Tony Quinn remains hopeful of incorporating the Bathurst 12 Hour in the new Australian Endurance Championship for 2016.
The Australian GT scene is set for an expansion next year with the addition of an endurance series featuring up to five endurance events alongside a six round sprint championship.
After receiving approval from CAMS, Quinn is working on a calendar which could feature the Bathurst 12 Hour, the Phillip Island 101, rounds at Hampton Downs and Highlands Park in New Zealand and, most likely, Sydney Motorsport Park.
The AGTC has featured at the Bathurst 12 Hour just once previously, when the opening hour of the race counted for championship points in 2013.
While the unique tie-up was not repeated, Quinn enjoys a strong relationship with V8 Supercars, which is currently in the throws of taking over the Bathurst event.
Quinn met with V8 Supercars in Townsville and aims to have his category’s calendar confirmed by the end of this month.
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“I think it is important that the Bathurst 12 Hour forms a part of the endurance championship for Australian GT,” Quinn told Speedcafe.com.
“Until we knuckle down what the product is going to be it’s a bit difficult to give precise answers (about the calendar), but what we would like to do is four or five endurance rounds and five or six sprint rounds.
“We are trying to accommodate the V8 calendar as best we can but obviously two of the endurance rounds without question will be in New Zealand at Hampton Downs and Highlands Park.
“We will probably include the Bathurst 12 Hour as part of the championship, so then you are only looking at two (other) rounds in Australia.
“Clearly you would like it to be Phillip lsland and maybe Sydney Motorsport Park.”
Quinn hopes that the GT events run apart from V8 Supercars meetings will continue to attract some of the touring car category’s driving talent.
The Phillip Island 101 on the Shannons Nationals bill earlier this year featured the likes of Garth Tander and James Moffat, with more stars expected to enter for the Highlands 101 in November.
Quinn stresses, however, that his championship’s main allegiance will be with the V8 Supercars events.
“They (V8 Supercars) clearly recognise the GTs are a category that they want to foster and cuddle up to and equally I think it’s incumbent upon myself to show good form to the V8s, as they have got the best show in town regardless of what people say,” Quinn added.
“We might still have to do a couple rounds with the Shannons Nationals and we will try to put on a great show when we can.
“Clearly having some V8 drivers in our cars at some of our events is a cool thing to do.”
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