Ford “Well Prepared” for Mustang GT3 Bathurst Debut

Image: HRT

Ford has pulled in resources from all forms of its motorsports programs for the Mustang GT3’s debut at Mount Panorama according to Ford Racing global sports car manager Alex Allmandinger, who believes they’re “well prepared” to fight for victory in this weekend’s Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

The Mustang GT3 will make its much-anticipated first race outing at Bathurst, with factory sports car stars Christopher Mies and Dennis Olsen, joined by Australian Supercars ace Broc Feeney in HRT Ford Racing’s Pro class entry.

With 22 victories in the Bathurst 1000, the most recent coming last year with Grove Racing’s Matthew Payne and Garth Tander, Ford has been able to leverage resources, largely simulator data, to be as prepared as possible for the GT3 car’s first laps when practice kicks off on Friday morning.

“We’re familiar with Bathurst, which serves as one of the ultimate test beds for developing our road and race products,” Allmandinger told Sportscar365. “It may be new for the Mustang GT3 but not for the Mustang.

“We’ve gathered extensive correlation data through the years to maximize our simulator model for that track. We are confident that we have all the resources to compete, from good partners and drivers, to data…

“Our team has been diligently using all the tools we have available to give us and the Mustang GT3 the best chance to succeed in its debut on The Mountain. This includes comprehensive simulator testing at the Ford Racing tech center in Concord, North Carolina.

“We’ve capitalized on valuable data from our Bathurst 1000 winning Supercars Championship program and combined with all the work and models we have for the Mustang GT3, we’re prepared for The Mountain.”

In addition to simulator work, Ford and its European partner team, Haupt Racing Team, which will also be making its debut at Mount Panorama, has been able to utilize real-world data from other tracks, such as the Nürburgring Nordschliefe, where the Mustang GT3 has been a race winner in NLS competition and class winner at the Nürburgring 24.

“We’re still early in our GT3 program, with respect to some of our competitors, but we’ve learned so much over the last two seasons of global competition that we can apply to this event,” said Allmandinger.

“We know how to extract the most from  the Mustang GT3 in  different types of environments and tracks. The car has won at a variety of top-level GT racing venues worldwide, from Daytona and Detroit, to class wins on the Nordschleife.

“We’ve built a versatile toolkit through our  experiences, which gives us confidence going to a place like Bathurst. We know how to maximize performance, despite this being a new circuit for the Mustang GT3.

Additionally, both Mies and Olsen are former Bathurst 12 Hour overall winners, while Feeney, who has switched to a Mustang for his upcoming Repco Supercars campaign with Triple Eight Race Engineering, has five previous starts in the event, including a class win in his debut.

“We received a lot of interest from drivers about this factory-supported program, which is a good feeling as we continue to establish our presence in the Australia market,” said Allmandinger.

“It’s telling of how significant this program is, as ‘America’s Race Team’ brings the ultimate expression of its iconic nameplate to one of GT racing’s most prestigious endurance racing events.

“We  have a really great lineup with Chris, Dennis and Broc, all who are very well versed  on The Mountain. Chris and Dennis have both won the Bathurst 12 Hour previously, and with Broc’s experience from Supercars, it gives us a good chance to compete for the win.

“We’ve also been prepping our Ford Racing engineers, who have been working tirelessly to ensure that we have the right setup.

“The simulator has been a valuable resource in giving us a great baseline that we can continue to tune through the week, considering driver feedback and the varying track conditions.”

The Mustang GT3’s debut in Australia comes amid a surge of interest in America’s best-selling sports car, which has seen nearly ten  Mustang GT4’s compete in Monochrome GT4 Australia and the launch of the Motorcraft Mustang Cup Australia single-make series with the Mustang Dark Horse R, which kicks off next month.

“Almost Nostalgic” Feeling in Reverting to First-Gen Mustang GT3 for Event

Allmandinger admitted that running the original version of the Multimatic-built Mustang GT3 this weekend, just three weeks after giving the EVO model its debut in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, has taken some getting used to.

Event rules prohibit any all-new or updated GT3 car from contesting the race because they have yet to go through SRO Motorsports Group’s Balance of Performance test, which typically occurs in early March.

Therefore, the BoP for the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge is determined based on last year’s car data.

“The EVO has been on  the forefront of everyone’s mind for so long, especially leading into its competitive debut at Daytona, so  it does feel almost nostalgic to go back the previous year,” said Allmandinger.

“But we’re excited because the Mustang GT3 has risen to the challenge of top-tiered events globally over the last two seasons. The EVO brings tons of performance upgrades and improvements across the board, which we are looking forward to into 2026.

“However, the introductory model will be very complementary to the long straights of Bathurst, and we have compiled thorough data to continue its competitive streak.”

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