The Australian GT Championship is set to fire in 2012 with a 7 round series announced during at last weekends 2011 final event at Sandown. The series will feature on three of the key V8 Supercar events, and on four of the Shannon’s National rounds.

 Round one of the championship will kick off at the Clipsal 500 in March, with a 60 minute twilight race, and a 30 minute sprint race.  The following four rounds will be mini - enduro events, with 2 x one hour races on the Shannon’s Series, featuring optional driver changes, and compulsory timed pit stops. The Championship will then move to the Gold Coast for the Armor All 600, wrapping up at Homebush in Sydney with the Telstra 500 for the final round, both events featuring races with pit stops.

The series is also canvassing the possibility of a non – championship round in New Zealand.

 “We are extremely excited about the 2012 season. The calendar delivers what the competitors have been asking for in longer race formats, while also featuring on three of the marquee V8 Supercar events.” explained SPHERIX’S Craig Nayda, the category administrator.

 All rounds will be televised through free to air, SPEED Channel, and Internationally through Motor World.

 The four mini-enduro rounds will also count towards the CAMS Tourist Trophy, a prestigious Australian Sports Car trophy previously won by Sir Stirling Moss and a host a International sports car drivers.

 New cars for 2012 include the Ford GT40 of Adelaide’s Kevin Weeks, Roger Lago’s Lamborghini LP600, Peter Edwards Ferrari 458 Italia GT3, and a second Mercedes - Benz SLS AMG GT3 to be driven by James Brock for Erebus Racing.  Newly crowned 2011 Champ Mark Eddy is also rumored to be shopping for a 2011 spec Audi R8 to defend his title next year.

1    Mar 1 - 4            Adelaide              V8 Supercar - Clipsal 500               1 x 1hr & 1 x 30min2    May 25 - 27        Phillip Island         Shannons Nationals                       2 x 1hr3    Jun 22 - 24         Winton                 Shannons Nationals                       2 x 1hr4    Jul 13 - 15          Eastern Creek       Shannons Nationals                       2 x 1hr5    Sep 21 - 23        Phillip Island          Shannons Nationals                      2 x 1hr6    Oct 19 - 21         Surfers Paradise    V8 Supercar – Gold Coast 600       2 x 40 mins7    Nov 30 – Dec 2    Homebush            V8 Supercar – Sydney  500           2 x 40 mins

The 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 the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and the street circuits of Adelaide Parklands and the Gold Coast.