DATE SET FOR BATHURST 12 HOUR
The Bathurst 12 Hour race will return to its traditional early February race day in 2025 from January 31 to February 2.
The 23rd running of the 12 Hour GT endurance race will also include a Track to Town parade before the on track action starts with practice on Friday.
Qualifying and the fight for the Allan Simonsen Pole Award will take centre stage on Saturday before the 12 Hour race goes from dawn to evening on the Sunday.
It will remain the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, having done so since 2016.
Organisers believe there has already been “strong interest” in the 2025 race with a host of brand-new models including the Ferrari 296 GT3, Ford Mustang GT3 and Chevrolet Corvette GT3 becoming eligible to compete for the first time.
This year the 12 Hour took place slightly later on February 16-18 to coincide with the Supercars season opener which also took place at Mount Panorama on the following weekend.
But with no plans for such a doubleheader to repeat in 2025, the event is going back to its usual time which will “avoid clashes with other major international races, ensuring the maximum opportunity for the world’s best GT teams and drivers to attend.”
“It’s great to have the dates locked in for 2025 and know that the world will return to Mount Panorama across the January 31 – February 2 weekend next year,” Bathurst 12 Hour Event Director Shane Rudzis said.
“We need to be flexible and dynamic in scheduling the race to ensure it fits within the international calendar each year which is why the date has shifted two weeks earlier in 2025.
“The level of interest and excitement in the race is already high and we’ve had fantastic discussions with current entrants and new teams and brands who are keen to race next February.
“At the same time, we continue to review all elements of the event to continue the improvements already put in place in 2023 and 2024, to not only grow the event but add to the experience for everyone attending.
“We’re very proud of the growth of the Bathurst 12 Hour. We’ve seen over the last two years huge crowds, camping records broken, amazing world-class vehicle demonstrations on track setting scintillating lap times, legends of world motorsport coming back yearly, amazing activations and car displays, plus much more.
“Where to from here? Stay tuned!”
SRO Motorsport Group founder and CEO Stephane Ratel said the date change is an important one.
“2025 has the potential to be the biggest Bathurst 12 Hour yet thanks to several new manufacturers entering the GT3 space and a growing number of Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS entries,” he said.
“This is a bucket list event for international teams and drivers, and also highly prized by manufacturers, but a strong domestic environment is vitally important for any Intercontinental GT Challenge round to truly flourish.
“Indeed, it is a cornerstone of the series’ philosophy.
“Moving the date back to its traditional slot also avoids clashing with the Asian Le Mans Series – a major consideration for our local and regional base.”
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