Southern Cross Racing est 2021

27/06/2025

Southern Cross Racing | Watkins Glen 6-Hour Prep

After a short reset from the intensity of the Nürburgring 24 Hour, Southern Cross Racing has been hard at work this past week at Watkins Glen International, preparing for the upcoming 6-Hour Endurance showdown.

We’re fielding our two trusted GT3 machines: the BMW M4 GT3 and the Mercedes-AMG GT3. Despite Watkins Glen’s deceptively simple layout, the circuit is incredibly demanding on tyre wear, throttle precision, and aerodynamic balance, and it’s pushed our setup team to the limits.

While finding consistent race pace has been a challenge across both platforms, Nick has emerged as the standout, delivering fast, clean laps in the Merc and consistently lapping within top-five pace. With the benchmark times hovering in the low 1:44s, our best efforts are currently within a second—solid, but not where we know we can be.

Every tenth counts here, and finding that extra edge has proven elusive. But with more testing ahead and our drivers fully locked in, we’re confident we’ll unlock the pace needed to challenge at the front by race day.

Stay tuned—Watkins Glen is about to see what Southern Cross Racing is made of. 💪🇦🇺

Track history

Location: Watkins Glen, New York, USA
Opened: 1956 (with races on public roads since 1948)
Nicknames: "The Glen"

Early Days:
Racing began in 1948, with cars competing on public roads around the village of Watkins Glen.

Due to safety concerns, a permanent circuit was built in 1956, located a few miles southwest of the town centre.

Evolution of the Track:
Over the years, the layout has seen multiple changes to improve safety and accommodate faster cars.

Notably, the "Inner Loop" chicane was added in 1992 after a series of high-speed accidents.

International Significance:
Hosted the Formula One United States Grand Prix from 1961 to 1980, becoming the spiritual home of F1 in America during that time.

Hosted major series like:

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

NASCAR Cup Series

IndyCar

SCCA and vintage racing events

Track Layout:
Modern full course is 3.4 miles (5.47 km) long with 11 turns.

Known for its fast sweeping corners, technical braking zones, and elevation changes.

Key features: The Esses, The Bus Stop (Inner Loop), The Carousel, and The Boot section.

Legacy:
Watkins Glen has a reputation as a driver's circuit—fast, flowing, and demanding.

It’s not only rich in motorsport history but is also one of the most beloved circuits for fans and racers alike in both real-world and sim racing.

Lap record
GT3 1:44.286 Álvaro Parente Bentley Continental GT3 2019 Watkins Glen GT World Challenge America round

Send a message to learn more

16/06/2025

Southern Cross Racing – Pre-Race Report: Roadster Rumble Finale at Mount Panorama

Southern Cross Racing has rolled into Bathurst for the highly anticipated final round of the Roadster Rumble, set against the legendary backdrop of Mount Panorama.

Drivers Lucas, Mick, and Keith have managed to carve out time from a packed racing calendar to prepare three Mazda MX-5s for battle. The team has been burning the midnight oil to get the cars tuned, tested, and track-ready. The crew's dedication has been outstanding, and we’re hoping to bring home some silverware to show our appreciation.

With one solid test session already completed, the boys have had a taste of the mountain and logged some exciting laps across the iconic circuit. The format for the finale will feature two 30-minute sprint races, each with mandatory pit stops for fuel and four tyres. Strategy will be crucial, with two stops expected in each race.

To catch all the action, tune in live on https://www.youtube.com/ TV, with the broadcast going live from 6:30 AEST. https://youtube.com/live/nrorHZ-d2YQ?feature=share

Let’s bring the heat and send it around The Mountain one last time this season. Go hard or go home!

A very special shout out to Damo, Moz, Loshy, Daza, — these legends have poured time and effort into the Roadster Rumble season, handling all the behind-the-scenes admin that makes this series run.

And to Greg, our commentator—thank you for bringing the Rumble to life every week with outstanding live coverage and passionate commentary. We appreciate everything you do to keep the excitement alive.

To all our fellow competitors — thanks for the laughs. Yes, we swap a bit of paint now and then, but rest assured we’re all here for the right reasons. This tight-knit, passionate community has not only delivered great racing but forged genuine friendships along the way.

We’re proud to be part of it, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.
Cross Racing EST 2021

09/06/2025

It’s a wrap from the Nürburgring!
Massive thanks to our sponsors, our brilliant team, and a special shoutout to Anthony “Cobra” Connors for his invaluable contributions—your efforts never go unnoticed, mate.

We’re packed up and heading home. The Beemer is a little worse for wear after 24 hours of battle around the Green Hell, but rest assured, our incredible crew will have her back in race-ready form in no time.

To Lucas, Nick, and Mick—couldn’t ask for a better bunch of blokes to share the cockpit with. You boys drove your hearts out, and it was an honour to go racing with you.

We’re already looking forward to the next enduro... and who knows? Maybe next time we’ll bring home a few more trophies.

Southern Cross Racing – out from Nürburgring.
🇦🇺💚💛

08/06/2025

🏁 Nürburgring 24H – Race Complete 🏁

After 24 gruelling hours at the Nürburgring, we’ve officially finished the race in P9, an epic drive from start to finish!

Starting way back in P44, dealing with tech issues, pit repairs, network dropouts, and plenty of chaos on track, this team never gave up. Every single stint was a fight, through the night, through setbacks, and through fatigue.

Summary: 🚗 4,220.7 km driven
🔄 28,050 corners taken
💥 Across 24 hours of racing
⬆️ 35 positions (P44 start - P9 Finish)
That’s a monstrous effort, seriously impressive stuff.

Major shoutouts to the full driver lineup:
🔹 Poli
🔹 Logan
🔹 Clydesdale
🔹 Cobra
🔹 Baker Jr

Each of the boys put in work and kept the BMW M4 GT3 charging forward, holding it together under pressure and driving with heart.

To go from P44 to a P9 finish at the Nürburgring 24 is something to be proud of. 💪 Massive respect to everyone involved.

And of course, huge thanks to our legendary sponsors for backing us across the 24-hour grind:
🍪 Cookie Luxe
🍏 Dickins Cider
🧵 Stitched Up
🎣 Master Bait & Tackle
⚙️ STS
🪨 Zagari Concrete
🏁 FSR
We couldn't do it without your support.

Time now for the lads to finally grab dinner and get a proper few hours of sleep, it’s been a long one.
Southern Cross Racing has secured the Top 10!

07/06/2025

🌙 Nürburgring 24H – The Night Shift Grind & Top 10 Fight 🌅

We’ve been quiet on the updates, not because nothing happened, but because the team needed every bit of focus and rest. And what a night it’s been.

Baker Jr and Logan took on the brutal night stints. Unfortunately, Baker Jr had a tough moment early in his first stint, picking up a 6-minute repair in the pits from what can only be described as an overly dramatic iRacing call. That dropped us to P17.

But there was no backing down, Baker dug deep during the remainder of his double stint and clawed the car back to P13, handing over to Logan.

Then, just one lap before the end of Logan’s stint, disaster struck, a network dropout. Baker Jr had to jump back in unexpectedly and smashed out another stint solo, setting his fastest laps of the race and hauling us up to P11 before passing it over to Clydesdale.

Clydesdale kept it smooth and on pace, holding P11, before handing over to Poli, our own version of Franz Herman, Mick Herman (Poli) the Third. With Logan still battling tech issues, Poli stepped up for a triple stint, pushing hard and getting us back into the top 10!

Logan returned with a vengeance, taking the car for a double stint and applying relentless pressure. It paid off, P9 binned it, and Logan cleanly snatched the position.

Now on lap 157, with just under 1.5 hours to go and one more driver swap to come, we’re locked in and fighting to bring home a top 10 finish at the Nürburgring. 💪

From P44 to P9, we’re not done yet.

07/06/2025

Southern Cross Racing Update – Nürburgring 24 Hour
Local Time: 3:42 AM

Conditions are superb with a cool track temperature and slightly overcast skies—perfect for pushing hard through the night. Traffic has been light, allowing for clean laps.

Anthony “Cobra” just wrapped up a stellar double stint, carving his way through the field and moving us from P16 up to P11 with precision and pace. Poli is now in the car and has completed a pit stop, settling into his second stint. We’re holding P11 with P10 less than a minute ahead—well within striking distance.

Lucas is rested and ready, prepping for his first stint of the race. If all goes to plan, Lucas will be in the car as the sun rises over the Eifel forest. Stay tuned—momentum is building!

Go Southern Cross!


@SouthernCrossRacing

07/06/2025

🔥 Nürburgring 24H Update – Into the Night, Eyes on the Climb 🔥

After a rough patch earlier with two separate incidents involving lapped cars, we copped two 3-minute pit repairs, but the comeback is well and truly on. We’re now sitting in P16, hot on the heels of P15, with the sunrise still hours away. 🌌

Earlier, Poli absolutely sent it in his double stint, setting the team’s fastest lap so far with a blistering 8:20.934, right in the middle of the night. That time’s only going to get quicker as temps drop and the sun begins to rise around 5am.

Right now, Cobra is in the car for another double stint, keeping the momentum rolling through the early morning hours. Up next, Poli returns for a single stint, followed by Baker Jr. for another big double to push through the next phase.

