Australian GT: Audi R8 LMS ultra on title chase in Australia

Audi Press Release

• Audi’s GT3 sports cars extremely popular in Down Under
• Christopher Mies strengthens Jamec PEM Racing
• Technical support by Melbourne Performance Centre

Ingolstadt, February 23, 2015 – The Audi R8 LMS ultra is so popular in Australian customer sport that an amazing number of six cars will be competing in the 2015 GT Championship in Down Under. Next weekend, the new season of the series will open on the spectacular city street circuit in Adelaide.

Audi numbers among the most popular brands in the field. Four Audi R8 LMS ultra cars will be joining the race in the overall classification of the Championship class and two other sports cars under the banner of the four rings will be battling for class victories in the Trophy category.

The outfits with claims to the overall title include Team Eva Racing/Evolve Technik with Peter Fitzgerald and last year’s Trophy winner Skwirk/Beechwood Homes with Nathan Antunes, each fielding one Audi sports car. Team Jamec PEM Racing is entering two R8 LMS ultra cars in the Championship class – one of them being driven by the German Christopher Mies who is sharing the cockpit of car #74 with Greg Crick. Steve McLaughlan in the team’s second R8 LMS ultra is aiming to clinch podium places together with Steven Johnson.

In addition to these candidates for overall victories, two Audi private teams are going to battle for success in class: Mark Griffith and Greg Taylor/Barton Mawer will be competing in the Trophy category.

All of the drivers have been relying on expert service for years. The Melbourne Performance Centre (MPC) is responsible for all technical matters and, as the official Australian partner, is closely associated with Audi Sport customer racing in Germany.

The event in Adelaide on March 1 will open a calendar featuring five circuits in Australia. The season will culminate for the third consecutive time in the finale to be held at Highlands Motorsport Park situated in the picturesque scenery near the town of Cromwell in neighboring New Zealand. Different race formats with up to three rounds per weekend and varying distances make the series particularly attractive. Mark Eddy, in 2011, was the most recent Audi driver to have won the overall title in Australia.

The 2015 Audi customer teams in Australia

Audi R8 LMS ultra #2 (Eva Racing/Evolve Technik)
Peter Fitzgerald (AUS), Championship class

Audi R8 LMS ultra #6 (Skwirk/Beechwood Homes)
Nathan Antunes (AUS), Championship class

Audi R8 LMS #19 (Griffith Corporation Motorsport)
Mark Griffith (AUS), Trophy class

Audi R8 LMS #38 (Greg Taylor Racing)
Greg Taylor (AUS)/Barton Mawer (AUS), Trophy class

Audi R8 LMS ultra #74 (Jamec PEM Racing)
Christopher Mies (D)/Greg Crick (AUS), Championship class

Audi R8 LMS ultra #75 (Jamec PEM Racing)
Steven McLaughlan (AUS)/Steven Johnson (AUS), Championship class

Calendar

Mar 01 Adelaide (AUS)
May 23 Phillip Island (AUS)
Jul 12 Townsville (AUS)
Aug 23 Sydney (AUS)
Sep 13 Sandown (AUS)
Nov 15 Highlands (NZ)

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport