Opinion: IGTC's Make-or-Break Season

John Dagys explores the implications at stake for SRO's globe-trotting GT3 series as it enters reconsolidated 2024 season...

Intercontinental GT Challenge kicks off this weekend as part of the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour at Mount Panorama, in a season that could be make-or-break for the SRO Motorsports Group-organized series.

After several subdued seasons with modest manufacturer participation amid several pandemic-impacted years, IGTC hits a crucial juncture for 2024 with a reshaped and refocused calendar that has the potential to spur renewed growth.

While the campaign again kicks off at Bathurst, which doubles as the opening round of Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS, Stephane Ratel and his team have made the strategic move to drop two rounds and make the unconventional addition of another 24-hour endurance classic to its calendar.

Both Kyalami 9 Hour, which struggled for entries through its four editions under IGTC’s affiliation, as well as the Gulf 12 Hours, an event that served as a stop-gap for two seasons in the Middle East, are no longer on the IGTC schedule, replaced by none other than the Nürburgring 24.