The Audi Sport Customer Racing Australia squad enjoyed a stellar weekend of Australian GT racing around the streets of Townsville.
Geoff Emery and Kelvin van der Linde kept their Championship charge alive with a sensational pole position on Saturday morning in the Valvoline Jamec Pem Audi R8 LMS, before banking crucial points in the title fight.
“The car was awesome, no problem with the car at all, it was on it all weekend,” said Emery.
“Kelvin drove faultlessly all weekend. He did a great job and was quick – like he normally is. He put four laps that were food enough for pole. He’s a Class A act.
“The races just didn’t fall our way. We were leading by six seconds and then after the stops we came back out in sixth, so that’s tough to come back from.”
Also showing incredible pace, Ash Walsh’s quest for the title was well supported by the impressive Duvashen Padayachee.
Drafted in at the eleventh hour, Padayachee showed the Supabarn Supermarkets Audi had race winning pace, combining brilliantly with Walsh in what was a critical round for the Championship.
A late charge in Race 3 came close to netting victory for Walsh and Padayachee, only to fall little more than two seconds adrift at the chequered flag after a mesmerising performance in the closing laps.
Importantly for Walsh, he’ll leave Townsville with a healthy haul of points, keeping him firmly in Championship contention as the season now moves to Sandown for the final round of the year.
A career best weekend for Ash Samadi saw the Apartment Hotels entry storm to sixth place in the opening race, and fourth in the second.
The Australian GT veteran also came within seconds of victory in the opening race, demonstrating strong pace throughout the weekend.
“Incredible, simply incredible,” beamed Samadi of the round, which will go down as one of the best of his illustrious Australian GT career.
“The car was just amazing, and that filled me with confidence all weekend so I was able to really push.”
Making a return to the Audi Sport Customer Racing Australia squad after a four-month break, Marc Cini was in the thick of the action in the Hallmarc Developments entry.
Fresh from racing in the support events at Le Mans, Cini spent the opening session reacclimatizing himself to the Audi R8 LMS.
“I took a little bit of time just to get used to the ABS in the Audi again,” Cini said.
“It’s a different style of racing and it took me a little bit to get back into it.”
It was an eventful weekend for Cini, who found himself locked in battles throughout all three forty-minute races, including a battle for the lead in Race 2.
In the final wash up the Hallmarc Developments entry recorded two strong top ten finishes in a combative weekend of racing.
The Australian GT Championship now heads to Sandown for the final round of the year (September 15-17).
Before then the Audi Sport Customer Racing Australia squad will be in action at Sydney Motorsport Park (August 18-20) for Round 2 of the CAMS Australian Endurance Championship.
2017 Australian GT Championship Calendar:
1. Mar 2 – 5 Clipsal 500, Adelaide, SA
2. Mar 23 – 26 Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park, Melbourne, VIC
3. May 5 – 7 Perth Super Sprint, Barbagallo, WA
4. Jul 7 – 9 Townsville 400, Townsville, QLD
5. Sep 15 – 17 Sandown 500, Sandown Raceway, VIC
2017 Australian Endurance Championship Calendar:
1. May 26 – 28 Phillip Island 500, Phillip Island, VIC
2. Aug 18 – 20 Sydney Motorsport Park 501, Sydney, NSW
3. Oct 27 – 29 Hampton Downs 500, Hampton Downs, NZ
4. Nov 10 – 12 Highlands 501, Highlands Park, NZ
