The Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour (3-5 February) is the first event of the second year of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the only global GT3 and GT4 championship. In contrast to the inaugural season, manufacturers no longer need to enter their cars separately. In 2017, as long as they hold an international licence, all cars and drivers entered in the overall GT3 class, together with the manufacturers in the overall GT4 class are automatically eligible to score points towards the titles.

This rule change obviously has a positive influence on the number of entries for the Intercontinental GT Challenge. Even though the entry list of the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour is not yet completely finalised, it is already clear that several manufacturers and drivers, in both the GT3 and GT4 categories, will battle for the first Intercontinental GT Challenge points of 2017.

There will be three titles in the 2017 Intercontinental GT Challenge: an overall title for the GT3 Drivers, an overall title for the GT3 Manufacturers and an overall GT4 title for Manufacturers. The latter will be decided over three rounds, since GT4 cars are not eligible at the Total 24 Hours of Spa. Should more than two cars of a specific manufacturer finish in the top-10, these cars will be considered invisible and their points will be redistributed to the next eligible car.

Winning the Intercontinental GT Challenge represents the highest achievement in long distance GT3 racing, and the new rules will make the second season of the Intercontinental GT Challenge – which sees the Mazda Raceway California 8 hours race at Laguna Seca (13-15 October) join the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, Total 24 Hours of Spa and Motul Sepang 12 Hours – even more exciting than the first edition.