17 cars have been entered for this weekend’s GT World Challenge Australia season opener at Phillip Island, with seven manufacturers present on the grid.
The Pro-Am class will once again make up the majority of the field this season, with it featuring 13 cars at Round One.
Defending drivers’ champions Broc Feeney and Brad Schumacher have returned aboard the #1 Kelso Electrical MPC Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, with their new Melbourne Performance Centre teammates Valentino Astuti and Darren Currie set to pilot the #2 Audi.
Team BRM has expanded to run two Audis this year. Ryan Wood and Steve Brooks have moved over from MPC aboard the Wolfbrook-backed #88 entry, whilst Thomas Randle and Mark Rosser will share the #268 Castrol Team BRM R8 LMS GT3 Evo II at Phillip Island. Randle is a temporary replacement for Alex Peroni, who is missing the start of the season through injury.
A series record four Ferrari 296 GT3s feature on the grid, following the addition of OnlyFans Racing. The #181 will be driven by Will Davison and reigning Am drivers’ champion Renee Gracie.
ARGT has entered a pair of 296 GT3s, with 2025 runners-up Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte returning to the #26 Ferrari, and Jordan Love and Steve Wyatt driving the #77 for at least the season opener.
Zagame Autosport will take on the full season for the first time, after debuting at Hampton Downs last year, with Cameron Campbell and Josh Buchan driving its #23 Ferrari.
Tigani Motorsport has entered three Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVOs in Pro/Am. Jayden Ojeda and Paul Lucchitti, who finished third in last year’s standings, will pilot the #66 Move My Wheels entry, whilst the Geyer Valmont-backed #44 will be driven by Brendon Leitch and Sergio Pires, and Oscar Targett and Shane Smollen will race the #56 Kollosche AMG entry.
McLaren will make its return to GT World Challenge Australia this year after several seasons away, with Volante Rosso Motorsport fielding the GT3 Evo it debuted at February’s Bathurst 12 Hour for Geoff Emery and team boss Josh Hunt.
The Pro-Am field is completed by Wall Racing’s #93 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2, in which Tony D’Alberto and Adrian Deitz make up an unchanged pairing.
The #47 Supabarn Supermarkets by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG, which will be driven by brothers James and Theo Koundouris, is the only entry into the Am class, whilst the Trophy class for older GT3 cars will feature it largest entry since 2023.
Matthew Stoupas and Paul Stokell will pilot the #24 KFC Team MPC Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, against Volante Rosso Motorsport’s #14 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 for Alex Gardner and debutant Lee Stibbs, and the #71 AED Consulting by Tigani Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R (991.1) of Luke Youlden and Nathan Halstead.
GT Festival Phillip Island will be held on 27th to 29th March 2026. Race 1 will take place at 15:55 on Saturday, before Race 2 at 13:40 on Sunday.
Images courtesy of GT World Challenge Australia
