iRacing Bathurst 12 Hours – Race Guide & Setups

The Bathurst 12 Hours race is one of the premier endurance races held yearly on iRacing. This special event replicates the real-life contest held at the legendary Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, Australia, which is known for its challenging layout with steep elevation changes, narrow sections, and the iconic mountain section.

This guide covers everything you need about the GT3-specific Bathurst 12 Hours in iRacing, including the event schedule, race format, cars, setups and strategy tips.

When is The Bathurst 12 Hours Held?

The Bathurst 12 Hours in 2025 is scheduled for the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of February, two weeks after the real event takes place. As usual, there are four starting times to accommodate drivers in all time zones:

• The 22:00 GMT Friday fixture is ideal for drivers from North and South America as it will take place during the day
• The early 7:00 GMT Saturday morning splits are ideal for drivers in the Asian/Australasian regions
• The 12:00 PM slot will be when the pro spilt race will take place, so if you are not participating and wish to spectate, this is the slot you’ll need to keep in mind. Less experienced drivers may want to give this time a swerve as it will be by far the most populated.
• The later Saturday 16:00 GMT split is also handy if you suffer a technical problem or crash out from an earlier race, giving you a second chance to complete the contest.  

What is The Mount Panorama Circuit?

The Mount Panorama Circuit, often referred to as Bathurst, is one of the world’s most challenging race tracks. At 6.213 kilometres long, it features a significant elevation change of 174 meters between its highest and lowest points.

The most notable sections of the Mount Panorama Circuit are:

• ‘The Dipper’ and ‘The Esses’: These sections are notorious for their steep drops and challenging turns. ‘The Dipper’ is a steep, twisting downhill section that demands precision and control, while ‘The Esses’ involves a sequence of fast left-right turns leading into ‘The Dipper.’
• ‘McPhillamy Park’ and ‘Skyline’: This section at the highest point features a blind crest where cars go light as they come over the hill, adding to the challenge for drivers.

The Mount Panorama Circuit is known for hosting many motorsport events, including the Bathurst 1000 for V8 Supercars and the Bathurst 12 Hours for GT cars. Its challenging layout and unique features demand a high level of skill, concentration, and precision from drivers. The walls on the mountain section are waiting to claim you should you take your eye off the ball. 

• To study how to handle a GT3 car on this track in more detail, look at the iRacing Lap Guide for the Mount Panorama Circuit on the Coach Dave Academy YouTube channel.

What License is Needed To Race?

You need a minimum D 4.0-level road racing license to participate in the Bathurst 12 Hours, while each team that registers will need at least two drivers. iRacing will assign your team a split according to the total road racing iRating of the team. Each split includes 50 cars.

The event features an eight-minute qualifying session to determine the starting grid for each split. The qualifying session allows drivers to record two fast laps. 

As in the real-life Bathurst 12 Hours, the start and first 30 minutes of the race are held in darkness before the sunrise affords you some respite.

• Only one driver from each team can qualify, but the driver who starts the race can be different from the qualifying driver.

• Race begins with a rolling start procedure at 5:00 AM sim time. 

• As in the real-life Bathurst 12 Hours, the start and first 30 minutes of the race are held in darkness before the sunrise affords you some respite.

The Bathurst 12 Hours GT3 Cars

The Bathurst 12 Hours is the GT3 class-only event. The line-up includes all ten current-gen GT3 cars available in iRacing, with their performance adjusted by the custom Balance of Performance (BoP) rules.

Make sure to keep note of each car’s engine layout; car characteristics are typically more accentuated at Mount Panorama due to the track’s pronounced elevation change, and a car’s engine placement significantly affects its behaviour as its weight shifts around.

Get The Best GT3 iRacing Setups For The Bathurst 12 Hours 2025

Race Strategy

Tyre strategy

Track conditions in this event change significantly during the 12 hours, affecting tyre wear. Rain can attack at any time and wash any usable grip away from the surface, which will give the tyres a harder time.  

The race starts in the morning, with track temperatures between 20-30 degrees Celsius. The track is the fastest during this period and the tyre wear is the lowest in the first stint. After sunrise, the track temperature quickly increases to 50 degrees and peaks at roughly 15:00.

This is more realistic when track temperatures are lower, such as during the night. Preserving your tyres when the track is hotter is key, as the extra temperatures will speed up degradation significantly if you aren’t careful. Double stinting tyres can be tricky, but it is doable for drivers who are adept at looking after their rubber

Fuel strategy

Fuel strategy depends on the car you drive and your race pace. As a general rule, manage your fuel consumption to achieve at least one hour per stint because you will not need to splash and dash at the end of the race, assuming no incidents and repairs.

The simple way to calculate target fuel consumption is to look at your average race pace. 

For the Ferrari 296 GT3 with a 104-litre fuel tank, the target fuel consumption for the race is 104/29 = 3.58 litres per lap. If your average lap times are 2:06, you must drive 29 laps every 1-hour stint. 

Summary

The Bathurst 12 Hours race is a challenging event that tests sim racing drivers’ skill and concentration. Surviving the steep elevation changes and narrow sections of Mount Panorama Circuit during the endurance race takes a lot of setup work and practice.

Much slower traffic won’t be such a consideration given the GT3-only field, but you’ll still need to watch out for lapped cars as the race progresses. Keeping consistent while being gentle on your tyres and saving fuel will open up opportunities later on, allowing you to push for a strong result.  

If you need help to prepare for this event and gain an edge against the competition, explore Coach Dave Academy’s iRacing setups, video guides and coaching.