Race Report: Queensland Raceway – Race 2 Summary
Queensland Raceway, Australia — Mark Rosser and Alex Peroni clinched a hard-fought victory in Race 2 of the GT World Challenge Australia at Queensland Raceway, overcoming a difficult Race 1 to secure their first win of the season with the #268 Team BRM Audi. The duo triumphed by a narrow margin of less than half a second, navigating two late safety car restarts to finish ahead of their rivals.
Peroni, starting from second on the grid, executed a flawless start, quickly overtaking the pole-sitting #888 Kelso Electrical Audi of Brad Schumacher as they entered Turn 1. The #66 Realta/Tigani Motorsport Mercedes of Ojeda followed suit by taking second place shortly thereafter.
The race’s dynamics shifted with an early safety car caused by the #111 Racing Mercedes, which found itself in the gravel. Controversy arose over whether the #268 Audi was adhering to the required pace during the restart, a procedure which was noted for post-race review but ultimately did not affect the results.
As the race progressed, both the #66 Mercedes and #888 Audi faced extended pit stops due to their performance in Race 1, allowing Team BRM to maintain a strategic advantage. Rosser returned to the track with a lead exceeding 10 seconds after the stops.
The battle for second became intense with Steve Wyatt in the #77 Arise Racing Ferrari initially holding the position. However, aggressive maneuvers from the #66 Mercedes driver, Lucchitti, forced Wyatt into the gravel, allowing the #7 and #888 Audis to advance.
A late safety car period due to Gary Higgon’s #24 KFC Audi stalling necessitated a sprint to the finish, condensing the field. Rosser executed an exceptional restart, with additional assistance from Liam Talbot’s stalled Aston Martin, which kept pressure on the chasers.
Rosser crossed the line first, ensuring that no opportunities were available for Tim Miles in the #7 Dayle ITM Audi, who finished second, with Schumacher and Feeney in the #888 Audi rounding out the podium.
In the AM class, Renee Gracie took the win in the #181 OnlyFans Audi, finishing seventh overall. Meanwhile, the #24 KFC Audi secured Trophy Class honors, being the only classified finisher as the #71 AED Consulting Porsche retired.
Following this race, Arise Racing’s Jaxon Evans and Elliot Schutte lead the championship, although their advantage has been reduced to 22 points over Schumacher and Feeney, who now hold a strong second place in the standings.
The GTWC Australia series will continue with Round 4 at Sandown Raceway on July 25-27.
Race Results:
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268 Team BRM Audi – Rosser/Peroni
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7 Dayle ITM Audi – Miles/Leitch
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888 Kelso Electrical Audi – Schumacher/Feeney
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77 Arise Racing Ferrari – Wyatt
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26 Arise Racing Ferrari – Schutte/Evans
Next Event: Sandown Raceway, July 25-27.
