Australian GT races into Phillip Island as part of the Shannons Nationals this weekend for what will be the biggest event in the category’s history.
Thirty-five cars will make the journey to Australia’s most picturesque race track in a double-header event featuring the CAMS Australian GT Championship and the inaugural round of the CAMS Australian Endurance Championship.
For the CAMS Australian GT Championship it marks the fourth round of the campaign and will prove crucial as the title battle heats up.
Just 12 points separates the top three in the championship, with Klark Quinn (Darrell Lea) holding a slender two-point advantage fellow McLaren 650S GT3 driver Nathan Morcom (DPO) with former championship leaders James Koundouris and Marcus Marshall (Supabarn Supermarkets) in third.
On track they’ll be joined 52 other drivers on the 4.445km Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit, including the returning Marco Bonanomi (Jamec Pem) and former DTM champion Bruno Spengler (MARC GT) who joins the all-new MARC GT squad.
The 32-car field will have two 60-minute races with compulsory pit stops on Saturday, following two qualifying sessions on Friday afternoon.
The all-new Australian Endurance Championship will then take centre stage on Sunday afternoon with its inaugural 101-lap event, the Phillip Island 101.
A 30-car field will take on the epic 101-lap challenge which will include at least one driver change and two compulsory pit stops.
Twenty-seven cars from Saturday’s Australian GT Championship round will be on double duty with a further three entries from MARC Cars Australia set to go toe-to-toe with the latest GT3 machinery the world’s leading automotive manufacturers.
Joining the field for both GT Championship and Endurance Championship events is former V8 Supercars champion Garth Tander, who will team up with Australian GT race winner Steve McLaughlan in the Jamec Pem Audi R8 LMS.
He’ll face off against his V8 Supercar co-driver Warren Luff in the Object Racing McLaren 650S GT3 who shares with Round 1 race winner Tony Walls.
Joining forces once again with Klark Quinn will be Shane Van Gisbergen, the V8 Supercars regular having recently competed in a McLaren 650S GT3 in the Blancpain Sprint Series at Silverstone.
Debuting the brand-new Lamborghini Huracan, the first of its kind in Australia, Jim Manolios (Pirelli/Trofeo Motorsport) has paired up with his CAMS Australian GT Trophy Series co-driver Ryan Millier.
The duo will also be on double duty, competing in both the CAMS Australian GT Championship and CAMS Australian Endurance Championship during the action-packed weekend.
Australian GT will take to the track on Friday morning with opening practice for the Australian GT Championship, followed later in the day with a session for the Australian Endurance Championship.
Two Australian GT Championship qualifying sessions then follow ahead of the opening race at 9:35 on Saturday morning. The second 60-minute race is scheduled for 11:50.
Focus will then turn to the Australian Endurance Championship, with qualifying getting underway at 10:35 on Sunday morning ahead of the 101-lap epic,beginning at 13:05.
All the Australian GT action will be streamed live online via the Australian GT website (www.australiangt.com.au) from Saturday morning through to the conclusion of the Phillip Island 101 on Sunday afternoon.
Weekend Schedule
Friday 27, May
10:25 – 10:55 Australian GT Championship Practice 1
12:15 – 12:45 Australian Endurance Championship Practice 1
14:05 – 14:25 Australian GT Championship Qualifying 1
14:35 – 14:55 Australian GT Championship Qualifying 2
Saturday, 28 May
09:35 – 10:35 Australian GT Championship Race 1
11:50 – 12:50 Australian GT Championship Race 2
Sunday, 29 May
10:35 – 10:55 Australian Endurance Championship Qualifying 1
11:05 – 11:25 Australian Endurance Championship Qualifying 2
13:05 – 16:55 Australian Endurance Championship Phillip Island 101
CAMS Australian GT Championship Entry List
# Team Driver(s) Car
1 Jamec Pem Miguel Molina/Tony Bates Audi R8 LMS
2 Jamec Pem Stephen McLaughlan Audi R8 LMS
4 Supabarn Supermarkets James Koundouris/Marcus Marshall Audi R8 LMS
