Australian GT set to make history at The Bend

The 2018 CAMS Australian GT Championship heads to The Bend Motorsport Park for a history making weekend of racing next weekend (April 13-15).

A world-class facility, The Bend Motorsport Park will host its first ever competitive motorsport event, with Australian GT the headline act.

The recently completed circuit boasts a number of configurations, with Australian GT set to use the ‘GT’ layout – the second longest permanent motor racing circuit in the world at a staggering 7.77km.

Featuring a number of high-speed, high load, banked and off-camber corners, it will prove an incredible challenge for both teams and drivers.

A field of 21-cars will line up for the weekend, which also doubles as the opening round of the 2018 CAMS Australian Endurance Championship.

Both GT3 and GT4 machinery is well represented, with ten of the world’s leading manufacturers represented among the exotic mix of cars.

Set to battle it out for 68-laps, it equates to more than 500km of GT racing across the two days.

The unique circuit employs a unique race format, with the race spread across two parts, over two days.

Following qualifying, which uses averaged times from both drivers’ sessions, the first part of the race will take in 24 laps of The Bend Motorsport Park on Saturday evening, with a dramatic twilight ending.

The second part of the race begins on Sunday morning, picking up where the event left off the previous evening.

Heading to The Bend, Jaie Robson (156pts) heads the Australian GT Championship after a stunning debut at Albert Park for the opening round last month.

Close behind is 2017 champion Geoff Emery and 2017 Australian Endurance Champion Peter Hackett, the pair tied on 135 points after the first of the season’s six rounds.

Joining them on track are a number of leading motor racing names, including Shane van Gisbergen alongside Tony Quinn (Mariani Beef Jerky McLaren) and 2017 Bathurst 1000 winner David Reynolds who will partner Robson (Aussie Driver Search Mercedes).

The weekend’s action will be streamed live on Sunday (April 15) with coverage hosted by respected broadcaster Greg Rust.

A post-produced highlights package will be broadcast on Speedweek in the weeks following.

Australian GT will also provide behind the scenes news, videos and images via social media channelson Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and encourages fans to get involved using the #AustralianGT hashtag.

 

Round 2: CAMS Australian GT Championship Entry List

# Class Sponsor Drivers Car
1 CH Valvoline Geoff Emery/TBA Audi R8 LMS
3 CH Ah Apartments Ash Samadi/Dylan O’Keeffe Audi R8 LMS
4 GT4 BP Ultimate TBA/TBA BMW M4 GT4
6 CH Timken Zagame Motorsport Adrian Deitz/Cameron McConville Lamborghini Huracan GT3
7 CH Mariani Beef Jerky Tony Quinn/Shane van Gisbergen Mclaren 650S GT3
8 CH WM Waste Management Max Twigg/Tony D’Alberto Mercedes-AMG GT3
11 CH Objective Racing Tony Walls/Warren Luff McLaren 650S GT3
19 GT4 Hogs Breath Café / Griffith Corporation Mark Griffith/TBA Ginetta GT4
24 CH KFC/Ctech Laser/Moveitnet/B&B Tony Bates/Daniel Gaunt Audi R8 LMS
29 CH Haemokinesis / Trofeo Estate / FreeM Jim Manolios/Dean Canto Lamborghini Huracan GT3
48 GT4 Interlloy / M Motorsport Justin McMillan/Glenn Wood Reiter KTM X-Bow
50 GT4 Interlloy / M Motorsport David Crampton/Trent Harrison Reiter KTM X-Bow
59 CH Total Oil / Opti-Coat / Logitech Fraser Ross/Duvashen Padayachee McLaren 650S GT3
63 CH Eggleston Motorsport Peter Hackett/Jake Fouracre Mercedes-AMG GT3
67 GT4 JMG / Bilstein Jeremy Gray/Andrew Miedecke Aston Martin Vantage GT4
88 CH Maranello Motorsport Peter Edwards/John Bowe Ferrari 488 GT3
98 CH Aussie Driver Search Jaie Robson/David Reynolds Mercedes-AMG GT3
100 CH BMW Team SRM Steve Richards/Dean Grant BMW M6 GT3
222 CH Scott Taylor Motorsport Scott Taylor/Craig Baird Mercedes-AMG GT3
777 CH The Bend Motor Sport Park Yasser Shahin/Luke Youlden Mercedes-AMG GT3
911 CH Walkinshaw GT3 Liam Talbot/John Martin Porsche 911 GT3-R

 

Round 2: CAMS Australian GT Championship Schedule

Friday, April 13
15:35 – Practice (60mins)
Saturday, April 14
12:30 – Driver A Qualifying (30mins)
13:15 – Driver B Qualifying (30mins)
17:00 – Race Part 1 (24 laps)
Sunday, April 15
10:40 – Race Part 2 (44 laps)