Craig Baird has won the first CAMS Australian GT Championship race of the season in an encounter which finished under Safety Car due to a crash for Ferrari driver Wayne Mack.
Baird had qualified the #222 Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 on pole alongside Giancarlo Fisichella.
The New Zealander won the race to the front row and broke the lap record on Lap 3 as he gradually pulled away from the 2005 Australian Grand Prix winner.
Baird’s lead was 3.4s when the Safety Car was called during Lap 7 to allow Mack’s car to be recovered from Walker Straight.
Mack had run wide at the final corner and lost the rear of the Mack Bros 458, spinning across the track and slapping the inside wall.
By that stage, Fisichella in the Maranello Motorsport Ferrari 488 also held a comfortable margin over three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Marcel Fassler in the Jamec Pem Audi R8.
Tony D’Alberto in the #8 STM Mercedes-AMG was not too far further back, having lost the spot to Fassler at the start.
The top four had remained unchanged since the opening lap before the race finished under Safety Car, two laps short of its scheduled 11-lap duration.
John Martin took fifth in the Walkinshaw Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R, one position ahead of Dean Canto (Trofeo Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan).
Steve Richards (BMW Team SRM BMW M6) held out Dom Storey (Eggleston Motorsport Mercedes-AMG) long enough to beat his fellow New Zealander to seventh.
GT newcomer Jaie Robson (Aussie Driver Search Mercedes-AMG) and Fraser Ross (McElrea Racing McLaren 650S) rounded out the top 10.
Nick Kelly (Industrie Audi R8) was the highest Trophy class runner in 12th, while GT4 honours went to Jeremy Gray (JMG Aston Martin Vantage) in 23rd outright.
In Qualifying 2 for the amateur drivers, Ross set the fastest time ahead of Twigg in the #8 STM entry, Robson, and Emery.
They will therefore take up the first two rows of the grid for Race 2, which is scheduled for 10 laps, tomorrow from 1045 local time/AEDT.
Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Asia Pacific
Hector Lester set the pace across the day’s three Ferrari Challenge practice sessions.
The Irishman was the only man to break the two-minute barrier all day, during the morning’s opening practice session.
Indonesians Renaldi Hutasoit and Rama Danindro rounded out the top three, Australian Martin Berry was fifth, and New Zealanders Grant Baker and David Dicker 19th and 21st respectively.
Results: Race 1, Australian GT Championship Updated*
| Pos | Num | Team/Sponsor | Driver | Car | Class | Laps | Race time |
| 1 | 222 | Scott Taylor Motorsport | Craig Baird (NZ) | Mercedes AMG GTS GT3 | CH | 9 | 21:32.0840 |
| 2 | 88 | Maranello Motorsport | Giancarlo Fisichella | Ferrari 488 GT3 | CH | 9 | 21:32.7023 |
| 3 | 1 | Valvoline | Marcel Fassler | Audi R8 LMS | CH | 9 | 21:33.5759 |
| 4 | 8 | WM Waste Management | Tony D’Alberto (VIC) | Mercedes AMG GTS GT3 | CH | 9 | 21:34.1227 |
