TheAustralian GT Championship,known as theGT World Challenge Australiasince 2020, is aMotorsport Australia-sanctioned national title for drivers of GT cars, held annually from 1960 to 1963, from 1982 to 1985 and from 2005. Each championship up to and including the 1963 title was contested over a single race and those after that year over a series of races. The categories which have contested the championship have not always been well defined and often have become a home for cars orphaned by category collapse or a sudden change in regulation.
 | |
| Category | Sports car racing |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Inaugural season | 1960 |
| Drivers | 49 |
| Drivers' champion |  Liam Talbot |
| Official website | Australian GT |
 Current season | |
History
editAppendix K
edit
In the first era the championship races were open to closed roof cars (not necessarily production based) complying with CAMS Appendix K regulations. Appendix K catered for modified productionGrand Touring cars(such asLotus Elite),sports cars(such asJaguar D-Type) fitted with roofs, specials (such as the CentaurWaggott) and touring cars modified beyond the limits of the then currentAppendix Jregulations. Numbers dropped rapidly away as the years went on and both the category and the championship were discontinued at the end of 1963.
GT and Sports Sedan
editFrom 1976 to 1981 theAustralian Sports Car Championshiphad been contested byGroup D Production Sports Cars.The re-introduction ofGroup A Sports Carsin 1982 saw Group D needing a new home. The Australian GT Championship was re-introduced as a home for both Group D and Group B Sports Sedans of theAustralian Sports Sedan Championship(ASSC). The category was something of a hybrid with European racing cars, American IMSA racers and wide variety of Australian Sports Sedans competing together. One major difference between the Sports Sedans and GT cars was that the Sports Sedans were restricted to 10 "wheels where as the GT cars were allowed up to 18" of rubber. Although many of the top V8 sports sedans had similar power to the GT cars, the difference in rubber on the road saw the GT cars able to get their power to the ground much more efficiently and also go much faster through the turns.
Porsche 935's dominated early with1980Formula OneWorld ChampionAlan Joneswinning the1982 Championshipin an entry backed by former race driverAlan Hamilton's Porsche Cars Australia (Hamilton was Australia's major Porsche distributor at the time). Porsche won again in1983,this time withRusty Frenchdriving the 1982 title winning car he had acquired from Hamilton, while both the1984and1985championships were won byAllan GriceandBryan Thomsonrespectively, both driving the ex-Bob JaneDeKonChevrolet Monzawith a 6.0 LV8 enginethat produced a reported 600 bhp (447 kW; 608 PS), with Thomson also driving his exoticChevrolet V8powered twin turboMercedes-Benz 450 SLCin the 1985 series. The Thomson Mercedes was alleged to produce over 1,000 bhp (746 kW; 1,014 PS) making it arguably the most powerful race car in Australian motor racing. The downside though was that without a large budget, the Thompson Mercedes suffered numerous reliability problems (usually turbo) and neither Thompson nor his team driver (1985–86)Brad Jones,or indeedJohn Bowewho had also driven the car in the early 1980s while Thompson was in a short lived retirement, were able to show its true potential.
As time went on the usually slower Sports Sedans started to usurp the category as the more expensive Sports Car refugees dropped in numbers. Sports Sedans also became more effective, especially once local racing car factories and professional racing teams like theAdelaidebasedElfin Sports Carsand K&A Engineering, and top leveltouring carteams such asAlan Browne'sRe-Car team and former ASSCFrank Gardner'sJPS Team BMWbecame involved. As with Appendix K of the 1960s, grids were widely varied with turbocharged Porsche 935s,BMW 318is,5.0 and 6.0 litreV8powered Chevrolet Monzas,Holden Commodores,Alfa Romeo Alfettas,Thomson's lone Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC, Peter Fitzgerald'snon-turboPorsche Carrera RSR,a couple ofV12Jaguar XJS' and with a variety of sports sedans such as theHolden MonaroandHolden Torana,Ford FalconandFord Escort,and various turbochargedToyotas,NissansandMazda RX-7s.
By 1985 the field was mostly Sports Sedans bolstered with recently obsolete (from the end of 1984)Group C Touring Carsand the championship was run concurrently with theAustralian Sports Car Championship.Veteran driverKevin Bartlettintroduced a very quickGround effectsDe Tomaso Panterain 1985 which brought some much needed spice to the GT category.
