Bathurst 12 Hour: Matt Halliday completes EVA Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra driver line-up

By Johan Laubscher

The driver line-up for EVA Racing’s 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour entry will include Matt Halliday behind the wheel of the #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra at Bathurst in February. He completes the three-man driver line-up and will be joining the team’s regular two drivers of Peter Fitzgerald and Michael Almond.

EVA Racing will be one of a total of seven Audi race cars at the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour, which includes six Audi R8 LMS ultra entries and one Audi TT RS.

The EVA Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra was originally the car used by äpr racing in Japanese Super GT during 2012 and 2013, before heading to Melbourne Performance Centre in Australia, where it was used as an Audi driving experience vehicle and raced at one round of the Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships. It was eventually acquired and run by Fitzgerald Racing Services and Melbourne Performance Centre. They debuted the car at Highlands Motorsports Park in New Zealand during November 2014, where they took part in the Australian GT Championship finale and the Highlands 101 endurance race. Peter Fitzgerald and Michael Almond were behind the wheel for both events. Fitzgerald also took part in the Island Magic events at Phillip Island at the end of the 2014 motorsport season in Australia.

The Bathurst 12 Hour will be taking place from 6-8 February 2015.

Photo credit: ssMEDIA

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Australian GT: Army of MPC Audi R8 LMS and ultra cars in New Zealand

By Johan Laubscher

Melbourne Performance Centre is out in full force in New Zealand this weekend. The Australian GT Championship is hosting its final round at Highlands Motorsport Park on Saturday this weekend, followed by the special Highlands 101, a 101-lap endurance race on Sunday.

The Australian Audi Sport customer racing squad arrived in New Zealand with six Audi GT3 machines for their customers, three Audi R8 LMS ultra cars and three Audi R8 LMS cars. A set of team photos were published on Friday and the six-strong Audi line-up looks extremely impressive.

Five of these have been entered for the Australian GT races. The GT Championship class for newer GT3 specification cars will see two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars from MPC. Steve McLaughlan will be sharing his #75 Audi R8 LMS ultra with Warren Luff. The second Audi R8 LMS ultra is the #2 debuting entry of Peter Fitzgerald and Michael Almond.

 

The GT Trophy class will see the championship battle being decided this weekend. Rod Salmon currently leads the points chase in the #6 Audi R8 LMS with a total of 507 points. The Equity-One Motorsport squad of Dean Koutsoumidis and James Winslow in the #71 Audi R8 LMS are lying second in the points, 32 points behind Salmon. The third R8 LMS entry is the OLOF Racing #72 Audi with Ockert Fourie John Magro.

The Highlands 101 will be taking place on Sunday and all six of the MPC Audis will be lining up at the start. Rod Salmon and Nathan Antunes will be behind the wheel of the recently repaired #5 Audi R8 LMS ultra and vacant #6 Audi R8 LMS will be driven by Mark Griffith and Dale Patterson. The remaining four entries from MPC will be the same as seen in the Australian GT races on Saturday.

Audi entries at Highlands Motorsport Park:

GT Championship class

#2 Evolve Technik Audi R8 LMS ultra (2012 spec) - Peter Fitzgerald and Michael Almond *

#5 Skwirk/Beechwood Audi R8 LMS ultra (2013 spec) - Rod Salmon and Nathan Antunes ***

#75 JAMEC PEM - Audi R8 LMS ultra (2013 spec) - Steve McLaughlan and Warren Luff *

GT Trophy class

#6 Skwirk.com.au Audi R8 LMS - Rod Salmon and Nathan Antunes **

#6 Skwirk.com.au Audi R8 LMS - Mark Griffith and Dale Patterson ***

#71 Equity-One Audi R8 LMS - Dean Koutsoumidis and James Winslow *

#72 OLOF Racing Audi R8 LMS - Ockert Fourie and John Magro *

*Entered for both Australian GT and Highlands 101

**Only entered for Australian GT

***Only entered for Highlands 101

We wish the best of luck to Melbourne Performance Centre and all of their customers and drivers.

Photo credit: 

Melbourne Performance Centre
Michael Almond
Warren Luff

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Australian GT: Melbourne Performance Centre testing Fitzgerald Racing Services Audi R8 LMS ultra at Phillip Island

By Johan Laubscher

Melbourne Performance Centre was out testing at Phillip Island on Tuesday. The Audi R8 LMS ultra of Fitzgerald Racing Services, run by MPC, was among the cars testing.

On Monday it was announced that Peter Fitzgerald and Michael Almond will be debuting the Audi R8 LMS ultra at the finale of the Australian GT Championship, which will be taking place at Highlands Motorsport Park in New Zealand from 8-9 November. They will then be heading to the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour and will also contest the 2015 Australian GT Championship.

This Audi R8 LMS ultra arrived in Australia a few months ago and was used as an Audi driving experience vehicle and raced at one round of the Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships before its acquisition to contest the Australian GT Championship. It is the same car that was used by äpr racing in the Japanese Super GT during 2012 and half of 2013.

The Fitzgerald Racing Services Audi R8 LMS ultra was seen testing still in its white Audi driving experience livery. The car will soon be receiving its new blue and white livery designed by ssMEDIA. Both Peter Fitzgerald and Michael Almond were behind the wheel of the Audi during the testing at Phillip Island.

Photo credit: Melbourne Performance Centre, Luke Wright and ssMEDIA

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Australian GT: Fitzgerald Racing Services debuting Audi R8 LMS ultra

By Johan Laubscher

The Audi R8 LMS and ultra cars have been very successful in Australia in recent years and another new entrant was announced on Monday.

Fitzgerald Racing Services has acquired an Audi R8 LMS ultra and will be competing in the Australian GT Championship.

This Audi R8 LMS ultra arrived in Australia a few months ago and was used as an Audi driving experience vehicle and raced at one round of the Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships before its acquisition to contest the Australian GT Championship. It is the same car that was used by äpr racing in the Japanese Super GT during 2012 and half of 2013.

The team will be debuting the car with Peter Fitzgerald and Michael Almond at the finale of the 2014 Australian GT Championship, which will be taking place at Highlands Motorsport Park in New Zealand from 8-9 November.

2015 will see Fitzgerald Racing Services kicking off the season at the Bathurst 12 Hour, followed by contesting the Australian GT  Championship. Peter Fitzgerald and Michael Almond will be piloting the blue liveried Audi R8 LMS ultra at Bathurst, along with a third yet to be confirmed driver, who could possibly be an Audi factory driver.

Photo credit: Peter Fitzgerald / ssMEDIA

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