Yasser Shahin seals back-to-back titles with victory in Adelaide

Yasser Shahin seals back-to-back titles with victory in Adelaide

Yasser Shahin is a double Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS series winner following a frantic weekend of racing in Adelaide.

Shahin and Audi Sport gun Christopher Mies took victory in the final race of the weekend as Audi capped off a dominant return to Adelaide with a 1-2 in the race as well as the title as Liam Talbot co-driving with Fraser Ross took the runner up slot in the Shannons Insurance R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.

Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim and Jamie Whincup completed a difficult weekend for the Triple Eight race Engineering Mercedes-AMG concern in third after a close battle between the C-Tech Laser Audi of Tony Bates and Kelvin van der Linde. Also in touch was the Bentley Continental GT3 of KMB Motorsport’s Mike Bailey and Brett Hobson.

It was an Audi 1-2-3 in the opening stages as Talbot, Shahin and Bates fought closely, but the race was soon neutralised by the safety car due to a collision at Turn 9. Am Class competitors Ross Poulakis in the Harrolds Volante Rosso Racing Mercedes-AMG and the KFC Audi of Matt Stoupas clashed leaving the latter’s entry severely damaged. Poulakis continued, but later caused another safety car when the Mercedes-AMG stopped.

Pit stops were completed when the safety car restart occurred as Mies assumed a 17s advantage upon exit from Ross, van der Linde, Hobson and Whincup.

Contact been Ross and van der Linde dropped the Shannons Insurance Audi multiple positions at Turn 5, but a stop-go penalty for the South African due to the incident demoted the C-Tech Laser entry to fifth in Pro-Am.

Despite a late safety car, Mies held on to win from Ross, Whincup, van der Linde and Hobson.

Michael Sheargold and Garth Walden took victory in Am Class driving the RAM Motorsport/GWR Australia Mercedes-AMG GT3, as class winners for the season Gary Higgon and Paul Stokell driving the KFC Audi. Third was the Koundouris brothers James and Theo in the Supabarn Supermarkets Audi.

Michael Kokkinos secured the GT Trophy title by taking victory in the Launch Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Ultra from the Porsche 997 GT3R of Scott Taylor.

Harrolds Volante Rosso Racing’s Chris Batzios and Sam Brabham won the battle, but Mark Griffith won the GT4 title by finishing second partnered by Paul Morris, both in Mercedes-AMG GT4s.

Again impressive was Tom Sargent in his Porsche 991.2 Cup Car as the sole runner in GTC Class and also led the GT Trophy contenders.