Australian GT News

FULL GRID FOR SEASON OPENER OF VODKA O AUSTRALIAN GT CHAMPIONSHIP AT CLIPSAL 500 ADELAIDE

January 25, 2010

The full might of the 2010 Vodka O Australian GT Championship is to be unleashed on the streets of Adelaide as a fully subscribed grid contests Round 1 at the Clipsal 500 to be held from March 11-14.

‘The growth in our category has been truly phenomenal in the past two years to the point that for the 2010 season it has been necessary to revise the marque (manufacturer) limit numbers in the GT Championship division, GT Directors Rachael Wagg, Martin Wagg and Terry Little said today.

‘The Championship division will now feature a maximum of five entries running Lamborghini Gallardo GT3, Porsche GT3 997 Cup S, and Dodge Viper GT3.
Four Mosler MT900 GT3 positions are filled with the two positions for Aston Martin DBRS9 and Maserati Trofeo GT3 also taken. Single positions for Porsche GT3 997 Cup Car, Audi R8 GT3 and Lotus Exige GT3 have also been allocated.

Australian GT holds the sole rights to invite new competitors with marques not currently competing in the Championship or high profile local/international individuals.

This line-up, together with strong entries in the GT Challenge and GT Production divisions, sets the scene to make the 2010 Vodka O Australian GT Championship among the strongest sports car series running anywhere in the world', the elated GT Management team added.

Reigning 2009 GT champions David Wall (GT Championship), Jordan Ormsby (GT Challenge) and Paul Freestone (GT Production) all return to defend their titles, but the competition has never been stronger for the three tiered Championship.

Mark Eddy who captured the 2008 Championship will be behind the wheel of an Audi R8 GT3, while another former champion Greg Crick will be returning to the fray in a Dodge Viper GT3. Crick has also entered another two GT3 Vipers for the season , with drivers to be announced soon.

Other outright championship contenders include the father and son duo of Tony and Klark Quinn who have the choice of three cars by way of two Mosler MT900 GT3 models and the VIP Petfood Aston Martin DBRS9. Tony Quinn recently acquired the two Moslers from John Briggs.

Jim Richards (Porsche GT3 997 Cup Car) is another welcome returnee to the Championship as are brothers Theo and James Koundouris, Max Twigg, and Marc Cini - all in Porsche GT3 997 Cup S models - and will surely make an impact in the Championship chase.

Ross Lilley and Ian Palmer in their Dodge Viper GT3's will also be strong contenders while Ash Samadi will be running a Mosler MT900 GT3 along with Andrew Macpherson.

The Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 ‘fleet' consists of entries for Dean Grant, Ted Huglin, Andrew Taplin, Peter Hill, and Ross Zampatti, while Jim Manolios will pilot a Maserati Trofeo model.

Angelo Lazaris will be behind the wheel of his Lotus Exige GT3.

Making a welcome return to the opening rounds of the season is Irish international Hector Lestor who will be running a Ferrari 430 GT3.

In the GT Challenge division Jordan Ormsby (Porsche GT3 RS) can expect plenty of competition from a grid including fellow Porsche drivers Michael Loccisano, Paul Tresidder, Simon Middleton, Shane Smollen, and Ray Angus, and more.

The Corvette Z06 of Paul Freestone will be joined by an identical car for Barrie Nesbitt, and Tony Alford will again drive his Nissan GTR R35 with Timothy Poulton contesting the GT Production division in a Lotus Exige S.

The field will expand yet again for Round 2 of the Vodka O Australian GT Championship at the F1 Australian Grand Prix just two weeks after Adelaide.