{"id":266742,"date":"2026-02-04T06:41:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T06:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/266742\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T06:41:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T06:41:15","slug":"supercars-rookie-rylan-gray-to-spearhead-mclaren-in-bathurst-12-hour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/266742\/","title":{"rendered":"Supercars rookie Rylan Gray to spearhead McLaren in Bathurst 12 Hour"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"DJR
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDick Johnson Racing’s Rylan Gray. Image: Mark Horsburgh<\/p>\n

Gray will join Porsche Carrera Cup Australia regulars Bayley Hall and Marcos Flack alongside an as-yet unnamed fourth driver in a 720S GT3.<\/p>\n

The quartet will compete in the Silver class and the entry will be supported by McLaren Customer Racing.<\/p>\n

It will be the first start in the Bathurst 12 Hour for Gray, who won last year\u2019s Super2 Series and steps up to Supercars this year with Dick Johnson Racing alongside Brodie Kostecki.<\/p>\n

He comes to the team with GT experience at Mount Panorama in a Ford Mustang GT4 with Miedecke Motorsport.<\/p>\n

Volante Rosso technical director Chris Papadopoulos said the McLaren entry comes at a good time, off the back of Oscar Piastri\u2019s success with the Formula 1 squad.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are really pleased to confirm that Volante Rosso will begin a new partnership with McLaren Customer Racing and enter a 720S Evo in Australian GT3 competition,\u201d said Papadopoulos.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the right time for our team to compete with McLaren. Not only are we seeing more and more of their cars on our roads, but its Formula 1 team is at the top of its game, winning the world championship.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt also helps that we now link Australian F1 driver Oscar Piastri with McLaren too, so the appreciation for the brand is at an all-time high.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut more so, the McLaren GT3 EVO is an extremely competitive package. It has won races and championships all across the world, and we know that we are going to be able to compete against the best teams.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Volante<\/p>\n

Volante Rosso Motorsport\u2019s McLaren 720S GT3 for the Meguiar\u2019s Bathurst 12 Hour.<\/p>\n

The team has also flagged plans to enter the McLaren in GT World Challenge Australia, which begins in March at Phillip Island.<\/p>\n

\u201cStarting our new partnership with McLaren at the Bathurst 12 Hour is very exciting too,\u201d said Papadopoulous.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no place like it, and the 2026 race has seen a huge resurgence with a range of new brands coming back down under to race.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are also really pleased to have an exciting group of local young guns in our team for Bathurst in the McLaren.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll three are extremely fast and very level-headed \u2013 the perfect combination for a gruelling race like the 12 Hour.<\/p>\n

Volante Rosso has also entered an Aston Martin Vantage spearheaded by former Brad Jones Racing Supercars full-timer Bryce Fullwood.<\/p>\n

He will be joined by Damien Hamilton, Maxime Robin, and Andres Pato.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur line-up in the Aston Martin for the Pro-Am class is also very strong,\u201d said Papadopoulos.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no doubt that those four drivers in a car that we know so well now, will be a force.\u201d<\/p>\n


\"\"\/
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