Entries open, rulebook confirmed for 2020 B12hr

ENTRIES are now open for the 2020 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

To be contested across 31 January – 2 February, Australia’s International Enduro will once again bring the world to Mount Panorama for the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli.

Secure your Tickets and Camping for the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour here.

Entries are open to competitors at early-bird prices for one month until Saturday, 7 September.

Corresponding with entries opening, a revised set of event Sporting and Technical regulations have also been released that continue to evolve the on-track component of the race.

Changes mirror those already in place to other key IntGTC events, including the Spa 24 Hours and Suzuka 10 Hours, providing a consistent framework for competing teams, drivers and brands across each of the five-round global series.

The Vehicle Eligibility list has been updated to include GT3 machinery homologated for the 2019 racing season, meaning all current GT3 brands are eligible for the 2020 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

The event will retain a four-class structure, with Class A for GT3 vehicles to be split between three divisions.

Existing Pro and Pro-Am competitions will remain, while 2020 will mark the introduction of the Class A Silver Cup for the first time.

The Silver Cup is designed for Amateur-classified drivers, with combinations to be comprised of three drivers of FIA Silver classification or four drivers, with two silver-ranked and the third and fourth Bronze-ranked.

For the first time, Class B will be for designated Lamborghini Super Trofeo machinery.

The global one-make formula features identical Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo race cars and features competition in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia with an annual world final.

Backed by Lamborghini’s official ‘Squadra Corse’ Motorsport arm, the addition of the Super Trofeo class comes following confirmation that the brand would likely contest the full Intercontinental GT Challenge in 2020.

Class C will continue to be for GT4 machinery while the Australian-built MARC Cars Australia ‘MARC II’ cars will contest the Invitational class.

To further bring the race into line with European rules, maximum stint length for any driver to be limited to 65 minutes. No driver will be allowed to compete more than two consecutive stints before commencing a one-hour rest period.

Pit stops will include a mandatory minimum time, measured from pit entry to pit exit. Two ‘Joker’ stops – one in the first six hours and one in the second – will be permitted with no minimum time limit to allow for strategies to remain flexible throughout the race.

Finally, a four-minute ‘technical’ pit stop will also become mandatory, to be completed prior to the conclusion of the 11th hour of the race. This will allow for brake pad changes or more extensive work to be completed in a measured fashion.

Alterations to the event technical regulations include inclusion of driver cooling systems and in-car TV camera systems within the minimum vehicle weight, as specified by the Balance of Performance (BoP) regulations.

Driver cooling systems will be mandatory if the forecast for race day is for temperatures of above 30 degrees C.

Other elements, including the Pirelli Top-10 Shootout and 5:45am Sunday morning start time, remain unchanged.

Event organisers will also soon confirm the revised event schedule which will see a packed on-track program on Friday and Saturday in the lead-up to the 2020 race.

Race week will again commence with an expanded ‘Town to Track’ display on Thursday.

“Firstly, it’s always exciting to confirm that entries are open and get that first indication of who is coming to tackle the Mountain,” said Event Manager Kurt Sakzewski.

“We have been working closely with CAMS and our partners at SRO to evolve the regulations to a point where that are now very similar to the other major events on the Intercontinental GT Challenge, offering consistency to the teams, drivers and manufacturers involved across the full championship.

“The changes have already been tried and tested in major races and proven to be successful so it makes sense for us to adopt something that already works.

“We are excited to add the Super Trofeo cars to the mix in 2020. It opens the potential for even more international participation and we have been in discussion with Lamborghini for some time now – they are excited about the potential for their competitors to become involved. The Huracan Evo is a very cool car that perfectly fits the 12-Hour grid – it sounds and looks the part.

“There is already a lot of excitement among ICGT teams about the 2020 event and we’re very confident that it will be bigger and better than ever.”