The Mountain beckons: Bathurst Preview

Wednesday night's Porsche showdown will be followed just four days later by the Logitech V8PRO Invitational Bathurst 1000, creating a week unlike any other in 2026.

For most drivers, Bathurst is the ultimate prize. For a select few, the opportunity is even greater as they'll chase victory twice in one week across Australia's premier Porsche and Supercar championships.

The Australian chapter begins

For the first half of the season, the MOZA Porsche Pro Invitational Series has been an entirely European affair. Six rounds across some of the world’s most iconic circuits have established the championship order.

Now, the series enters a new phase.

Bathurst is the first of three consecutive Australian circuits and immediately presents the field with its toughest examination yet. The combination of elevation changes, blind corners and unforgiving walls makes Mount Panorama unlike anything the drivers have faced so far this season. While the established contenders arrive as favourites, the Australian phase presents an opportunity for the chasing pack to close the gap, with those who thrive on home soil poised to shake up the order.

The championship picture

With half the season complete, the title fight has begun to take shape. Damon Woods enters the round with a commanding 237‑point lead, but the battle behind him is far tighter.

Zach Rattray‑White, Zak Kerr and Ric Kuznetsov are separated by just six points, forming an intense three‑way fight for second. One strong result — or one mistake — could reshape the order entirely this week.

The pursuit of a Bathurst double

But this week, Porsche glory won’t be the only thing these championship hopefuls are chasing. This week offers the rare opportunity to achieve something special: win at Mount Panorama in both the Porsche Cup car and the Gen3 Supercar.

Those taking on the double challenge this week include Porsche championship leader Damon Woods; Eclipse stars Zach Rattray-White, Seth Brown and Hayden Veld; Vermillion Esports drivers Zak Kerr, Ric Kuznetsov, Tyce Hodge, Sebastian Varndell and Jacob O'Reilly; as well as Reece Wakefield (OPR x Gammaflare Sim Racing), Ryan Jones (DPR), Angus Lawford (Project XXXVI) and Lachie Caple (Logitech G ODBM).

It’s a group stacked with talent, versatility, and experience — and they’ll need every bit of it for what comes next.

Two cars, two disciplines, one brutal week

Switching between the Porsche Cup car and the Gen3 Supercar is far more than simply changing which side of the cockpit you’re sitting in. The two cars demand vastly different driving styles. Drivers must recalibrate braking points, steering inputs and throttle application while adapting to entirely different visual references around the circuit. Even the curbs that reward commitment in one car may prove punishing in the other. The contrast couldn't be greater.

Perhaps the greatest challenge, however, comes before the lights go out. Preparing for two vastly different cars inevitably means a compromise. Time spent refining a Porsche setup is time not spent understanding a Supercar. Add the expectation of performing at the front in both categories, and Bathurst week becomes as much a mental challenge as a driving one. Managing that mental switch may prove just as important as outright pace.

A chance to make history

While all drivers attempting the double will fancy their chances at victory, form lines across both series suggest there are two names in particular who have a better chance than most: Damon Woods and Zach Rattray-White. These two have the most wins in the Porsche series including sharing the spoils last time out at Austria. Their recent form in the V8PRO series is also strong with the pair rounding out the podium at the recent Sandown 500.

To win either event at Bathurst this week would be a major achievement. To win both would create a special chapter in the Australian sim racing history books.

But while these two might be the favourites in the Porsche series, the list of capable rivals is increasing by the round and there are a number of drivers in form who are lining up to grab the spotlight on Wednesday night.

Automoves Racing – In form and nothing to lose

Although his name is not in the top 10 in the points, Hugo Allan is on a charge. Three consecutive podiums at the Red Bull Ring confirmed what the previous round had already hinted at — Allan is one of the form drivers of the championship. A maiden victory feels inevitable. The only question is whether it comes this week on the Mountain.

