On the eve of the final round of the 2013 Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli, organisers have revealed the schedule for the 2014 season, a calendar which continues to see six rounds, however the lineup of venues is very different to the current season.
Both the Bathurst 12-Hour and Clipsal events are off for 2014, although the bulk of the GT field will be contesting the popular 12-Hour prompting the series organisers to shoot for a later start to the season to allow competitors time to effect any repairs from the annual endurance event.
Kicking off with two rounds of the Shannons Nationals; Sandown in late March, and Phillip Island in late May for what signals the start of a new era in Australian GT; the first 101-lap event of the year. Following on from the ‘Highlands 101′ invitational race at the conclusion of the 2013 Australian GT season, Tony Quinn and AGT management have scheduled two 101-lap endurance events for the 2014 season, including one at the famous Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.
The second is yet to be confirmed, but may see a return to Highlands Motorsport Park later in the year.
After Phillip Island though, the series re-joins V8 Supercars, for three rounds; [a return to] Townsville, Sydney Motorsport Park and as a support act to the Sandown 500. Each of these events are scheduled for longer races than the category has enjoyed with V8 Supercars in the past; both Townsville and Sandown are scheduled for three 40-minute races, whilst Sydney is scheduled for two 30-minute sprint races and one twilight 60-minute race to keep the fans (and the drivers) entertained.
2014 Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli
Rnd#1 – March 28-30, Sandown, Victoria (Nationals) – 2x 60-minute
Rnd#2 – May 23-25, Phillip Island, Victoria (Nationals) – 101-laps
Rnd#3 – 4-6 July, Townsville, Queensland (V8 Supercars) – 3x 40-minute
Rnd#4 – August 22-24, Sydney Motorsport Park (V8 Supercars) – 2x 30-min, 1x 60-min
Rnd#5 – September 12-14, Sandown 500, Victoria (V8 Supercars) – 3x 40-minute
Rnd#6 – November, tbc – 101-laps