Ford Racing partner team Haupt Racing is set to give the Ford Mustang GT3 its Bathurst 12 Hour debut in 2026, as part of an expansion to its growing GT effort with the famous ‘Blue Oval’.
In 2025, HRT ran Mustangs across Europe in DTM, ADAC GT, the NLS and Nürburgring 24 Hours. During the year, it captured multiple wins and clinched the Mustang GT3 its first title globally in ADAC GT.
Down under next February at Mount Panorama, it will compete under the HRT Ford Racing banner and face stiff opposition from several world-class teams. This news marks the next step in what HRT previously told DSC it believes will become a long-term partnership.
And it will rekindle the Ford versus General Motors motorsport rivalry that has persisted for many generations in Australian touring car racing, for the first time on the Bathurst 12 Hour stage.
“Being able to take the Mustang GT3 to Mount Panorama is a milestone moment for Mustang and Ford Racing,” Alex Allmandinger, Ford Racing’s global sports car manager, said of the effort.
“It may seem obvious to say, but, like racing at Le Mans, Daytona, Nürburgring or Spa, competing on “The Mountain” gives an entirely new line of sight on our commitment to international motorsports in the 125th Year of racing at Ford.
“Racing in Australia is not new for Ford, we have been doing that for decades. In fact, racing at Bathurst is not new either.
“Just this past season, Matthew Payne and Garth Tander demonstrated true grit crowning the Mustang Supercar as the “king of the hill” in the Bathurst 1000 – in arguably one of the most exciting finishes of the year. We introduced the Ford SuperVan 4.2 to the mountain one year prior, and our EV demonstrator officially became the fastest closed-wheel vehicle around the circuit with Romain Dumas. But racing in the 12 Hour, that is a new and exciting challenge we are looking forward to taking on.
“Our Bathurst 12 Hour programme serves as an exclamation point that the Mustang is “home” on Mount Panorama and in Australia. With the Mustang GT3 at the top, we are showcasing our motorsports ladder system at work in Australia.
“In addition to the Bathurst 12 Hour, we will be introducing the Dark Horse R and single-make Mustang Cup series with our partner Driving Solutions into Australia in March.
“With the GT3 above and the Dark Horse R below, our championship-winning Mustang GT4 provides a complete link for competitors hoping to stand on the podium at Bathurst one day. Australia is a critical component in how we take Ford Racing around the world. Mustang is woven into the fabric of global sports car racing – at every level.”
Additional information about the effort, including the driver line-up, will be revealed closer to the event.
Images © Haupt Racing Team
