PHOTOS: Audi teams in Australian GT round 1 at Sandown

Photos featuring the Audi teams in Australian GT round 1 at Sandown

Photo credit: Australian GT

Australian GT: Rod Salmon Audi R8 LMS entry will be at Sandown

By Johan Laubscher

Rod Salmon will be taking part in the Australian GT Championship season opener at Sandown next weekend.

The Skwirk.com.au squad, run by Melbourne Performance Centre, entered Rod Salmon’s Audi R8 LMS ultra at the Bathurst 12 Hour. Their weekend was cut short though when Jason Bright suffered a hefty crash during qualifying. Fortunately Bright was unharmed, but the car was out for the weekend. The car has subsequently been sent away for repairs and will not be back in time for the Sandown opener.

Speculation as to whether or not Salmon will be missing the beginning of the 2014 Australian GT season has come to an end. It has been revealed that Salmon and Skwirk.com.au will be using one of the older Audi R8 LMS cars in the Australian GT Trophy Class.

He will be using the Peter Conroy Motorsport Audi R8 LMS, the car that was used by Rotek Racing at the Bathurst 12 Hour. The car was tested at Sydney Motorsport Park last week.

Multiple Audi R8 LMS and ultra entries are expected to take part at Sandown next weekend, 28-30 March. 

Photo credit: 

Australian GT

Audi Communications - Motorsport

Bathurst 12 Hour: Bathurst can be so cruel...‏

Melbourne Performance Centre Press Release

Bathurstcan be so cruel…

Skwirk.com.au/MPC Audi R8 LMS GT3 ultra
2014 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-Hour
Mount Panorama, Bathurst (7-9 February)

It all started so well, the Melbourne Performance Centre [MPC] prepared Skwirk.com.au Audi looked fantastic as it rolled off the truck at Mount Panorama, and after working on a variety of setup ‘tweaks’ during Friday’s three practice sessions, car-owner Rod Salmon and 12-Hour team-mates Warren Luff, Jason Bright and Liam Talbot were more than ready to take on qualifying and begin their assault on the podium.

Sadly the plan lasted just two laps before Jason Bright suffered a spin at one of the most unforgiving parts of the circuit, impacting the wall hard at Reid Park, the car stopping mid-track at right angles to the flow of traffic. The session was red-flagged and Bright was ultimately transferred to hospital as a precaution. Despite MPC’s best efforts, the car was too badly damaged to repair in time for Sunday’s 6:15am race start so it was withdrawn late in the day.

“An impact like that requires significant repairs to the chassis, and we just don’t have the facilities or the time to make repairs that we’d regard as safe enough to compete properly,” MPC’s Troy Russell confirmed.

The team were obviously shattered by the result, especially after working so hard to find what they felt was the ideal setup to be in the mix with the leaders come 5:00pm Sunday afternoon.

“Obviously it’s very disappointing, but the most important thing is that Brighty is okay,” Warren Luff confirmed afterwards. “Cars can be repaired, but people are harder to replace. It’s obviously very unfortunate, and Jason will be incredibly disappointed, it’s disappointing for the team, but this is what motorsport can be like sometimes.

“I’ve seen the on-board footage - there has been a really nasty bump on that corner going into Reid Park, which has been unsettling the car the whole time and we think that has started the situation. I haven’t had a chance to have a proper debrief with Jason yet, I had a quick chat with him in the medical centre - he’s alert and talking, but still a little bit groggy after being knocked out.

“It’s my fourth year here at Audi, but I’ve only had one result - that’s what makes win and podiums so special because you know what it takes to get there. I think we were in a really good position for the race tomorrow, the boys have been working really hard - we were making sure the car was going to be fast right through the race, we weren’t interested in being heroes in qualifying because it really doesn’t matter where you start, it’s about being there at the end. 

“Obviously the entire track is far smoother now thanks to the resurfacing, some parts of the track don’t have any bumps now, but then a lot of people have been saying that there are new bumps appearing in different places, especially where Jason had his issue, a lot of people have been complaining that there is a bump right there when the car is fully loaded. It’s a 170 kmh corner and you now have this bump there that really upsets the rear of the car.”

For car-owner Rod Salmon - a two-time Bathurst12-Hour winner - the result only added to the pain of the team’s 2013 DNF which occurred mid-race as a result of slight contact with the wall coming down the mountain.

“Bathurst is such a challenge - I think that’s why you keep coming back,” he shrugged afterwards. “It looks like he might’ve pulled fourth gear a little too early, based on the data, and that’s the end result, a car that’s pretty much stuffed, we can’t fix it.

“I gave Luffy and Brighty a pep talk last night and I said ‘We’re back in 15th, what are we doing back there?’ They said we were fine and that the track was fine, just to give them a cold track and we will be in the 2:06’s. When Jason went out he was already one and a half seconds up [on his best lap time] and he was only a third of the way around the circuit - he was on for a 2:07 and we would have been up the top. He was 18 kmh faster around that bend than his fastest yesterday, and he was 6 kmh faster than any other Audi had been through that corner - cars have limits and unfortunately he found it.”

For Liam Talbot, his first time at Bathurst with an outright car had proven a great experience, and he was looking forward to carrying on the success that he and Salmon had achieved at the 2013 season ending Highlands MotorsportPark event in New Zealand.

“It’s interesting, people talk about emotion up here and I’ve got no history of that,” he admitted. “But as soon as it [the accident] happened, all this emotion came from somewhere, it was quite overwhelming. The first thing was to ensure Brighty was okay, that was my first concern. It’s pretty scary because that could happen to anyone, even someone as experienced as Jason. After that it was disappointment that I wouldn’t get the chance to improve across the race and get some more valuable miles, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. We’ll rebuild and look to start the Australian GT season on a high.”

For the crack Melbourne Performance Centre outfit the clock is now ticking to have the car repaired ahead of the Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli season opener at Sandown Park in Melbourneat the end of March [28-30].

2014 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-Hour

Race [12-Hours] (MountPanorama, Bathurst - 8 February)

01. 88. Edwards/Bowe/Lowndes/Salo (Ferrari 458 Italia - A) - 296-laps

02. 84. Primat/Jaeger/Buhk (Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 - A) - 296-laps

03. 63. Davison/Le Brocq/Crick (Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 - A) - 296-laps

04. 37. Quinn/Quinn/Kirkaldy/Van Gisbergen (McLaren MP4-12C/Pirelli - A) - 296-laps

05. 3.  Frey/Rast/Vanthoor (Audi R8 LMS ultra - A) - 296-laps

06. 25. Patterson/Lux/Winkelhock (Audi R8 LMS ultra - A) - 294-laps

07. 1.  Schneider/Engel/Bastian (Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 - A) - 291-laps

08. 4.  Grove/Bamber/Barker (Porsche 997 GT3 Cup - B) - 286-laps

09. 12. Calvert-Jones/Davison/Long (Porsche 997 GT3 Cup - B) - 284-laps

10. 9.  Cini/Eddy/Mies (MPC Audi R8 LMS ultra/Pirelli - A) - 278-laps
DNS. 5. Salmon/Luff/Bright/Talbot (MPC/Audi R8 LMS ultra/Pirelli)

Qualifying (MountPanorama, Bathurst - 8 February)

01. 1.  Schneider/Engel/Bastian (Erebus Motorsport SLS AMG GT3) - 2:03.8586

02. 88. Edwards/Bowe/Lowndes/Salo (Ferrari 458 Italia GT3) - 2:03.9421

03. 37. Quinn/Quinn/Kirkaldy/Van Gisbergen (McLaren MP4-12C/Pirelli) - 2:04.0006

04. 63. Davison/Le Brocq/Crick (Erebus Motorsport SLS AMG GT3) - 2:04.2563

05. 32. Kelly/Chiyo/Buncombe/Reip (Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3) - 2:04.8228

06. 23. Lago/Russell/Kox (Lamborghini Gallardo FLII GT3) - 2:05.0320

07. 9.  Cini/Eddy/Mies (MPC Audi R8 LMS ultra/Pirelli) - 2:05.5919

08. 3.  Frey/Rast/Vanthoor (Audi R8 LMS ultra) - 2:05.5946

09. 25. Patterson/Lux/Winkelhock (Audi R8 LMS ultra) - 2:05.7175

10. 48. McMillan/Richards/Wood/Lilley (Gallardo FLII GT3/Pirelli) - 2:06.3498

31. 5. Salmon/Luff/Bright/Talbot (MPC/Audi R8 LMS ultra/Pirelli) - 2:20.0235

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Keep up to date with further announcements from the Skwirk.com.au race team by visiting;www.facebook.com/MelbournePerformance

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Melbourne Performance Centre is proudly supported by Skwirk.com.au, One World Bar, The Audi Race Experience, PH Motorsport Trailers - supplier of the Audi Sports Customer racing transporter, BluFi Wireless Australia and Questek Australia.

The Audi Race Experience
Get behind the wheel yourself to discover a new level of excitement with the Audi Driving Experience. Refine your technique, develop more skilled control at higher speeds and pursue the ultimate in performance.

From advanced programs, right through to the Audi race experience, there is a program to suit every kind of driver.

The Audi Driving Experience makes use of a range of Audi’s vehicles, from sports road cars right through to their Bathurstwinning race vehicles. From Audi’s advanced driving courses, you can move through to the Audi sportscar experience and finally, the Audi race experience where you can slip behind the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 racecar that claimed victory in the Australian GT Championship and the Bathurst 12-Hour.

To find out more, call Melbourne Performance Centre today.

MelbournePerformance Centre
521 Mountain Highway,
Bayswater VIC 3153
Phone: 03 9738 2294
Fax: 03 9738 2296
info@melbourneperformance.com
www.melbourneperformance.com

www.facebook.com/MelbournePerformance

Photo credit: Melbourne Performance Centre

Bathurst 12 Hour: Salmon believes sub-two minute lap of Bathurst possible‏

Melbourne Performance Centre Press Release

Salmon believes sub-two minute lap of Bathurstpossible

Skwirk.com.au/MPC Audi R8 LMS GT3 ultra
2014 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-Hour
Mount Panorama, Bathurst (7-9 February)

Audi’s Rod Salmon firmly believes that the magic 2-minute mark at Bathurst could be broken this weekend, and he’s not convinced his Melbourne Performance Centre supported Skwirk.com.au team won’t be the team to do it..

“In all our pre-event scheduling and planning it has been a topic of conversation,” the two-time Bathurst 12-Hour winner explained. “It might mean the planets have to align, but with the right car, the right driver and the right circuit conditions, it’s by no means out of the question.”

Whilst a re-adjustment of the solar system seems unlikely, Salmon’s argument does have some level of merit. His 2012 Audi R8 LMS ultra is the car that won the 2012 Bathurst 12-Hour and in pre-2013 spec, is faster in a straight line than the newer model R8 by virtue of the newer car’s increased aero package adopted after the 2013 12-Hour.

He also has two of the fastest, most experienced drivers at MountPanorama on his dance-card; Warren Luff and former Bathurst1000 winner, Jason Bright.

“Luffy is arguably the quickest guy around the mountain,” Salmon admitted. “During last year’s 12-Hour, he was the quickest guy in our car, and is likely to be again, whilst Brighty showed at the Highlands 101 event in New Zealand last year, that he can drive anything at speed. 

“This year we also have four drivers, which takes a bit of pressure off me with the two faster guys, and Liam Talbot who I drove with late last year will join me again. With the victory we had in the first race at Highlands in New Zealand at the end of the 2013 Australian GT season and the two other podiums we achieved that weekend, it’s clear that despite just 18 months in the sport, that he has a great natural ability too.”

He may be a big part of the MPC/Skwirk.com.au Audi’s weapons arsenal, but Warren Luff is under no illusions about the job ahead at Bathurst this year.

“Rod’s right, we’re right in the mix of teams that have the potential to reach the podium, but there’s a lot of elements that go into being there at the end of the race,” he admitted.

“Take a look at this year’s entry too, and it’s super-impressive. Names like Rast, Vanthoor and Winkelhock – those guys are the ‘real deal’ in these GT3 cars, the best of the best. They race in events like this 15-20 times a year, so I’d expect they’ll be up to speed within a handful of laps, it’s what they do.

“Does that phase me.. not at all. It’s a 12-Hour race, so what you do in qualifying, how quick your star drivers are, how much experience you have, sometimes that doesn’t amount to much because of the large range of factors that come into play at Bathurst. It will all come down to the best team, with the best package who are able to cope best with what’s thrown at us over 12 hours on Sunday.”

Whilst the car hasn’t changed much since 2013, and the driver lineup is similar, the big difference in performance over last year will come down to the performance of the circuit itself.

“Late last year Bathurst City Council re-sealed the circuit with a material very similar to that at Phillip Island. At that circuit last year, we broke the standing GT3 lap record by over four seconds. Given that Phillip Islandis 4.445 kilometres, and Bathurstis 6.131, it’s not out of the realms of possibility that the 2:00 mark could be broken by any number of the leading teams - us included!

“The team also discovered at Phillip Island late last year they had an advantage with the Pirelli tyre. Track conditions there were quite warm, and the Pirelli again performed brilliantly against all other brands, so if the surface is similar, we may also enjoy that advantage over some of our rivals.

“Look, at this stage the track surface is a complete unknown, and with the weather predicted to be well above 30 degrees over the weekend, it may not be the perfect conditions for the tyres or the circuit to break that mark, but I’m sure if we’re close, someone will go after it..”

“As for what the track will be like and how quick we’ll be, we can speculate about that for hours, at the end of the day we’ll know on Friday what difference the new surface will make,” Luff added. “Last time they re-sealed it I think was about 2003, which was the year that Greg Murphy did that record-breaking lap, so it’s possible.”

2014 BathurstLiqui-Moly Bathurst12-Hour
Timetable;

Friday, February 7
Practice #1 (Class A-B): 8:55am (1-Hour)

Practice #2 (All Classes): 1:05pm (1-Hour)
Practice #3 (All Classes): 4:15pm (1-Hour)

Saturday, February 8
Qualifying #1 (All Classes): 9:00am (1-Hour)
Qualifying #2 (All Classes): 1:30pm (40-minutes)

Qualifying #3 (Class A): 2:20pm (15-minutes)

Sunday, February 9

Bathurst12-Hour: 6:15am (12-Hours)

Event coverage;

• the final 3-hours of the race broadcast on SBS (3:30pm AEST, Sunday February 9)
• live webcast of the event (including commentary from Radio Le Mans)
• post-produced coverage of the event on SBS with replays on SPEED TV (Foxtel)

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Keep up to date with further announcements from the Skwirk.com.au race team by visiting;www.facebook.com/MelbournePerformance

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melbourne Performance Centre is proudly supported by Skwirk.com.au, One World Bar, The Audi Race Experience, PH Motorsport Trailers - supplier of the Audi Sports Customer racing transporter, BluFi Wireless Australia and Questek Australia.

The Audi Race Experience
Get behind the wheel yourself to discover a new level of excitement with the Audi Driving Experience. Refine your technique, develop more skilled control at higher speeds and pursue the ultimate in performance.

From advanced programs, right through to the Audi race experience, there is a program to suit every kind of driver.

The Audi Driving Experience makes use of a range of Audi’s vehicles, from sports road cars right through to their Bathurstwinning race vehicles. From Audi’s advanced driving courses, you can move through to the Audi sportscar experience and finally, the Audi race experience where you can slip behind the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 racecar that claimed victory in the Australian GT Championship and the Bathurst 12-Hour.

To find out more, call Melbourne Performance Centre today.

MelbournePerformance Centre
521 Mountain Highway,
Bayswater VIC 3153
Phone: 03 9738 2294
Fax: 03 9738 2296
info@melbourneperformance.com
www.melbourneperformance.com

www.facebook.com/MelbournePerformance

Photo credit: Melbourne Performance Centre

Australian GT: Podium for Rod Salmon/MPC Audi in Highlands NZ race 2

By Tarek Ramchani

Highlands Motorsport Park in New-Zealand hosted today the final race of the season in Australian GT Championship. Rod Salmon/MPC victorious yesterday in race 1 performed again very well in race 2.

