MARC Cars Australia is set to compete in Challenge Bathurst, which begins today, despite competing on the other side of the Pacific Ocean only last weekend.

The team has undergone a challenging logistical exercise in order to participate in Challenge Bathurst having taken a class one-two in the 24H COTA less than a week earlier.

The Texas race came off the back of an outing in the California 8 Hours at Laguna Seca in mid-October.

With the two cars which competed in the USA currently on their way back to Australia by ship, team members flew back to Sydney to meet with a second fleet of cars and equipment headed west of the Blue Mountains.

“The Challenge event is a great concept. We used it successfully last year to fine tune our cars, equipment and drivers for the Bathurst 12 Hour,” said team boss Ryan McLeod.

“We will be doing exactly the same this year.

“For sure, it’s a big effort to race two different events, over such a vast distance in just a few days, but it’s worth the effort.

“It’s a key part of our preparation for the 12 Hour.”

MARC Cars will field three MARC cars at Challenge Bathurst in the Supersprint section of the event.

Keith Kassulke will share a car with Formula 4 driver Tyler Everingham, who will make his Bathurst 12 Hour debut with the team in February.

Tony Alford and son Kyle will drive the other cars.

The team will use this weekend’s event as a test for the 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour, running new parts which are set to be fitted to new MARC Cars which will debut in the once-around-the-clock race.

The MARC Cars team set the fastest lap in last year’s Challenge Bathurst, courtesy of a BMW M6 GT3 with Chaz Mostert and Morgan Haber behind the wheel.