While the American Le Mans Series teams line-up at this week’s Winter Test at Sebring, on the other side of the world in Australia some familiar faces are set to tackle the famous Mount Panorama circuit for the Bathurst 12-Hour.

Run for a broad range of classes with GT3 spec cars battling for outright honors, the circuit is the same venue that Australia’s V8 Supercars fight it out the annual Bathurst 1000 classic each October.

The 3.861 mile circuit features massive elevation changes with the famous “Dipper” part of the circuit making Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s corkscrew look like the Bonneville Salt Flats.

The circuit is also incredibly fast but with very little run off – the top of the mountain lined with unforgiving concrete barriers.

Some familiar faces to the ALMS will be in action down under including Mika Salo alongside Alan Simonsen in a Ferrari; Eric Lux and Christian Zugel in an Audi; Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 2011 race winner Harold Primat in another Audi; and Bob Faieta’s Competition Motorsports team who is running former Porsche factory driver Alex Davison and US-based Australian David Calvert-Jones. Calvert-Jones made his ALMS debut at Petit Le Mans last year.

A grid of close to 50 magnificent machines will grid up on the mountain including marques such as Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

After comfortably winning the battle of the tire manufacturers in the Australian GT Championship last year, Michelin is looking forward to resuming this battle. As with the Australian GT Championship in 2012, race competitors will have the choice between three tire suppliers, and much of the field has already decided to run the 2013 Bathurst 12 Hour equipped with Michelin tires.

“With a racing pedigree built on championship and race wins across the globe, the Michelin name is synonymous with delivering quality motorsport products that perform well, are safe, durable and their performance is consistent lap after lap,” said Thierry Martin, Managing Director Michelin Australia.”