THE chance to race at Mount Panorama again has lured Supercars drivers to the circuit for the Bathurst 12 Hour.
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While this year's race features a long list of international talents, there are also many Australian stars, including 12 Supercars drivers.
Among them is 24-year-old Anton de Pasquale, who is a full-time driver with Erebus Motorsport.
While he is yet to claim his first Supercars victory, he did record two podium finishes in the 2019 championship.
This Sunday's Bathurst 12 Hour will be his first time racing in a GT3 car and, on top of that, it will be with a team he normally competes against in the Supercars Championship.
He will be driving the #777 Triple Eight Race Engineering Mercedes AMG GT3 alongside Yasser Shahin, Nick Foster and Sam Shahin.
"I've run with Erebus for the last couple of years in Supercars. They're not fielding a car in this and they're pretty friendly with letting me drive anything, anytime as long as they're not racing," de Pasquale said.
"It's very different, basically because we are racing different cars, so it's a bit of a different program.
"But any team at that top level in the Supercars ... they all operate really good. There's obviously different personnel and a lot of new names to remember, but overall its just a couple of people going racing, having a good time."
Naturally, he's looking forward to hitting the Mount Panorama circuit again.
"Anytime you're in Bathurst is always a good time. It's an iconic track, especially for Australians - it's our best one," he said.
"Anytime you get to race here is special and I really enjoy it. The 12 Hour is a unique event itself, so I'm looking forward to it and it's a good way to start the year."
De Pasquale will be up against some big names, including Christopher Mies, Earl Bamber, Dirk Werner, Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, Garth Tander and Chaz Mostert.
Mostert has just touched down in Australia after winning his class in the 24 Hours of Daytona last weekend.
The 12 Hour is the only current Bathurst endurance race he hasn't won and he is eager to secure it on Sunday alongside team mates Augusto Farfus and Nicky Catsburg.
"I put this event, with all the teams and drivers that come from around the world, just as high as Daytona or the 1000 - it's a real special race," he said.
"It's a big race this weekend. I've won two of the three Bathurst races that are available to do, but there's so much competition here, so we've just got to keep trying our hardest."
On-track action for the 12 Hour will commence on Friday, with the race itself to start at 5.45am on Sunday.
