Ford Sees ‘Opportunity’ for Triple Eight Mustang GT3 at Bathurst

Photo: Gruppe C Photography/SRO

Ford Racing global director Mark Rushbrook believes there’s an “opportunity” for Triple Eight Race Engineering to take on a Mustang GT3 EVO program in Australia that would include an entry into next year’s Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

The powerhouse Repco Supercars squad, which switched to the ‘Blue Oval’ this year, has been a regular entrant in Australia’s international enduro, most recently in 2024 when it fielded two Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos when it still was the German manufacturer’s customer parts and support supplier in the region.

With the team, now under the leadership of Jamie Whincup, having ruled out running a Mustang GT3 in this year’s event in order to focus on its return to Ford in Supercars, Rushbrook has expressed his desire to see the team back in GT3 competition, but this time with the Mustang, in 2027.

“Triple Eight is an incredible team,” Rushbrook told assembled reporters at last weekend’s Detroit Grand Prix.

“We’re so happy to have them representing us as our homologation team in Supercars. There’s great people there with Jamie Whincup leading that team with great drivers like Broc Feeney and Will Brown.

“Broc showed what he was capable of, not just in a Supercar, but the laps he was able to turn in the GT3 car at Bathurst.

“It’s been a very successful start with Triple Eight and Ford in Supercars and I think [there’s] an opportunity for them to take on a GT3 program as well.”

The Mustang GT3 made its debut at Mount Panorama in February with a single-car factory effort run by HRT, although retired in the opening hour when a kangaroo struck the Chris Mies-driven car.

While not having formally confirmed a return next year, Rushbrook said a number of possibilities are on the table.

“We’re talking [about] all options right now,” he said. “With HRT, they’re very interested in going back, of course.

“They did a great job. It was just unfortunate what happened. I think it was on Lap 3.

“We also have a lot of our Supercars teams that are interested in running a GT3 car there as well. I think there is a lot of opportunity and we’ll see how those options play out.”

Rushbrook said there’s a strong desire to have the Mustang GT3 compete full-time in Australia, which along with Asia, remains untapped markets for the Multimatic-built car, which recently scored its 50th podium in global competition.

“Specifically for GT3, we would like to see cars in Australia,” he said. “We’d love to see more Mustang GT3s at the 12 Hour next year, as well as competing in the series there (GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS).

“We just want to keep producing them and selling them and seeing them on track.”

When asked why the Mustang GT4 has been so popular in Australia, Rushbrook suggested it’s down to the ratio of active GT machinery in the country.

“I think you see more GT4 cars in total racing there than GT3,” he said. “Andrew Miedecke has done a great job in terms of building support over there and getting up to ten Mustang GT4s, which is great to see what.

“We’d just like to see a few GT3s over there.”

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