Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour organisers confirm biggest-ever schedule

> MORE TRACK TIME THAN EVER BEFORE!

Organisers of the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour have announced a packed on-track schedule for this year’s event, which doubles as the opening round of 2019’s Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli campaign on February 1-3.

The event’s format has been expanded to four days for the first time to ensure more track time for the 12 Hours entries and an additional support category.

Thursday 31 January is reserved for support categories with practice, qualifying and three races on the schedule. Skye Sands Combined Sedans, Formula Ford, Group S and the Radical Australia Cup make up the bumper support programme, with big fields expected throughout.

12 Hours teams also have an opportunity to site the circuit on two scheduled track walks while their cars undergo scrutineering in pitlane. The traditional Bathurst 12 Hour pre-event launch will also be held on Thursday.

Four practice sessions provide a total of 3.5 hours track time for Intercontinental GT Challenge entries on Friday before a fifth hour-long practice session and qualifying headline Saturday.

Indeed, qualifying is again split across three segments: all competitors take part in Q1’s 45-minute session, which sets the grids for classes B, C and I. Class A – or GT3 – then has its own separate half-hour session to determine positions 11 and back while the fastest cars progress to that afternoon’s Pirelli Top-10 Shootout and a chance to claim the Allan Simonsen Pole Award.

Sunday’s race starts, as ever, just before dawn at 05:45.

Tickets can be purchased via Ticketek, with access via the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour website: www.bathurst12hour.com.au

Australia is one of five regions represented on this year’s Intercontinental GT Challenge schedule, with trips to America (California 8 Hours), Europe (Total 24 Hours of Spa), Asia (Suzuka 10 Hours) and Africa (Kyalami 9 Hour) completing the campaign.