For 1986 Sports Sedans went their own way. Within a couple of years Porsche drivers had their own series with the Porsche Cup.
GT3 and GT4
edit
The Australian GT Championship was revived a second time in 2005 after the disbandment of theAustralian Nations Cup Championship.Most of the competing 2004 cars remained eligible for 2005, although the controversialHolden Monaro 427C's which had won the twoBathurst 24 Hourraces in2002and2003were a notable exception. This was because the Monaros under Nations Cup rules had been permitted to use the 7.0 litre, 427 cuiLS6Chevrolet V8 engine that had been used successfully in theChevrolet Corvette C5-R,while the road going CV8 Monaros only came with the 5.7-litreGen IIIV8. The Australian Porsche Drivers Challenge (the former Australian Porsche Cup) also was merged into the GT Championship.
The FIA GT3 regulations, like those in use in theFIA GT3 European Championshipwas the core of the new series. The series vehicles reflected GT3, Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, the controversial Mosler, although series regulations usually specified cars be two-three years old to cut down on costs. Competing drivers are seeded and penalised so as not to flood the series with professional drivers from other categories and increasing there has been an emphasis on longer races, sometimes allowing for more than one driver per car.
The series has grown steadily, helped by the transition of theBathurst 12 Hourrace from a production car race to a GT race. Manufacturers have diversified widely from its mostly Porsche base and in addition to the 12 Hour has also seen the creation of other long distance races, thePhillip Island 101and theHighlands 101in New Zealand.
The Australian GT Trophy Series was introduced as a support series in 2016, featuring older-specification GT3, GT4, Challenge andMARCcars. GT4 cars will be integrated into the main championship in 2018.
Circuits
edit- Current
Mount Panorama Circuit(1960, 2006–2007, 2009–2011, 2013, 2019–2024)
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit(2005–2019, 2021–present)
The Bend Motorsport Park(2018–2019, 2021–2022, 2024)- Sydney Motorsport Park(2005–2015, 2018, 2020, 2023–present)
Queensland Raceway(2005–2007, 2013, 2016–2017, 2022–present)
- Returning
Hampton Downs Motorsport Park(2016–2018, 2025)
- Former
- Adelaide International Raceway(1982–1985)
- Albert Park Circuit(2008–2010, 2016–2019)
Baskerville Raceway(1982)- Calder Park Raceway(1963, 1982–1985)
- Highlands Motorsport Park(2013–2016)
- Homebush Street Circuit(2009, 2012)
- Lakeside International Raceway(1962, 1982–1985)
- Mallala Motor Sport Park(2006)
- Oran Park Raceway(1982, 1985, 2006–2007)
- Reid Park Street Circuit(2011, 2014–2017)
- Sandown Raceway(1983–1984, 2007–2008, 2010–2011, 2014–2020, 2022)
- Adelaide Street Circuit(2007–2013, 2015–2017, 2022–2023)
- Surfers Paradise International Raceway(1982–1985)
- Surfers Paradise Street Circuit(2012, 2019)
- Symmons Plains Raceway(1982, 2007)
- Wakefield Park(2005–2006, 2017)
Wanneroo Raceway(1982, 2016–2017, 2019, 2023)- Warwick Farm Raceway(1961)
- Winton Motor Raceway(1982–1985, 2011–2012, 2016–2017)
Champions
edit
Multiple winners
editBy driver
edit| Wins | Driver | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Klark Quinn
|
2012, 2013, 2016 |
| Geoff Emery
|
2017, 2018, 2019 | |
| 2 | David Wall
|
2009, 2010 |
| Mark Eddy
|
2008, 2011 |
By manufacturer
edit| Wins | Manufacturer | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 8 |  Audi
|
2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| 7 | Porsche
|
1982, 1983, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 |
| 2 |  Jaguar
|
1961, 1963 |
 Chevrolet
|
1984, 19851 | |
| Mercedes-Benz
|
19851,2014 |
See also
editReferences
edit- A History of Australian Motor Sport, 1980
- Australian Motor Racing Yearbooks, 1982/83 to 1985/86
- camsmanual.au
- gtchampionship.au