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The Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour may be the main event, but the best racing we saw this past weekend came from the Improved Production Challenge support race. For the eighth year running at Bathurst, the category continues to boast the most diverse grid of vehicles in racing. Jordon Cox and his orange EG Honda Civic hatch was among the few Under-Two-Litre contenders that made up a total of 58 entrants, including Over-Two-Litre favorites Scotty Wilson in his Holden Commodore as well as Leigh Forrest in his bright yellow A20 Toyota Celica Turbo. What’s more, you’ll spot cars like the Holden Monaro, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Mazda RX7, BMW E90 M3 sedan, and more also dicing in the pack.
Cox started on the first row of the grid, but the lack of grunt from that tiny Honda engine meant he was quickly swallowed by the pack. Yet in a stunning demonstration of momentum driving, Cox wrestled his Civic back up the grid with some of the most exhilarating moves of the weekend. Leigh Forrest and Cox were side by side since the exit of Griffins Bend on the first lap as the two Japanese cars chased behind Justin Wade’s white E90. Cox held his Civic on the inside going into The Cutting, pushing Forrest and his Celica wide and only inches away from slamming into the barrier. This is just the beginning of a dogfight between Cox and Forrest that would continue for more than half the race.
Some heroic late braking from the duo starting from the Elbow managed to finally pay off when both the Civic and Celica managed to pass the E90 at Griffins Bend. The next target? It’s Scotty Wilson in the Commodore. Despite the grunty Australian V8, nothing was going to out-brake the Civic. A banzai move put Cox right up against Wilson’s bumper at McPhillamy park before a mind-bending dive bomb at Skyline gets him past.
Bathurst Improved Production Challenge
, Jordon Cox Vs. Scott Wilson, Motorsport AUWilson’s powerful Commodore managed to rein in Cox at the end of the Mountain Straight, but a blocking move kept him at bay while Forrest’s Celica threaded past from the inside. With both the E90 and the Commodore behind Cox and Forrest, the tiny Japanese cars continued to fight tooth and nail.
Watch the full 2017 Bathurst Improved Production Challenge Race 2 below. It’ll probably be the best 27-minutes of your day:
