AUSTRALIAN GT ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP RACES INTO PHILLIP ISLAND
The Australian GT Endurance Championship kicks off at Phillip Island this weekend – Photo: Supplied
The 2017 Australian Endurance Championship kicks off at Phillip Island this weekend (May 27 – 28) as part of the Shannons Nationals 100th round celebrations.
This weekend will see Australian GT competitors set a new distance record for the championship, with 500km distance race (113 laps of Phillip Island) replacing 101 format of previous years.
The new racing format for the Australian Endurance Championship will see 1001 kilometres of racing completed in Australia, with the second round at Sydney Motorsport Park scheduled for 501kms. Another 1001 kilometres racing will then be completed over in New Zealand to round out the championship, split between Hampton Downs (Round 3) and Highlands Park (Round 4).
It’s not only the Shannons Nationals who celebrate their tonne this weekend. Max Twigg will also chalk up his 100th race start in Australian GT. Becoming only the second person to reach that milestone in the history of the championship.
The veteran, Twigg, will compete this weekend behind the wheel of his WM Waste Management Services backed Mercedes-AMG GT3 and has enlisted the help of regular Supercars enduro driver Tony D’Alberto.
Max Twigg will make his 100th Australian GT start at Phillip Island – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde
D’Alberto won’t be the only Supercars driver on the grid with Garth Tander partnering Geoff Emery in the Jamec Pem Racing Audi R8 LMS as part of the two-car effort from the Jamec Pem Racing operation. Rising star Jaxon Evans share with Tim Miles in the second car.
Another big name to join the field this weekend, is drifting sensation Mad Mike Whiddett, who joins Tony Quinn in the Darrell Lea backed McLaren 650S GT3. Mad Mike returns to Australian GT after an impressive circuit racing debut with Klark Quinn at Hampton Downs last year.
The Australian GT Championship points leader, Liam Talbot, will also be on the grid for the endurance series. He’ll be joined John Martin in the MEGA Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R.
Track action for the Australian Endurance Championship at Phillip Island will commence with 30-minute practice session on Saturday morning ahead of two qualifying sessions.
Australian GT Phillip Island 500 Entry List
| # | Team | Car | Drivers |
| 3 | Ah Apartments | Audi R8 LMS GT3 | Ash Samadi/Chris Pither |
| 6 | Timken/Zagame Autosport | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 | Adrian Deitz/Cameron McConville |
| 7 | Darrell Lea | McLaren 650S GT3 | Tony Quinn/Mad Mike Whiddett |
| 8 | WA Waste Management Services | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | Max Twigg/Tony D’Alberto |
| 19 | Hog’s Breath Café/Griffith Corporation | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | Mark Griffith/Jake Camilleri |
| 22 | Scott Taylor Motorsport | Porsche 911 GT3-R | Scott Taylor/Craig Baird |
| 23 | JBS Australia | Lamborghini R-EX GT3 | Roger Lago/David Russell |
| 29 | Haemokinesis/Whispering Vines Café | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 | Jim Manolios/Ryan Millier |
| 48 | Interlloy M Motorsport | Lamborghini R-EX GT3 | Glen Wood/Peter Major |
| 51 | AMAC Motorsport IMAK-Kwikmit | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 | Andrew Macpherson/Brad Shiels |
| 59 | YNA Autosport | McLaren 650S GT3 | Fraser Ross/Warren Luff |
| 63 | Eggleston Motorsport | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | Dominic Storey/Peter Hackett |
| 74 | Valvoline Jamec Pem Racing | Audi R8 LMS GT3 | Geoff Emery/Garth Tander |
| 75 | Valvoline Jamec Pem Racing | Audi R8 LMS GT3 | Tim Miles/Jaxon Evans |
| 88 | Maranello Motorsport | Ferrari 488 GT3 | Peter Edwards/Graham Smyth |
| 100 | BMW Team SRM | BMW M6 GT3 | Steve Richards/James Bergmuller |
| 101 | DJS Racing | BMW M6 GT3 | Danny Stutterd/Sam Fillmore |
| 124 | Kentucky Fried Chicken | Audi R8 LMS GT3 | Daniel Gaunt/Matt Stoupas |
| 911 | MEGA Racing | Porsche 911 GT3-R | Liam Talbot/John Martin |
Make sure you follow Auto Action on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest updates from the Shannons Nationals at Phillip Island.
