The pair will contest the full season in the Trophy Class for older spec GT3 machinery in the #71 Porsche 911 GT3R run by Tigani Motorsport.
Youlden and Halstead return to the series having competed in just one round in 2025.
The mixed weekend at Queensland Raceway saw them finish 12th outright and second in class for race one, before making a hasty exit from race two.
Youlden notably won the 2017 Bathurst 1000 alongside David Reynolds, alongside a number of strong results in endurance events for teams such as Ford Performance Racing (now Tickford) and Stone Brothers Racing.
In a career spanning more than 25 years, Youlden has competed in a number of categories including Super2, Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, TGRA GR Cup, and appearances in both the Bathurst 12 Hour and 24 Hour.
“The 2026 GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS season marks the first full time campaign in any series for me since 2022 – so excited is the word,” Youlden said.
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“I’ve missed the competition and opportunity to sink my teeth into a full year and really get comfortable in the car.
“The opportunity to work with and coach Nathan is what keeps me coming back. We’ve talked about doing this together for some time and the series provides a unique opportunity to not only coach but to also drive.
“We go into this season looking to win the class. I think we’ll also surprise a few in Pro-Am if some things go our way.
“Even though the car is a little older, it will be close in performance to the newer models judging by how well we mixed it with the heavyweights at Queensland Raceway last year.”
Halstead brings significant experience in production and sportscar racing since making his debut in 2017, at a state and national level.
Annual appearances at the Bathurst 6 Hour since 2023 culminated in the Class C victory in last year’s event.
“The initial GT experience was amazing and the opportunity to drive GT3 cars, in particular the Porsche GT3R, is a life challenge and goal of mine, coming back also gives me the opportunity to improve my driving and push myself to my limits,” Halstead said.
“I wanted to come back because I like having the ability to work with dedicated professionals in the racing industry, such as Luke Youlden and Tigani Motorsport. They set a high benchmark for me to aspire to.
“The 2026 season provides an exciting race calendar all across the country, so I am looking forward to this year immensely.
“GT3 racing, I believe, is the best form of racing as it’s relevant to road cars and has a large motorsport fan base.
“I have improved substantially in the last 12-24 months with Luke as my guide. Luke knows Porsche and is getting me to understand the car and its aero better every time I drive it.”
The GT World Challenge Australia season is set to commence at Phillip Island on March 27-29 as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries, now broadcast on Fox Sports and Kayo.
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