By Johan Laubscher
Phillip Island in Australia will be hosting the annual Island Magic
this upcoming weekend. This event features a number of categories towards the
end of the motorsport season, including the final round of the NSW Production
Sports Car Championship.
The weekend will feature three races for the Sports Car division. Two
individual sprint races for the two drivers of each car, followed by the
one-hour CUE Victorian Tourist Trophy for Sports Cars.
Melbourne Performance Centre will be out in force with three cars for their customers in the GT class of the Sports Car races. The first two Audi R8 LMS ultra entries will both be entered
with only one driver.
Rod Salmon will be driving solo in his #5 Skwirk/Beechwood Audi R8 LMS ultra (2013 specification) with
which he finished second at the Highlands 101 endurance race in New Zealand a
few weeks ago.
Peter Fitzgerald will be driving his 2012 specification #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra for EVA Racing/Fitzgerald Racing Services, which he debuted at the Australian GT Championship finale in New Zealand.
The #75 JAMEC PEM Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra (2013 specification) will be driven by the duo of James Winslow and defending race winner, Steven McLaughlan.
Audi R8 LMS cars have twice before taken part in the Victorian Tourist Trophy, both times with race victory. Mark Eddy won the event in
2010 and Steven McLaughlan won in 2013, ahead of his 2014 Australian GT campaign.
The entry list can be seen HERE.
This event may be ending off Melbourne Performance Centre’s 2014 Audi
R8 LMS participation, but it will then be full steam ahead for the team and their
2015 Bathurst 12 Hour preparations. The team will be running four Audi R8 LMS
ultra cars in the race which will be held from 6-8 February.
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