Nathan Herne completes first full Bathurst test day with GRM
Rising star to share Camaro with James Moffat at Bathurst 1000
GRM Camaro back on track at Winton Motor Raceway on Wednesday
Tuesday was a seminal day for rising star Nathan Herne, who under the watchful eyes of a Moffat, Ambrose and Ingall, stepped into the Supercars hot seat.
One day in, Herne was pleased, with the bulk of Tuesday's running centred on learning the Camaro package and getting the ergonomics sorted.
"It's been a very successful day," Herne said.
"We haven't got too many references here this week. But it's been a really good day for us, just getting acclimatised to the Gen3 car and the ergonomics of it all between me and Moff."
Moffat raced Tickford Mustangs between 2019 and 2025, and has been Herne's rival in TransAm. This week, though, Moffat is Herne's closest ally, from perfecting driver changes to getting the most out of the notoriously hard-to-drive Supercar.
"It's been great to learn off of Moff as well, and to lean on his experience," Herne said.
"Obviously he's been in some pretty good seats in the last couple of years and is a driver who's still pretty much the top of his game, he's unreal to drive against and especially race against in TransAm.
"It's good to lean on him for some advice and support, especially in the same car."
While Moffat has been there, done that and got the T-shirt in Supercars, Herne is finally getting his shot, six years after a Bathurst debut full short over a Superlicence controversy.
Herne, though, has no shortage of experience in his corner, with Supercars legends Marcos Ambrose and Russell Ingall also making the trek to Winton to support the crew.
2005 Supercars champion Ingall has personally mentored Herne in recent years, while Ambrose is involved via his own ties to GRM.
While the slow, flat surrounds of Winton are a far cry to the speed and undulation of Mount Panorama, Herne is committed to making this week count, before his life changes from October 8.
"It's been a really good learning curve for us, and obviously having Russell here, Marcos, Barry [Rogers] and the whole crew, it's a bit of a pinch yourself moment and pretty cool experience," Herne said.
"[We just have to] keep trucking away at it. We've only got one more test day to go, which is obviously tomorrow, before we get to the big dance at the Bathurst 1000.
"Exciting times for sure. Just got to not get ahead of ourselves, just keep taking as it comes and fingers crossed we can have a good result up the Mountain."
