MARC Cars Australia
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport, Racecar construction |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Ryan McLeod |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Key people | Geoff Taunton (owner) |
| Products | GTC prototype vehicles, IRC GT, BMW M6 GT3, BMW M4 GT4 |
| Parent | GJ Motorsport |
MARC Cars Australia represents an Australian motorsport team and racecar constructor engaged in international sports car and endurance competitions, primarily campaigning their proprietary GTC prototype vehicles.
Early development
Ryan McLeod, the team's founder, initially participated in several Bathurst 12 Hour events under the former banner Racer Industries. Beginning in 2009 with family-driven Holden Astra SRi entries, the squad achieved a class victory in 2010. Subsequently, the focus shifted from family involvement to nurturing emerging talents such as Chaz Mostert, Scott Pye, and Ashley Walsh, leading to additional class triumphs in 2012—finishing seventh overall—and again in 2013.
GTC program
The year 2013 marked MARC’s creation of its inaugural GTC prototype, designed with a Ford Focus aesthetic and equipped with a five-litre Ford Coyote V8 engine. Esteemed drivers including Glenn Seton and Russell Ingall contributed to its development. Originally intended for competition in South Africa, the team instead entered three MARC-branded vehicles in the Invitational category of the 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour.
McLeod positioned the GTC platform as an affordable option for international endurance racing. Since then, MARC cars have taken part in prestigious events such as the Silverstone 24 Hours, Dubai 24 Hour, and Sepang 12 Hours. In 2015, MARC contested the entire six-round 24H Series, with VDS Racing Adventures subsequently adopting MARC machinery for this championship. That same year introduced a Mazda3-inspired body kit maintaining the Ford Coyote engine for Bathurst competition.
In 2014, MARC Cars earned their own classification within the National Sports Sedan Series and became eligible to compete in the Australian GT Trophy Series starting in 2016. The team has dominated the Invitational class at Bathurst 12 Hour with four consecutive victories using GTC prototypes, accumulating six wins when including earlier HSV model entries.
By 2017, MARC expanded operations into the U.S. market, entering events such as the California 8 Hours at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the 24H COTA at Circuit of the Americas.
MARC II V8
Prior to the 2018 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, MARC Cars Australia unveiled their second-generation GTC vehicle, the MARC II V8, unofficially inspired by the Ford Mustang. Their trio of entries were permitted to lap within the 2:06 range, an improvement over the previous limit near 2:10. With MARC Cars comprising seven of nine Invitational class competitors, they secured another class win, while their lone surviving MARC II V8 finished ahead of first-generation MARC cars.
GT3 and GT4 involvement
In 2016, MARC Cars expanded their portfolio by acquiring a BMW M6 GT3 and participating selectively in rounds of the 2016 Australian GT Championship, including enlisting factory BMW driver Bruno Spengler alongside regular driver Morgan Haber at Phillip Island. At the 2017 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, the team fielded their M6 GT3 plus a record six GTC entries led by Chaz Mostert. Although Mostert qualified second fastest, his race ended prematurely due to gearbox failure. Beginning with the 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour, MARC Cars prepared a BMW M4 GT4 for American entrants RHC-Lawrence/Strom.
IRC GT
Introduced in 2023 by PACE Innovations, the IRC GT was developed to compete directly with FIA GT3 vehicles. Its competitive debut took place at the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour, where it dominated by claiming all top positions in the Invitational category. The Australian outfit 111 Racing achieved two second-place finishes during the 2025 Middle East Trophy, ultimately winning both the drivers' and teams' titles. Additionally, former IndyCar competitor Paul Tracy campaigned the IRC GT in the initial two rounds of the 2025 Trans-Am Series XGT class at Sebring and Road Atlanta, securing pole positions, victories in both events, and leading for the majority of laps.
Company history
In 2020, ownership transferred to GJ Motorsport, headed by Geoff Taunton and previously a customer team operating MARC prototypes, when they purchased the company from Ryan McLeod.