Ninety-seven drivers from 18 different nationalities will descend on Mount Panorama, Bathurst, this week as the world returns to the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour.
The remarkably diverse group of drivers represent the who’s who of both international GT and Sports Car racing and some of the most successful Australian drivers the sport has seen.
The field includes the reigning Bathurst 12-Hour winners, Kenny Habul, Jules Gounon and Luca Stolz, who will aim for a historic Bathurst three-peat this weekend aboard their SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Gounon, meanwhile, will aim for his fourth consecutive Bathurst victory as he searches for a feat never achieved in endurance racing at Mount Panorama.
Gounon claimed victory in 2020, 2022 and 2023, with the 2021 race not held due to the Pandemic.
Only Bathurst 1000 legends Peter Brock, Jim Richards, Larry Perkins, Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup have claimed three Bathurst enduros in a row, while Gounon is the only one to achieve it in the 12 Hour.
The 29-year-old Frenchman, who calls Andorra home, is also the reigning Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) drivers’ champion, having claimed the title last year.
Eight former Bathurst 12-Hour victors will be represented on the grid this year for a total of 13 victories in Australia’s international enduro.
Four IGTC title winners will be on the grid, while both the current Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia outright (Liam Talbot), Am (Brad Schumacher) and European (Raffaele Marciello) champions are also entered, showcasing the best of GT3 racing around the world.
Success at Mount Panorama stretches beyond the 12-Hour in the 2024 drivers’ roster, with eight former winners of the Bathurst 1000 – totalling 18 Great Race victories – also set to compete, including three, Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup and Jonathan Webb, who have won, both Bathurst classics.
The Supercars talent pool is deep, with 14 drivers accounting for 305 Supercars Championship victories to race, as well as two former series champions.
The field also showcases the very best of international long-distance racing, with winners of major GT3 enduros represented.
Eight different drivers entered this year have claimed a total of 13 victories in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, while 8 drivers have claimed 11 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps victories.
Both iconic European races join the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour as rounds of the Intercontinental GT Challenge this year.
The field also includes two pairs of brothers for the first time.
South African stars Kelvin and Sheldon van der Linde will go head-to-head, while Belgian boys Laurens and Dries Vanthoor will also compete head-to-head.
The field also includes the current champion of Daytona’s iconic 24-Hour race, in the form of Warwick, Queensland, born Matt Campbell – himself a former winner and polesitter at Mount Panorama.
Seven-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi will also remain a major drawcard for fans as he returns for a second attempt at Australia’s International Enduro.
Jaxon Evans will be the sole Kiwi in the field, competing for Phantom Global Racing alongside 2023 Porsche Supercup champion Bastian Buus and DTM race winner Joel Eriksson in the #13 Porsche 911 GT3R.
The action commences this Thursday with the traditional track-to-town parade and autograph session in the centre of Bathurst.
On-track action commences Friday with four practice sessions before building to the Pirelli Shootout and the Allan Simonsen Pole Award on Saturday.
The 21st running of the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour then commences at 5:45 am on Sunday morning (Australian time).
Sky Sport will have live coverage of Qualifying, the Top 10 Shootout and the race.
REPCO BATHURST 12 HOUR GRID
Nürburgring 24 Hours: 8 different winners for 13 wins
Spa Francorchamps 24 Hours: 8 different winners for 11 wins
Repco Bathurst 12 Hour: 8 different winners for 13 wins
Repco Bathurst 1000: 8 different winners for 18 wins
Intercontinental GT Challenge: 4 different winners for 4 wins
Repco Supercars Championship: 2 different championship winners for 10 titles
Repco Supercars Championship: 305 race victories between 14 drivers
