A familiar face in the now-defunct S5000 series, Purdie will be joined by Daniel Price in the Silver Cup class.
Iconic Australian orange juice and chocolate milk manufacturer Nippy’s will sponsor the car, flanking the doors and bonnet.
The car has been dressed in the brand’s colours, continuing a series of orange race cars for Purdie.
For Purdie, the GT4 drive represents the next step towards his ambition of competing in GT3 competition.
“We had a look around at a lot of categories, but I’m definitely more interested in going the GT route,” Purdie said.
“What stuck out for me about GT4 was racing on the same weekend as the GT3s and my ultimate goal is to get a drive in one of those down the track, so GT4 is the best way to go.
“It’s been a lot easier to drive the Audi compared to the S5000. After around three laps I was on it in the Audi, so in that regard it was a lot easier to get used to.
“A massive selling point of the Audi was the engine as it’s the only one in the field which is a V10 and this was what tipped us over the edge to get one.
“It’s fantastic to have Nippy’s onboard again as my major sponsor. They have supported my racing since I started in go karts so this is our 12th year together.
“I’ve known Daniel for a long time having grown up racing karts with him. We’ve come together to do this GT4 program, so I’m pretty excited and optimistic that we can be competitive.
“I’ve known Aaron Steer at Jam Motorsport for a while, which completes a pretty good team for our first season. We know each other very well and work well together.
“I don’t think there is any reason why we can’t be fighting for wins. Daniel and I form a great line-up, so as long as the Audi can run competitively we will be right up there.”
It’s been a big week for GT4 Australia with news that GWR Australia’s first GT4-spec Toyota GR Supra has landed in the country.
That car will be driven by Daniel Frougas. It’s the first car of its kind to land in Australia and more are expected to race this year.
Tony Quinn is known to have bought an example and raced it in New Zealand. Whether it competes in Australia remains to be seen.
Purdie and Price aren’t the only GT4 drivers to announce their plans this week. Teenager Damon Woods is set to race a Ginetta in the series.
The 19-year-old is being supported by former Supercars commercial manager Paul Thompson with support from team owner Mark Griffith.
“Paul and I have been mates for years through my involvement in Supercars and young driver development,” Griffith said.
“A chance meeting at the Bathurst 12 Hour set things in motion. If you look at GT4 and GT3 grids worldwide, the opportunities are huge.
“With discussions already happening and Ginetta showing strong interest, this could be a game-changer for young Aussie drivers.
“Watch this space — we’ll have more news in the coming weeks.”
Monochrome GT4 Australia will host its season opener at GT Festival Phillip Island at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries on April 4-6.
Discussion about this post