2017 Australian GT Championship

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Oh man the ethics of CAMS...

I bet all the car owners who want to work with Supercars love being referred to as a CAMS asset.

It's business isn't it?

CAMS have asked V8SC for a better offer. Balls in their court.

[Umai Naa]

Aren't Supercars buying it off Tony Quinn?

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Aren't Supercars buying it off Tony Quinn?

Who leases it off CAMS. They own the rights to GT3 racing in Australia.

GT is 2 of the 4 National Championships in Australia - no wonder CAMS are very protective of it.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Who leases it off CAMS. They own the rights to GT3 racing in Australia.

CAMS ultimately own the "Australian GT Championship", and lease the rights out to promoters, in this case Quinn and potentially Supercars

GT3 regs were created by SRO and are "owned" by the FIA as they are an official set of GT regulations that can be applied and used the world over in any FIA ASN series wanting to use them.

The ownership structure is completely different to that of Supercars, which is a unique structure in Australian motorsport and unlikely to be replicated for any other categories, for example.

[peckstar]

Audi Customer Racing Australia shows off new factory

More cars in there than many of the recent rounds, they could almost have their own one make series

[bortall]

It's a pretty impressive facility.

[D.R.T.]

TV ALERT! Watch the Laser Plumbing & Electrical Hampton Downs 500LIVE on Sunday, starting at 10:30am AEDT on Fox Sports (Channel 507). Also available live across New Zealand on TV3 starting from noon, with Saturday's Top 10 Shootout on at 2pm.

A live stream will also be available, allowing fans across the globe the opportunity to watch every moment of the race.

[D.R.T.]

16 cars entered for this weekends Hamptons Downs 501 highlighted by the return of Alvaro Parente.

Only 1 car from MPC which is odd compared to their entries across the Sprint and Endurance Championship so far. Wonder what is going on there.

[Axeman444]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

16 cars entered for this weekends Hamptons Downs 501 highlighted by the return of Alvaro Parente.

Only 1 car from MPC which is odd compared to their entries across the Sprint and Endurance Championship so far. Wonder what is going on there.

Probably ensuring they are straight and in the country for CB?

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Axeman444

Probably ensuring they are straight and in the country for CB?

Bingo.

[D.R.T.]

What is the entry for challenge Bathurst look like?

[peckstar]

Field set for Hampton Downs 500

this list only has 15 cars

[D.R.T.]

Good pick up Pecky. I was going off the garage allocations and a non GT3 team was allocated right in the middle of the GT allocation.

15 it is.

Good driver line ups across the field again so should see a decent race. Parente in the McLaren & Reid in the Audi should cause concerns for the #75 Audi, #911 Porsche and #63 Merc

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Good pick up Pecky. I was going off the garage allocations and a non GT3 team was allocated right in the middle of the GT allocation.

15 it is.

Good driver line ups across the field again so should see a decent race. Parente in the McLaren & Reid in the Audi should cause concerns for the #75 Audi, #911 Porsche and #63 Merc

3 kiwi teams racing so that is good.

[D.R.T.]

Some quality teams for NZ as well.

[rich07]

A review of the grid for the weekend

https://paddockpassmedia.com/2017/10...settles-at-15/

The blog should be updated over the coming days with more photos trackside.

Light on numbers but high on quality with three quarters of the field in a position to win this. Good to hear that there'll be a live stream available for the race on Sunday.

[D.R.T.]

A wet and wild first qualifying for the Hampton Downs 500 seeing John Martin going fastest for the Mega Racing squad followed by Alvaro Parente in the McElrea Racing McLaren.

Tough but entertaining conditions.

Qualifying 2 to follow, the top 10 then head into a shooutout.

[peckstar]

Looks like we are down at least 1 car (Lago) and maybe 3. What a shame - top 9 shoot out as Evans is one of the damaged cars.

this could be a concern for the next round in a few weeks

[D.R.T.]

Cracking shootout with Martin,Parente, Storey & Shields throwing down impressive laps under trying conditions.

Lago and Trass accidents were very unfortunate in very tough conditions . Pity Roger didn't have the Cup Car in the back of the truck.

The championship leading car will have an all nighter ahead but the chat on the livestream suggested that repairs are achievable

[D.R.T.]

Andrew Macpherson got the jump into 1 turn and lead before Talbot retook the lead into turn 2.

Dry start and fingers crossed it stays dry for 501km.

Race currently live on FoxSports, TV3 and livestream worldwide.

[Goat Boy]

Hi everyone, I went last year and that was a great event, sad to say this year's was a shadow of last year, with probably only 1/3 of the crowd and 2/3 of the field. Support last year was better too. Why is the Aussie GT championship so short now? Would it be worth combining the two NZ races with the NZ Enduro series to get numbers up?

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

Hi everyone, I went last year and that was a great event, sad to say this year's was a shadow of last year, with probably only 1/3 of the crowd and 2/3 of the field. Support last year was better too. Why is the Aussie GT championship so short now? Would it be worth combining the two NZ races with the NZ Enduro series to get numbers up?

The race was fairly entertaining despite the smaller grid. The weather and grid size no doubt played a part in a smaller crowd.

The small grid is perplexing as the event had all the elements that the competitors are supposedly desiring - live TV into both Australia and New Zealand is a massive opportunity.

However from early in the season there didn't see a great appetite from sections of the grid for travelling and competing in New Zealand. Especially in terms of the NZ races making up 50% of the AEC.

There has also been some significant crashes that has forced some entrants out which if effecting fields - eg. Bates, Taylor, Hobson, Wallis, Taylor etc.

Potentially a non championship combined NZ / AGT end of season event could be an option?

There is a SRO 12 Hour GT3 event coming to Hampton Downs is there not?

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

The race was fairly entertaining despite the smaller grid. The weather and grid size no doubt played a part in a smaller crowd.

The small grid is perplexing as the event had all the elements that the competitors are supposedly desiring - live TV into both Australia and New Zealand is a massive opportunity.

However from early in the season there didn't see a great appetite from sections of the grid for travelling and competing in New Zealand. Especially in terms of the NZ races making up 50% of the AEC.

There has also been some significant crashes that has forced some entrants out which if effecting fields - eg. Bates, Taylor, Hobson, Wallis, Taylor etc.

Potentially a non championship combined NZ / AGT end of season event could be an option?

There is a SRO 12 Hour GT3 event coming to Hampton Downs is there not?

do you think the late announcment of the TV package might have cancelled any benefit. I imagine all the cars were already in NZ when we heard there would be TV.

Last eyar there was no tv at all hampton downs, havent heard if there will be at the coming event

from a spectator point of view, Hampton downs and Pukekohe are almost the same price $

[D.R.T.]

Peckstar - the 2016 Hampton Downs event did have live television in New Zealand and Australia.

Why do you believe the tv announcement was late?

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Peckstar - the 2016 Hampton Downs event did have live television in New Zealand and Australia.

Why do you believe the tv announcement was late?

sorry, used the wrong track there. should have said

Last year there was no tv at all from Highlands, haven't heard if there will be at the coming event

Because the first I heard about tv coverage was last week when you mentioned it. there had been no announcement prior to that that it was going to be on tv.

even now there is no mention of results on the Aust GT website (guess they were busy getting back to australia)