Mies Does Double Duty Down Under
Audi Sport factory driver Christopher Mies will become the first international driver to compete in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, with relaxed travel restrictions allowing the German to join the Melbourne Performance Centre squad for the season finale at Mount Panorama.
Mies clinched the Australian GT Championship (now Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS) in 2015 and is a two-time winner of the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, having triumphed back-to-back in 2011 and 2012.
He will pull double duty on the Mountain by partnering championship leader Yasser Shahin in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS contest, while also driving an Audi RS3 LMS TCR in the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia finale.
“Bathurst is always special and to come back after many years after not being able to be in Australia, I’m really looking forward to it,” said Mies, who has held the official lap record at Mount Panorama since 2018.
“Australia is my favourite country and racing there is always a pleasure. I like the Australian racing culture.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve driven a TCR car. It was a couple of years back developing the Gen 1 car. Also jumping back and forward in two different kinds of race cars is something I haven’t done for years so don’t judge me if I am holding everyone up in the first session!
“Obviously my main goal is to help Yasser (Shahin) win the championship and this is what I will do. From what I’ve heard he’s a great guy and an even better racer. I can’t wait to get this done for him and MPC. I’ve really missed these guys and I’m looking forward to continuing our story together.”
The season-closing Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS races will take place next Thursday and Friday (2/3 December) at Mount Panorama Circuit
Cryptocurrency Backing For Audi Effort In GT World Challenge Australia
Australian cryptocurrency exchange platform CoinSpot will support Fraser Ross and Liam Talbot in the GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS at Mount Panorama next month.
The race winning duo will share a brilliant blue and orange Audi R8 LMS Evo GT3 run out of the Audi Sport Customer Racing Australia stable.
The Bathurst event will be the first time Ross and Talbot have joined forces. It will also be Ross’ first taste of an Audi R8 LMS Evo, while Talbot has most recently been piloting a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo, which shares many of the same internals as the Audi.
Both drivers have a strong pedigree in GT3 competition, with Ross having enjoyed previous success at Mount Panorama, winning the Silver Class at the 2020 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.
The Victorian has a strong pedigree behind the wheel of a range of machinery, including victories driving a McLaren 650S GT3, and the first McLaren 720S GT3 win globally.
Talbot has enjoyed class success at the Bathurst 12 Hour and was victorious in the 2016 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup.
He’s twice finished runner-up in the Australian GT Championship and most recently has campaigned in the Asian Le Mans Series, where he is also a race winner.
RAM Motorsport AMG Confirmed For Season Finale
Michael Sheargold and Garth Walden have confirmed their entry for the final round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS at next week’s Repco Bathurst 1000, in the RAM Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3, prepared by GWR Australia.
Sheargold and Walden each drove the car at Challenge Bathurst, before spending some more time in the car at a private test day last week. Both drivers were encouraged by the improvements, but are keeping their expectations in check for the car’s first race outing.
“We made good progress at both Challenge Bathurst and the subsequent test day, which has given us confidence to enter the GT round,” Sheargold said.
“I’m not going to Bathurst with any sort of unrealistic goals, but I’m a competitive person and I certainly want to keep improving.
“Working with Garth has been beneficial – he’s such an experienced campaigner and in testing, he’s been able to work on car setup while I’ve concentrated on my driving technique.
“Competing in the last GT round at Bathurst will be a good opportunity for the two of us to get our first race under our belt in the Mercedes, and get a feel for what it’s like to compete in a GT event without the pressure of a championship to worry about.”
Walden said the conditions at Challenge Bathurst were tricky, but the team still managed to gather some valuable data.
“The first day of Challenge Bathurst wasn’t too bad and we were able to give Mike plenty of time in the car while the track was dry,” Walden said.
“Unfortunately, the weather deteriorated and on the second day, one session was cancelled and in the other session, there were rivers running across the track in some places while it was completely dry in others, which made it hard to assess the car balance.
“Fortunately, the conditions were fine at the other test we did last week and we made some very positive progress with the car, finding a setup that worked for both Mike and myself.
“At Bathurst, the best race car is a safe and predictable race car; you don’t want a car that is going to do anything unexpected because at the top of the Mountain, it will bite you.
“We’re both looking forward to racing at Bathurst and there are no expectations or pressure – we just want to get through the event unscathed and tick the first GT round off our list.”