The #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra showed again strong performances in a demanding Aussie GT field. The car shared by car-owner Rod Salmon and Liam Talbot finished in third place at the end of the 40-minute sprint race. The New-Zealand round gave Rod Salmon and Melbourne Performance Centre great satisfactions with an improving effort Down Under.

Unfortunately the second Audi of the field from Equity-One Motorsport did not finish the race. The red and white #71 Audi R8 LMS driven by Dean Koutsoumdis and Andrew McInnes retired after 13 laps into the race.

Race win went to the #7 Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3 ahead of the #1 Porsche 997 GT3. Race 2 results can be seen here.

Highlights from race two can be watched below. Video produced by Other Side Productions:

Photo credit: Australian GT 

Highlands 101: V8 Supercars star Jason Bright with an Audi R8 LMS ultra in New Zealand

By Tarek Ramchani

Exciting news coming from Down Under and Rod Salmon. The team added Jason Bright for their effort in New Zealand at the brand new Highlands Motorsport Park.

Jason Bright was already announced for the 2014 Bathurst 12 Hours race. In New Zealand he will have the chance to get an early taste of the Audi R8 LMS ultra. The race is the Highlands 101, a 101-lap endurance event that is a non-championship event combining Australian GT regulars and local teams. The #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra will have a three-driver lineup, Jason Bright joined by car owner Rod Salmon and Liam Talbot. The Equity-One Motorsport R8 LMS of Dean Koutsoumdis and Andrew McInnes is also entered for the 101. Both cars will be supported by the talented team from Melbourne Performance Centre. A very healthy grid is expected with many V8 Supercars stars joining the field such as Fabian Coulthard, Greg Murphy and Dean Canto.

Highlands Motorsport Park will also host the season finale of the 2013 Australian GT Championship, wherein both Audis will be competing during the same weekend. Rod Salmon and Liam Talbot will drive the "Orange" R8 LMS ultra in the two 40-minute races.

Photo credit: Australian GT

Australian GT: Sixth and seventh for Audi teams in Philip Island race 2

By Tarek Ramchani

The second Australian GT Championship race of the weekend was held at Philip Island today. The two Audi Sport customer racing teams again made it into the top 10.

As was the case yesterday in race 1, the two Audi cars were not able to fight for the win, however they showed good pace. The best ranked Audi was the #6 R8 LMS ultra. The Melbourne Performance Centre supported car, driven by Rod Salmon and James Winslow, finished sixth overall. The second Audi entry from Minda Motorsport was one position behind the MPC Audi R8 LMS ultra. The #71 R8 LMS shared by Dean Koutsoumidis and Andrew McInnes was seventh.

The competition in Australian GT is more competitive than ever. Six different brands finished within the top 6. Race victory went to Jack Le Brocq with the #36 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3. In second was Tony Quinn with the #7 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and third Klark Quinn with the #1 Porsche 997 GT3 R.

The next round of the Australian GT Championship will be at Sydney Motorsport Park, July 12th-14th.

Photo credit: Australian GT Championship

Australian GT: Fifth and sixth for Audi teams in Philip Island race 1

By Tarek Ramchani

The Australian GT Championship Presented by Pirelli is at Philip Island this weekend, round 3 of the season. As was the case last time out at Adelaide, two Audi Sport customer racing teams are taking part in the event with a single car each.

The two Audi R8 LMS cars are supported by Melbourne Performance Centre. The #6 MPC Audi R8 LMS ultra is shared by Rod Salmon and James Winslow. The other entry is the #71 Audi R8 LMS of Minda Motorsports in the hands of Dean Koutsoumidis and Andrew McInnes.

Race 1 has already been held today, a positive race for the Audi cars. Dean Koutsoumidis and Andrew McInnes finished the 1-hour sprint event in fifth overall, whilst Rod Salmon and James Winslow were one place behind them in sixth position. The top 5 represented many brands, with Mercedes-Benz winning ahead of Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Audi. Race victory went to Jack Le Brocq with the #36 SLS AMG GT3 from Erbus Motorsport. Tony Quinn was second with a Vantage V12 GT3 and Roger Lago was third in a Gallardo.

Race 2 is set for tomorrow, another 1-hour sprint event. We wish the best of luck for both Audi entries.

