Bathurst 12 Hour locks down 2018 date

The event has now become the traditional opening weekend of the Australian motorsport season, and is one of the first major international races to take place towards the beginning of the calendar year.

That will continue to be the case next year, with the date locked in and tickets set to go on sale in July.

“The Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour has established itself as the traditional start to the Australian motor racing calendar,” said event director John Casey.

“The first weekend in February also allows for international teams and drivers to compete without any clashes with other events and has become a great tradition.

“We have already received strong interest in the 2018 event and look forward to working with the Bathurst Regional Council, Liqui-Moly Australia and our great partners to continue to grow this world-class event.”

The 2018 event forms part of a three-year agreement with the New South Wales government, aimed at building on the 40,000-strong crowd that attended this year’s race.

“Growing tourism in rural and regional NSW is a top priority for the NSW Government, and as a Minister who lives in rural NSW, I am personally committed to this objective,” said Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall.

“Partnering with events like the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour help cement the state as the home of motorsport in Australia, and drive us towards our goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure in NSW by 2020.”