PIRTEK Racing’s Tabitha Ambrose will return to Mount Panorama this weekend, determined to secure back-to-back class victories in the 2026 Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour.
Ambrose will again line up alongside Karlie Buccini and Courtney Prince, with the trio reuniting as an all-female driver combination in the #999 Buccini Racing BMW 340i.
The team heads into the endurance classic with confidence, having also claimed class honours in 2024 before Ambrose joined the team last year.
The Bathurst 6 Hour, held at the iconic Mount Panorama Circuit, is one of Australia’s premier production car endurance events, attracting a highly competitive national field each Easter.
Ambrose, the daughter of two-time Supercars champion Marcos Ambrose, continues to build her own reputation in the sport.
Still early in her career, she has already demonstrated strong versatility across categories, combining endurance racing success with a full-time campaign in the Yokohama Tyres AASA Australian Formula Ford Championship.
Now in her second season of Formula Ford competition, Ambrose has taken significant strides in her development, focusing on racecraft, consistency and extracting performance in ultra-competitive junior open-wheel category.
This weekend she swaps her normal “hot rod” for a car with doors and a roof.
“Bathurst is always special, but coming back with the same group and knowing what we achieved last year gives us real confidence,” said Ambrose.
“Karlie, Courtney and I work incredibly well together. There’s a great trust between us, and that’s critical in an endurance race like this.”
There were plenty of dinner table discussions after last year’s race when it was pointed out that Ambrose, a third generation racer, was the first Ambrose to walk away from Mt Panorama with a race trophy.
“Coming away with a class win last year gave me a little ammunition around the dinner table for a week or two,” laughed Ambrose.
“It would be nice if we could back it up this weekend.”
The 2026 campaign marks a step forward for Ambrose in Formula Ford, where she is contesting the national series with PIRTEK backing and support from Repco and Velcro.
The Bathurst 6 Hour presents a different challenge altogether - a six-hour test of speed, strategy and endurance around one of the world’s most demanding circuits.
“Mount Panorama demands respect. It’s fast, it’s technical and it can bite if you get it wrong,” Ambrose added.
“Our goal is simple - execute, stay clean and put ourselves in a position to fight for the class win again.”
Last year’s race was won outright by Cameron Crick and Dean Campbell, who started an incredible 66th in their BMW M2 and finished just 0.8 of a second ahead of Jayen Ojeda, Simon Hodge and George Miedecke who were chasing a three-peat in the six-hour event in their BMW M4.
