Gracie will return to Melbourne Performance Centre in the same Audi R8 LMS GT3 she drove last year thanks to a new deal with OnlyFans.
However, a “clean up” by the SRO Motorsports Group of the amateur (Am) category has ruled Stokell out of racing alongside her.
According to Gracie, event organisers deemed Stokell to be too fast to be part of an Am-Am line-up despite being rated a Bronze driver by the FIA.
It will mean that Gracie competes in the Am class solo.
“Doing it on my own wasn’t necessarily one of my first options unfortunately,” Gracie told Speedcafe.
“I really did want to continue and do a year with Paul, but unfortunately there’s been a few things within the SRO trying to clean up a few things with the driver rankings and pairings.
“Essentially they haven’t allowed Paul and I to run together because our pairing would be too strong for the Am-Am class, so that’s slightly disappointing.
“Honestly, I was devastated when they told me because I really wanted to have that consistency of having the same team, same car, same everything and having Paul as a co-driver. He’s the best Am driver in the whole of Australia and to have that was the ultimate for me.
“It was just an amazing opportunity to have him willing to work with me. To have the best who’s willing to work with you and doesn’t care about the OnlyFan sponsorship and just is a racer at heart and happy to help…
“So to lose that is very upsetting from my selfish point of view. Obviously the learning and to be able to work with him, but then for him not being able to be paired and not being able to be with me as well is very frustrating and everyone’s a little bit upset by the decision.”
Stokell was among the quickest “Am” drivers in the category according to Gracie. She said that was a concern for the SRO and that it was not in the best interest of the Am class.
Stokell is one of Australia’s most successful Bronze-rated drivers. More than three decades ago, he won the first of three Australian Drivers’ Championship titles.
He made seven Bathurst 1000 starts and has been a regular in GT and production car racing.
Nevertheless, Gracie is happy to back racing even if it’s not the perfect set-up.
“We all understand it at the same time and why it’s happening and what they’re trying to do. We get it,” said Gracie.
“So yeah, I’m gonna be on my own, which ultimately, I feel like now I can do from a fitness perspective as well. I think I’m the fittest I’ve ever been, so that’s not really a worry.
“The more time in the car is just going to help me learn more as well, especially being in the same car as last year. So I am looking forward to that.”
It’ll be the third straight year for Gracie in GT World Challenge Australia after her return to GT3 racing in 2023 behind the wheel of an older Audi.
Gracie said continuity in the team and the car was a key focal point in her development.
“It’s the first time ever in my motorsport career that I’ve ever stayed with the same team in the same car,” she explained.
“That’s like the ultimate excitement for me this year to really see how much I improved by just having that consistency of the team and the car, which I’m really looking forward to.”
Gracie said she’s grateful to be back in motorsport and has enjoyed the largely positive reception to her return. She thanks Mark Griffith, who was the first to extend an olive branch to allow her to compete again.
“I think it’s been a lot better than what I could have ever imagined, purely based off of my initial attempts to return back in like 2021, when it was really difficult,” she explained.
“People stopped freaking out about the fact that I was sponsored by OnlyFans. People had an expectation of what they thought was going to be the case when I returned, and it wasn’t.
“I think people just realized that it was just a normal racing program and there was nothing to be worried about.
“I’ve just been always so grateful for everybody. Obviously, the GT category itself, SRO for having me, for welcoming me. I haven’t had any issues with anybody.
“I understand there are people on the grid who don’t necessarily like me. They don’t agree with the sponsorship or whatever, but there’s no issues that are caused. I think we all just mutually respect each other as racers and that’s it.
“Other than that, for the first time ever in my motorsport career I’ve felt comfortable, welcomed, and super happy with where I am in the GT category.”
Discussion about this post