Entries have now closed for Round five of the Vodka O Australian GT Championship, to be run at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit this weekend (2nd -4th Sept,) and the names of the co-drivers on the list is impressive with V8 Supercar and Carrera Cup drivers featured in the 18 car field.
V8 Supercar GRM enduro driver and former Team Australia Indy Car driver Marcus Marshall, Carerra Cup pilots Jonny Reid and Daniel Gaunt, and former Indy Lights hot shot Josh Hunt will all play their parts in helping their regular GT drivers to get on the podium.
Marshall and Reid will be partnering the McElrea Racing duo of John Modystach and Rob Knight in their Porsche 997 GT3's who will both be making their GT Racing debuts.
"John is new to Porsche racing so I'm going to be helping him with some set up advice for the car and also making sure we can get his car right up the front of the Challenge Class," said Reid.
"He has been racing really well in the Porsche GT3 Challenge, and is a McElrea Racing stable mate so when I was asked to help out I was really keen, plus it gives me a whole bunch of laps at the Island before I race there with Stone Brothers Racing at the L&H 500."
Hunt, a former Indy Lights driver will be partnering Townsville round winner Kevin Weeks in the awesome Lamborghini Gallardo which Weeks said should be an interesting experience.
"I've known Josh for about 18 months, he is clearly a talented young bloke, and I'm hoping that when we overlay the data I might be able to learn a few things about my driving and the Phillip Island Circuit," said Weeks.
Daniel Gaunt, a V8 Supercar enduro driver and NZ Porsche Champion will once again pair up with Dean Grant in the recently repaired Vodka O Mosler.
Grant tasted victory with Gaunt early this year at the Winton round in Grants Cup S Porsche, and said that while it will be tough, he is hoping together they can repeat the success at Phillip Island.
"Daniel is a gun driver, and we have a really good rapport out of the car so I'm really looking forward to getting to Phillip Island to see what the Mosler will do.
Barton Mawer will also co-drive the Angelo Lazaris Lotus Exige GT3, Damien Flack will share the Porsche 997 Cup Car with brother Adrian, while Stig Richards will co-drive with Tim Poulton.
Round five of the Championship will feature two one hour races on Sunday with compulsory pit stops regardless of whether or not a co-driver is in the car, making sure there will be plenty of strategy decisions up and down pit lane.
Championship leader Klark Quinn will drive the V.I.P. Petfoods Mosler solo, as will father Tony Quinn in the Aston Martin.
Peter Hackett will also drive the new Mercedes Benz SLS AMG GT3 in its first GT race outing at Phillip Island.
Drivers will also be fighting out for the honour of taking home the CAMS Tourist Trophy, with Greg Crick's Dodge Viper currently sitting in the box seat.
Ticket prices have also been released with access to the circuit FREE on Saturday and to celebrate Fathers Day on Sunday, any Dads bringing their kids will get in free, otherwise tickets are $10.00 at the gate or $20.00 per car, which will include a "grid walk" before each GT race so fans can get close to the stars and their cars.
The Vodka O Australian GT Championship is a National motor racing series pitting some of the world's most exotic and exciting race cars against each other in a mix of sprint and endurance race formats on some of Australia's most challenging circuits including Mt Panorama Bathurst, the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and the Adelaide Parklands street circuit for the Clipsal 500
Vodka O GT Championship Standings
1. Klark Quinn 12 V.I.P. Petfoods Mosler MT900 4212. Mark Eddy 8 Penfold Audi Sport Audi R8 LMS 3993. Greg Crick 55 MOPAR Dodge Viper GT3 3974. Dean Grant 2 Vodka O Porsche GT3 997 Cup s 3825. Ash Samadi 22 GRAM Racing Mosler MT900 324GT Challenge Class Leader
1.Peter Boylan 21 Boylan Traffic Solutions Porsche GT3 997 Cup 319
