Australian GT ready to race into Sydney Motorsport Park

The CAMS Australian GT Championship will race into Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend for its fifth round of the 2018 season.

A packed 24-car field is set to line up for three thrilling 40-minute races beginning on Friday with practice, qualifying and the first of the weekend’s races.

Accompanying the Australian GT Championship is the CAMS Australian GT Trophy Series, making for an incredibly diverse grid representing ten of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers.

Heading into the weekend the Australian GT Championship is poised on a knife edge, with Tony Bates (KFC/Ctech Laser/Moveitnet/B&B Audi R8 LMS GT3) holding a slender lead at the top of the championship standings.

Second in the title fight is Fraser Ross (Total Oil / Opti-Coat / Logitech), the McLaren 650S GT3 driver trails Bates by just 25 points.

Competition at the top of the standings is incredibly close, with Steven Richards (BMW Team SRM M6 GT3) just six points further back.

Richards is joined by young gun Ricky Capo, who rejoins the team after partnering with the multiple Bathurst 1000 winner at Sandown earlier in the season.

Also joining the field is the Hobson Motorsport run Nissan GT-R NISMOI GT3, set to be driven by Brett Hobson.

It will mark Hobson’s Australian GT debut and is the first time a Nissan has been on the Australian GT grid since 2016.

Race winners of the Sydney Motorsport Park event that season, Andrew and George Miedecke are also set to make their return to the championship fold.

The father and son pair will share the Miedecke Motorsport / Magswitch Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3.

It will be one of two such cars on the grid, with Tony Quinn switching from a McLaren back to an Aston Martin.

The famous British marque will also be represented in GT4, with Jeremy Gray (JMG/Bilstein Ason Martin Vantage V12 GT4) looking to put a tough Phillip Island event behind him.

Currently leading the competition, Gray will be looking to fend off the advances of David Crampton and Trent Harrison in the eye-catching Vantage Freight/M Motorsport KTM X-Bow GT4.

The Trophy Series battle is also set to be electric with Nick Kelly, Rio Nugara, and Matthew Stoupas all within touching distance of the series crown.

With nine wins to his name in 2018, Kelly (Industrie Audi R8 Ultra GT3) holds a 91-point advantage over Rio Nugara (EAT Furniture Audi R8 LMS Ultra), but it is Nugara who has won the last three races on the bounce.

Only 12 points further back is the rapid Matthew Stoupas (Kentucky Fried Chicken Audi R8 Ultra GT3).

Melbourne teenager Ryan How is set to become one of the youngest competitors ever to race in Australian GT when he takes the wheel of the BTE Bulk Transport Equipment / Ren Racing Audi R8 Ultra GT3.

The Year 10 student has proved successful racing in Victoria and is looking forward to the challenge of testing himself against the best GT racers in Australia.

Track action begins at 1140 on Friday (August 3) with opening practice, before moving into two qualifying sessions later in the day.

The opening 40-minute race takes place at 1550 ahead of two further races on Sunday, at 1225 and 1525 respectively.

Every session of the weekend’s action will be shown live on Fox Sports, channel 506, from opening practice through to Sunday’s final race.

Entry List: Australian GT Championship, Sydney Motorsport Park

Australian GT Track Schedule

Friday, August 3
1140 – Practice 1 (30mins)
1340 – Qualifying 1 (15mins)
1400 – Qualifying 2 (15mins)
1550 – Race 1 (40mins)

Saturday, August 4
1320 – Race 2 (40mins)
1620 – Race 3 (40mins)