The Bathurst 12 Hour 2022 – 13-15 May

Looking for the 2023 details? Check out our 2023 Bathurst 12 Hour preview!

The Bathurst action is not just awesome, it keeps on coming. With the Bathurst 6 Hour now behind us, and a surprise win as Cameron Hill and Tom Sargent took out the prize from the back of the grid, it’s time to look forward to the next exciting event on 2022 Supercars schedule. And although you might wonder if it can get any better than the 6 Hour, it certainly can when you double it to 12 hrs of Bathurst action!

This year’s event is going to be sensational. There have been some rule changes to allow a great presence of amateur drivers, which is a great way to promote different and new drivers to the iconic mountain, but there will also be many of the usual suspects. Difficulty around some international acts due to the pandemic means there will be a higher proportion of Australian drivers this year, yet there is nothing quite like seeing the local talent conquer Bathurst.

This is our preview of the Bathurst 12 Hour, where you can find out what some of the drivers are saying ahead of the event, as well as information about the new class structure, race times, the TV schedule, camping at the event, and even how to drive a Supercar around Mount Panorama. Yes, you read that correctly.

Bathurst 12 Hour Drivers

Craft-Bamboo Racing will compete at this year’s race, driving a Mercedes AMG GT3. The team is one of the few international contenders expected to compete at this year’s event, due to a clash with the European season. However, the fact the Hong Kong-based team will be coming down under demonstrates the broad and international appeal of the race. Team boss Darryl O’Young explained that it was a surreal feeling to be “finally returning to the Bathurst 12 Hour this year”. The team has been unable to compete in the event in the last two years due to the challenges several teams faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.

2011 Bathurst 1000 winner Nick Percat will join up with Mark Rosser and Joey Mawson in Audi R8 LMS in this year’s event, making it his fourth Bathurst 12 Hour start. In fact, it will be the fourth car he has driven at the event, having previously driven a Lamborghini in 2016, a Ferrari in 2019, and a MARC Car in 2020. Percat said, “it was a pretty easy decision to team up with Rosser, and the Audis have always been quite strong at Bathurst”. It will be interesting to see if Percat can extend his success on The Mountain.

There will in fact be a number of Audis in the event – no less than six, and possibly more – which will give them a great shot at extending upon their three titles. After the Bathurst 12 Hour became a GT3 event in 2011, Audi won the first two editions, before winning a third in 2018.

The Wall Racing team will also be driving the exquisite Lamborghini Huracan. The team will be made up of regular pairing Adrian Deitz and Tony D’Alberto, and rounded out by David Wall and popular television personality Grant Denyer. D’Alberto described it as “a great crew, an awesome car and one of our best events”.

Having previously suffered major injuries in accidents, Denyer was glad to finally be returning to the track: “I had three years in a row when I was about to jump in the car and the car never came back”. To some extent, Denyer’s comments reflect all of our feelings towards racing in the last couple of years. It’s a fantastic feeling knowing most of the pandemic uncertainty is behind us, and we look forward to races without fear of cancellation!

Bathurst 12 Hour history

The history of the Bathurst 12 Hour goes back to 1991, when it was designed specifically for Series Production cars. Nigel Arkell, Peter Fitzgerald and Allan Grice took their Toyota Supra Turbo to victory before the next four races were won in a Mazda RX-7. The last of these races was held at Sydney Motorsport Park due to rising costs at Bathurst, before being cancelled, and not returning until 2007.

Between 2007 and 2010, two teams driving a Mitsubishi, and two driving a BMW became champions. Some of Australia’s most notable racers being Rod Salmon, Damien White, Garry Holt and Paul Morris became two-time champions in this period.

The Bathurst 12 Hour was revolutionised in 2011 with the inclusion of GT3 cars, which have made it into an international event. Since their inclusion, each winner of the event was driving a GT3, and we have seen winning drivers from 13 different countries. This 2022 event is going to be a highly-anticipated race, especially given it did not take place in 2021.

What’s changing?

There will be an adjusted class structure for this year’s event, as well as a different event format. It will be primarily a Pro-Am event, and there must be one FIA bronze ranking driver in every car in the GT3 class.

There will be more practice for the amateur drivers and a new qualifying structure. Aggregate lap times in qualifying will affect grid positions. This seems a positive addition, as everyone in the team will have a significant influence on the outcome.

Bathurst 12 Hour 2022 class structure

Class A (GT3 Pro-Am)

• 3-Driver teams require 2 platinum, gold or silver competitors and one bronze.
• 4-Driver teams require 2 platinum, gold or silver competitors and two bronze.

Class B (GT3 Am)

• No more than one silver competitor, the rest bronze.

Class B (GT3 Trophy Pro-Am)

• No more than one silver competitor, the rest bronze.

Class B (GT3 Trophy Am)

• All bronze competitors.

Class C (Porsche GT3 Cup Car Class D)

• GT4.

Class I (Invitational Class Cars)

• GTC cars from one-make categories.

Bathurst 12 Hour Race Times

The race will be historic this year, as it will start at its earliest ever time: 5:15am. It goes through to 5:13pm plus one lap. It is this that makes the race so appealing for hardcore fans, with the race starting before most of us have even woken up! Nonetheless, 12 full hours of a race at Bathurst is extraordinarily exciting, as we’ve seen in previous years.

It will provide a slightly different atmosphere to past years,  beginning roughly 45 minutes before sunrise. This year the race will be fairly advanced by the time the sun is shining. Adding to the extraordinary atmosphere is the fact the sun will set at around 5:00pm, meaning they will literally have been racing all day. And what an exciting way to finish the race!

Roster

Friday, May 13

Saturday, May 14

Sunday, May 15

Bathurst 12 Hour camping

Anyone who has made the trip to Mount Panorama would know there’s nothing quite like the incredible atmosphere. But you can make even more of that atmosphere by camping at The Mountain. Anyone can make campsite bookings all the way up until May 11; just two days out from the event. That way you can make an entire weekend out of it, and we can’t imagine anything better! But make sure you get a ticket for the event as well, because a campsite ticket doesn’t get you in.

This year there will be three different campsites. Both the McPhillamy and the Reid & Sulman campgrounds are located at the top of the great mountain, giving you a great view of Brock’s Skyline. Alternatively, you can set yourself up right behind the pits in the Paddock. All three sites have toilets and showers available. Campsite check in times vary slightly, but are generally after 8am, and you’ll have to be checked out by 9am on the 16th of May.

Bathurst 12 Hour TV Schedule

Fox Sports, the Seven Network and Kayo Sports are the places to be for those not attending the events. Both Fox Sports and Seven will provide coverage on Saturday. All three networks will then provide full coverage of the main race from 5am on May 15. Be sure to keep that date free!

Drive a purpose-built V8 race car on Bathurst’s Mount Panorama

Has all of this talk about Bathurst got you in the mood to get behind the wheel of a supercar? Would you like to experience the ultimate V8 Supercar experience for yourself? By booking in with Fastrack V8, you can also drive a purpose built V8 race car on Bathurst’s Mount Panorama. Because the track is usually a public road, experiencing the power of The Mountain is usually reserved for V8 Supercar professionals, however, Fastrack V8 race has special access and we provide an experience you will never forget. Experience one of the most incredible driving experiences in the world.

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