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New Supercars team owner Grove Motorsport has announced a full campaign in this year’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS.
The Grove Group and Kelly Racing announced in January that they had joined forces to compete in touring cars, and the former has now expanded its racing commitments.
Team owner Stephen Grove and son Brenton, both of whom have a hands-on involvement in what is now known as Kelly Grove Racing, will share driving duties in a Pro-Am class entry in GT World Challenge Australia.
Their brand-new 2021 Porsche 911 GT3 R will be adorned in the Grove Group’s customary red and white hues, and also features backing from Tasmanian gin company Dasher + Fisher.
CLICK HERE for video of Groves showing off Porsche
While Brenton has finished on the podium in the Dunlop Super2 Series, he and his father are perhaps collectively better known for their Porsche exploits.
Grove Motorsport took out the Pro-Am class in the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour with a 911 GT3 R steered by Ben Barker, Brenton Grove, and Stephen Grove, while the latter is also a gentleman class title winner in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia.
The team has also twice represented Australia in GT3s in the FIA Motorsport Games, collecting Bronze in 2019.
“The opportunity to drive alongside Brenton in a GT3 R was too good to pass up on and I’m really excited for the year,” said Stephen.
“I always enjoy driving the GT3 R, so I can’t wait to get stuck into the season.
“Previously we’ve spent quite a lot of time doing Carrera Cup, so to move into GT3 and try our hands at something else is extremely exciting.”
Engineer John Russell continues his work with the Groves, having been part of their ranks for its last two Bathurst 12 Hour class wins and worked with Brenton in Super2.
The new pursuit is an enticing prospect for the team given the difficulties associated with international competition at present.
“This programme has been one we’ve spoken about for a while now and with my racing starting to wind down and international racing off the table at the moment, GT World Challenge Australia was the perfect programme for us this year,” explained Brenton.
“We know the car well so it’s exciting to try it in our own backyard and look forward to driving on some of Australia’s best race tracks.”
The Grove represents the latest Supercars presence in GT World Challenge Australia in 2021, which already includes Shane van Gisbergen and Triple Eight Race Engineering; Chaz Mostert and his engineer Adam De Borre; Garth Tander, and Tim Slade.
The six-round season, which concludes with a three-hour enduro at the Bathurst International, kicks off at Phillip Island on March 12-14.
