MOTORSPORT: GT racing gets into fourth gear

The growth of GT racing in Australia continues apace, with news this week GT4 cars will be allowed to race against GT3s in national competition next year.

GT4s – cheaper and not as modified as GT3s – have been restricted to the Australian GT Trophy Series this year.

“We will offer guaranteed GT4 grid spots in the Australian GT championships [to GT3] for 2018 and beyond,” Australian GT Manager Ken Collier said.

Mr Collier has recently returned from a meeting in London with global GT racing supremo Stephane Ratel. “Our [detailed] plans for 2018 will be announced soon, and will include GT4 in our level one racing,” Mr Collier revealed. “It’s obvious that GT4 has a great attraction to a wide range of teams and competitors.

“My experience is that there is as much manufacturer support for GT4 as GT3 globally, and they are driving the development of their GT4 cars strongly.

“Combine this with the SRO (Stephane Ratel Organisation) balance of performance (BoP) and proportional value for money, GT4 will grow in Australia.

“Stephane Ratel has worked with manufacturers, starting with Porsche, to build the concept of GT4 racing.

“GT4 is not simply a smaller cousin of GT3, the cars are often based on different models of cars to GT3. GT4 cars are closer to the road versions from manufacturers, with less aerodynamics and other high-performance components.

“The cars cost less to purchase, maintain and compete with in comparison to GT3, but still possess impressive levels of performance.”
Collier represented Australian GT category owner and racer Tony Quinn at the London talks with Ratel. A five-year deal had already been struck with SRO to run GT4 racing in Australia, but the inclusion of the class in all Australian GT level one events elevates it further.

Global interest in GT racing has boomed in recent years – and in GT4 in particular of late. Marques represented in GT4 globally already include Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ford, KTM, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

GT3 and GT4 have raced together in Britain, although the depth of numbers has led to the creation of a separate GT4 Cup there next year – but the classes will still run together at times.

Ratel claims more manufacturers are preparing to enter GT4 in Britain, including Jaguar “and another one too”.

At last weekend’s 24 Hours of Spa in Belgium – the biggest GT race in the world – Ratel announced a new ‘Asia Pacific 36 Series’ comprising three 12-hour races, the first of them to be held at Quinn’s Hampton Downs circuit on New Zealand’s North Island at the end of October next year.

The other rounds will be the Sepang 12-Hour in Malaysia and the Bathurst 12-Hour each February (already a part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge along with the 24 Hours of Spa and Japan’s 10 Hours - which will replace Sepang).

Meanwhile, there is a record field of 21 cars over three classes for the third round of the Australian GT Trophy Series this weekend at Queensland Raceway outside Ipswich.

The meeting also includes Jim Richards Endurance Trophy for Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge competitors, a 45-minute race into the Saturday twilight, followed by night racing in the Australian Production Car Series, with 25 cars entered for the ‘Fight in the Night’. Among them will be a Ford Focus RS driven by Chaz Mostert, winner of the latest Supercar race at QR last Sunday, and his mate Nathan Morcom.

Also on the program for the weekend is a round of Queensland’s Hyundai Excel series with the 33-car field the biggest of the event.

Second Bathurst circuit still a long way off
A $10 million Federal Government contribution to a second circuit at Bathurst’s Mt Panorama has been confirmed, but Mr Graeme Hanger, the regional city’s Mayor, says it will still be a couple of years before construction begins.

Mr Hanger says three parties – one Australian and two international – are competing to design what is envisaged as a 4.6-kilometre track west of the McPhillamy Park and Reid Park sections at the top of the mountain in the existing circuit.

The NSW government and Bathurst Regional Council have committed another $25 million towards the project, which has been estimated to cost $52.4 million all-up.

Once tenders are evaluated, and a decision made on which proposal to go with, approval will be needed from the NSW Government’s planning and environment authorities.

Meanwhile, work is progressing on The Bend Motorsport Park at Tailem Bend, South Australia, 100km east of Adelaide, with bitumen expected to be laid next month on 7.7km of race circuit.

The venue may be on next year’s Supercar Championship calendar – with a second SA round after the season-opening Clipsal 500 – when it is announced in coming weeks.

When complete, there will be four layouts within The Bend venue which is being developed by the Peregrine Corporation of SA’s wealthy Shahin family. Peregrine bought the old Mallala circuit north of Adelaide earlier this and is planning an upgrade of that 2.6km track next year.

Rallying still Loeb’s primary passion
Record nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb is to test one of Citroen’s C3s which are conspicuously uncompetitive in this year’s title chase – and there is speculation of a comeback by the Frenchman next season.

Loeb retired from full-time WRC competition at the end of 2012 and is now racing for Peugeot in both the World Rallycross Championship and marathon rallies after a brief stint in the World Touring Car Championship with Citroen.

“I’m still passionate about rallying. Of all the disciplines I’ve tried since I retired five years ago, it’s the sensation of rallying that I love most,” Loeb said.

Mr Yves Matton, Citroen’s WRC team principal, pointedly explained there is no C3 available for Loeb to compete in the WRC in this year’s remaining events and played a very straight bat on the prospects of a return next year, saying decisions on drivers for 2018 are: “quite far away”.

Meanwhile, electric cars will be introduced to World Rallycross in 2020 – in a separate class, rather than against those with internal combustion engines.

Kubica prominent but ‘realistic’ at F1 test
Renault continues to tease the potential F1 return of Robert Kubica, the brilliant Polish driver who won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.

Kubica took part in this week’s official F1 test in Budapest after the Hungarian GP.

It was his first taste of the current specification petrol-hybrid racers after two earlier tests in 2012-spec F1 cars.

Kubica’s F1 career was ruined by a crash in a rally car five years ago which left him with permanent injuries to one arm.

He subsequently continued rallying but has hankered for an F1 comeback – and many within the sport would love to see him back.

While he came through the Budapest test well, Kubica – now 32 – was struck by the extra 100kg of the hybrid cars introduced since his accident and said he was remaining “realistic” about a return to the GP grids.