GT Festival Preview
The Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS Pro-Am is heating up as the championship enters its fourth round at Phillip Island. With just twenty points separating the top five contenders, the battle for supremacy is as fierce as ever after three rounds.
Leading the pack are Arise Racing GT’s Liam Talbot and Chaz Mostert. The duo stormed to victory during the first round at Phillip Island and have consistently stayed atop the standings despite not claiming another win since. However, their lead is slim, as Brad Schumacher and Will Brown of Melbourne Performance Centre (MPC) are just one point behind. Schumacher and Brown have been the only pairing to secure multiple podium finishes, placing them firmly in second.
In third are MPC’s Tim Miles and Brendon Leitch. Miles has been a standout performer, with his defensive driving in Round 1 showcasing his resilience and helping maintain the team’s podium aspirations.
The winners from The Bend, Peter Hackett and Declan Fraser of Triple Eight, lead the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo charge, sitting 16 points behind the leaders. Their strategic consistency keeps them in contention. Close behind are Arise Ferrari drivers Elliott Schutte and Jaxon Evans, who round out the top five.
Other notable teams include Mark Rosser and Alex Peroni of the BRM Audi team, who clinched a win in the most recent round. Tigani Motorsport’s Paul Lucchitti and Jayden Ojeda, along with Renee Gracie and Paul Stokell in another MPC Audi, and Grove Racing’s Stephen and Brenton Grove have yet to taste victory this season.
This round sees several new driver lineups and entries. Ross Poulakis joins Alex Gardner in the Volante Rosso Motorsport Aston Martin, while David Brabham teams up with Chris Batzios in Harrolds Racing’s Mercedes-AMG. RAM Motorsport’s Mike Sheargold and Garth Walden lead the Am class standings, holding an 11-point advantage over the Koundouris brothers from Tigani Motorsport.
Phillip Island’s inaugural GT Festival, scheduled for August 23-25, promises an action-packed weekend. The event features free entry for spectators and live coverage on Kayo/Foxtel and the GT World YouTube Channel, making it a must-watch for motorsport enthusiasts. As the series returns to Phillip Island, all eyes will be on who can capitalize and shake up the tightly contested Pro-Am standings.