New names bolster opening round

The CAMS Australian GT Championship will welcome new teams and cars when it takes to the grid at the Clipsal 500 on March 3-6.

Reigning Bathurst 1000 winner Steve Richards is set to compete with his all-new BMW Team SRM M6 GT3 for the first time after confirming he will run an expanded programme in 2016.

Richards announced on Friday his plans to compete in the entire CAMS Australian GT Championship and CAMS Australian Endurance Championship.

“We all got pretty excited when we found out we were allocated a car for January, and that moved the goal posts for us,” Richards enthused.

“It gave us the opportunity to work towards a full program for 2016, and it was an opportunity we didn’t want to miss. So we all put our heads together and made it happen.

“The earlier we sink our teeth into the program, the better off we’ll be when it comes to those endurance races later in the year.”

A PRO1 ranked driver, Richards will compete alongside Max Twigg providing a formidable partnership for the all-new outfit.

After claiming victory at the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hours earlier this month, team owner Jonathan Webb headlines a three car attack from TEKNO Autosports as the squad enters the CAMS Australian GT Championship for the first time.

“Building on the success of our relationship with McLaren GT at the Bathurst 12 Hour, TEKNO Autosports is looking forward to competing in a category as diverse as the 2016 Australian GT Championship in three McLaren 650S GT3,” Webb explained.

Webb will line up in the McLaren Melbourne #59 car along with Grant Denyer, who has made the switch from Ferrari to McLaren since last season.

Denyer ended 2015 as runner up to overall winner Christopher Mies in the 2015 Australian GT Championship.

Nathan Morcom will take control of the #60 entry as its sole driver while Elliot Barbour and Nathan Antunes will share the third TEKNO Autosports entry.

Antunes is a race winner around the Adelaide streets in an Audi R8 LMS a year ago and is looking forward to the new season.

“We saw how good the McLaren 650S GT3 can be on Pirelli tyres at Bathurst, so I’m excited to get on track!”

Former race winner and series runner-up Peter Hackett will also make a racing return at the wheel of the Eggleston Motorsport Mercedes-Benz AMG GT-S GT3, which will see its first Australian competition in Adelaide.

Hackett will share driving duties with you Kiwi hot-shot Dominic Storey.

“I’m happy to be back,” Hackett said. “I’ve a long association with the championship and the Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS has been a successful car since entering the Australian GT Championship 2011.

“We’re hoping to replicate that with the new GT3 and I think with Dom and myself we’ve got a strong combination with which to do that.”

A total of 28 cars are set to line up on the Adelaide Parklands circuit, including 26 Champoinship Class cars and 2 Invitational Class competitors.

The CAMS Australian GT Championship will have three races across the Clipsal 500 weekend, starting with practice and qualifying on Thursday, March 3 before the opening race of the season on Friday morning.

CAMS Australian GT Championship – Round 1 Entry List