More than 400 entries received for annual Challenge Bathurst

It is the second consecutive year that the event has received more than 400 nominations across the four days of on-track competition.

It will mean the event will have welcomed more than 1000 entries across just three years - more than 300 competitors attending the inaugural event in 2016.

The outstanding response from entries builds on last year’s successful event where, despite wet conditions throughout much of the weekend, competitors set multiple personal best times throughout the weekend.

“Challenge Bathurst is now firmly entrenched in the calendars of so many competitors and we are pleased to welcome back so many to the Mountain,” Challenge Bathurst promoter James O’Brien said.

“The supersprint competition is likely to be a taste-test for the big endurance races coming up on the Mount Panorama schedule next year, while the regularity will continue to offer people a chance to get track time at Bathurst who may otherwise never have the chance.”

Hot competition is expected across the four groups of supersprint competitionr, with a host of well-regarded drivers and teams competing.

After topping the times in 2017, Trofeo Motorsport return this year with Jim Manolios and Dean Canto again sharing the driving duties of their Lamborghini Gallardo GT3.

Group A of the Supersprint includes a veritable who’s-who of Australian GT and endurance racing competition – with some international names thrown in for good measure – as they prepare for February’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

Audi factory ace Christopher Mies is entered in a Audi Customer Sport Racing Australia R8 LMS, while regular 12-hour front-runners Tony Walls, Yasser Shahin and James Koundouris are also nominated.

A pair of KTM X-Bow GT4 cars, former Supercars privateer Rodney Forbes in a BMW M4 GT4 and a host of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entries are also locked in to the fastest group.

Former Bathurst 6 Hour winner Nathan Morcom, Ryan McLeod, Carrera Cup youngester Adam Garwood  and Peter Boylan are also spread throughout the field.

Enormous demand for the regularity section will see five groups of competitors take to the Mount Panorama circuit

Regularity competition pits car and driver against the clock and against themselves, as they look to lap as close as possible to a nominated time without going any quicker.

More than 250 regularity entries have been received with some competitors staying at the Mount following their participation in the SuperSprint event earlier in the weekend to maximise their track time.