A hidden jewel on the local motorsport calendar is fast approaching, with the fifth running of the Shannons Rally Retro Festival on February 17-18, with some of the best rally cars from around the region converging on Melbourne. While rallying out in the bush can, at times for spectators, be a longwinded process, this gathering sees the best of the best come thick and fast. Held at the METEC Driver Training Centre in the Melbourne suburb of Bayswater North, the Festival sees many genuine period cars mixed with a smattering of uber-cool reproductions, who take to a closed loop of

With a total of ten cars, Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing will be starting its campaign in the International GT Challenge (IGTC) at the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour. The prestigious endurance race will be held at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, Australia, on 17 and 18 February. The performance and sports car brand from Affalterbach will start the 2024 IGTC season as the defending champion. In the past two years, victory in the endurance racing classic down under went to the SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. To continue this winning streak in 2024, the team again relies on last year’s winning trio: Jules

The Pakenham Auto Club’s competition season kicked off in fine style with a khanacross event contested over the weekend, with an impressive turnout of competitors in a wide range of machinery turning on an entertaining display. All told, 36 competitors took to the dirt track, testing themselves against the clock on what is essentially a short rally stage. The day saw specialist competition machines go up against standard road cars, with drivers including a healthy mix of juniors, families, and seasoned veteran racers. Overall honours went to Mark Leddra’s awesome Suzuki Sierra off-road racer, which turned on a great show

SCOTT TAYLOR MOTORSPORT has shown off the impressive new livery that their Mercedes-AMG GT3 will sport in the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour this year. To be driven by Craig Lowndes, Thomas Randle and Cameron Waters and run by Ash Seward Motorsport the #222 Mercedes-AMG carries the traditional STM green and black primary colors - with silver and red highlights – but in a new design for this year’s race. The dynamic new scheme, created by well-known livery designer Tim Pattinson, includes the Southern Cross – showcasing the team’s proud Aussie roots and all-Aussie driving squad – plus support from BP

Multiple racers with Australian Grand Prix heritage, including an ultra-desirable 1926 Bugatti and the 1951 handicap-winning MG TC Special, headline the Donington Auction’s live simulcast Summer Classic Car & Number Plate Auction on 25 February. Estimated at just short of $1 million and offered for sale for the first time in 60 years, the incredible 1926 Bugatti Type 37’s legacy includes six Australian Grand Prix starts, from which the car finished second in 1930, ’31 and 33. One of only a handful of genuine examples of the model remaining in Australia, the Bugatti heads a comprehensive list of classics being offered for

An exciting new partnership will see BMW Australia further its involvement with Australia’s International Enduro, joining the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour as an official partner and Safety Car / official vehicle supplier. The multi-year agreement will see high-performance BMW M vehicles feature as the event’s official on-track cars for at least the 2024 and 2025 events. For this year, the new BMW XM will lead the field as the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour Safety Car while also filling the roles as Course Car and Medical Car. BMW M will additionally have significant on-track presence via branding at the iconic Forrest’s

Sonic Motor Racing Services has made the difficult decision to not compete in the 2024 Australian Formula Ford Series. The 13-time champion team of the national Formula Ford category will not compete in the series, instead focusing on its burgeoning stable of entries in Porsche Carrera Cup and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge. Sonic has been a mainstay of Australian Formula Ford for the past 25 years, and team owner Michael Ritter has been involved in Formula Ford for over 30 seasons of competition. Michael began his motorsport career in the early 90s assisting the likes of Russell Ingall and John