The fourth stop on the Shannons SpeedSeries calendar at Sandown Raceway has begun with Practice, Pre-Qualifying and Qualifying sessions occurring in front of an impressive Friday crowd.
Five categories headlined by GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS and Monochrome GT4 Australia will share centre stage this weekend, with two being fresh additions to the Shannons SpeedSeries roster.
Shannons SpeedSeries regular Focus First Radical Cup Australia is joined by Trico Trans Am and the Battery World Aussie Racing Cars Super Series this weekend.
GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS
It was a busy day of action for GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS due with three sessions being held across Friday’s schedule.
Jayden Ojeda set the pace in the opening practice session on a 1m 08.171s steering the Realta/Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo he shares with Paul Lucchitti, while series debutant Lee Holdsworth set the pace in Practice 2 on a 1m 08.102s in the Hallmarc Team MPC, which he shares with Marc Cini this round.
In its first appearance at Sandown, Arise Racing GT’s pair of Ferrari 296 GT3s were just as quick throughout the opening session, with Jordan Love and Steve Wyatt second fastest ahead of the lead Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II of Broc Feeney and Brad Schumacher for Kelso Electrical/Team MPC before going second fastest again in Practice 2.
Pre-Qualifying concluded the day with Ojeda returning to the top of the timesheets over Love and Feeney.
The Am Class had three different pacesetters from three different teams on Friday, with class leader Renee Gracie taking top honours in the opening session, Darren Currie and Grant Donaldson taking Practice 2 and Tigani Motorsport’s Theo and James Koundouris fastest in the final session.
In all three sessions, Paul Stokell and Matt Stoupas set the pace in the Trophy Class driving the KFC Team MPC Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo 1.
Only one major incident occurred during the opening day when the Geyer Valmont Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of Sergio Pires and George King running through the Turn 1 sand trap and hit the outside tyre wall. The entry was back out to complete Pre-Qualifying after an impressive job to complete the repairs.
Monochrome GT4 Australia
A superb repair job between rounds by Multispares Racing on its Ford Mustang GT4 has been rewarded by a pace-setting performance to open the Monochrome GT4 Australia weekend at Sandown.
Aaron Cameron and Ryan Hansford set the fastest Silver-Am time in both of the category’s sessions and was well clear of its class opposition.
Silver Cup was led by another Mustang in the form of Rylan Gray and George Miedecke’s Miedecke Motorsport with Lubrimaxx entry, while Shane Smollen continued his hot form in the Method Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS to lead Am Cup.
Pre-Qualifying was headed by the Nippy’s Audi R8 LMS GT4 of Blake Purdie and Daniel Price after setting a 1m 14.061s.
In the Am Cup, Shane Smollen guided his Mthod Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS to top spot in Practice 1 before the second Method Motorsport Porsche of Nathan Callaghan and Chris Lillis took the Am Cup honours in Pre-Qualifying.
First Focus Radical Australia Cup
Three practice sessions made up the First Focus Radical Australia Cup’s opening day at Sandown.
First Focus/GWR’s Peter Paddon set the pace in two out of the three sessions, with title rival Cooper Cutts for Arise Racing ending the day fastest.
Paddon set a 1m 12.788s in the opening session to finish 0.001s clear of Chris Reindler and Bryce Moore, while Am Class leader Terry Knowles was third.
Leading the way in Practice 2, Paddon lowered his mark from the opening session to a 1m 12.463s from title rival Cutts and Knowles.
Cutts turned the tables to end the day fastest on a 1m 11.640s from Paddon and Arise Racing’s Ruairirdh Avern.
Trico Trans Am Series
Garry Rogers Motorsport’s James Golding will start the opening Trico Trans Am Series race from pole after setting the quickest time in Qualifying.
It’s an all-GRM front-row as Golding’s 1m 10.233s lap during qualifying was 0.335s ahead of teammate James Moffat’s effort.
Third on the grid will be Aaron Love in the Marcos Ambrose Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro, with reigning series winner Todd Hazelwood will start from fourth.
The All American Driveline and Auto Parts Ford Mustang of Ben Grice rounded out the top five.
Cameron Laws scored pole in Pro-Am driving the Castle Railing Ford Mustang.
Ealier in the day, Moffat and Hazelwood split the honours in either practice sessions.
Battery World Aussie Racing Cars Super Series
In this series’ return to the Shannons SpeedSeries, reigning series winner Joel Heinrich will start Race 1 from pole after setting the pace in Qualifying driving the Osborn’s Transport Mustang.
Heinrich set a 1m 18.760s to lead key title rival Kody Garland by 0.354s, while Jack Boyd for Johnston Craill Racing was third.
Caleb Paterson leads the Rookie Class from fourth ahead of Ryan Reynolds and Masters Class pole winner Kent Quinn.
Saturday’s Shannons SpeedSeries action from Sandown begins at 9:10am with Qualifying for the First Focus Radical Cup Australia.
All the action will be broadcast live on 7plus from 9:00am AEST and 7mate at 2:30pm AEST.
Purchase tickets to GT Festival Sandown via speedseries.com.au/tickets