Australian-Greek Porsche speedster Aaron Zerefos will be taking on some mean production machines when he co-drives the MilkLab BMW 130i M Sport in next weekend’s Bathurst 6 Hour – one of 70 cars to take the field and the biggest field to race at the iconic Australian race track.

The car, powered by a 2000cc, turbo-charged, four-cylinder engine, is owned by co-driver Garry Mennell. It is small compared to some of the V8s that will be out there, but it is a pocket rocket that delivers 400NM torque and 225kW of power or about 300 running horses tied to a chariot. It reaches 100km/h in 4.6 seconds and has a top speed of up to 280km/h. It also boasts a new transmission and diff.

It is a production race which means the cars are closer to what you would find in a showroom than as a pure racing car. Most of the major marques will be represented, including Ford, Holden, Mazda, Toyota BMW, Mercedes, Mitsubishi.

Zerefos, 38, who has raced for close to 20 years in Australia, the US and Europe, will be rubbing shoulders with big-name drivers like Marcos Ambrose, Anton de Pasquale, and Shane van Gisbergen.

“The racing will be close, the Ford Mustang V8 will be hard to beat up the hill (Mount Panorama), but we will be quick on the corners and going down the hill. And, if it rains, then that will be another factor,” Zerefos told Neos Kosmos.

“Reliability will play a big part. We cannot depend on power alone – our race will be about flow and keeping the momentum going.”

Zerefos got the call from Garry Mennell to co-drive on New Year’s Eve while he was recovering from COVID. The pandemic made a serious dent in his racing career.

“It wasn’t a hard decision for me to make, I am keen to get back and build some momentum for my racing career and look beyond the 6 Hour.

“It’s the first big race of the year in this country and it’s a relatable race for many Aussies – the cars are from the showroom floor and what people drive to the shops every day. It has an old-school vibe, which I really like.

“The last two years I have been doing some one-off drives in Porsches GT3 Cup cars to stay sharp and fit. It has been challenging to keep racing careers alive for a lot of racers – not just myself – with travel restrictions, but my fans and sponsors have remained loyal and it’s great to be back racing in 2022.”

Zerefos who has been racing for much of his life said the signs were good that he would continue racing after the disruptions caused by the pandemic.

“There are some deals on the table for the Bathurst 12 Hour with a leading Porsche team and some single-seater opportunities in America including F4 at the Miami Grand Prix in May – the phone has been ringing,” he said. “I hope to put a good show on Easter weekend and do a good job for my team and the car owner.

Qualifying takes place on Saturday and the race will begin at 11.15am on Sunday, 17 April. You can watch the race live on Stan Sport.