GT World Challenge Australia: Key Entries and Developments for Sandown
New Pro-Am Duo: Holdsworth and Cini
Marc Cini and Lee Holdsworth will debut together in the GT World Challenge Australia at this weekend’s GT Festival Sandown, driving the Hallmarc/Team MPC Audi R8 LMS Evo II in the Pro-Am class. This collaboration marks their first competition outside the Bathurst 12 Hour, where they have historically performed well, including a class podium and an 11th overall finish in 2023.
Holdsworth, a seasoned Supercars competitor and 2021 Bathurst 1000 winner, expressed excitement about reuniting with Cini. “I’m familiar with the car, but it’s my first appearance in the GT World Challenge Australia, and I’ve never raced a GT car at Sandown,” said Holdsworth.
Cini acknowledged the challenge ahead but expressed optimism about the weekend. “We don’t really have any expectations, but we’ll see how we fare after the practice sessions,” Cini commented.
Father-Son Team: Nathan and Jay Murray
In the Monochrome GT4 Australia series, Nathan Murray will be joined by his son, Jay, in the McElrea-prepared Morris BMW M4 GT4 G82 EVO. Jay’s debut in GT4 comes after a successful karting career, highlighted by numerous top-10 finishes in the KZ2 class. After extensive testing, both Nathan and team principal Andy McElrea are confident in Jay’s ability to compete effectively.
Camilleri Swaps to Mustang
Jake Camilleri will transition from the Mercedes-AMG GT4 to the Ford Mustang GT4 for the remainder of the Monochrome GT4 Australia season, starting at Sandown. Camilleri cited the strategic advantages of using two Ford Mustangs within Gomersall Motorsport for data sharing and team synergy as key reasons for the switch.
Quinn-McCutcheon Reunion
Tony Quinn will team up with Matt McCutcheon in the Keltic Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO 2 for the upcoming round. This partnership follows their successful outing at Queensland Raceway last year. McCutcheon, familiar with the Toyota brand from his success in the Toyota 86 Racing Series, is looking forward to the new challenges at Sandown, despite lacking prior experience with both the Supra and the circuit.
The GT Festival Sandown promises to be a pivotal weekend for all teams, as several new partnerships and vehicle transitions are set to reshape the competitive landscape in both the GT World Challenge and Monochrome GT4 Australia series.
