Grids set for big Bathurst International 

Over 150 cars are descending on Mount Panorama this weekend for the SpeedSeries finale, the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International.

Five categories will be on show including TCR Australia and World Tour, Trans Am, Porsche Sprint Challenge, V8 Touring Car Series and Australian Production Cars will provide plenty of on-track action.

There will be plenty on the line with championships being decided in all national categories, while it is the penultimate round of the TCR World Tour. Full Bathurst International fields can be seen below.

A new champion will be crowned in the TCR Australia championship with a tight three-way fight set to go down to the final race of the year.

At the top of the standings are HMO Customer Racing teammates Bailey Sweeny and Josh Buchan.

Sweeny sits 29 points ahead of his fellow Hyundai driver, while a further 20 points adrift is Aaron Cameron, who cannot be discounted.

The TCR World Tour is coming from Sydney to Bathurst. Image: RACE PROJECT

Reigning champion Tony D’Alberto is a long shot in fourth, 96 points off the pace.

The TCR World Tour will be racing alongside the Australian drivers once again with many of them getting their first taste of the legendary Mount Panorama.

That championship is also up in the air with one point separating Norbert Michelisz and Robert Huff, while Yann Ehrlacher and Mikel Azcona are also in close quarters and all will be looking to make a knockout blow in the penultimate round in Bathurst before the Macau finale.

The combined grid remains at 24 cars like in Sydney with two changes.

GRM driver Kody Garland will not be present at Bathurst with his Peugeot too badly damaged from a turn one crash before racing began in Sydney last Friday.

To ensure the grid remains the same number, Michael Clemente is coming back in his Carl Cox Motorsport Cupra after missing Sydney due to financial struggles.

There is also a driver swap in the TCR World Tour ranks with Jimmy Clairet making way for brother Teddy in the Hungcha Forklifts 308.

The Touring Car Masters make a comeback for the penultimate round of the year having not raced for three months.

Steve Johnson was the man to beat at Mount Panorama last year. Image: Daniel Kalisz

For the long-awaited trip to Mount Panorama, a total of 24 cars from both sides of the Tasman are on show.

The usual grid including Steven Johnson and John Bowe, who will be making his last Bathurst start in the category will be locking horns once again.

Ben Dunn’s Chevrolet Monza returns to the series as does legendary TCM figure Brad Tilley, who will drive the Ford Mustang coupe his son, Jamie, raced last year.

But joining them will be seven seven Kiwi customers looking to claim Trans-Tasman bragging rights.

James Moffat is in the box seat to take out Trans Am at Mount Panorama.

James Moffat has dominated Trans Am in 2023. Image: Daniel Kalisz

After a productive weekend at Sydney, Moffat is 78 points clear of Lochie Dalton with those two drivers the only ones to break the 1000-point barrier in 2023.

Dalton remains firmly in contention for race wins, as does the leading Chevrolet driver, Elliott Barbour and Brett Holdsworth.

The Bathurst field has been bolstered to 21 with Hugh McAlister, Zach Loscialpo and Josh Anderson joining the Bathurst field this weekend.

Jude Bargwanna will be looking to wrap up the 2023 V8 Touring Car Series title at Bathurst.

Bargwanna currently enjoys a 50-point lead over Jim Pollicina.

Looking to make an impact on the category will be Super3 star and rising talent Cameron McLeod, who will suit up for a V8TC debut in Shane van Gisbergen’s 2012 Stone Brothers Racing With Ryan Simpson also returning, the V8TC field will hit double figures for the first time in 2023.

Marco Giltrap is in the box seat to become the 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge champion.

Marco Giltrap has been the leader of the Porsche Sprint Challenge pack in 2023.

Giltrap leads the standings by 171 points and with only 180 on offer at Bathurst, a 17th place in the opener will make it a formality.

In addition to the Team Porsche NZ / Earl Bamber Motorsport  driver, 28 others will be chasing a Porsche podium including 13 in the Professional class.

Nash Morris makes a comeback having been on fire earlier this year in Sydney.

The biggest grid at Bathurst will be the Australian Production Cars/Invited field.

A total of 43 cars will be competing in the combined category including 10 in the Invited field which used to be known as GT4 Australia.

Bowe will be doing double duties in the BMW M4 GT4 with Shane Smollen looking to wrap up the title at Bathurst.

The biggest part of the grid are the Australian Production Cars where Coleby Cowham and Lindsay Kearns are looking to keep both Iain and Grand Sherrin at bay.

All is set for a huge weekend of racing beginning this Friday.

SUPERCHEAP AUTO TCR AUSTRALIA & KUMHO TCR WORLD TOUR BATHURST INTERNATIONAL ENTRY LIST

PORSCHE MICHELIN SPRINT CHALLENGE AUSTRALIA BATHURST INTERNATIONAL ENTRY LIST

TRANS AM SERIES BATHURST INTERNATIONAL ENTRY LIST

GULF WESTERN OIL TOURING CAR MASTERS BATHURST INTERNATIONAL ENTRY LIST

KUMHO V8 TOURING CARS BATHURST INTERNATIONAL ENTRY LIST

MOBIL 1 AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION CARS / MONOCHROME INVITATIONAL BATHURST INTERNATIONAL ENTRY LIST

Image by Jack Martin Photography

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