Ford GT Confirmed for Bathurst Demo Run

A Ford GT will be taken to Mount Panorama for a series of demonstration laps during the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 weekend next month.

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver Ryan Briscoe will put the Le Mans-winning car through its paces on the 3.8-mile circuit, for what will be its first time running in Australia.

The Ford will appear in “dedicated sessions” throughout the flagship round of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship on Oct. 4-7, although its place on the timetable has yet to be confirmed.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to put this amazing race car on such an iconic circuit,” said Ford Australian and New Zealand president and CEO, Kay Hart.

“Innovation through design and engineering drives Ford Performance, and where better than Bathurst to introduce the Ford Performance GT to Australians.”

Briscoe, a three-time Bathurst 1000 competitor, won this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing and has won a total of seven IWSC races in the Ford GT.

“The Ford GT is an ultra-high-performance car, so I’m really excited and honored to turn its first laps at Bathurst,” he said.

“For me, Bathurst is one of the best, if not the best racing circuit in the world.

“Nothing quite compares to Bathurst. Bathurst as a circuit demands the highest respect at all times.”

The demo laps will coincide with a historical celebration of the Ford Falcon, which is being fielded in the Bathurst 1000 for the last time this year.