GT World Challenge Australia attracts 19-car field for festival

Twenty points cover the top five in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS Pro-Am after three rounds.

It is the second time the series will have raced at the Phillip Island, after the first round there in April. Then it was Liam Talbot and Chaz Mostert of Arise Racing GT who won and continue to lead the points standings, despite not being able to net another race win.

One point behind are Brad Schumacher and Will Brown in their Melbourne Performance Centre Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II and are the only pair to score more than one race win.

MPC teammates and New Zealanders Tim Miles and Brendon Leitch sit third. Miles has been a surprise packet this season which started with his defensive drive in the second race of Round 1 to hold off Schumacher.

The Bend winners Triple Eight’s Peter Hackett and Declan Fraser lead the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo attack and are 16 points off the lead while Elliott Schutte and Jaxon Evans are next in the second Arise Ferrari.

The BRM Audi team of Mark Rosser and Alex Peroni broke through for a win at the most recent round. Tigani Motorsport’s Paul Lucchitti and Jayden Ojeda, Renee Gracie and Paul Stokell (MPC Audi), and Stephen and Brenton Grove (Grove Racing Mercedes-AMG) have yet to snare a win.

With Ben Porter committed to Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia, Ross Poulakis will join Alex Gardner in the Volante Rosso Motorsport Aston Martin. Also in Pro-Am, international sportscar ace David Brabham will join Harrolds Racing’s Chris Batzios in the team’s Volante Rosso-prepared Mercedes-AMG.

In Am RAM Motorsport’s Mike Sheargold and Garth Walden has an 11-point advantage the fellow Mercedes-AMG entry of brothers James and Theo Koundouris for Tigani Motorsport with Ash Samadi (Audi) in third.

Black Wolf Motorsport’s Shane Woodman and Ben Schoots enter on back of their breakthrough class win at Queensland Raceway. The class will also have Valmont Racing’s Marcel Zalloua and Sergio Pires (Audi) after they missed the last round. Also entered is Marc Cini in another MPC Audi.

Valentino Astuti in the Trophy Class KMB Motorsport Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 will again have competition from Scott Taylor and Paul Morris (STM Porsche 911 GT3-R).

The inaugural GT Festival at Phillip Island on August 23-25 has free entry for spectators and also be broadcast live on Kayo/Foxtel, as well as the GT World YouTube Channel.

Entry List: Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS, GT Festival Phillip Island