Opinion: Is it Finally IGTC's Chance to Shine?

Six years after globe-trotting GT3 series' high tide, IGTC has much-needed new blood that could bring it back to the forefront...

The 2020 running of the Bathurst 12 Hour will be remembered for a number of reasons. It was Bentley’s breakthrough first major endurance win with its Continental GT3, in a record 33-car GT3 entry that comprised of nine registered Intercontinental GT Challenge manufacturers, which were signing up left and right. Even Ferrari had jumped on board the week of the race.

There was a true sense of excitement and optimism building for Stephane Ratel’s latest and greatest project, which was due to have five races on as many continents that year.

However, less than six weeks after Jules Gounon, Jordan Pepper and Maxime Soulet hoisted the winner’s trophy in Australia, the motorsports world came to a screeching halt due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While other championships were able to adapt and continue to run races, albeit behind closed doors and primarily in Europe and parts of the U.S., IGTC was struggling to stay alive due to its global nature and the next-to-impossible task of getting competitors to far-flung destinations such as South Africa and Japan.

Bathurst didn’t return until 2022 while the Suzuka 1000km was canceled altogether in and only revived after SRO Motorsports Group, in a bold move, took over full promotion of the event in 2025, years after the draconian-style health restrictions were lifted in the country.

Ask anyone in the sports car racing world and IGTC was the hardest hit by the pandemic. What was shaping up to be a banner year of worldwide GT3 endurance racing in 2020 was nearly completely lost due to matters out of SRO’s control.