The GTWC Australia wrapped up its Australian leg with the second race of Round 5 at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend on Sunday.
With only one round remaining, the focus was on the championship battle between the #26 Arise Racing GT Ferrari and #888 Kelso Electrical Audi heading into the end of the season, while the rest of the field were looking for opportunities to snap up a victory late in the season.
Yesterday’s Qualifying session saw Jayden Ojeda put the #66 Realta/Tigani Motorsport Mercedes on Pole with a 1:45.20, joined on the front row by Jaxon Evans in the #26 Arise Racing Ferrari, with an all-Audi row two; the #88 Wolfbrook car from the #888 Kelso Electrical machine.
Sunday afternoon presented picturesque conditions with another warm and clear day, but strong, gusty winds made conditions difficult, with the wind direction swinging around the opposite direction to how was the rest of the weekend.
With the Pro-drivers in to start the race, it was a cracking start from yesterday’s race winner Alex Peroni, who jumped out of 6th on the grid to put the #268 Team BRM Audi into third place, wrapping around the outside of the #88 and #888 Audis at the first turn. He was right on the tail of the #26 Ferrari, while Ojeda began to break away at the head of the field in the #66 Mercedes.
Ojeda continued to stretch the advantage while Evans in second was kept preoccupied with Peroni in his mirrors, until Peroni’s Audi suffered an electrical failure accelerating up the hill at Turn 7. After winning yesterday, the #268’s challenge ended in the grass at Turn 12, stranded on the far end of the circuit.
The failure of the #268 Audi came along just as the pit sequence was underway, with race control giving the field the chance to pit before calling the Safety Car to recover the stricken Audi. With the compulsory stops completed, it was Paul Lucchitti who had the restart in his control in the #66 Mercedes, ahead of championship rivals Elliot Schutte and Brad Schumacher in the #26 Ferrari and #888 Audi respectively.
With 14 minutes left on the clock, the safety car was withdrawn, and Lucchitti nailed the restart to pull a gap of a few car lengths into Turn 1. Immediately, Schumacher was all over the tail of Schutte, looking for any opportunity to squeeze through and take points away from the points leader. A dive down at Turn 1 almost came to contact with Schutte closing the door late, and further nibbles at Turn 6 also held the pair up, allowing Lucchitti to keep his nose out in front, still under pressure from the duo behind.
Lucchitti handled the pressure well, defending from Schutte when the Ferrari driver tried to make a move, but staying on the racing line when Schutte was under fire from Schumacher. Schumacher eventually forced the door open on the last lap, passing Schutte at Turn 1 to take second place, but that pass was enough of an opportunity for Lucchitti to jump away to a half-a-second gap.
That would be enough for the Mercedes driver, with Lucchitti bringing the #66 Realta/Tigani Mercedes home for their first win of the season, and the second in Lucchitti’s career.
“I can’t really believe I’ve just done that!” Lucchitti said post race. “It was a good drive, I feel like I drove well, Jayden gave me the car up front.
“When I’m in the car, the pressure sort of goes [away]. The last lap, there was a bit of pressure obviously. But hanging around [Jayden] there’s always a bit of pressure to try and get better at what you’re doing.
“It was about time I think!”
Second place was Schumacher and Feeney in the #888 Kelso Electrical Audi ahead of the #26 Arise Racing Ferrari in third, reversing their positions from the previous day. Fourth across the line was the #1 Volante Rosso Aston Martin, but a 15 second time penalty for spinning the #77 Arise Racing Ferrari at turn 13 earlier in the race relegated Talbot and Day down to 6th, elevating the #88 Wolfbrook Audi and the #55 Geyer Valmont Mercedes into fourth and fifth respectively.
Winning Am was Renee Gracie in the #181 Onlyfans Audi, while the #24 KFC Audi took home the Trophy class, in 12th place overall.
With a second and third place each for the weekend, the championship battle remains in exactly the same position heading into the final round of the season. The #26 Arise Racing GT Ferrari pairing of Schutte and Evans hold a 30-point lead over the #888 Kelso Electrical Audi duo of Schumacher and Feeney. With only 52 points remaining – 25 points for a win and a single point available for pole for each of the last two races – the Ferrari pair has a chance to wrap up the championship at the next race of the season.
GTWC Australia finishes up the 2025 season in New Zealand, with Round 6 at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park from Oct 31-Nov 2.
