2019 Bathurst 12 Hour: Brabham BT62 beats closed-car lap record

Luke Youlden, the 2017 Bathurst 1000 race winner, was at the wheel of the BT62 and is driving the machine in a series of demonstrations this weekend.

Ex Formula 1 driver David Brabham's team targeted the closed-car record, a lap of 1m59s set by Christopher Mies in an unrestricted Audi GT3 car at Challenge Bathurst last year.

Youlden comfortably eclipsed that record with a 1m58.68s lap, although current Super GT driver Jenson Button holds the unofficial lap record of 1m48.8s set in a McLaren F1 car in 2011.

Youlden believes he could have gone quicker.

"Thank you Brabham for giving me the opportunity. It's probably a once in a lifetime thing to be able to break the lap record, in a Brabham, around Bathurst," he told Autosport.

"I'm pumped about that. But I wouldn't be a race driver if I wasn't a little disappointed as well; we had a few issues in that lap.

"There's a lot more in it. It's a bit of a shame I couldn't show its full potential.

"It would have done a [1m]57s comfortably, maybe even a high 56s.

"There's still a lot more in me being able to risk it; it's a two million dollar car, so I'm not going to go too nuts. I'm pushing it, yeah, but I've got a bit of margin as well."

Brabham said it was an emotional experience to see his car beat the benchmark time. As the BT62's lap was not completed in an official session, it will not be classified as an official lap record.

"I'm hugely proud of the car and the team behind it," Brabham said.

"To come here and see a Brabham back on track, where it belongs, and to be here at the iconic track in Australia, to come and see the car break a record like that, with so little time in terms of testing, that's pretty cool.

"It puts a lump in your throat. There's no doubt about it.

"I keep going back to my dad's era, and what he achieved. We're now creating the new chapter for Brabham.

"This is the start of the journey. We're just looking forward to what's next."

Brabham is planning select outings for its BT62 ahead of a WEC campaign in 2021/22.