Legends-inspired GT3 addition to Bathurst 12 Hour

GT3 cars will be eligible to compete in the Combined Sedans field at next year’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

A Reiter Engineering-built Lamborghini Gallardo. Image: Dirk Klynsmith

GT3 cars that are no longer considered current homologation and are ineligible for Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS will join the all-comers series which features Sports Sedans, Improved Production, and Production Touring Cars.

Already, organisers have confirmed Richard Gartner will enter his Reiter Engineering-built Lamborghini Gallardo RE-X.

“We haven’t raced on the Mountain since 2020 and the expansion of this Category to allow us to do what seemed unlikely to ever happen again is amazing,” Gartner said.

Part of the idea to allow GT3 cars to enter the Combined Sedans field was born out of a recent visit by Bathurst 12 Hour organisers to the 24 Hours of Spa.

“We’ve worked with Steven & Bronwyn Lacey of Ripplestrip Motorsport, who manage the category on behalf of NSW Sports Sedans, with the aim being to add an element of history and legacy from past Bathurst 12 Hour races,” said Bathurst 12 Hour Event Director Shane Rudzis.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for those who own an important part of our GT history to stretch the legs of their exotic machines on arguably the best track in the world. We expect the uptake to be huge.

“After visiting the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa earlier this year, I had the opportunity to witness for the first time at the event the support category of ‘Racing Legends’ which included GT and GT3 cars from the past few decades.

“This concept for the Bathurst 12 Hour is very much aligned to the Spa 24 Hour experience, there are currently many GT and GT3 cars in workshops and garages around Australia which have the opportunity to race as an undercard to one of the world’s biggest GT events.”

The change is exclusively for GT3 machinery, which means that the current model Porsche Carrera Cup cars and GT4 cars are ineligible.

Combined Sedans promoter Steven Lacey added: “The field is expected to be well supported by those currently running in Production Sport categories across the country, with interest already being registered by various competitors and State managers.

“The expansion of the grid won’t take away from our past sedan classes, which will all remain as per usual.”