Michael Caruso will make his debut in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International on November 11-13.
Caruso will team with GT regular Marc Cini in his Melbourne Performance Centre-prepared Audi R8 for the three-hour endurance race.
It will be Caruso’s debut in the class, but not his first GT race at Bathurst. The Supercars and TCR Australia race winner drove a Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 at the 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour.
The drive will be a prelude for Caruso and Cini ahead of the pair teaming up for the Bathurst 12 Hour in February next year.
Caruso’s drive in the Audi with Cini will make for a busy weekend, adding to his TCR Australia duties in his Alfa Romeo, plus his Stan Sport broadcasting commitments.
“I’m very excited to say I will be racing at the Bathurst International in GT (World Challenge Australia), which will be fantastic,” Caruso said on Stan Sport’s Pit Lane podcast.
“I’ll be joining Marc Cini, so it’s a great little warm-up, the Bathurst International, for GT cars because obviously the (Bathurst) 12 Hour is early next year. This is a three-hour hit out. A good opportunity to get some laps, get up to speed, and prepare yourself for one of the biggest events, or international events, coming up.
“MPC is one of the best and most professional teams in pit lane. I already had a call from Troy [Russell] preparing me for what we need to do in the lead-up. But yeah, really excited. Actually, no pressure, because every time Marc has been up to Bathurst he’s had a trophy in his class, so he was pretty clear on that when he said to come race.
"The good thing is they’re both left-hand-drive cars. Obviously, there are technical differences. And driving, I guess, different lines and what have you. But, ultimately, being able to sit on the same side of the car helps."
The Supercheap Auto Bathurst International will be run on November 11-13 in what is set to be a huge weekend of racing including the final round of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters, Turtle Wax Trans Am and more.
CLICK HERE to secure your tickets to the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International.
The race event at the famed Mount Panorama circuit will be covered live and ad-break free on Stan Sport.