Bathurst local Brad Schumacher will up the ante for the 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS season as he steps up to a Pro-Am category alongside Supercars star Will Brown and Melbourne Performance Centre.
Joining an already stacked Pro-Am entry, Schumacher was last year’s Am Class winner following initial success in GT Trophy during Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS’s maiden season in 2021.
Brown brings loads of experience in GT racing albeit in Mercedes-AMG machinery rather than Audi, but he has enjoyed success with the marque through numerous race wins in TCR Australia driving the brand’s RS3 LMS TCR fielded by Melbourne Performance Centre.
Schumacher made the step up in late-2022 to the latest specification R8 LMS GT3 Evo 2 and enjoyed success almost immediately when he was partnered by Tim Slade to finish runner up at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International Three Hour.
The highlight of Schumacher’s Am Class victory last season was finishing third outright in both contests at his home circuit, Mount Panorama as he defeated strong competition.
Having previously run his entry out of a close-knit team in Bathurst, Schumacher will join reigning Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS winning squad Melbourne Performance Centre, which remains undefeated in titles since the inaugural series in 2021.
By making the step up to the top-tier Pro-Am Class, Schumacher has demonstrated the clear progression Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS can provide through its pathway system as he will be joined by a few more entries this season to complete a similar journey.
The entry will feature support from Shaw & Partners, Kelso Electrical, Fuchs Lubricants, McDonalds, XF Express Fleet, Southern Cross Truck Rentals and Hoonigan.
Schumacher and Brown’s R8 LMS GT3 Evo 2 will be on display this weekend at the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix as part of the Melbourne Performance Centre marquee.
QUOTES
Brad Schumacher
#55 Melbourne Performance Centre, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2
"Since winning the Am championship, now was the right time to step it up and have a crack at Pro-Am, so hopefully the momentum continues," said Schumacher.
"My driving over the years has been improving year after year and the results show. We were going to enter and run our own car in Pro-Am, but once MPC reached out with the opportunity to join Will Brown in the works car, it was hard to not accept.
"To have Will in my camp, it will not only improve my driving working consistently with a Pro, but it increases the likelihood of good results.
“Also, Will and I have a similar personality, so I expect this to help us gel, which in turn will hopefully make us a hard team to beat.
"Will’s a legendary bloke and gun Pro to match and he sees me as a valuable amateur driver, so we are just as happy to drive with each other, which is a good mix when you can look at each other with a respectful eye.
"But for me, I know that I'm going to learn plenty as the year goes on which will reap rewards.
"This year will be super competitive. There are a lot of great driver line-ups, but I feel as though I’m performing well lately, rating me well against the top amateurs in the category. Will is leading the Supercars Championship and driving with one of the premier teams full time in Triple Eight, so there’s no weak link for us. We should be in a position to take race wins and that’s what we are certainly aiming for. It's the reason I’m making the step up to Pro-Am and Will is joining the category.
"It's great to be in the MPC works car. They have so much data and knowledge within the team. We have those tools in the bank already so we can simply work on being fast each weekend.
"Our Audi looks spectacular too. Shaw & Partners wanted the Australian flag incorporated into the livery with both Will and I excited by it, as it will stand out on-track. Plenty of Aussie pride!”
Will Brown
#55 Melbourne Performance Centre, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2
“I was keen to do more racing this year, and I really enjoyed the Bathurst 12 Hour, so I wanted to put something together,” said Brown.
“Brad was keen to stay in the series and step up to Pro-Am, so this felt like a great match. I’m really looking forward to the season ahead.
“If Brad isn’t the best Am driver in Australia, he is certainly one of the best. He does an awesome job, especially considering he hasn’t raced all his life.
“The GT field looks very competitive this year. The category has grown in the off-season, and to see drivers like Chaz (Mostert), Jaxon Evans and myself in there, it’s going to be interesting to see how we all go and how we race.
“Brad and the Melbourne Performance Centre have put together a really cool deal. MPC is one of the most professional teams in the country and I’m looking forward to the season.”