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Stephane Ratel to attend opening round of Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS
Stephane Ratel, the founder and CEO of the SRO Motorsports Group, will attend the opening round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS at Phillip Island.
The picturesque Phillip Island event, to be held on March 18-20, marks the start of the second year of the famed Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS franchise operating in Australia.
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Ratel founded the SRO Motorsports Group in 1995 and has since become the world leader in GT promotion.
Inaugurating the GT3 regulations in 2006, Ratel holds interests through its Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS moniker in Europe, America, Asia and Australia.
Outside of this, SRO controls the global Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli, featuring the LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour, TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa, Indianapolis 8 Hours, Suzuka 10 Hours and the Kyalami 9 Hour, while the SRO Motorsports Group also has the FIA Motorsport Games under its portfolio.
A wide variety of international and domestic categories catering for GT2, GT3, GT4 and touring car machinery add further strength to the extensive on-track programme, while the burgeoning sim racing scene has taken on considerable importance in recent years. This includes the ground-breaking Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series, where professional drivers compete virtually to score points towards the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS teams’ championship, as well as online competitions for leading sim racers.
Phillip Island marks the first time Ratel will have attended a Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS round, though he previously experienced local GT racing, visiting previous events in New Zealand as well as the Bathurst 12 Hour on multiple occasions.
The first round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS will be part of the opening Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships event of the season at Phillip Island on March 18-20.
CLICK HERE for tickets.
Anyone wishing to attend the event is reminded tickets will not be available for purchase at the gate. Tickets must be purchased via Eventbrite prior to entry. Purchasing your tickets in advance will save you time at the gate.
QUOTES
Stephane Ratel
Founder and CEO, SRO Motorsports Group
“It was really an honour for SRO to be named co-organiser of Australian GT under the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS banner,” said Ratel.
“We saw promising grids throughout 2021, even with interstate travel restrictions, and for this I have to thank our Australian partners at ARG. Overall I think we can be pleased with the early results, especially given the circumstances.”
“I am absolutely looking forward to attending. It will be a pleasure to finally meet the teams and the staff on the ground, which is something that I would have done much sooner had travel restrictions not been in place. The event also opens our global Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS season, which this year totals 29 rounds on four continents.
“Phillip Island is a wonderful circuit with a lot of history and I really believe in the potential of Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS, so it will be great to experience it in person.”
Ken Collier
Category Manager, Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS
“It’s fantastic to have Stephane come to Phillip Island for the opening round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS for 2022,” said Collier.
“The Australian Racing Group is proud of its association with the SRO Motorsports Group. They are the world leaders in international GT racing, and to have such a strong connection to Stephane and his team is great for our competitors and our teams.
“We are looking forward to releasing a very strong and competitive field of GT cars for our first round. There are lots of different makes, returning drivers, new drivers and very professional teams. It’s going to be a great year.”