GT World Challenge Australia unveils 18-car Phillip Island grid

Seven manufacturers are represented on the grid, headlined by the return of Porsche and Bentley alongside Ferrari, Mercedes, Audi, Aston Martin, and Lamborghini.

The entry list is provisional, with a few slots left empty with driver line-up confirmations still to come for two entries.

Those are the KFC-backed Melbourne Performance Centre Audi R8 and the KMB Motorsport Bentley Continental, the latter of which only has Valentino Astuti confirmed.

Of the 18 cars, 13 of them are top-flight Pro-Am entries and of those 13 there are seven line-ups featuring Supercars experience.

Arguably the headline act is Broc Feeney, who will join Brad Schumacher at Melbourne Performance Centre in an Audi R8.

Ryan Wood is also in a Melbourne Performance Centre Audi R8 with Kiwi countryman Steve Brooks on what is currently a one-round deal.

Jaxon Evans returns to Arise Racing in a Ferrari 296 with Eliott Schutte for their second straight campaign together.

Walkinshaw Andretti United co-driver Jayden Ojeda will return to Tigani Motorsport with Paul Luchitti in a Mercedes and Dick Johnson Racing co-driver Tony D’Alberto returns with Adrian Deitz in a Lamborghini Huracan.

Brad Jones Racing co-driver Declan Fraser moves from Triple Eight Race Engineering where he raced with Peter Hackett to Volante Rosso Motorsport where he’ll join last year’s champion Liam Talbot in an Aston Martin Vantage.

Talbot makes the move from Arise Racing where he won the Pro-Am title alongside Chaz Mostert, who will instead focus on his growing GT4 team.

The surprise inclusion is Ant Pedersen, who will be joined by his father Paul Pedersen in a Mercedes. Ant has three starts in the Bathurst 1000, his last coming a decade ago with Andre Heimgartner at the Prodrive Racing-run Super Black Racing Team.

Entry list: GT World Challenge Australia, Phillip Island