Arise Racing GT is facing its toughest test of its spectacular debut season this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park.
The Perth-based team has enjoyed a fantastic maiden year in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia series, racking up wins and podium finishes all season long, but this weekend is the series’ first endurance race.
Instead of the usual twin one-hour events, competitors will need to survive three hours around the Sydney track, which will not only test the skill and endurance of the drivers but also the skill and strategy of the team.
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Arise Racing GT Team Manager, Jordan Oom, will need to make sure he pulls all the right strings to get his two Ferrari 296 GT3 racers across the line.
While the team is in a strong position, with its two entries sitting first and third in the championship standings, a small mistake could have major consequences in this weekend’s one and only race.
The #1 Ferrari shared by Liam Talbot and Supercars star Chaz Mostert leads the championship by 30 points, having already claimed two wins this season, and will only need consistent runs at Sydney and the finale at Bathurst to claim a stunning title for the brand-new team.
The team’s second 296, driven by Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte, is currently third in the standings, only four points behind the Audi R8 driven by Mostert’s fellow Supercars ace and current championship leader, Will Brown and GT veteran Brad Schumacher.
So neither Arise Ferrari can afford to relax this weekend with Brown, fresh from a Bathurst 1000 podium, looking to cut into the lead.
And they aren’t the only challengers, with Triple Eight Race Engineering leading the Mercedes-AMG effort with its GT shared by rising star Declan Fraser and veteran Peter Hackett, while another Supercars team, Grove Racing will only be on the grid with father-son team, Stephen and Brenton Grove.
Other cars to watch will be the Audi R8 LMS driven by Brendon Leitch/Tim Miles and Alex Peroni/Mark Rosser, both of which have claimed race wins this year and will be looking to add to the tally.
Adding to the challenges for the weekend is the quicker format, with the teams only having a single two-hour practice on Friday before qualifying Saturday morning and then the race starting at 6:45pm local time and running into darkness.
While it all sounds like there are multiple obstacles to overcome, Arise Racing GT has already demonstrated that it can take them in their stride. One more good result should help them head to Bathurst with one hand on the championship crown…
