Australian GT News

ASCARI JOINS 2010 VODKA 0 AUSTRALIAN GT CHAMPIONSHIP

Ascari, one of the world's most exclusive car manufacturers is to join the ranks of the 2010 Vodka O Australian GT Championship.

The British built car, that is eligible for the FIA GT3 Series, has been added to the list of cars able to compete in the Australian GT Championship.

The first of two cars being brought into the country will compete at Round 1 of the 2010 Vodka O Australian GT Championship to be held at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide from March 11-14 in the hands of Darren Berry.

The owner of Clipper Motor Yachts in Queensland, Berry has previously run in Mini Challenge and Aussie Racing Cars in addition to owning and competing in the ex-Greg Crick Australian GT Championship winning Dodge Viper.

The Ascari cars purchased by Berry competed successfully in the FIA GT Championship in Europe run by DAMAX with support from Ascari and are two of only seven GT3 models of the marque to have been built.

Berry will base his Australian GT Championship team in Queensland with car preparation in the hands of Alan Mathews and Mick Arnold.
Sponsorship of the Berry car will come from Clipper Motor yachts, with other backing expected in the near future.

‘I selected the Ascari to race in the 2010 Vodka O Australian GT Championship on the basis that it has been very successful in the FIA and British GT Championships and that it is a highly desirable and unique car.

Its mid-engined BMW power plant is brilliant as is the carbon fibre chassis. The car will probably be better than me certainly initially, but where ever it is in the field it will certainly attract plenty of attention', a modest Berry said today.

The first of the two cars is expected to arrive in Australia in the next ten days with the second due at the end of March.

Designated as the KZ1R model, the GT3 version of the Ascari is named after the initials of Ascari owner Klaas Zwart, a wealthy Dutch businessman. The cars are constructed in Banbury in the UK.

The car features a 5 litre BMW V8 engine mated to a 6-speed sequential gearbox and showed its capability by taking the title in the 2009 Avon Tyres British GT Championship in the hands of twin brothers David and Godfrey Jones with three outright wins.

Named after Albert Ascari, the world's first double Formula 1 champion, Ascari also operates an exclusive ‘race resort' in Spain.