A strong field of GT machinery will take starters honours at Phillip Island to kick off the second Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS season.
Headlined by the return of reigning champion Yasser Shahin in one of eight upgraded Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo IIs, which will take on two one-hour races at the Island. Shahin will be partnered by German Audi Sport ace Christopher Mies again following a successful campaign at Bathurst last year.
Shahin’s chief rival for the title, Prince Jefri Ibrahim continues with Triple Eight Race Engineering and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 in 2022 as reigning Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen prepares for a full-season tilt.
Also coming back for season two is Stephen and Brenton Grove in their Porsche 991 GT3R, a model brand new to the team last year.
After contesting a limited schedule last year, reigning Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series winner Chaz Mostert will return to the grid with Liam Talbot for Phillip Island in another current specification Audi.
Completing the strong Pro-Am field is the Wall Racing Lamborghini Huracan Evo GT3 for Adrian Deitz partnered by the team’s Honda-supported Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series driver Tony D’Alberto.
Depth is carried through to the Am Class led by reigning class winners Andrew MacPherson and Ben Porter in the AMAC Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan Evo GT3, who will defend the title.
Gary Higgon once again is partnered by former triple Australian Gold Star winner Paul Stokell in one of two KFC Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo IIs, the other to be driven by Matt Stoupas.
Other Audi mounted Am teams include experienced brothers James and Theo Koundouris, South Australian Mark Rosser and Marc Cini.
RAM Motorsport is the sole Mercedes-AMG GT3 representative in the class, but will be contenders as Garth Walden and Mike Sheargold spearhead this entry.
GT Trophy was a closely fought affair in 2021, with Brad Schumacher returning to the class in the Audi he debuted at Bathurst last year.
Runner-up Brett Hobson will debut his newer Nissan GT-R GT3 at Phillip Island and the fan favourite Bentley Continental GT3 piloted by Michael Bailey makes a return.
Vince Muriti in his Mercedes-AMG GT3 and the returning Dean Koutsoumidis in a Porsche 911 GT3R ensure the variety continues in Trophy Class.
GT4 entries receive a boost as Mark Griffith’s Mercedes-AMG GT4 is joined by a similar example entered by Victorian-based Customers Sports and Restorations, with Sam Brabham partnering Spiros Poulakis.
Experienced Porsche racer Madeline Stewart will also contest the class in a Ginetta GT4.
Rounding out the entries is a GTC-spec Porsche for Eric Constantinidis.
The opening round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS consists of two one-hour races ahead of a six-round calendar taking in Bathurst twice, Queensland Raceway, Sandown and The Bend Motorsport Park.
TRACK SCHEDULE
Friday, March 18
10:50am-11:15am Practice 1
1:10pm-1:40pm Practice 2
4:00pm-4:20pm Qualifying 1
4:25pm-4:45pm Qualifying 2
Saturday, March 19
1:45pm-2:45pm Race 1
Sunday, March 20
1:45pm-2:45pm Race 2
ENTRY LIST, ROUND 1, PHILLIP ISLAND
| Car # | Class | Driver 1 | Driver 2 | Model |
| 1 | Pro-Am | Yasser Shahin | Christopher Mies | Audi R8 GT3 LMS evo II GT3 |
| 2 | Am | Gary Higgon | Paul Stokell | Audi R8 GT3 LMS evo II GT3 |
| 4 | Pro-Am | Stephen Grove | Brenton Grove | Porsche GT3-R 911-II |
| 6 | Pro-Am | Adrian Deitz | Tony D’Alberto | Lamborghini Huracan Evo GT3 |
| 11 | Trophy/GTC | Eric Constantinidis | – | Porsche 991 GT3 Cup Car Gen2 |
| 17 | Am | Mark Rosser | – | Audi R8 GT3 LMS evo II GT3 |
| 19 | GT4 | Mark Griffith | – | Mercedes-AMG GT4 |
| 23 | Am | Matt Stoupas | – | Audi R8 GT3 LMS evo II GT3 |
| 24 | Pro-Am | Tony Bates | David Reynolds | Audi R8 GT3 LMS evo II GT3 |
| 33 | Trophy | Vince Muriti | – | Mercedes-AMG GT3 |
| 34 | GT4 | Ross Poulakis | Sam Brabham | Mercedes-AMG GT4 |
| 38 | Trophy | Michael Bailey | – | Bentley Continental GT3 |
| 45 | Am | Mike Sheargold | Garth Walden | Mercedes-AMG GT3 |
| 47 | Am | James Koundouris | Theo Koundouris | Audi R8 GT3 LMS evo II GT3 |
| 51 | Am | Andrew Macpherson | Ben Porter | Lamborghini Huracan Evo GT3 |
| 55 | Trophy | Brad Schumacher | – | Audi R8 LMS GT3 |
| 65 | Pro-Am | Liam Talbot | Chaz Mostert | Audi R8 GT3 LMS evo II GT3 |
| 71 | Trophy | Dean Koutsoumidis | – | Porsche 997 GT3-R |
| 96 | Trophy | Brett Hobson | – | Nissan GT-R GT3 |
| 888 | Pro-Am | Prince Jefri Ibrahim | Shane van Gisbergen | Mercedes-AMG GT3 |
| TBA | Inv/GT4 | Madeline Stewart | – | Ginetta GT4 |
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