John Goodacre will return to the driver’s seat of his brand-new MARC GT 002 at Sandown International Raceway after debuting the new car in MARC Cars Australia last month.
The South Australian became the second driver to field the new specification vehicle in 2023 after Adam Hargraves first competed in the 001 edition at Queensland Raceway back in May.
Built by MARC Cars Australia and PACE Innovations, the car is cost-effective, driver-friendly and caters to both experienced and grassroots competitors, having been an upgrade from the MARC I and MARC II that were launched in the last decade.
Although this will not be the first time we see the MARC GT run in the Shannons SpeedSeries this year, with MARC Cars Australia owner, Geoff Taunton having already raced it in two Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS rounds as an invitee.
But this time, it will be Goodacre and Hargraves putting on a show at the popular Victorian circuit.
Having previously competed in the category behind the wheel of the MARC I, Goodacre couldn’t resist the opportunity to upgrade to the new spec, and the results were even better than he had first imagined.
“It was a great experience in the new car, it was sensational straight out of the box and we didn’t have to do too much to it, apart from a couple of electronic adjustments,” Goodacre said.
“I used to race Porsche and Toyota 86, we were then looking around for something reasonably quick and similar to the Porsche we used to run, so we ended up buying a MARC I and we ran that for several years.
“We ran the MARC I in a few different categories, including MARC Cars. It was a really good car, but we thought it was time to step up.
“The MARC II Mustang then came out, but Geoff Taunton told me a new GT was being built so we thought it would be a great move for the future and we put our name down straight away.
“When we were finally able to get behind the wheel, it was definitely worth the wait.
“There are no issues at all with the car, it’s fantastic to drive, it’s really quick and has everything you could ever want.
“It initially looked really good on paper, then when it went on track it was even better than expected – it surprised everyone how good and how quick it was straight out of the box.”
The 62-year-old will once again exhibit the new car at Sandown International Raceway next month, a circuit Goodacre has plenty of experience at.
“I have done heaps of racing in the past, I’ve raced for 25 or so years and I think Sandown is a great track, I’m looking forward to getting down there,” Goodacre added.
“There are a couple of things we need to have a look at in practice with the ripple strips on the track, but other than that, it’s a nice short, fast and technical track so I can’t wait.”
Marc Cars Australia will be one of six national categories to form part of the Shannons SpeedSeries at Sandown International Raceway in September, joining the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, National Trans Am Series, Kumho V8 Touring Car Series, Australian Formula Open and the combined Mobil 1 Australian Production Car Series and Monochrome GT4 Australia Series.
Tickets for the event can be purchased at motorsporttickets.com.au.
MARC Cars Australia will take the track at Sandown International Raceway on 8-10 September.
