Season eight of Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli gets underway Down Under this weekend when the globe-trotting GT3 series visits Mount Panorama and the LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour (February 3-5).

The partnership between Porsche specialist Manthey Racing and EMA Motorsport is certainly promising. No team has scored more Nurburgring 24 Hours victories than the German team, while EMA finished second overall and won the Silver class the last time Bathurst welcomed international teams and drivers in 2020.

But now throw in three Porsche factory drivers – one of which happens to be a local lad made Bathurst legend – and suddenly that promise switches to serious victory contender.

Matt Campbell’s daring pass on Jake Dennis won the race for Porsche in 2019 before the Australian clinched a commanding pole position a year later. He’s joined by regular IMSA co-driver Mathieu Jaminet and Porsche’s best placed DTM driver from last year, Thomas Preining, in the iconic ‘Grello’ liveried Porsche.

Grove Racing’s local Pro-Am entry is the only other 911 GT3 R present this year. Father/son duo Stephen and Brenton Grove are scheduled to contest all five IGTC rounds and are accompanied at Bathurst by one of Supercars’ fastest drivers, Anton De Pasquale.

Competing among those considered to be some of the world's best endurance racers, the trio will make for a powerful line-up, with Stephen and Brenton having entered the Bathurst 12 Hour event back in 2014 and every edition of the endurance race since. Anton de Pasquale will take on his third Bathurst 12 Hour; the 27-year-old being no stranger to the world of endurance racing.

Stephen Grove said: "We love racing the 12 Hour, it's a demanding race and you need to have the best team behind you. Bathurst is one of those tracks you do whatever you can to race at and the 12 Hour is one of the best races of the calendar. To do the race with a strong crew is exciting. We’re bringing together our Supercar and GT team as well as EBM so I think we should be covered!"

"Anton's an exceptionally fast driver with a strong endurance background so we believe we have a solid line-up to bring home some great results.

Fans can follow all six practice sessions via Radio Le Mans before 12 Hour Qualifying, support series, the Red Bull F1 demo and Pirelli Top-10 Pole Shootout kick off the weekend’s live streaming and TV coverage on Saturday afternoon. The race itself goes green before dawn at 05:45 AEDT (GMT +11) on Sunday.

Australia: Fox Sports, Kayo Sports, Seven Network, 7plus
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
All other territories: SRO’s GT World YouTube channel

LIQUI MOLY BATHURST 12 HOUR TIMETABLE – AEDT (GMT +11)

THURSDAY
10:30 – 13:00: Town to Track Parade

FRIDAY
09:45 – 10:25: Practice 1
11:05 – 11:45: Practice 2 (Bronze drivers only)
14:00 – 14:40: Practice 3 (Bronze drivers only)
16:10 – 16:50: Practice 4

SATURDAY
08:35 – 09:35: Practice 5
10:50 – 11:50: Practice 6
12:45 – 13:10: Qualifying 1
13:25 – 13:45: RBR F1 demo
13:55 – 14:35: Qualifying 2
16:10 – 16:50: Pirelli Pole Shootout

SUNDAY
05:45 – 17:45: LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour