Nick Percat will contest the opening round of the new Australian Endurance Championship at Phillip Island this weekend.
The South Australian will team with car owner Peter Rullo in the Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport prepared Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 for Sunday’s three hour endurance.
Percat has already driven the car having joined Rullo and Scott Andrews at this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour.
The team’s campaign was short-lived when Percat was caught up in an opening lap incident that resulted in an early retirement.
Percat is keen to contest the full four-round championship which will join V8 Supercars at Sydney Motorsport Park in August 24-26, before visits to Hampton Downs and Highlands Motorsport Park in New Zealand in October and November.
Percat last drove the Lamborghini at the Bathurst 12 Hour
“It should be a cool experience,” Percat told Speedcafe.com.
“I’m only doing the endurance part and I don’t think I will drive the car until Sunday morning which will be a bit interesting.
“We tested at Phillip Island before the Bathurst 12 Hour but to drive something with a lot of grip and aero is quite different to a V8 Supercar.
“Anything is possible in the race but the pace at the front is going to be fast,” he added.
“We have discussed competing in the other rounds but we haven’t locked anything in yet.
“I’d like to try and get myself in a car at each of the rounds.”
Percat will join fellow full-time V8 Supercars drivers Garth Tander and Shane van Gisbergen on the grid for this weekend’s Australian Endurance Championship opener.
Tander will team up with Steve McLaughlin in a Jamec Pem Racing Audi R8 GT3, while Van Gisbergen will drive a McLaren 650S GT3 alongside Klark Quinn.
The Victorian circuit will also welcome a trio of international stars with factory Audi driver Marco Bonanomi and DTM stars Bruno Spengler and Miguel Molina all in action.
Percat says he is looking forward to testing his skills against some of Europe’s elite.
“It is great to have those guys come over. It lifts the profile of the whole thing,” added Percat.
“It is going to be cool to be in a similar car to compare against them.”
Phillip Island will play host to a round of the Australian GT Championship held alongside the Australian Endurance Championship.
A 32 car field has entered for the sprint races with 30 cars set to do battle in Sunday’s 101 lap enduro.
Australian GT Championship Phillip Island Entry List
#
Team
Driver(s)
Car
1
Jamec Pem
Miguel Molina/Tony Bates
Audi R8 LMS
2
Jamec Pem
Stephen McLaughlan
Audi R8 LMS
4
Supabarn Supermarkets
James Koundouris/Marcus Marshall
Audi R8 LMS
5
GT Motorsport
Greg Taylor/Marco Bonanomi
Audi R8 LMS
6
Skwirk Online Education
Liam Talbot/Jake Fouracre
Audi R8 Ultra
7
Darrell Lea
Tony Quinn/Daniel Gaunt
Aston Martin Vantage GT3
8
Maranello Motorsport
Adrian Dietz/Cameron McConville
Ferrari 458 GT3
9
Bondi Wholefoods
Ash Samadi
Mercedes-AMG SLS GT3
11
Objective Racing
Tony Walls
McLaren 650S GT3
14
Taplin Real Estate
Andrew Taplin/Dean Canto
Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX
19
Hogs Breath Café/Griffith Corporation
Mark Griffith
Mercedes-AMG GT3
23
JBS Australia
Roger Lago
Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX
29
Pirelli/Trofeo Motorsport
Jim Manolios/Ryan Millier
Lamborghini Huravan GT3
33
Fastway Couriers
Simon Ellingham/Tim Miles
Audi R8 Ultra
37
Darrell Lea
Klark Quinn/Shane Van Gisbergen
McLaren 650S GT3
38
Eggleston Motorsport
TBA
Mercedes-AMG GT3
48
Interlloy M Motorsport
Justin McMillan/Glen Wood
Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX
51
AMAC Motorsport
Andrew Macpherson/Brad Shiels
Porsche 997 GT3-R
59
McLaren Melbourne
Grant Denyer/Matthew Kingsley
McLaren 650S GT3
60
DPO
Nathan Morcom
McLaren 650S GT3
61
Beechwood/SLR/Buildmap
Nathan Antunes/Elliot Barbour
McLaren 650S GT3
62
Performance West Motorsport
Alex Rullo/Peter Rullo
Lamborghini Gallardo
63
Eggleston Motorsport
Peter Hackett/Dominic Storey
Mercedes-AMG GT3
80
Maranello Motorsport
Tony D’Alberto/Graham Smyth
Ferrari 458 GT3
88
Maranello Motorsport
Peter Edwards/John Bowe
Ferrari 488 GT3
90
MARC GT
Morgan Haber/Bruno Spengler
BMW M6 GT3
92
Modena Engineering
Ricky Capo
BMW Z4 GT3
95
Miedecke Motor Group
Andrew Miedecke/George Miedecke
Aston Martin Vantage GT3
100
SR Motorsport
Steve Richards/Max Twigg
BMW M6 GT3
222
Scott Taylor Motorsport
Scott Taylor/Craig Baird
Mercedes-AMG GT3
777
The Bend Motor Sport Park
Yasser Shahin
Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX
911
Walkinshaw GT3
John Martin/Aaron Tebb
Porsche 911 GT3-R
Australian Endurance Championship Phillip Island Entry List
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