Mustang GT3 Debut at Bathurst a “Milestone Moment”

Photo: Drew Gibson/HRT

The debut of the Ford Mustang GT3 in next year’s Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour will be a “milestone moment” for the brand according to Ford Racing’s global sports car manager Alex Allmandinger.

Confirmed with the release of the provisional entry list on Friday, HRT Ford Racing will enter a single Multimatic-built car in the Intercontinental GT Challenge season opener with to-be-announced drivers in the Pro class.

The German squad, which enjoyed success in an expansive European program with the car this year, will go head-to-head with fellow American rival Chevrolet, which will also be making its Bathurst 12H debut with the Z06 GT3.R in the hands of Johor Motorsports Racing JMR.

While having come close to having a customer entry in this year’s edition of Australia’s international enduro, Ford has gone all out with its factory supported effort with HRT, which is expected to receive a limited form logistical assistance from newly aligned Ford Repco Supercars outfit Triple Eight Race Engineering.

“Being able to take the Mustang GT3 to Mount Panorama is a milestone moment for Mustang and Ford Racing,” said Allmandinger in a blog post.

“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.

“HRT helped lead the European Mustang GT3 charge in 2025, as our largest factory-supported customer program globally, with key overall and class victories at the Nürburgring, as well as securing the first championship awarded to the Mustang GT3 in last season’s ADAC GT Masters.”

Ford is one of the most established brands in Australian motorsport, primarily with its efforts in Supercars, where Matthew Payne and Garth Tander took victory in this year’s Bathurst 1000 in a Grove Racing-run Mustang Supercar.

It has also previously used Mount Panorama as a testbed for Ford’s EV demonstrator, the SuperVan 4.2, which completed exhibition laps in the hands of Romain Dumas.

“Our Bathurst 12 Hour program serves as an exclamation point that the Mustang is ‘home’ on Mount Panorama and in Australia,” added Allmandinger.

“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.”

HRT’s factory supported effort will come with the first generation Mustang GT3, as the new-for-2026 Mustang GT3 EVO has not yet conducted SRO Motorsports Group’s mandatory Balance of Performance tests, which will occur following the Feb. 13-15 event.

The German squad announced on Thursday that it has lodged an IGTC entry that will see the team compete in selected events next year, including Bathurst, the Nürburgring 24 and CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John