| 5 | 911 | Walkinshaw GT3 | John Martin (QLD) | Porsche 911 GT3 R | CH | 9 | 21:36.3632 |
| 6 | 100 | BMW Team SRM | Steve Richards (VIC) | BMW M6 GT3 | CH | 9 | 21:37.7643 |
| 7 | 63 | Eggleston Motorsport | Dominic Storey (NZ) | Mercedes Benz AMG GT | CH | 9 | 21:38.4951 |
| 8 | 98 | Aussie Driver Search | Jaie Robson | Mercedes AMG GTS GT3 | CH | 9 | 21:39.5183 |
| 9 | 59 | Total Oil/Opti-Coat/Logite | Fraser Ross (VIC) | McLaren 650S GT3 | CH | 9 | 21:40.4168 |
| 10 | 199 | Industrie Clothing | Nick Kelly (NSW) | Audi R8 LMS Ultra | TR | 9 | 21:41.7320 |
| 11 | 7 | Mariani Beef Jerky | Tony Quinn (QLD) | McLaren 650S GT3 | CH | 9 | 21:42.1344 |
| 12 | 29 | Haemokinesis/Trofe | Dean Canto | Lamborghini Huracan | CH | 9 | 21:42.2062 |
| 13 | 3 | Ah Apartments | Ash Samadi (VIC) | Audi R8 LMS | CH | 9 | 21:42.9231 |
| 14 | 34 | Motorsport Leasing/RaceRamps | John Marriss (VIC) | Porsche GT3-R | TR | 9 | 21:44.7151 |
| 15 | 23 | Kentucky Fried Chicken | Matthew Stoupas (VIC) | Audi R8 LMS Ultra | TR | 9 | 21:45.5277 |
| 16 | 188 | E.A.T Furniture | Rio Nugara (VIC) | Audi R8 LMS Ultra | TR | 9 | 21:46.6336 |
| 17 | 32 | The Porsche Broker | Daniel Stutterd | Porsche 991 GT3 Cup | TR | 9 | 21:48.2138 |
| 18 | 10 | Hallmarc | Michael Loccisano | Porsche 991 GT3 Cup | TR | 9 | 21:49.2605 |
| 19 | 21 | Melbourne Orthopaedic Group | Shane Barwood (VIC) | Porsche 991 GT3 Cup | TR | 9 | 21:50.1854 |
| 20 | 31 | The Porsche Broker | Sam Fillmore | Porsche 991 GT3 Cup | TR | 9 | 21:50.9061 |
| 21 | 71 | Dale Paterson Motorsports | Dale Paterson | Chevrolet Camaro GT3 | TR | 9 | 21:51.9093 |
| 22 | 77 | JJA Consulting Group | Jan Jinadasa | Lamborghini LP560GT3 | TR | 9 | 21:52.8967 |
| 23 | 12 | Sedler Group | Luke Seidler (VIC) | Porsche 991 GT3 Cup | TR | 9 | 21:55.7920 |
| 24 | 64 | Aaron Laboratories | Joseph Ensabella (VIC) | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup | TR | 9 | 21:56.6905 |
| 25 | 25 | Porsche Centre Brighton | Nick Karnaros (VIC) | Porsche 997 Cup | TR | 9 | 21:57.5422 |
| 26 | 24 | Moveitnet/AFS | Daniel Gaunt (NZ) | Audi R8 LMS | CH | 9 | 21:57.9317 |
| 27 | 4 | BP Ultimate | Xavier West | BMW M4 GT4 | GT4 | 9 | 21:59.4135 |
| 28 | 67 | JMG/Bilstein | Jeremy Gray (NSW) | Aston Martin Vantage | GT4 | 9 | 21:59.4504 |
| 29 | 19 | Hogs Breath Cafe/Griffith Co | Mark Griffith (QLD) | Ginetta GT4 | GT4 | 8 | 21:34.4042 |
| 30 | 48 | Interlloy M Motorsport | Justin McMillan (VIC) | KTM X-Bow | GT4 | 8 | 21:40.1780 |
| DNF | 47 | Mack Bros Roofing Products | Wayne Mack (VIC) | Ferrari 458 GT3 | TR | 4 | 8:35.0295 |
* Post-race penalties for cars #29, #48, #67
Results: Qualifying 2, Australian GT Championship
| Pos | Num | Team/Sponsor | Driver | Car | Class | Fastest lap | Split |
| 1 | 59 | Total Oil/Opti-Coat/Logite | Fraser Ross (VIC) | McLaren 650S GT3 | CH | 1:57.5805 | |
| 2 | 8 | WM Waste Management | Max Twigg (VIC) | Mercedes AMG GTS GT3 | CH | 1:58.0842 | 0:00.5037 |
