- The Bathurst 12 Hour, held at Mount Panorama, Australia, is the third major long distance race of the season after Daytona and Dubai. 56 vehicles from 14 manufacturers will compete in six different categories in 2017 - Class A features GT3 cars, split into Pro, Pro/Am and Am categories. Class B is for Porsche GT3 Cup cars, while Class C is for GT4 cars, and Class I is for invited entries - McLaren returns to the Mount Panorama circuit as defending champions, with four customer team-run entries. In 2016, the #59 Tekno Autosports 650S GT3 secured pole position with a new lap record and went on to take victory - The Bathurst 12 Hour marks the start of the second Intercontinental GT Challenge season, and Audi returns as defending drivers’ and manufacturers’ champions. Spa (24hrs), Laguna Seca (8hrs) and Sepang (12hrs) host the other three rounds - Reigning Intercontinental GT Challenge champion Laurens Vanthoor has switched from Audi to Porsche. He's going for his first Bathurst win with the #911 Walkinshaw-run Porsche 911 GT3 R, alongside Kevin Estre and former Le Mans-winner Earl Bamber - Since 2012, the Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 has racked up one win, two 2nds and three 3rds at Mount Panorama, but this year the Mercedes-AMG GT3 will make its debut. Shane Van Gisbergen, who set last year's pole lap in the McLaren, now drives for Merc - Ferrari had a torrid time in 2016 after a collision on the second corner of the first lap, but this year the 488 makes its debut, driven by six-time Bathurst 1000 winner and 2014 12 Hour champion Craig Lowndes - If you live outside of Australia, the race can be viewed live on www.bathurst12hour.com.au. The 12-hours race starts at 05:45 local time on Sunday 5 February (18:45 GMT or 19:45 CET, both on Saturday 4 February) - That's right, one of the peculiarities of the race (running since 1991) is that the race starts in the dark, at 5.45am - The 6.2m Mount Panorama circuit has 23 corners, gradients of up to 16 percent, and a 174-metre elevation difference between the highest and lowest points - The track was built as part of an employment relief effort in the 1930s, and for most of the year the track serves as a public road. In fact, it opens to local residents just 20 minutes after the Bathurst 12 Hours finishes It's only January, but already the third endurance race of the year is upon us, as 56 cars take to the Mountain Panorama Circuit this weekend
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Comments (7)
On of the great tracks with awesome cars! Can't wait
Great event! My friend is there right now and I'm so jealous!
A proper track - long straights, fast corners, and serious consequences for errors on the top of the mountain. Mecca for Aussie motorsport (only philip island when in two wheels comes close)
Team AMG for me.
Great mix of GT Cars!