Brenton and Stephen Grove have confirmed their return to Australian racing after an international stint in Bahrain, locking in their entry for the iconic Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour later this month.

It’s been a whirlwind month and half for the Groves, with the pair representing Australia in the FIA GT Nations Cup in Bahrain, before Brenton competed in the opening three rounds of New Zealand’s V8 Touring Car series.  

The Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour will be the first time the Groves reunite on-track since Bahrain, as they look to build on their momentum from the international event.

“We have a similar livery on the car to what we had in Bahrain as a way to keep the momentum going from the Nations Cup,” Brenton said.

“Now that we’re heading into our next race after that incredible experience, our goal is to finish the event, especially seeing as Bathurst is one of the highlights of the year for us.  

“We are really looking forward to it and hopefully we can get further than we did in Bahrain - we just need to stay out of trouble.”

As Australia’s representatives on the world stage, the Groves enjoyed a positive start to the Nations Cup, progressing up the field throughout the two qualifying rounds.

Unfortunately, in the first lap of the Grand Final, the pair’s Herberth Motorsport prepared Porsche was caught up in a spectacular accident and as a result, they were knocked out of the 60-minute event.    

With the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour considered a more physically and mentally demanding event, Brenton is just happy to be back racing in Australia, believing that any time behind the wheel will help with their preparation.    

“For me, it doesn’t matter where I am driving, whether it’s Bahrain or New Zealand, it’s definitely better racing in Australia,” Brenton added.

“Any driving is good driving regardless of where you do it but really Australia is home and everything is here for us.

“We are normally racing with the same team and the same amount of people, so it’s quite easy to roll up to an event and know the structure of the meeting 

“Our main preparation has been getting the car right and making sure it’s going to last the full 12 hours, which is different to Bahrain because that’s more about trying to work on yourself rather than getting to the end of the race.

“Of course it’s a different feel going into Bathurst but it’s not something that is unfamiliar to us and I feel we’ll be more successful on home soil.” 

Grove Racing has had a good record at Mount Panorama in recent times claiming three class victories in their previous five attempts, the most recent being last year. 

Driving alongside Porsche superstar Ben Barker once again, the team secured a Class B title in 2018, which Brenton is confident on replicating this year.

“We are always going to an event hoping to do well and I feel we have been quite successful in the past,” Brenton explained.

“Hopefully that form continues, we stay out of trouble all the way to the last hour of the race and hopefully we will be a position to push on and get a result.

“Every practice, qualifying and even the first 10 or 11 hours is just about survival to make sure everything’s where it needs to be for that last hour of intense racing.”

The 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour will also be the first time Grove Racing competes with a second generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racecar.

The Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour takes place at Mount Panorama in Bathurst from 31 January to 3 February.

Click here for more information on the Bathurst 12 Hour.