Changeable conditions kicked off the second event on the Shannons SpeedSeries calendar at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Five categories took to the track for practice, pre-qualifying and qualifying sessions in mostly wet conditions on Friday.
GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS, Monochrome GT4 Australia, Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Australasia, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge and First Focus Radical Cup Australia will entertain motorsport fans across the weekend not only in Sydney, but live on 7plus.
GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS
Two practice and a pre-qualifying session capped off three hours of track action for GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS teams on the opening day in Sydney.
Ryan Wood and Steve Brooks led the way in the first session driving the Wolfbrook Team MPC Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II from the title leading Arise Racing GT Ferrari 296 GT3 of Jaxon Evans partnering Elliott Schutte.
Team BRM/ACM Finance’s Alex Peroni and Mark Rosser completed the top three in their Audi, with Renee Gracie leading the way in Am Class driving the similar OnlyFans Team MPC R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.
It was category debutant Thomas Randle leading the second practice session driving the Geyer Valmont Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo to be shared alongside the returning Marcel Zalloua.
Randle’s Supercars rival Broc Feeney was second in the Kelso Electrical Team MPC Audi to be co-driven by Brad Schumacher, while the sister Geyer Valmont Racing Mercedes-AMG of George King and Sergio Pires completed the top runners.
Gracie continued to lead Am Class.
Completing the day of running was pre-qualifying where Jayden Ojeda set the pace in the Realta/Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG to be shared alongside Paul Lucchitti. Feeney and Schumacher were second from Wood and Brooks.
Qualifying will begin at 1:40pm AEST.
Monochrome GT4 Australia
Just two 40-minute sessions for Monochrome GT4 Australia on Friday, with Toyota and Ford sharing the honours in on-track action.
The one and only practice session was dominated by New Zealander Hugo Allan in the Silver-Am Cup Game Over Toyota Supra GT4 Evo2 he will share alongside Tony Quinn.
Behind, Cameron Crick and Dean Campbell driving the DA Campbell Transport Ford Mustang GT4 was second in Silver-Am Cup from another Toyota in the form of GWR Motorsport’s Daniel Frougas and Tim Berryman.
Silver Cup was led by Method Motorsport’s Tom Hayman and Max Geoghegan in their McLaren Artura GT4 from Rylan Gray in the Lubrimaxx with Miedecke Motorsport Ford Mustang GT4 to be co-driven by George Miedecke. Cody Burcher and Tim Leahey were third in the Central West Prestige BMW M4 GT4 G82.
Shane Smollen returned to the category fastest in Am Cup in the Method Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS from stablemates Chris Lillis and Nathan Callaghan. Randall Racing’s Jacob Lawrence was third in his BMW.
Crick went one better to end Friday’s pre-qualifying session at the top from the Gomersall Racing Ford Mustang GT4 of Aaron Seton and Jason Gomersall, while Zac Soutar rounded out the top Silver-Am runners in the Tufflift Racing TSM McLaren Artura GT4 to be shared alongside Glenn Nirwan.
Hayman and Geoghegan continued to lead Silver Cup from the JGI Triple Eight Race Engineering Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Jarrod Hughes and Summer Rintoul. Winners last time out, Blake Purdie and Daniel Price were third in the Nippy’s Audi R8 LMS GT4.
Smollen led the way in Am Cup from Lawrence, with the 99Motorsport Ford Mustang GT4 of Marcus LaDelle and Jarrod Keyte completing the top three.
Qualifying begins at 10:20am AEST.
Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Australasia
Antoine Gittany has started Sydney where he left off at Phillip Island by leading the pair of practice sessions for Round 3 of Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Australasia.
Gittany led Cameron Campbell and Jim Pollicina in the Trofeo Pirelli category in the opening session, as Mark Hudders broke up the trio in the second to be third.
Coppa Shell was dominated by Enzo Cheng as David Trewern and Norikazu Shibata have ground to make up ahead of qualifying. Shibata improved in the second session to be a contender to Cheng.
David Frish was top in Trofeo Pirelli 488 at the close of the first session ahead of Hiroyuki Katayama and Michel Stephen, but it was the latter ending the day on top in the second.
Qualifying is up next at 11:15am AEST.
Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge
New Zealander Tom Bewley led the way, but the competition is set to be close if practice and qualifying is any indication.
Earl Bamber Motorsport’s Bewley topped the opening session from McElrea Racing driver Lachlan Bloxsom and James Lodge for Ashley Seward Motorsport, with Jake Santalucia of Sonic Motor Racing Services not far behind.
Bewley maintained his position at the top from Santalucia, Lodge and Bloxsom in the second session.
Qualifying under lights provided plenty of action as Bewley scored pole by 0.007s from Bloxsom as Lodge was third.
Race 1 is scheduled to commence at 12:50pm AEST.
First Focus Radical Cup Australia
Cooper Cutts led the way in the opening session of the weekend for First Focus Radical Cup Australia ahead of Mark Brame and Phillip island rival Peter Paddon.
Maintaining his run at the front, Cutts led the way from Paddon and Bryce Moore in the second practice session.
Qualifying kicks off Saturday’s action at 9:35am AEST.
