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It’s all change in 2012 for V.I.P. Petfoods in the Australian GT Championship protected by Sargent Security.
After several years running an Aston Martin DBRS9 and a Mosler MT900 in the exotic supercar series, Tony and Klark Quinn will step into a new Ferrari 458 Italia and Porsche GT3-R respectively.
It might be hard to believe, but the fabulous Ferrari wasn’t Tony’s first preference!
“My first choice was a McLaren MP4-12C, which is probably the ultimate GT3 car at the moment in terms of technology, but they couldn’t deliver one until next year,” he said. “The other car I wanted was the GT3 version of the Nissan GT-R R35 that I drive in tarmac rallies, but that won’t be released until the middle of this year.
“The Ferrari was my next choice – it’s fast, but I’m not certain about the reliability. If it gets to the finish, I should be close to the front!”
Klark’s car swap follows his best-ever second placing in last year’s Australian GT Championship. Even though the new Porsche doesn’t look on paper to be quite as fast as the British-built Mosler, he’s hoping that the German marque’s renowned reliability will compensate for any speed deficit.
“The Mosler was competitive when it was running properly, but I would have won the championship if it hadn’t been for some annoying mechanical problems,” he said. “You can’t afford to have anything go wrong when every qualifying session and race counts for points, and Porsche has a great track record in GT racing.
“It will be a tough fight this year, with more competitive cars anddrivers than ever, but if I can finish in the top three in every race then I should be in with a shout.”
The 2012 Australian GT Championship protected by Sargent Security will be contested over 14 races at seven ‘double-header’ rounds. Three rounds will be held at V8 Supercars events, and four rounds will be in conjunction with the Shannons Nationals series.
The Shannons rounds will be ‘mini enduros’, with two one-hour races that have a compulsory pit-stop and optional driver-change.
A highlights package of every championship round will be screened on free-to-air national television, Foxsports’ Speed channel, and on the international subscription TV program Motor World.
2012 AUSTRALIAN GT CHAMPIONSHIP PROTECTED BY SARGENT SECURITY
| 1. |
Mar. 1-4
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Adelaide Parklands Circuit* - Adelaide, SA
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| 2. |
May 25-27
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Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit - Phillip Island, Vic.
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| 3. |
June 22-24 |
Winton Motor Raceway - Winton, Vic. |
| 4. |
July 13-15 |
Eastern Creek Raceway - Eastern Creek, NSW |
| 5. |
Sep. 21-23 |
Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit - Phillip Island, Vic. |
| 6. |
Oct. 19-21
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Surfers Paradise Street Circuit* - Gold Coast, Qld
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| 7. |
Nov. 30-Dec. 1
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Sydney Olympic Park* - Homebush Bay, NSW |
* temporary 'street' circuit
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