Bathurst Beckons: Title Battles Tighten as Williams Prepares for Kanata's Emotional Final Start

Bathurst, Australia, 12 December — The 2025 racing calendar will conclude on one of motorsport’s most feared and revered battlegrounds, as the Finale 200 Minutes moves from its originally scheduled home at Sydney Motorsports Park to the mountain roads of Mount Panorama. Logistical constraints at SMP, including a shortage of pit boxes for the expanded World Tsuyo/Zako grid, prompted the ARO to shift the Round 10 HoloType International weekend to Bathurst — setting up a far more explosive season finale than initially imagined.

The event serves as Round 10 of the HoloType International Series and the decisive Round 3 of both the World Tsuyo/Zako and Round 5 of the Japan Tsuyo/Zako campaigns. Championships remain wide open across multiple classes, and the punishing 200-minute test around Mount Panorama will ensure no title is easily claimed.

Championship leader Joshua Azurid, representing Mori Calliope in the #4 Calli Tsuyo car, arrives with momentum after victories at Fuji and Mandalika. His closest pursuer, Airi Nakamura, driving the #81 Akai Haato machine, sits 85 points back and must finish ahead of Azurid by quite the distance to keep her title hopes alive. Grave Prower, representing Mococo Abyssgard in the #52 car, remains mathematically in the hunt as well, though needing a combination of pace and luck on Sunday.

The Zako field also carries high stakes. In the World Zako, Enzio Ferrari, driver of the #60 Raora Panthera entry, holds a slim lead but faces immense pressure from Hanami Kiriko, representing Himemori Luna, whose dominant run at Okayama and Mandalika has placed her within striking distance. With Bathurst’s unforgiving walls, one mistake could swing the championship wide open.

The Japan Tsuyo chase is equally tight. Ed Skye, in the #16 Kazama Iroha Tsuyo car, enters with a 30-point advantage over Sammy Ake, representing Shirakami Fubuki. Mohamed Khashiu, driving for Tsunomaki Watame in the #3 Tsuyo machine, also remains close enough to challenge. Meanwhile, in Japan Zako, consistency may prove decisive as mid-field runners chase their last opportunity for season points.

But the sporting drama is accompanied by an emotional milestone. The Tsuyo Series Finale 200 Minutes marks the final ARO race for Amane Kanata, whose graduation on 27 December ends a long-running partnership with the organization. Tyler Williams, driver of Kanata’s #57 car, will take to the mountain to race for her one last time before transitioning to Ouro Kronii’s #92 machinery beginning December 28. Kanata’s FHolo and HoloGT3 programs have already been retired, placing full emotional weight on this final outing.

Williams, who has piloted for Kanata since late 2023, aims to deliver one final strong performance after a season of steady progress in both Japan Tsuyo and World Tsuyo competition. Though out of title contention, a top-10 at Bathurst would be a fitting tribute to his departing talent.

From championship deciders to farewell tributes, the Finale 200 Minutes at Bathurst promises intensity, unpredictability, and emotion. With Mount Panorama’s narrow skyline roads ready to decide the fate of four championships, the 2025 ARO season could not ask for a more dramatic final chapter.