For motorsport fans missing live television coverage of major events the wait is almost over with the Liqui Moly 12-hour Bathurst GT3 sports car race just three weeks away.
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The good news is that for those fortunate to have Fox Sports you will be able to watch all three days, but if you don't have Fox the Seven Network will simulcast the 12-hour race from start to finish on the Sunday.
While the driver line up is yet to be confirmed, 40 entries have been received from Europe, Asia, America and Australia to contest round one of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
The remaining four rounds are the 24-hours of Spa in Belgium at the end of July, the Suzuka 10-hours in Japan on August 23, the Indianapolis eight-hour on October 4 and the Kyalami nine-hour in South Africa on November 21.
In the GT3 field there are 11 different brands including Mercedes Benz AMG (6), Porsche GT3R (5), Audi R8 (5), Aston Martin Vantage (4), Lamborghini Huracan (3), Nissan GTR (3), two each for Bentley Continental, BMW M6 and McLaren 720S and one each for Ferrari 488 and Honda NSX.
Rounding out the 40-car field will be two GT4 entries and four of the Australian-built MARC cars in the Invitational class.
Since the event switched to the GT3 cars in 2011 from the previous production cars, Audi has won three times, Ferrari twice and one each to Mercedes Benz AMG, Nissan GTR, McLaren 650S and Porsche GT3R.
In that time six Australian divers and one New Zealander have stood on the top step including Craig Lowndes (2014 and 2017), John Bowe (2014), Peter Edwards (2014), Jonathon Webb (2016), Jamie Whincup (2017), Matt Campbell (2019) and NZ driver Shane Van Gisbergen (2016).
This year's race will be the first time a Honda NSX GT3 has raced in the 12-hour since it changed to GT3 cars, and based on its successful performance in other series, it is bound to create a great deal of interest.
The car is powered by a twin turbocharged 3.5-litre, V6 engine mated to a six-speed Xtrac gearbox and depending on regulated restrictions, the engine can produce up to 550 horsepower.
While Aston Martin has competed in the 12-hour previously this latest version features a modified aero package and more importantly has moved from the V12 engine to the twin turbocharged 4.0-litre V8.
This will also be the first time the McLaren 720S has competed at the 12-hour and while the aero package has been revised, the 4.0-litre twin turbocharged V8 remains.
SEALED DEAL
Red Bull F1 team motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has admitted their decision lock in 22-year-old Max Verstappen to the end of 2023 was to prevent the Mercedes Benz AMG team from poaching the Dutchman.
At the end of this season Mercedes Benz driver Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Renault's Daniel Ricciardo will be out of contract.
The rumour mill is suggesting that Hamilton may move to Ferrari if Vettel retires but whether Hamilton would want to be team mate to Charles Leclerc, who has a contract to the end of 2024, is the big question.
If the move did happen, which is a big call, would that open the door for Ricciardo to go to Mercedes Benz bearing in mind that there is no certainty that Valtteri Bottas will have his contract renewed for 2021 by the German team?
There is also the suggestion, which has been around for ages, that Ricciardo could replace Vettel if he steps away at the end of this year.
It's not beyond the realms of possibility considering Ricciardo's easy-going attitude would be less likely to cause any inter-driver dramas such as between Hamilton and Niki Rosberg previously at Mercedes Benz.
Ricciardo speaks Italian and despite his huge retainer at Renault would be less expensive to Ferrari than Hamilton.
Remember, Ricciardo is a race winner and an asset to any team. As I often say it's all grist for the mill.
