A third Ferrari 296 GT3 is set to join the GT World Challenge Australia ranks at next month’s Hampton Downs season finale, with Zagame Autosport confirming it will make its series debut at the New Zealand venue.
The Victoria-based outfit, which teased plans to race at Hampton Downs earlier this year, has officially confirmed its entry as it builds towards a full-time assault on the Pro-Am class in 2026.
Two-time TCR Australia Series champion Josh Buchan and Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Australasia runner Cameron Campbell will share the 296 GT3, with both drivers set to make their GT3 debut.
Zagame Autosport might be new to the GT World Challenge Australia grid, but the team is no stranger to the SRO Australia paddock, having raced in GT4 Australia and Ferrari Challenge Australasia this season.
Confirmation of Zagame Autosport’s entry has followed the commencement of shipping to New Zealand, as GT World Challenge Australia prepares for its first overseas event.
“I’m very excited to finally get the chance to make my GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS debut – it’s been a long time in the making, as the plan has always been to get myself into a GT car,” Buchan said.
“With my TCR journey finishing at the end of this year, this opportunity has come at the perfect time. I get to step into the category and join an amazing team with some really good people who are super motivated – I can’t wait.
“Although Cameron is relatively new to the game, he’s an awesome guy and a super-talented Am driver with a really strong work ethic. For someone who hasn’t raced much before, he’s extremely motivated to pull his weight, and the least I can do is reciprocate that.”
Campbell added: “I’ve always loved motorsport, but I never had a licence or even sat in a race car. Eventually, I got into an old BMW to get some track time and work towards my licence. When I took part in the Ferrari programs, it was there – during one of their racing courses – that I was told I was good enough to actually do something with it.
“It’s been a steep learning curve – not for the faint-hearted – and a huge undertaking. These cars are incredibly serious machines, and I didn’t expect the level to be quite this high. But with the support of Josh, the team, and everyone around the program, I’ve been able to make it happen.
“We’re not here just to make up the numbers. Running this last round at Hampton Downs allows us to prepare properly, make mistakes without a championship on the line, and put ourselves in the best position for next season.”
Team Manager Rod Wilson said: “The first part of the plan was to give Cam a season in Ferrari Challenge so he could learn the circuits and get race-fit. The second part is stepping into GT3 and being ready for 2026. GT Festival Hampton Downs will essentially serve as a shakedown for us as it puts us in a real-world situation where we can understand what we need in terms of tooling, infrastructure, people, and engineering support.
“Hampton Downs will tick a lot of boxes for Cam. It will be the first race he’s done with pit stops, so we wanted to use this last round to learn as much as we can and prepare for a full-season campaign next year. You can test all you like, but at some point, you need to throw yourself into real-life race situations. That’s exactly what we’re doing with him, and it’s particularly satisfying to see it come together.”
The 2025 GT World Challenge Australia season concludes with its maiden visit to Hampton Downs from 31st October to 2nd November.
Images courtesy of GT World Challenge Australia
