By Johan Laubscher
The 2013 Australian GT Championship was another great season down under. Once again Melbourne Performance Centre was out in force with multiple Audi R8 LMS and ultra entries during the year.
The Bathurst 12 Hour kicked off the season in February and the Australian GT toured through Australia and ended the season at Highlands in New Zealand.
The season was highlighted with an Audi R8 LMS ultra victory at Highlands for Rod Salmon and Liam Talbot.
The season review has been compiled from the 2013 Audi Motorsport Blog Weekend Round Up posts. Each round has been added as was seen in the individual Weekend Round Up posts during 2013, which can be accessed via the links throughout the review below:
The 2013 Australian GT Championship was another great season down under. Once again Melbourne Performance Centre was out in force with multiple Audi R8 LMS and ultra entries during the year.
The Bathurst 12 Hour kicked off the season in February and the Australian GT toured through Australia and ended the season at Highlands in New Zealand.
The season was highlighted with an Audi R8 LMS ultra victory at Highlands for Rod Salmon and Liam Talbot.
The season review has been compiled from the 2013 Audi Motorsport Blog Weekend Round Up posts. Each round has been added as was seen in the individual Weekend Round Up posts during 2013, which can be accessed via the links throughout the review below:
The Bathurst 12 Hour took place this weekend. It was the third 12 Hour
event held at Bathurst since FIA GT3 specification race cars have been allowed
to enter. Audi R8 LMS cars have been victorious on both previous occasions,
each time with factory support. This year no less than seven Audis were entered
by seven private teams. Five Audi R8 LMS ultra cars were joined by two older R8
LMS cars. The weekend got off to a good start as Audis topped two out of the
three free practice sessions on Friday. Qualifying saw a very fast pace and
getting a clear lap on the crowded track was key. In the end the top placed
Audi was the #9 Mark Eddy/Marc Ciny entry with Christopher Mies setting the
time. Two Audis were in the top ten, followed by all seven placing in the top
sixteen. The race got underway with a hectically fast pace and a number of
accidents. The Audi squad were holding their positions near the front until
various setbacks dropped the cars down the field. As the race went into the
late afternoon the highest placed Audi was the Phoenix Racing entry running in
fifth. The race finished under wet conditions with the #1 Phoenix entry in
fourth ahead of the recovering #9 Mark Eddy/Marc Cini car in fifth. Four Audis
finished within the top ten.
The opening round of the Australian GT Championship coincided with the Bathurst 12 Hour. The teams had the opportunity to enter both events or only a single event if they so chose. The Australian GT component of the event was held during the first fifty minutes of the Bathurst 12 Hour, after which the cars entered in the 12 Hour would continue racing and the Australian GT only entries would pull off. Three of the Australian based Audi teams were entered for the Australian GT portion of the event, and all three were entered in the full 12 Hour as well. The three teams included the cars from Rod Salmon, Mark Eddy/Marc Cini and Minda Motorsport. At the end of the fifty minutes the top placed Audi was the Minda Motorsport entry in fourth followed by the #6 Rod Salmon entry in sixth.
Round 2: Adelaide
Round two of the Australian GT Championship took place on the streets
of Adelaide. It was the Clipsal 500 weekend and the GT Championship was acting
as a support event. Two Audis were entered, the Audi R8 LMS ultra of Rod Salmon
and the Minda Motorsport R8 LMS. The cars placed in the top ten during practice
with the Minda Motorsport car achieving a top ten qualifying spot. During race
one the Minda Motorsport entry made its way into the top ten to finish eighth.
Rod Salmon retired from the race following a crash where he was a passenger in
turn eight, causing a late race safety car. The damage to the Salmon R8 LMS
ultra unfortunately put it out for the rest of the weekend. The Minda
Motorsport team repeated their race one position by finishing eighth again during
race two, completing a top ten weekend.
Round 3: Phillip Island
The third round of the Australian GT took place at Phillip Island. Two
Audis were entered in the event, an Audi R8 LMS ultra entered by Melbourne
Performance Centre and an Audi R8 LMS entered by Minda Motorosport. Rod Salmon
was joined by James Winslow in the MPC entry this weekend. Race one saw both
Audis finished within the top six, as Minda Motorsport finished fifth ahead of
the MPC entry in sixth. The second race saw a reversed Audi order as both
finished within the top seven, with MPC leading Minda Motorosport, finishing
sixth and seventh respectively.
