HUBAUTO Racing will make its return to the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour in 2024, the Taiwan-owned GT team entering a Porsche 911 GT3R 992 in the Pro class.
Founded by Taiwanese racer Morris Chen in 2018, this will mark the team’s third tilt at the 12 Hour and its first since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Its previous bids came in 2019 and 2020 when it was a Ferrari team, although it failed to make the start of the latter race following a crash in practice.
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“Our experiences at Bathurst have been challenging but we’ve always shown potential. These events have been integral to our growth and resilience as a team,” HubAuto’s Australian technical director, Phillip Di Fazio, said.
“We are constantly analysing our past performances, learning valuable lessons, and our meticulous preparations for this year’s race reflect our commitment to overcome the challenges of this legendary circuit.”
The privately-owned squad won its class in the Laguna Seca round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge in 2019 and claimed the Asian Le Mans Series in 2019-20.
HubAuto switched to running Porsches in 2021 and did so with a bang, besting the factory-supported squads to take the LM GTE-class pole position for that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The team has strong connections to Australia in international racing veteran Di Fazio, while Supercars stars Tim Slade and Nick Percat both among its past driver roster, and Liam Talbot piloted its Mercedes-AMG GT in last year’s ALMS.
“HubAuto Racing’s return to Bathurst is more than the racing; it’s about our fans in Australia and our determination to conquer the Mount Panorama circuit,” team principal and owner Chen said.
“Clinching the 2019-2020 Asian Le Mans Series title strengthened our connection with our Australian fan base, who hold a special place in our hearts. Our Australian fans are our second-largest supporter base, beyond Taiwan.
“Australia has been a tremendous source of fan support, and we are eager to return to Bathurst – a circuit known for its unforgiving challenges and create new memorable moments for both our local and international fans.”
HubAuto will announce the driver lineup for its #39 Porsche next week.
The team is the latest to reveal its entry in the lead-up to the race, with reigning polesitters GruppeM and the Chaz Mostert co-owned Method Motorsport announcing their Mercedes-AMG GT3 and McLaren GT4 entries respectively on Wednesday.
The Repco Bathurst 12 Hour takes place at Mount Panorama on 16-18 February 2024.
