Habul, Gounon, Stolz Aiming to Keep “Good Record” Going

Photo: Gruppe C Photography/SRO

Kenny Habul, Jules Gounon and Luca Stolz are aiming to keep their “good record” in the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour going, as the 75 Express trio enter this weekend’s race seeking their third overall win and fifth consecutive podium finish.

The three drivers, who are not only the most successful lineup in event history but also the longest-running, embark on their fifth attempt together at Mount Panorama.

It dates back to the 2022 event when Habul, Gounon, Stolz and Martin Konrad took overall honors in a Pro-Am-enforced race before backing it up with another outright victory one year later, but in the return of the Pro class.

Habul, Gounon and Stolz then finished runner-up to Manthey EMA in 2024, while trailed the two dominant Team WRT BMW M4 GT3s in last year’s edition, but still remained on the podium and the top Mercedes-AMG entrant for four years running.

They are part of a crowded 15-car Pro class field this year, in the largest GT3 grid in the event since 2020 that includes the Bathurst debuts for both the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R and Ford Mustang GT3 filled with factory drivers.

“Having four podiums in a row, we’ve been lucky, and we hope we’re lucky again,” Habul told Sportscar365. “But it gets exponentially harder each time you come here.

“There’s a huge level of competition with a lot of pros, who I can imagine will be aggressive.

“My guys are going to be careful because I think there will be a lot of aggression out there with all these new guys. A lot of those guys haven’t been here before.

“We just need to stay out of trouble. It’s the same as every year, just stay out of trouble and keep it in one piece.

“Luca is really, really good at the start and in the middle. Jules is the most successful guy here in 12 Hour history.

“The three of us have a good record. We hope to keep it going.”

For Gounon, who has three consecutive overall wins dating back to Bentley Team M-Sport’s triumph in 2020, the Frenchman firmly believes that Mount Panorama ‘decides’ the winner each year.

“We just have to focus on our stuff,” he told Sportscar365. “We focus on working well, improving the car and get better, get Kenny in the groove, drive well, like we did every year.

“I just believe this place always chooses winners. I don’t think you can do anything about it. It’s Mount Panorama that decides and hopefully it will be kind to us again.”

Gounon credits the chemistry between the three drivers as being a significant part of their success at Bathurst.

“It’s just amazing,” he said. “Every year we go to Kenny’s house on Conrod Straight.

“Before we arrive, we’re in Bondi Beach. We see some very nice girls walking, running with us, and just enjoying life.

“I love Australia. I love coming here. Every night we have a barbecue at Kenny’s place and look up at the stars. You’re on the mountain. There’s a huge aura about this place.

“Since the first time I came in 2018, I always felt, ‘Wow, this is special.’

“It’s just sad that it’s a bit far from Europe because most of the fans of motorsport can’t experience that. It’s such a long travel for them that most of them can’t come.

“But once you come once, you want to come ever year for sure.”

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