Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour 3 - 5 February 2023

THE WORLD’S BEST GT3 teams and drivers will return to Mount Panorama for the LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour on 3-5 February 2023.

The race will return to embracing a fully professional outright class at the top of the field, with teams featuring all-pro driving line-ups to be welcomed for the first time since 2020.

The race reverted to a Pro-Am format in 2022 to account for the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic and ongoing global freight challenges at the time.

Strong support from Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli organisers, SRO Motorsports Group, coupled with strong interest from key brands and teams looking to return to the Mountain, confirmed to organisers that the time was right to return to the format that made Australia’s International Enduro one of the world’s top long-distance races.

The class structure will see Class A split into PRO, PRO-AM (for combinations including at least one Bronze-ranked driver) and Silver Cup (where all drivers must be categorised Silver or Bronze).

Class B will again be for the popular Porsche GT3 Cup Cars, including the latest Type-992 GT3, while Class C will feature GT4 machinery. The invitational class will also return to cater for vehicles including SRO GT2 machinery.

Class B and Invitational class entries must include at least one Bronze-ranked driver within their respective driving squads in 2023.

Also returning in 2023 will be the split Top-10 qualifying Shootout for pole position on Saturday afternoon.

Following regular qualifying, the 10 fastest cars will progress to the Shootout which will be comprised of two, 15-minute sessions for the Lower 50% of the Top 10, followed by the top 50% of cars.

The system was introduced in 2022 due to adverse weather conditions, however proved to offer a dramatic, competitive and entertaining battle for the coveted Allan Simonsen Pole Award.

This encouraged a decision to adopt it as the 12-Hour’s unique Shootout format moving forward.

The importance of Pro-Am competition within the race has also been further enhanced, with elements introduced in 2022 to remain: including separate Am-only practice sessions and the Am driver continuing to play a significant role in the qualifying position of all Pro-Am entries.

For information regarding the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, please visit their official website here.