The 2022 Bathurst International: Everything you need to know

Australian motorsport is going full-throttle in 2022 and with a record five massive events at Bathurst, each one is selling out. Fresh off an extraordinary Bathurst 1000 that got all of our hearts racing, we are set to return to Bathurst in November, for another marquee event.

This time it will be the Bathurst International; a new and exciting event we’re sure will make history, and be here for a long time to come.

Held over three days in mid-November, the Bathurst International will bring in some of the best drivers from around the world, and features seven different race categories! We think this is going to be absolutely sensational, and have compiled everything you need to know about the latest addition to the Bathurst race program.

Bathurst International has a feast of racing

For those of us who just can’t get enough of Bathurst, there’s going to be a lot of action at the Bathurst International. Think of it as everything, without Supercars. Really adding to the drama will be the fact a lot of these categories have championship finales at Bathurst International.

TCR Australia

The touring cars will conclude at the Bathurst International, with Tony D’Alberto taking in a 56 point lead. Only Jordan Cox and Will Brown are likely close enough to challenge for the title. Will they be able to chase him down in his Honda Civic?

TCR Series founder Marcello Lotti will make a special appearance at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International, returning to Australia for the first time since 2019. We’re sure he’ll be impressed with the venue and the progress of TCR in Australia despite a couple of tough years in motorsport.

GT World Challenge Australia

This will be the fifth leg of the event, which moves to Tailem Bend on October 21, before the last event on the Adelaide Street Circuit in early December. The Bathurst leg will be crucial, as Yasser Shahin looks to extend his lead in the pro-am category.

Touring Car Masters

This will be the second last race for the Touring Car Masters. Ryan Hansford and John Bowe are currently neck and neck, and this promises to be a crucial part of the series. In previous years, Bowe’s experience has counted when it mattered. Will Hansford find a way past the Master in 2022?

National Trans Am Series

By the time the Trans Am concludes at the Bathurst International, there will have been almost two months since the previous race. That plenty of time for the nerves to build for young gun Nathan Herne, who holds a small 19 point lead over Owen Kelly. Making it even more exciting is that both are in the new Ford Mustang. What a great advertisement for the new model it will be if this one goes down to the wire!

S5000

This is one of the best events to watch in our opinion, as the open-wheelers just provide that brilliant contrast to everything else. The S5000s are one of a very limited number of open-wheeler categories accredited to run on the Mount Panorama Racing Circuit. Joey Mawson is once again the series leader, is hot off winning the Fastrack Hot Laps Driver Shootout at Sandown, and remains the favourite to go back-to-back in 2022.

Porsche Sprint Challenge

At the Bathurst International, Round five of six will take place for this popular event. This is a Porsche-lovers dream, and we can all look forward to a champion finally being crowned for the first time since 2019.

Australian Production Car Series

This is yet another event that will conclude at Bathurst. Wayne and Drew Russell currently top the leaderboard.

Bathurst International Dates

Make sure you leave a gap in your calendar. The first ever Bathurst International, as a stand-alone event will start on Friday, November 11 and finish on Sunday, November 13. As yet, there is no race schedule confirmed, so keep your eyes peeled for that as the date draws nearer.

Bathurst International Ticketing

There are still plenty of tickets available for the event, with varying prices and categories. We personally think the $85 pass for all three days is the best deal going, but there are plenty of options for everyone.

For those taking children, those under 12 can go for free, so this event is the perfect family-friendly motorsport bonanza with the option of camping adding to the fun. If you’re driving and staying in Bathurst, you can snap up parking for the entire three days for just $40. Keep in mind that all three days see the gates open at 7:00am and close at 6:00pm each day, so there’s plenty to choose from.

Bathurst International camping

As anyone who’s made the pilgrimage to Mt Panorama knows, there’s nothing that quite like the atmosphere of camping on The Mountain. The amazing thing about 2022, is that we just keep having the opportunity to do it!

For this event, there will be two campsites operating: the Paddock Campground and the McPhillamy Background. These are currently on sale and will be up until November 7, but we recommend booking them now as the weather is warming, so they may well fill up.

Bathurst International TV schedule

The Bathurst International TV schedule is yet to be finalised, but we’ll be eagerly awaiting it. We can confirm the event will be shown on Stan Sport.

Internationals on the way

With the travel restrictions of Covid becoming a speed bump in our rear vision mirrors, the event will likely attract northern hemisphere drivers at the end of their season. A big star expected to give it a run this year is Teddy Clairet.

Clairet currently drives in the TCR Europe, and has won two French touring car titles. He is quite a coup for the fledgling event. He will join the Garry Rogers Motorsport team.

Clairet is “extremely excited” to be coming Down Under to compete on our most famous track. He further explained that “Bathurst is a mythical track so, for me it’s a dream to race there and I’m really looking forward to discover this wonderful place.” Teddy is one of a growing list of internationals who covet Mount Panorama and have it on their bucket list of tracks to race on!

In other news, it has been confirmed that Michael Caruso will drive an Audi GT3 at the event. He explained: “I’m very excited to say I will be racing at the Bathurst International in GT which will be fantastic,” said Caruso.

There is still a lot more news to drop about who will be competing at the event, and we can’t wait until it’s finally here!

You can drive a purpose-built V8 race car on Bathurst’s Mount Panorama

Did you know that a very select few can experience the ultimate V8 Supercar experience for themselves? With Fastrack Experiences, you can drive a purpose-built V8 race car on Bathurst’s Mount Panorama Racing Circuit. Because the track is a public road for all but five events, Fastrack has contracted annual event days following the Challenge Bathurst event on the last weekend in November. What a great way to reward yourself and finish 2022 on a high.

By purchasing a gift card for a V8 driving or hot lap experience, or booking your spot at one of our exclusive Mt Panorama drive days, you’ll join an elite club of Fastrack V8 Supercar Experience drivers. Our V8 drive and hot lap experiences put you behind the wheel or in the passenger seat of some of the most beautiful high-performance V8 race cars in Australia.