Strong 19-car field debut for Monochrome GT4 Australia

A strong field of 19 will contest the inaugural standalone round of Monochrome GT4 Australia at Phillip Island this weekend.

Six manufacturers will be represented on the grid for the opening round, featuring an impressive cast of drivers, highlighting the growth of GT4 in Australia and around the world during the last few seasons.

Reigning series winner Shane Smollen returns to the field in 2024 driving his trusty Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, but there has been change as it will be run under Chaz Mostert’s new Method Motorsport concern and young gun Lachlan Mineeff will co-drive.

Smollen’s competition in Pro-Am Cup has risen considerable thanks to the addition of father-son team Rob and Bailey Love in a pair of Mercedes-AMG GT4s. Co-driving alongside will be Antonio Astuti, who will pair with Rob and Sam Brabham alongside Bailey.

Reigning TCR Australia Series winner Josh Buchan is entered in one of three new McLaren Artura GT4s partnering Jason Yu, while adding further spice is rising star Jarrod Hughes in a Ginetta G55 GT4 pairing with category sponsor Mark Cotterell.

Method Motorsport has entered two Artura GT4s in Silver Cup, with Repco Bathurst 12 Hour podium winners Marcos Flack and Tom Hayman competing alongside Jesse Bryan and Nathan Morcom, who returns to national racing after time away from the track.

The McLarens will also have competition in the form of George Miedecke and Rylan Gray giving the latest-specification Ford Mustang GT4 its Australian racing debut at Phillip Island, corresponding with 60 year anniversary celebrations for the nameplate as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries round.

Making the jump from production cars, Jake Camilleri will be one to watch in Silver Cup, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT4.

Leading Porsche Carrera Cup Australia team TekworkX Motorsport enters the fray with Zoe Woods and Daniel Stutterd in a Silver Cup Porsche.

Am Cup is the most populated and will be highly competitive, headlined by racing legend John Bowe joining Jacob Lawrence in the Randall Racing BMW M4 GT4 G82. Lawrence’s father Peter will race the older F82 specification model alongside Jamie Augustine.

Tim Leahey and Steve Jakic bolster the numbers for the latest release BMW, but competition will come from Mercedes-AMG in particular as Mark Griffith, Tasmanian duo Ben Newman and Ed Maguire join Tony Quinn as contenders for the three-pointed star.

Victorian state competitor Vince Gucciardo closes out the field for his first national competition start driving a Porsche.

The sole McLaren representative in the Am Cup is Chris Pappas in his 570s GT4.

Private testing will commence on Thursday before two 30 minute practice sessions at 10:50am AEST and 2:35pm on Friday. Two-part 10-minute qualifying kicks off Saturday ahead of the first one-hour event later in the afternoon at 3:55pm, while Sunday’s sole race concludes the action beginning at 10:15am.

Qualifying and race action will be broadcast live on Network Seven this weekend via its 7plus streaming service and 7mate.

QUOTES

Ben McMellan
CEO, SRO Australia

"The amount of manufacturers represented in GT4 is amazing, and the fact that we have an 19 car field is testament to the popularity of the category both here in Australia and around the world,” said McMellan.

"It's got a great mix of brands too. Six different manufacturers represented across the 19 cars. There is plenty of variety in the world of GT4 racing, and all the signs are pointing towards even more cars to come into the field as the season rolls on.

“It’s going to be very competitive too. From the Silver class, through Pro-Am and Am. It's an incredible mix of cars and drivers for an inaugural race meeting.

"If you look how well GT4 is going in America and Europe with 50 cars entering their races, it shows that there is a big future for the class here in Australia. It's simply a cost-effective way to race sports cars.

"The GT4 Manufacturer Ranking is really important as well. It's the first year of that being in place. We have six brands in the race, and they will all be fighting for the global points system.

“We're very pleased to see the level of manufacturer interest in this class and everyone at SRO Australia can’t wait to get it underway this weekend.”

Entry list, Round 1 Monochrome GT4 Australia, Phillip Island