News
GT4, APC races added to Bathurst 6 Hour program
Three, 40 minute races for GT4 Machinery and Australian Production Car racers will add to the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour support program in 2023.
Following the recent announcement that GT4 vehicles will compete alongside the broader 2023 Australian Production Car Series, a series of three sprint races at Mount Panorama next Easter will showcase the new partnership between ARG and Australian Production Cars while at the same time supporting the headline 6-hour enduro.
The Bathurst races will be open to all eligible GT4 machinery in Australia.
It will be the first time that GT4 vehicles will have had their own showcase races at Mount Panorama or more broadly in Australia, allowing them to compete without the pressures of sharing a circuit with much quicker GT3 machinery.
The multi-class affair will also be open to eligible Australian Production Cars not outfitted with endurance racing capabilities, including those not entered for the Bathurst 6 Hour and those teams not making the entry cut-off for the main race on Easter Sunday.
Overwhelming demand for the 2023 Bathurst 6 Hour has seen the event attract 85 entries for the 70 grid available grid spots, meaning some cars will not make it through the entry selection process.
However, these new 40-minute sprint races will serve as a place for cars that do not make the cut-off to continue to compete at Mount Panorama that weekend, while also acting as a place for reserve competitors for the Bathurst 6 Hour, should there be any late minute withdrawals from the main race.
Should spaces open on the Bathurst 6 Hour grid across the event weekend, those who elect to participate as reserve entries will be selected based in order of their qualifying performances for the sprints.
Coverage of the GT4 / APC races at the Bathurst 6 Hour will be included as part of the expanding Stan Sport and Nine Network broadcast package for 2023.
QUOTES
Troy Williams – Australian Production Cars
“Mount Panorama is such an iconic venue and the Bathurst 6 Hour is a race weekend Production Car racers aspire to. Adding GT4 cars to the mix will be an exciting innovation. GT4 racing globally is booming and what better way to showcase these cars than to race at Mount Panorama.
“Many existing Production Car competitors who don’t have dry break fuel systems in their cars will also relish the opportunity to compete at Bathurst in a sprint race format. It’s going to be a spectacular weekend!”
Ken Collier – Event Director, Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour
“The chance for GT4 cars to headline their own races at Mount Panorama will be a massive boost for the profile and visibility of the category in Australia,” said Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour Event Director, Ken Collier.
“There are numerous cars in use around the country so this will be an opportunity for them to get on track against the same machinery and without the worries of the faster GT machinery around them.
“The demand for spots within the Bathurst 6 Hour grid is so high, so this is the best possible scenario to ensure that every possible Production Car competitor can get onto Mount Panorama next Easter, whether it’s in the 6 Hour or not.
“And those that may miss out on selection for the main race may still have the opportunity to compete should they elect to be on the reserve list. Endurance events at Bathurst traditionally have an attrition rate so there is a high chance the reserves will be called on to ensure a capacity, 70-car grid when the race starts on Easter Sunday.”