Photo: GT World Challenge Australia
This weekend’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS season finale at Bathurst will feature a 19-car grid, with Car Collection Motorsport entering for the first time with a Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Car Collection will be making its first foray into Australian competition with a Pro-Am entry for Alex Fontana and U.S. racer ‘Hash’ (real name Hashish Patel), who contested the International GT Open this year with the German team.
They also raced in the Indianapolis 8 Hour together with Yannick Mettler, finishing 12th overall and fifth in Pro-Am.
Car Collection team boss Peter Schmidt said: “After the successful GT Open season and the guest start in Indianapolis, the next adventure awaits us.
“The Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst is one of the biggest challenges in GT3 and we are very much looking forward to proving ourselves here as well. Even though it’s a first for all of us, we obviously want to put in another good performance.”
Car Collection’s Porsche will be one of 10 cars fighting for overall honors at the legendary Mount Panorama circuit, and adds a fourth manufacturer to the top Pro-Am category after Audi, Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG.
A seven-car Am field is bolstered by a new arrival in the form of the 111 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo for Darren Currie and Axel Donaldson.
Two cars will fight for GT Trophy honors as Stephen Coe’s Ferrari 458 GT3 takes on the returning KMB Motorsport Aston Martin V12 Vantage of Valentino Astuti.
In the fight for the championship, Arise Racing GT Ferrari pair Chaz Mostert and Liam Talbot head to the final round of the season with a 30-point lead ahead of Melbourne Performance Centre Audi duo Brad Schumacher and Will Brown.
Volante Rosso to Skip Finale After Sydney Troubles
Volante Rosso announced last week its plans to skip the Bathurst finale entirely following the technical problems it suffered with its No. 14 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in last month’s three-hour endurance round at Syndey Motorsport Park.
The team decided there was insufficient time to test the car since acquiring replacement parts and give its drivers Jamie Day and Andre Canard time to get up to speed with the track, but has vowed to return for the 2025 season.
Team owner Josh Hunt commented: “Missing Bathurst was a difficult decision to make but one that had to be made.
“In light of the difficulties we faced in Sydney, we wanted to make sure we were prepared properly and because of the close turnaround between events – getting the car fixed and with a proper testing program was a real challenge.
“We looked at all options and it just wasn’t in our interests to turn up without proper preparation and just hope for the best. We’re more structured than that.
“Honestly, even though it’s the correct call, it’s still difficult as we love being a part of the championship. It’s not just the category, but also the brand itself as we enjoy the enthusiasm Aston Martin brings to the table.
“We are as motivated as ever to make 2025 a success and get back to a winning outfit.”
