O'Keeffe gets MARC Car call-up

Garry Rogers Motorsport driver Dylan O’Keeffe will warm up for his rookie season in the Dunlop Super2 Series by driving a MARC Ford Focus in this weekend’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

The former Carrera Cup front-runner will join Jason Busk and Geoff Taunton in the Liajen Motorsport entry, sponsored by Everyday Finance Solutions (EFS).

The car will be run as part of the Matt Stone Racing operation, and will compete alongside several other MARC Cars in Class I (Invitational).

It will be O’Keeffe’s third start in the 12 Hour – he scored a Class B win in the 2017 race aboard a Porsche GT3 Cup car, and raced an Audi R8 GT3 in last year’s event.

The 20-year-old said some stints in the V8-powered MARC Focus will be a good warm-up for racing the Supercar.

“I only get one test day in the Supercar before our first round in Adelaide, so the opportunity to drive something else in the meantime is really valuable for me,” O’Keeffe said.

“The MARC Car isn’t quite as fast as the Supercar, but I’m thinking the power delivery and handling characteristics will be fairly similar – after all, it’s a rear-wheel-drive V8.

“In any case, laps around Bathurst are always valuable so it’s a chance to gain some more track time at the Mountain.”

O’Keeffe’s co-drivers Busk and Taunton have both turned plenty of laps in MARC Cars; like O’Keeffe, it will be their third start in the 12 Hour and they have also competed in other categories, such as the GT-1 Australia Series.

“I’m looking forward to working with Jason and Geoff; hopefully we can have a solid, trouble-free run and come away with a class podium,” O’Keeffe said.

The EFS/Liajen Motorsport MARC Focus will hit the track for practice on Friday.