It proved a fairy tale debut for Arise Racing GT and its Ferrari 296 GT3 as Chaz Mostert greeted the flag helping Liam Talbot secure his third season opening race victory in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS at Phillip Island.
A late rain shower provided an enthralling climax to the race as the Dayle ITM Audi of Brendon Leitch scythed his way through the field during the closing stages and was closing on Mostert until the red flag was displayed ending the event early.
The Black Wolf Motorsport Mercedes-AMG with Ben Schoots at the wheel lost control coming onto the front straight and hit the tyre wall on the outside leading to the early finale to the opening event. Schoots emerged from the Mercedes-AMG and taken to the medical centre.
Mostert recovered from dropping five grid slots due to a penalty for speeding in pit lane to take victory, but Leitch was demoted to fourth after being penalised the equivalent of a pit lane penalty for passing Jaxon Evans under yellows exiting Southern Loop.
This elevated Evans and Elliott Schutte to second for an Arise Racing GT Ferrari 1-2, while Will Brown and Brad Schumacher rounded out the podium despite some wild moments early for the Bathurst local in the Shaw & Partners/Kelso Electrical Team MPC Audi.
A spin for Renee Gracie dropped her from second to ninth in the OnlyFans Team MPC Audi after a stirring opening stint from Paul Stokell put the entry in the lead when the pit window opened.
Triple Eight Race Engineering duo Peter Hackett and Declan Fraser finished fifth in the latter’s debut driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3, while the Grove Racing example was sixth.
Paul Lucchitti and Jayden Ojeda were seventh in the Realta-supported Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 ahead of stablemates Valmont Racing as Sergio Pires and Marcel Zalloua took Am Class honours.
Rounding out the top 10 behind the OnlyFans Team MPC Audi was second in Am Class RAM Motorsport’s Michael Sheargold and Garth Walden.
The Koundouris brothers, James and Theo completed the Am Class podium in the Supabarn Supermarkets Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Rounding out the field was Alex Peroni and Mark Rosser’s Audi, Marc Cini, with the KMB Motorsport GT Trophy Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 shared by Michael Bailey and Valentino Astuti.
Joining the Black Wolf Motorsport entry as retirements were Tony Bates after an off at Turn 1 and Ash Samadi with brake problems.
Race 2 for the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS at Phillip Island is at 2:55pm.