| 3 | 98 | tba | Jaie Robson | Mercedes AMG GTS GT3 | CH | 1:58.3526 | 0:00.7721 |
| 4 | 1 | Valvoline | Geoff Emery | Audi R8 LMS | CH | 1:59.1100 | 0:01.5295 |
| 5 | 63 | Eggleston Motorsport | Peter Hackett (VIC) | Mercedes Benz AMG GT | CH | 1:59.1458 | 0:01.5653 |
| 6 | 3 | Ah Apartments | Ash Samadi (VIC) | Audi R8 LMS | CH | 1:59.5018 | 0:01.9213 |
| 7 | 24 | Moveitnet/AFS | Tony Bates (VIC) | Audi R8 LMS | CH | 1:59.6102 | 0:02.0297 |
| 8 | 199 | Industrie Clothing | Nick Kelly (NSW) | Audi R8 LMS Ultra | TR | 1:59.8478 | 0:02.2673 |
| 9 | 222 | Scott Taylor Motorsport | Scott Taylor (QLD) | Mercedes AMG GTS GT3 | CH | 1:59.8504 | 0:02.2699 |
| 10 | 911 | Walkinshaw GT3 | Liam Talbot (QLD) | Porsche 911 GT3 R | CH | 1:59.9751 | 0:02.3946 |
| 11 | 7 | Byron Bay Beef Jerky | Tony Quinn (QLD) | McLaren 650S GT3 | CH | 1:59.9902 | 0:02.4097 |
| 12 | 34 | Motorsport Leasing/RaceRamps | John Marriss (VIC) | Porsche GT3-R | TR | 2:01.5411 | 0:03.9606 |
| 13 | 188 | E.A.T Furniture | Rio Nugara (VIC) | Audi R8 LMS Ultra | TR | 2:01.7629 | 0:04.1824 |
| 14 | 47 | Mack Bros Roofing Products | Wayne Mack (VIC) | Ferrari 458 GT3 | TR | 2:02.1111 | 0:04.5306 |
| 15 | 23 | Kentucky Fried Chicken | Matthew Stoupas (VIC) | Audi R8 LMS Ultra | TR | 2:02.1958 | 0:04.6153 |
| 16 | 100 | BMW Team SRM | Steve Richards (VIC) | BMW M6 GT3 | CH | 2:03.1840 | 0:05.6035 |
| 17 | 88 | Maranello Motorsport | Peter Edwards (VIC) | Ferrari 488 GT3 | CH | 2:03.6093 | 0:06.0288 |
| 18 | 77 | JJA Consulting Group | Jan Jinadasa | Lamborghini LP560GT3 | TR | 2:04.5222 | 0:06.9417 |
| 19 | 32 | The Porsche Broker | Daniel Stutterd | Porsche 991 GT3 Cup | TR | 2:05.1276 | 0:07.5471 |
| 20 | 10 | Hallmarc | Michael Loccisano | Porsche 991 GT3 Cup | TR | 2:05.3366 | 0:07.7561 |
| 21 | 31 | The Porsche Broker | Sam Fillmore | Porsche 991 GT3 Cup | TR | 2:07.3950 | 0:09.8145 |
| 22 | 21 | Melbourne Orthopaedic Group | Shane Barwood (VIC) | Porsche 991 GT3 Cup | TR | 2:07.6929 | 0:10.1124 |
| 23 | 71 | Dale Paterson Motorsports | Dale Paterson | Chevrolet Camaro GT3 | TR | 2:08.2181 | 0:10.6376 |
| 24 | 64 | Aaron Laboratories | Joseph Ensabella (VIC) | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup | TR | 2:09.7183 | 0:12.1378 |
| 25 | 29 | Haemokinesis/Trofe | Jim Manolios (VIC) | Lamborghini Huracan | CH | 2:10.7638 | 0:13.1833 |
| 26 | 25 | Porsche Centre Brighton | Nick Karnaros (VIC) | Porsche 997 Cup | TR | 2:11.8415 | 0:14.2610 |
| 27 | 12 | Sedler Group | Chris Seidler (VIC) | Porsche 991 GT3 Cup | TR | 2:11.9745 | 0:14.3940 |
| 28 | 4 | BP Ultimate | Xavier West | BMW M4 GT4 | GT4 | 2:13.4023 | 0:15.8218 |
| 29 | 48 | Interlloy M Motorsport | Justin McMillan (VIC) | KTM X-Bow | GT4 | 2:14.5750 | 0:16.9945 |
| 30 | 19 | Hogs Breath Cafe/Griffith Co | Mark Griffith (QLD) | Ginetta GT4 | GT4 | 2:15.0270 | 0:17.4465 |
| EXC | 67 | JMG/Bilstein | Jeremy Gray (NSW) | Aston Martin Vantage | GT4 |
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