PORSCHE will return to the iconic Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst this February with their best chances of victory in the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour in years.

Four Porsche 911 GT3 R entries feature among the 31-strong field for Australia’s International Enduro, giving Porsche teams a shot at victory in both the outright and Pro-Am ranks this year.

Porsche has claimed success on the Mountain once before, Matt Campbell helping push an Earl Bamber Motorsport-prepared 991 GT3R to victory in 2019 with co drivers Dennis Olsen and Dirk Werner.

Campbell also scored Porsche’s first ever Bathurst pole position a year later.

The 12-hour will represent the Australian debut of the Type-992 GT3R model, while the existing 991.2 GT3R will also feature.

The four-car entry is headlined by a two-car squad to be fielded by famous German squad Manthey Racing, in conjunction with Aussie outfit EMA Motorsport.

The Manthey EMA team finished second in the 12-Hour last year and also claimed the prestigious DTM title in Germany for Porsche.

Manthey EMA’s team is headlined by the return of Aussie Sports Car hero Matt Campbell, a former Carrera Cup Australia Champion, 12-Hour polesitter and winner and fresh from his maiden victory in the Daytona 24 Hours last weekend.

While Campbell will race with the factory Porsche Penske Motorsport team aboard a Porsche 963 this year, he will return to what he describes as his favourite circuit in a bid to deliver Porsche their second Bathurst win.

“I’m really excited to be re-joining EMA Motorsport and Manthey for the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hours,” Campbell said.

“It’s one of my favourite events and tracks in the world. I might be a bit biased, but I really enjoyed last year and I hope we can improve one more position on our second place finish in 2023. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Campbell will be joined by fellow factory Porsche ace Laurens Vanthoor and three-time one-make Porsche champion Ayhancan Güven aboard the ‘Grello’ Porsche GT3R.

The sister car is entered under ‘The Bend Manthey EMA’ banner with Pro-Am driver Yasser Shahin to be joined by Carrera Cup and Supercup star Harry King and experienced Belgian driver, Alessio Picariello.

Shahin was a multiple race winner in last year’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS championship driving for EMA Motorsport, including winning at the Adelaide 500 with Campbell as a co-driver.

King won the Bathurst round of Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia last year, while Picariello’s long-distance racing experience means the distinctively-liveried Shell V-Power 991 GT3 R will likely be a contender for a strong outright result, as well as class victory.

While the high-profile Manthey EMA squad naturally draws plenty of attention, two other teams represent strong potential victors on the Mountain this year.

Brand-new team, Phantom Global Racing, will make their international racing debut this year.

Based in China but with operational support from Porsche legend Timo Bernhard’s Team 75, Phantom Global have enlisted former Carrera Cup Australia champion Jaxon Evans to lead their driving charge.

He’ll be joined by current Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Champion and Porsche Junior, Bastian Buus, and fast Sweedish driver, Joel Eriksson.

Evans, who claimed the Carrera Cup title in Australia in 2018, will join the Supercars Championship full time this year while balancing his commitments overseas as a go-to ace for Porsche teams in the World Endurance Championship and key GT events.

Meanwhile, Taiwanese team HubAuto Racing make their Bathurst debut as a Porsche team with the vastly experienced driving trio of Austrian Klaus Bachler, Patric Pilet from France and fellow Frenchman, Kevin Estre.

The latter is a member of Porsche’s factory World Endurance Championship squad and finished sixth in the World Championship last year – having won the LMGTE Pro class for the brand in 2018/19.

The Repco Bathurst 12 Hour is held at Mount Panorama, Bathurst, on the February 16-18 weekend.

The race will be broadcast live in Australia on Fox Sports and the Seven Network, while international audiences can follow the action via a live stream on the event website, and key streaming partners around the world.