Vermillion Esports – Seeking redemption

Only six points separate Vermillion drivers Kerr and Kuznetsov from Rattray-White in the battle for second in this year’s title race. And the team have form at Bathurst in the Porsche Cup car. Earlier this year, Kuznetsov teamed up with Sabo and Van Hemert in the Oceanic Sim Racing (OSR) Bathurst 12 Hour, where the trio established themselves as the benchmark in the Porsche class. After leading the opening half of the race, their hopes of victory were ultimately ended by the unforgiving nature of the Mountain. Wednesday night presents an opportunity for redemption.

Momentum Racing – Officially on the pace

The iRacing officials were recently at Bathurst providing an opportunity for drivers to test setups and get some laps under their belts. The week was a happy hunting ground for several drivers across the field, none more so than Momentum’s Tom Bewley. Out of over 3600 drivers to take on the Mountain that week, Bewley recorded the fastest qualifying lap along with the third fastest average race lap suggesting he has a setup that’s quick in qualifying and race trim. Coming off rounds with back-to-back podiums, he’ll not only want to extend that streak but is well and truly in contention for the top step.

Real-world talent joins the fight

Bewley isn't the only weapon Momentum Racing is bringing to Bathurst. The team will also field two exciting wildcard entries at Mount Panorama, with real-world racers Callum Hedge and Cameron McLeod joining the grid for Round 7.

Hedge brings a particularly impressive Porsche pedigree. The young Kiwi claimed the Australian Carrera Cup Championship in 2023 before taking his career overseas, competing in Indy NXT in the United States. He finished fourth in the championship as a rookie in 2024 before placing seventh last season.

Hedge returned to Porsche competition this year in the North American Carrera Cup Championship, where multiple podium finishes have him sitting third in the standings with three rounds remaining. His real-world experience in the Porsche Cup car makes him a fascinating addition to a field already packed with talent.

Joining him is Ford Racing Development driver Cameron McLeod, who brings plenty of Bathurst experience of his own. McLeod is a race winner at Le Mans, has stood on the podium at Monza and finished in the top five in last year's Supercars Bathurst 1000.

For the regular field, the arrival of two drivers with proven real-world credentials adds another intriguing variable to what promises to be an exciting night of racing. The question now is whether the Mountain belongs to the sim racers — or whether the real-world specialists can show them a thing or two.

The benchmark of the 992.1 era hangs up the virtual helmet

Bathurst week also marks a moment of reflection for the Porsche Cup paddock, as one of the defining talents of the 992.1 car steps away from sim racing — Kory Lazarus.

Twelve months ago, Lazarus stood at the peak of Oceania’s Porsche Cup scene. In the 992.1 machinery, he was the benchmark — the driver who could find speed where others found limits. Had this series run in that era, he would have been one of the clear title favourites. But the arrival of the 992.2 brought a very different challenge. By his own admission, adapting to the new car proved difficult, requiring a completely different driving style to its predecessor. Its introduction was unfortunate timing for a driver who had become synonymous with extracting every last tenth from the 992.1 and seemed destined to earn his place on sim racing's biggest stage, the Porsche Esports Supercup (PESC).

In the current era of sim racing, where reputation and the respect of your fellow competitors are among the greatest achievements a driver can earn, Kory leaves with both. He was the type of competitor you wanted to line up against — incredibly fast, fiercely competitive, but always respectful and trustworthy in the heat of battle.

Elite Porsche Cup racing won't feel the same without K. Lazarus on the timing screens.
Congratulations Kory on an outstanding sim racing career, and all the best for what lies ahead.

The Mountain awaits

As one of benchmarks of the 992.1 bows out, the spotlight shifts to those now carrying the torch in the new era. And there is no better proving ground than the Mountain.

This week represents more than another championship round. With Australia’s two premier sim racing series converging on Mount Panorama, Bathurst week becomes a stage unlike anything the season has seen and the timing couldn't be better. Coming off arguably the race of the season last round, the quality of racing has stepped up, the frontrunners are pushing each other to new heights, and the arrival of two highly credentialed real-world wildcards adds another layer to a field that is finally reaching the standards it has been chasing since Round 1.

Now that momentum arrives at the Mountain.

Bathurst has a habit of producing unforgettable moments. This week, it feels poised to create one of the most memorable chapters in Australian sim racing history.