help four Australian drivers in their bid to win with a Ferrari 360GT.