Heart of Racing by SPS Enters Bathurst 12H

Heart of Racing by SPS has announced it will contest the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour next February with a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.

The collaboration between the U.S.-based Heart of Racing squad and German outfit SPS Automotive Performance, which up to now has been limited to the 24H Series, will extend to the Intercontinental GT Challenge for the first time.

Team principal Ian James will share driving duties with Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas, taking on the Pro-Am category.

All three drivers are Heart of Racing regulars, with Gunn and Riberas making up the team’s full-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship pairing in the GTD Pro class with the Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

James is a mainstay of the team’s GTD class effort, and was also part of the driving squad for the Heart of Racing by SPS 24H Series campaign with the Mercedes this year.

All three drivers will be making their first appearances at Bathurst.

“We are very excited about the Bathurst 12 Hour challenge,” said SPS team principal Stephan Sohn. “The track is really unique and very demanding. Starting in the darkness is also a first for us.

“The Mercedes-AMG GT3 has been the car to beat in recent years. That makes us optimistic that we can show a good performance in this race. The drivers and the team are highly motivated to achieve a good result.”

The news follows the announcement that Heart of Racing and SPS will continue their alliance for next month’s 24H Dubai.