Photo credit: Australian GT Championship

Australian GT: Minda Motorsport Audi R8 LMS in eighth place at Adelaide race 2

By Tarek Ramchani

Adelaide hosted the second race of the Australian GT Championship Clipsal 500 weekend today. Whilst two Audi R8 LMS cars were entered at Adelaide, only one started the second race. Race 1 on Saturday was a fatal event for the #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra of Rod Salmon. The Melbourne Performance Centre car was heavily damaged and couldn't take part in race 2. Thus meaning that only a single Audi R8 LMS took part in race 2, the #71 car from Minda Motorsport.

Yesterday the Equity-One Motorsport car finished race 1 in eighth place. Dean Koutsoumidis and Andrew McInnes shared the car in the one-hour race. Today it was a kind of deja vu in race 2. The white and red Audi R8 LMS again finished in eighth place after the 30-minute sprint race. Race victory went to Craig Baird with the SLS AMG GT3, his second win of the weekend. Klark Quinn's Porsche GT3 R was second and Christian Klien's Mercedes was third.

The third round of Australian GT will be at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit this coming May. We hope that Rod Salmon's R8 will be there again and that other Audis will also join.

Photo credit: EquityOneMotorsport Twitter

Australian GT: Mixed race 1 for Audi teams at Adelaide

By Tarek Ramchani

Adelaide is hosting the second round of the Australian GT Championship this weekend. Two races are planned supporting the Clipsal 500, the V8 Supercars season opener. Race 1 took place today with mixed results for the Melbourne Performance Centre supported Audi Sport customer racing teams.

Two Audi R8 LMS cars took part of the event. The #71 Audi R8 LMS from Minda Motorsport shared by drivers Dean Koutsoumidis and Andrew McInnes, the car started from ninth place. The second car, the #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra of Rod Salmon, started from eleventh.

Close battles on track around the famous temporary Adelaide street course. Two major incidents brought the safety car out onto the course twice during the race. Unfortunately the second safety car was caused by Rod Salmon in the #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra. Following a touch from behind in turn 14 the "Orange" R16 with Rod Salmon was a passenger as he hit the wall whilst exiting turn 8. Due to the damage he was forced to retire from the race, and the rest of the weekend.

The #71 Minda Motorsport car completed a strong first race. Dean Koutsoumidis and Andrew McInnes finished eighth overall, sixth in the " GT Championship" class. The race win went to Craig Baird with his Mercedes-Benz SLS AMS GT3 ahead of Roger Lago's Lamborghini Gallardo and Klark Quinn's Porsche GT3 R. Race 1 results are here.

Race two is set for tomorrow, a 30-minute true sprint race format. We wish the best of luck for race 2.

Photo credit: Melbourne Performance Center

Australian GT: Two Audi R8 LMS cars for round 2 at Adelaide

By Tarek Ramchani

After a thrilling first round at the Bathurst 12 Hour, the Australian GT is now at another iconic track, the famous Adelaide street course. Two Audi Sport customer racing teams are entering the event.

At Bathurst four Australian Audi cars competed in the Mount Panorama enduro event, with two of them being entered for the first Australian GT round. For Adelaide only two Audi cars will been entered. Minda Motorsport debuted with the Audi R8 LMS last time out and finished in an excellent fourth place. The #71 white and red car will be driven by Dean Koutsoumidis and Andrew McInnes. The other Audi car will be the #6 R8 LMS ultra of Rod Salmon. At Bathurst the "Orange" R16 was classified sixth in the Australian GT segment of the 12 hour race. Both cars will be supported by Melbourne Performance Centre.

Two free practice sessions have already taken place on Thursday. The #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra of Rod Salmon was 11th in the first session and sixth in the second. The #71 Audi R8 LMS of Dean Koutsoumidis and Andrew McInnes was tenth in the first session and eighth in the second. During qualifying the #71 placed ninth and the #6 in eleventh.

Two races are planned this weekend. A one hour race on Saturday and a second race with a 30-minute sprint format on Sunday. The competition is becoming fierce in Australian GT. The Audi entries will be up against all-pro line-ups at the front, however we hope that both teams will be able to fight for top spots and big points for the overall standings.

Photo credit: Bathurst 12 Hour