Round 4: Sydney Motorsport Park
The Australian GT Championship headed to Sydney Motorsport Park this
weekend. Two Audi cars were entered, both run by Melbourne Performance Centre.
The Audi R8 LMS ultra was driven by Rod Salmon and Nathan Antunes, and the R8
LMS by Dean Koustoumidis and Andrew McInnes. This was the first Australian GT
event where the Koustoumidis R8 LMS was run by MPC, following a switch from
Minda Motorsport. Both cars were recently entered by MPC in a regional event in
Sydney, as preparation for this weekend. The cars performed very well and the
Salmon R8 LMS ultra qualified second and the Koustoumidis car in seventh. Race
one saw Salmon and Antunes scoring a podium by finishing in third, followed by
the second Audi in sixth place. Race two saw the highest Audi finishing in
sixth, again the Audi R8 LMS ultra of Salmon and Antunes. The Equity-One Audi
R8 LMS finished in eighth, ensuring that both Audis finished the weekend inside
of the top ten for races one and two.
Round 5: Queensland Raceway
Australian GT headed to Queensland Raceway this weekend for round five,
the penultimate round of the 2013 season. The two Audi teams performed
consistently this weekend. During qualifying the Audis placed in sixth (Salmon)
and eighth (Koustoumidis). The first race saw the Audis finishing together with
the #71 R8 LMS leading home the #6 R8 LMS ultra in seventh and eighth. Race two
was held in the dark and the highest Audi finished in fourth, the #6 car of
Salmon and Talbot. The #71 of Koustoumidis and Macrow finished twelfth. The
third and final race of the weekend yielded top five finishes for both Audis.
The #71 R8 LMS in fourth ahead of the #6 R8 LMS ultra in fifth.
Round 6: Highlands Motorsport ParkThe Australian GT Championship hosted its season finale in New Zealand this weekend. The finale was held at the new Highlands Motorsport Park circuit with two Audi cars on the grid. Melbourne Performance Centre fielded the two cars for their customers. The #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra was driven by car-owner, Rod Salmon, and his co-driver, Liam Talbot. The #71 Equity-One Motorsport Audi R8 LMS had Dean Koustoumidis and Andrew McInnes behind the wheel.
The weekend began with practice, qualifying and race one on Friday, followed by race two on Saturday and the Highlands 101 on Sunday, a special non-championship endurance race. Qualifying for the first race saw the highest Audi placing fifth, the #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra, followed by the #71 R8 LMS in seventh.
Race one concluded with overall victory for Rod Salmon and Liam Talbot with their #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra. Dean Koustoumidis and Andrew McInnes finished seventh in the #71 Audi R8 LMS.
The second race got underway at midday on Saturday. The #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra squad of Salmon and Talbot rounded out a great Australian GT weekend by taking third place during the second and final race. The #71 Equity-Motorsport R8 LMS unfortunately retired from race two.
Both Audis that were entered for the Australian GT races were also entered for the Highlands 101. Melbourne Performance Centre fielded the two cars for their customers. The #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra was driven by car-owner, Rod Salmon, and his co-drivers, Liam Talbot and Jason Bright. The #71 Equity-One Motorsport Audi R8 LMS had Dean Koustoumidis and Andrew McInnes behind the wheel.
Qualifying was held early on Sunday morning and the highest placed Audi was the #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra in fifth place. The #71 R8 LMS qualified ninth. After the eventful starting procedure the race got underway. The #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra crew had progressed well during the race and were inside of the top three during the closing stages. They tried to close the gap to the leaders, but ultimately they finished second behind the race winning #7 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 of Fabian Coulthard and Tony Quinn.
This rounded out an excellent weekend for the #6 MPC Audi, as Rod Salmon and Liam Talbot won the first Australian GT race and finished third in the second - and then the pair was joined by Jason Bright to finish second in the Highlands 101 on Sunday. The #71 Equity-One Motorsport Audi R8 LMS of Dean Koustoumidis and Andrew McInnes finished ninth in the Highlands 101.
Photo credit:
Melbourne Performance Centre
Melbourne Performance Centre
