Raw pace from the Ferrari 296 GT3 and the Arise Racing GT team secured class honours at Mount Panorama in their debut Bathurst 12 Hour appearance, thanks to the Pro-Am class success signed by crew number 36 of Rovera-Evans-Schumacher-Schutte.
A pair of 296 GT3s were entered in the race by Arise Racing GT; one in the Pro class category shared by Australian racing drivers Chaz Mostert and Will Brown and Ferrari factory driver Daniel Serra. A second car, entered in the Pro-Am class, featured a mixed driver line-up including Jaxon Evans, Brad Schumacher, Elliot Schutte and Ferrari factory driver Alessio Rovera.
In Pro class, it was the job of star Australian driver Chaz Mostert to take the difficult first stint of the day, beginning in the dark at 5:45am and carrying on through sunrise. Mostert made a strong getaway and jumped from fifth to third on the opening lap. After 30 minutes the number 26 car had advanced to the lead of the race following two decisive passes from Mostert showing the outright performance potential of the 296 GT3.
The Pro-Am entry, car number 36, started P16 overall on the grid and steadily gained ground as the race evolved. Two serious incidents in the third hour of the race brought out the safety car on each occasion. Their timing played into the hands of rival teams and set up an intriguing strategy battle that would run to the closing stages of the enduro.
With minutes to the halfway point all Pro class entries remained on the lead lap. The #26 car represented the best chance at outright victory despite falling to P6 following the safety cars. The #36 Pro-Am entry sat just outside the top 10 with the possibility of a class victory in sight.
Another pair of incidents around the six- and seven-hour marks saw the field brought back together. There would be no more safety cars following the restart with just over five hours to go.
A consistently fast and clinical stint from Serra brought the #26 car up to P3 with less than two hours left to run on the clock before handing over to Mostert for the final push to the finish.
Mostert drew on all his talent, his experience on the Australian circuit, and all the performance of the 296 GT3 to put the #26 car up into P1 with less than 20 minutes left, but the lack of safety cars in the latter hours of the race worked against the pitstop strategy, and the Pro class leader simply didn’t have the fuel reserves to finish without making another stop. Mostert’s rapid pace in the closing stages saw the #26 car claim the fastest lap of the race (2:02.274) before a final stop for fuel and a recovery drive left the team just outside the podium places, finishing in P4.
It was a positive finish for the #36 car in Pro-Am, which had continued its upwards trajectory over the 12 hours around Mount Panorama. The 296 GT3 rise from its starting position of P16 on the grid to finish P8 overall and take out victory in the Pro-Am class. All four drivers put in admirable performances to give the Arise Racing GT team plenty to celebrate.
The Bathurst 12 Hours was the opening event of the 2025 Intercontinental GT Challenge, which includes the 12 Hours of Nürburgring (19–22 June), the 24 Hours of Spa (26–29 June), the 1000 km of Suzuka (12–14 September), and the 8 Hours of Indianapolis (16–18 October).
Alessio Rovera: “It was a very interesting first Australian experience. I am happy to have contributed to this success and how the team managed the various phases of the 12 Hours and the strategy. Our Ferrari responded well right from practice and we had a very good pace in the race, but such a long race always has its pitfalls. We were always ready, even though Mount Panorama is a very challenging and never predictable, beautiful circuit, which in the double stints also puts you to the test physically.”