High Class Racing secured a brilliant second place finish for Porsche in the 2026 Bathurst 12 Hour, taking the runner-up spot overall as well as Bronze victory.
Dorian Boccolacci, Anders Fjordbach and Kerong Li delivered an outstanding comeback drive, starting in 30th place before mounting a brilliant attack with great strategy to finish second.
Absolute Racing and Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) both also secured top 10 finishes during an action-packed race at Mount Panorama Circuit for the 2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge season opener.
High Class Racing had an uphill battle on its hands, starting last in the Bronze class, but excellent opening stints from all three drivers put them back in contention.
Several interruptions to racing meant it was difficult for teams to find the perfect strategy, with multiple red flags throughout the race.
However, as the race went green again with just 40 minutes left on the clock, the four remaining Porsche entries were in the top 10 aiming for glory.
Boccolacci was behind the wheel of the #86 High Class Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R and made up two places from fourth to second at the Safety Car restart.
The Frenchman then showed excellent pace to put the leader under constant pressure, crossing the line just over a second behind, as he clinched an unbelievable second overall and Bronze win for the Danish outfit on Bathurst debut.
Boccolacci said: “It’s insane what we’ve been able to achieve today and I feel like I’m still dreaming! After a very early 4am start this morning, you head to the track knowing anything can happen.
“It was tricky in the middle part of the race, but we saved fuel well and managed to be in a strong position for the closing stages.
“We showed great pace to get second overall and first in Bronze which was beyond our expectations. The team did an amazing job and I couldn’t have dreamt of a better result than this.”
Saturday’s Qualifying session saw the Absolute Racing #911 entry advance into the Pirelli Pole Battle, where Matt Campbell ensured the outfit would line up fourth for Sunday’s event as the highest starting Porsche.
Alessio Picariello took the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 R for the start, retaining his position before an early pit stop.
Bastian Buus pulled off multiple overtakes to make his way forward, with the Porsche Driver managing to cross the line sixth overall and fourth in the Pro category for Absolute Racing.
In the EBM entry, Ricardo Feller produced an excellent first stint from the back of the grid, after the team had its qualifying times deleted due to a technical infringement.
The Swiss driver used his experience around the mountain to expertly move his way up into fifth as he handed over to Klaus Bachler.
After solid stints from both drivers and Laurin Heinrich, Feller would finish what he started, securing eighth overall, with the squad gaining an impressive 26 places over the course of the 12 hours.
Herberth Motorsport’s trio of Ralf Bohn and brothers Alfred and Robert Renauer showed strong pace, leading the Bronze category in the early stages of the enduro for the German outfit.
The #21 car was engaged in a brilliant battle for the final spot on the Bronze podium, just narrowly missing out by less than half a second, but still managed to claim 11th overall.
The Tsunami RT Porsche piloted by Fabio Babini, Johannes Zelger and Alex Fontana was making steady progress throughout. Unfortunately, just over eight hours into the event they suffered race-ending damage, which brought out a Red Flag.
The next stop on the 2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge calendar will be the Nürburgring 24 Hours on May 14-17.
Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Ltd.: “It was another action-packed Bathurst 12 Hour and we’re delighted for High Class Racing, clinching second overall and the Bronze category victory.
“The team did an excellent job and executed the race perfectly, being in the right place at the right time.
“It’s extremely impressive and also great to see our former Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver Dorian get off to a brilliant start in his new role as a Porsche Driver.
“Absolute Racing and EBM also battled throughout to score top 10 finishes during the gruelling enduro.
“We were lacking a bit of straight-line speed which can be challenging around Mount Panorama Circuit.
“However, it was still a successful weekend and we’re looking forward to the next IGTC round in the region when Suzuka 1000km takes place in September.”
Full Bathurst 12 Hour results:
2. #86 High Class Racing - D Boccolacci, A Fjordbach, K Li 6. #911 Absolute Racing - B Buus, M Campbell, A Picariello 8. #61 EBM - K Bachler, R Feller, L Heinrich 11. #21 Herberth Motorsport - R Bohn, A Renauer, R Renauer 30. #79 Tsunami RT - F Babini, A Fontana, J Zelger