5 GT Motorsport Greg Taylor/Marco Bonanomi Audi R8 LMS
6 Skwirk Online Education Liam Talbot/Jake Fouracre Audi R8 Ultra
7 Darrell Lea Tony Quinn/Daniel Gaunt Aston Martin Vantage GT3
8 Maranello Motorsport Adrian Dietz/Cameron McConville Ferrari 458 GT3
9 Bondi Wholefoods Ash Samadi Mercedes-AMG SLS GT3
11 Objective Racing Tony Walls McLaren 650S GT3
14 Taplin Real Estate Andrew Taplin/Dean Canto Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX
19 Hogs Breath Café/Griffith Corporation Mark Griffith Mercedes-AMG GT3
23 JBS Australia Roger Lago Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX
29 Pirelli/Trofeo Motorsport Jim Manolios/Ryan Millier Lamborghini Huravan GT3
33 Fastway Couriers Simon Ellingham/Tim Miles Audi R8 Ultra
37 Darrell Lea Klark Quinn/Shane Van Gisbergen McLaren 650S GT3
38 Eggleston Motorsport TBA Mercedes-AMG GT3
48 Interlloy M Motorsport Justin McMillan/Glen Wood Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX
51 AMAC Motorsport Andrew Macpherson/Brad Shiels Porsche 997 GT3-R
59 McLaren Melbourne Grant Denyer/Matthew Kingsley McLaren 650S GT3
60 DPO Nathan Morcom McLaren 650S GT3
61 Beechwood/SLR/Buildmap Nathan Antunes/Elliot Barbour McLaren 650S GT3
62 Performance West Motorsport Alex Rullo/Peter Rullo Lamborghini Gallardo
63 Eggleston Motorsport Peter Hackett/Dominic Storey Mercedes-AMG GT3
80 Maranello Motorsport Tony D’Alberto/Graham Smyth Ferrari 458 GT3
88 Maranello Motorsport Peter Edwards/John Bowe Ferrari 488 GT3
90 MARC GT Morgan Haber/Bruno Spengler BMW M6 GT3
92 Modena Engineering Ricky Capo BMW Z4 GT3
95 Miedecke Motor Group Andrew Miedecke/George Miedecke Aston Martin Vantage GT3
100 SR Motorsport Steve Richards/Max Twigg BMW M6 GT3
222 Scott Taylor Motorsport Scott Taylor/Craig Baird Mercedes-AMG GT3
777 The Bend Motor Sport Park Yasser Shahin Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX
911 Walkinshaw GT3 John Martin/Aaron Tebb Porsche 911 GT3-R
CAMS Australian Endurance Championship Entry List
# Team Driver(s) Car
1 Jamec Pem Miguel Molina/Tony Bates Audi R8 LMS
2 Jamec Pem Stephen McLaughlan/Garth Tander Audi R8 LMS
4 Supabarn Supermarkets James Koundouris/Marcus Marshall Audi R8 LMS
5 GT Motorsport Greg Taylor/Marco Bonanomi Audi R8 LMS
6 Skwirk Online Education Liam Talbot/Jake Fouracre Audi R8 Ultra
7 Darrell Lea Tony Quinn/Daniel Gaunt Aston Martin Vantage GT3
8 Maranello Motorsport Adrian Dietz/Cameron McConville Ferrari 458 GT3
11 Objective Racing Tony Walls/Warren Luff McLaren 650S GT3
14 Taplin Real Estate Andrew Taplin/Dean Canto Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX
19 Hogs Breath Café/Griffith Corporation Mark Griffith/Ryal Harris Mercedes-AMG GT3
23 JBS Australia Roger Lago/David Russell Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX
29 Pirelli/Trofeo Motorsport Jim Manolios/Ryan Millier Lamborghini Huravan GT3
33 Fastway Couriers Simon Ellingham/Tim Miles Audi R8 Ultra
37 Darrell Lea Klark Quinn/Shane Van Gisbergen McLaren 650S GT3
38 Eggleston Motorsport TBA/TBA Mercedes-AMG GT3
48 Interlloy M Motorsport Justin McMillan/Glen Wood Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX
51 AMAC Motorsport Andrew Macpherson/Brad Shiels Porsche 997 GT3-R
54 MARC Cars Australia Tony Alford/Beric Lynton MARC Mazda V8
59 McLaren Melbourne Grant Denyer/Nathan Morcom McLaren 650S GT3
62 Performance West Motorsport Alex Rullo/Peter Rullo Lamborghini Gallardo
63 Eggleston Motorsport Peter Hackett/Dominic Storey Mercedes-AMG GT3
80 Maranello Motorsport Tony D’Alberto/Graham Smyth Ferrari 458 GT3
88 Maranello Motorsport Peter Edwards/John Bowe Ferrari 488 GT3
90 MARC GT Morgan Haber/Bruno Spengler BMW M6 GT3
91 MARC Cars Australia Keith Kassulke/Jack Smith MARC Mazda V8
94 MARC Cars Australia Jake Camilleri/TBA MARC Focus V8
95 Miedecke Motor Group Andrew Miedecke/George Miedecke Aston Martin Vantage GT3
100 SR Motorsport Steve Richards/Max Twigg BMW M6 GT3
222 Scott Taylor Motorsport Scott Taylor/Craig Baird Mercedes-AMG GT3
777 The Bend Motor Sport Park Yasser Shahin/Dean Canto Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX
911 Walkinshaw GT3 John Martin/Duvashen Padayachee Porsche 911 GT3-R