RAM Motorsport is aiming for the top spot in its class as the team heads into its third season of racing in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS.
Having finished second in the Am Class in 2022 and third place last year, the Mercedes AMG squad driven by Mike Sheargold and Garth Walden only has their eyes on one prize as they seek to complete their collection of championship trophies.
To kick start the 2024 season, the team has revealed a striking livery on its Mercedes, a look inspired by a favourite album cover of car and team owner Sheargold.
The Sydney-based driver instructed renowned motorsport graphic artist Tim Pattinson to use the look of Daft Park’s iconic album cover ‘Alive’ to bring the look of his Mercedes to life.
The car will continue to be run by Walden’s team GWR Australia, among its other race car preparation across the industry.
The #45 entry will feature major support from two new backers, Oilstar Racing Brake Fluid and Jayco Caravans Sydney.
Both Sheargold and Walden enjoyed a successful test at The Bend recently as they prepare for the opening round of the 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS at Phillip Island on April 14-16. The event will be held as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries.
GT World Challenge Australia will contest two one hour races in each of the six sprint rounds, broadcast live and free on 7plus and selected races on free-to-air channel 7mate.
QUOTES
Mike Sheargold
RAM Motorsport, Mercedes-AMG GT3
“We’ve got a second and third place series trophy, so there’s only one missing from the collection. That is what we want to set out and knock off,” said Sheargold.
“The test at The Bend went really well. The Bend wasn’t on the calendar last year, so we haven’t been there for a year and a half. We had some challenges with my health last year, but I feel that my driving has progressed.
“We went to the test day with some expectations and we feel like we achieved that and we are happy with the result.
“My progress probably comes down to a switch in mindset. When you are faced with something like cancer, there’s all that ‘life’s too short’ stuff, but this past year, I’ve really set out with that mentality of having fun, but also having a dip.
“The team has really helped me along as well. Garth, JP Messenger as the engineer, they’ve made strong improvements with both the car and me after we seemed to plateau last year.
“As for the look of the car, Daft Punk’s ‘Alive' was one of those iconic albums that I listened to growing up and thought that it could play into an interesting livery. You have to have some fun with these things, and I’m pretty happy with how it has turned out.”
Garth Walden
RAM Motorsport, Mercedes-AMG GT3
“We had a pretty good day at The Bend. It was our second test for the year and we found a lot of gains,” said Walden.
“Mike is really improving a lot. He went faster and is coming on strong since the backend of last year.
“We want to have a good crack at the Am this year. Our aim is to win the class. That’s the goal.
“For us, Mike wants to improve, and wants to win races, and we are all aligned. These cars are a bloody cool thing to drive with all of its aero and braking performance. It’s a mega piece of kit to drive.
“For me, it’s all about getting the most out of Mike. It’s our third season together. We know each other really well, and with the way he has been improving, it will be exciting to see what we can do this year.”