40 Cars Set For 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour
The 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour entry list has been released, featuring 40 cars, 34 of them GT3s. The list features two more cars than the 2019 edition of the IGTC season opener, with 11 marques represented. It is a record GT3 grid featuring a record number of marques.
The entry list being GT3-heavy is not a surprise, as the number of cars outside of Class A for GT3 cars has been reducing gradually in recent years. Of the six other cars not in the Class A ranks, there are just two GT4 cars in Class C and four INV class entries from MARC.
In the GT3 ranks, cars from Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Nissan and Porsche will all race.
Multiple cars will debut too, the 2020 edition will marking the Mount Panorama debut of the latest Aston Martin Vantage GT3, McLaren 720S GT3, Honda NSX GT3, Mercedes AMG GT3 EVO and the Generation II 991 Porsche GT3 R, among other updated ‘evolution’ models.
The variety in GT3 manufacturers eclipses the previous record of 10 brands set in 2019, 2017 and 2015, while the 34 different GT3 vehicles entered eclipses the previous record of 33.
Several teams will also make their maiden visit to Mount Panorama in 2020, including the Orange 1 FFF Racing Team who will enter a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 for the first time.
Meanwhile, Shanghai-based Absolute Racing will make their highly anticipated Bathurst debut running a pair of Porsche 911 GT3R entries and works Porsche drivers.
A factory-supported partner of Honda for more than 20 years, JAS Motorsport will also make their Bathurst debut this year – bringing with them the first ever Honda NSX GT3 to compete on Australian soil.
Aston Martin customer racing outfit Garage 59 will also make their Bathurst debut, running a pair of Vantage GT3 entries – one each in the Pro-Am and Silver GT3 categories.
Another new car, the McLaren 720S GT3, will also compete. A pair of them have been entered by 59Racing / EMA Racing. The 720S GT3 had its first run on ‘the mountain’ in the AGT SuperSprint (formerly Challenge Bathurst) time trial event with 59Racing at the end of last year. It set the best time, though it didn’t quite break the lap record set by Chris Mies.
Several teams have expanded their operations – including Audi Sport Team Valvoline who will run a trio of R8 LMS GT3 entries in the professional class for the first time. Triple Eight Race Engineering will also support an entry in the Pro-Am class for the first time, alongside their existing outright Mercedes AMG GT3 entry.
Experienced Bathurst campaigners Walkenhorst Motorsport will field a pair of BMW M6 GT3s while popular outfit GruppeM – who started on pole position in 2019 – also return with their Mercedes AMG GT3.
Notably, Earl Bamber Motorsport will also return to Bathurst to defend its 2019 victory. It will run two Porsche GT3s, one a full Pro car, the other in the Pro-Am sub class.
Seven cars will compete for victory in the competitive Pro-Am category, while six will fight in the Silver category – for predominantly non-professional drivers.
At present two entries in Class C (GT4) are nominated, while four of the latest MARC II entries are nominated in the invitational category.
“This is a field as competitive and deep as any GT race in the world and represents the truly global nature of the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour,” said Kurt Sakzewski, the event manager.
“As we saw in 2019, we think this field represents a great balance between having a strong field and depth to have a clean and highly competitive race.
“Teams from Asia, Europe, North America and of course Australia will participate and will represent 11 different GT3 manufacturers for the first time in the history of the Event.
“The addition of the Honda NSX, in particular, has attracted enormous attention while the addition of the latest-generation cars we’ve yet to see at Bathurst will make for a very different looking grid this year.
“We are still fielding enquiries from teams putting programmes together so there is every chance that this list will grow further prior to the event.”
Australia’s International Endurance race will run from January 30-February 2 this year.