Five Must-See Winter Racing Events
By Alex Herbst
Bathurst 12 Hour
While North America prepares to dig into some snow for most, Australia is still basking in the sun and welcoming in the top sports cars in the world. However, not all will be pleasant come February when the GT cars take on the challenges of the mountain, racing in the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Becoming one of the founding races of the Intercontinental GT Challenge in 2016, the Bathurst 12 Hour is run on the ultra-competitive and challenging Mount Panorama circuit. The track also hosts the famous Bathurst 1000 event for the V8 Supercars. The race began in 1991 and continued until 1995 as part of the Australian Production Car Championship. Following a lengthy hiatus, the race resumed in 2007 as part of the Bathurst Motorsports Festival.
Today, the event is one of the premier races for GT3-spec cars in the world. Cars to these specifications began running in 2011 at Mount Panorama, bringing in manufacturers like McLaren, Audi, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan. As part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, it kicks off the season for the championship before heading to the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
For fans of GT or sports car racing, this event is a must see. The Mount Panorama circuit is notorious for being one of the most challenging circuits in the world for drivers, requiring peak attention and reaction skills. Certainly native Australians have the advantage, having raced the circuit before. This helped Shane Van Gisbergen lead the McLaren squad to victory in 2016.
Will you be watching the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2017? Coverage can be found online and through Radio Le Mans.