Current Nürburgring local time: 1:40am
Elapsed: Over 9 hours complete
Remaining: Just under 15 hours to go

Still a mountain ahead, but we’re climbing it. One lap at a time. 💪

07/06/2025

💥 Nürburgring 24H Update 💥

What a ride so far! After qualifying P44 due to some tech issues this morning, the team has fought hard and clean to charge up to P17. 💪

We’re now heading from sunset into the night, with 18 hours still to go — plenty of racing left on the clock, and the most challenging phase is just beginning. 🌒

A few impatient drivers have caused chaos on track, but we’ve kept it tidy and stayed focused. Up next for their stints: Poli and Baker JR, ready to jump in and keep the momentum rolling through the night.

Let’s keep climbing. Go time. 🏁

06/06/2025

Southern Cross Racing is proud to announce our entry into the legendary 24 Hours of Nürburgring. This iconic event, known as one of the most punishing endurance races on the planet, will see our green-and-gold crew take on the world's best across 170 corners, 25km of treacherous terrain, and brutal weather swings.

After extensive negotiations (and more than a bit of grovelling) with CEO Scott Baker, we secured a brand-new BMW M4 GT3 — our weapon of choice for the Nordschleife. Thanks to Chris at Onenine, the car now sports a stunning new livery, combining national pride with racing aggression.

Driver Lineup:

Nick Clydesdale

Keith Logan

Mick Poli

Lucas Baker

Anthony “The Cobra” Connors (Guest driver from Phantom Sector Racing)

Technical Testing & Development Report:

Once we arrived at the Ring, testing began immediately. Here's a breakdown of what we've focused on:

Car Setup Development:

We trialled multiple damper settings across front and rear to manage curb aggression in Sectors 2 and 3.

Ride height was finely tuned to balance aero grip with the need to avoid bottoming out through Flugplatz and Pflanzgarten.

Three differential preload configurations were tested, eventually settling on a mid-range option that offered consistency under both low-speed rotation (Adenauer Forst) and high-speed stability (Döttinger Höhe).

Tyre & Compound Testing:

Extensive compound comparisons were made between soft, medium, and endurance blends from our supplier.

We found the medium compound delivered the best compromise in durability vs. grip over double stints, especially as the surface temperature fluctuated between 12–22°C across test sessions.

Pressure mapping data was gathered using telemetry overlays to find optimal hot pressures — currently locked at 27.6 psi front and 27.3 psi rear.

Fuel Mapping & Stint Strategy:

Engine maps were tested from conservative (Map 3) to attack (Map 1) for full stint simulations.

We've dialled in a 9.1L per lap fuel burn on Map 2 under race conditions, giving us a projected 9-lap stint per tank with 30 seconds of reserve under Code 60 or full-course yellow conditions.

Pit stop timing, tyre/fuel crossover windows, and night vision driver prep all factored into our evolving strategy matrix.

Team Mentality

We know Nürburgring doesn’t forgive mistakes. With 60 cars on track — ranging from TCR to GT3 — traffic management, long-run consistency, and flawless teamwork are going to define the result. That’s why we’ve spent hours in briefing rooms, telemetry reviews, and onboard comparisons.

This isn’t just about going fast — it’s about going the distance.
And Southern Cross Racing is ready to do just that.

Stay tuned for more updates, onboard footage, and full team content from Start Ya Bastard TV. Racing starts at 7 am ACST 7/6/25

02/06/2025

Southern Cross MX-5 Crew Lands in Daytona!
The Southern Cross Racing MX-5 team has made the long trip across the Pacific to Daytona Beach, Florida — just 50 miles north of Orlando — for Round 8 of the Roadster Rumble Series.

With the iconic Daytona International Speedway set to host the action, eyes are on Baker Jnr, affectionately known in the garage as “Snoop”, who remains firmly in the top 10 after a gritty and consistent campaign.

Meanwhile, Logan and Baker Snr haven’t had the smoothest run this season, missing a few rounds due to other commitments — but there’s hope in the paddock that today’s the day they come roaring back into form.

A big shoutout to Thorny, who’s taking some well-deserved time away to rest and recharge after a full-on, hectic run with the team.

The garage isn’t quite the same without your banter, toolbox wisdom, and steady presence — but everyone at Southern Cross Racing is behind you 100%, and we’re looking forward to having you back when you're ready.

Whether it’s a podium push or just a clean scrap in the pack, the Roadster Rumble promises fast drafts, wild sends, and elbows-out racing under the Florida sun.

A live stream will be up on https://www.youtube.com/ tonight at 6.30 ACST ,
click , like and share , say Gday to Greg our commentator.

See ya on the track