Arise Racing GT has started off its maiden fanatic GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS season in the perfect fashion with Chaz Mostert and reigning series winner Liam Talbot sweeping the poles at Phillip Island.
It was a thrilling battle for pole in the opening 20-minute segment as the professional drivers went toe-to-toe around the Island, but it was Mostert driving the stunning Ferrari 296 GT3 a 1m 25.170s taking pole narrowly from Brenton Grove in the Grove Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 by just 0.118s.
An indication of the pressure building throughout the session was a big moment for Grove exiting the Southern Loop and spinning to just nudge the outside tyre wall.
The Realta-supported Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Jayden Ojeda was third from Will Brown in the Shaw & Partners/Kelso Electrical Team MPC Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo 2 and the all-New Zealand entry of Brendon Leitch for Dayle ITM.
Jaxon Evans in the second Arise Racing GT 296 GT3 was sixth leading GT rookie Declan Fraser for Triple Eight Race Engineering in the Mercedes-AMG and Alex Peroni driving the Team BRM/ACM Finance Audi, with less than a second covering the top eight entries.
RAM Motorsport’s Garth Walden led the way in Pro-Am ahead of Valentino Astuti in the GT Trophy Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 for KMB Motorsport.
Renee Gracie rounded out the Pro-Am field in 11th, as Black Wolf Motorsport made a great debut to be second in Am with Ben Schoots, while Tony Bates rounded out the class podium on his return in the Ashley Seward Motorsport/Tony Bates Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Marcel Zalloua, James Koundouris and Marc Cini completed the field, with Ash Samadi not going out.
It was a Ferrari 1-2 after the second 20-minute segment as Talbot led teammate Elliott Schutte although the latter spun entering the front straight bringing an early end to the session.
Brad Schumacher in the Audi he’s sharing with Brown was next best in third ahead of Paul Stokell and Tim Miles rounded out the top five.
Peter Hackett for Triple Eight Race Engineering was sixth from the Am Class leader Sergio Pires for Valmont Racing, Bates, Realta/Tigani Motorsport’s Paul Lucchitti and Mark Rosser driving the Team BRM/ACM Finance Audi was 10th.
Michael Sheargold, Cini, Shane Woodman, Michael Bailey and Theo Koundouris after a spin completed the runners.
The Grove Racing Mercedes-AMG failed to contest the second session due to Stephen Grove being absent from the track.
Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS opens its season at Phillip Island 1pm AEST.