After battling at the front of the GT4 field during the opening round of the Australian GT Championship on the streets of Melbourne as part of the Australian Grand Prix weekend, M-Motorsport returns for the second round of the season with a two-car assault on the opening endurance round with Glen Wood, David Crampton and Trent Harrison returning to the team for AGT’s maiden event at the new ‘The Bend Motorsport Park’ in South Australia.
Having been comfortably the victor in one of the GT4 races outright at Albert Park, team boss Justin McMillan knows the car has the pace and is looking forward to showing that this weekend.
“The KTM ran strongly in the Blancpain Series last weekend so some much needed BoP changes seem to have been the solution to bringing the car more back into line with its rivals, so we’re hoping that puts us back on the pace. With rain the big equalizer at the Grand Prix, I was faster than a number of Trophy cars and comfortably the quickest GT4, so we know the car has the ability to run near the front, and we’re looking to prove that again.”
McMillan will be joined once more at The Bend by regular M-Motorsport co-driver Glen Wood, whilst the team will bring a second car back into the fray with David Crampton and Trent Harrison back behind the wheel for the first time since Bathurst.
For Crampton, he will be looking to make up for the unfortunate early morning incident that sidelined the #48 X-Bow in the 12-Hour, whilst for Harrison, he will be looking for an improvement on the third placed finish he scored with Wood and Cody Hill on the mountain.
Crampton and Harrison will share the #50 M-Motorsport Vantage Freight entry – the car that was damaged at Bathurst – which has since been restored to full health and wrapped in an all new look, making it two stunning black and orange X-Bows to wow the big crowd expected to attend the event.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back into the KTM to see what we can do,” Crampton admitted whilst an avid spectator at the AGP event. “After a few years in a Radical, I was ready for the next challenge, and the early retirement at Bathurst was hugely frustrating because I’d been working towards the event for so long. I love the car and I’m serious about having a good crack at the championship, and with someone like Trent alongside who is a very accomplished driver, I think we’re in with a good shot.”
The two immaculate KTMs will get their first chance to turn laps this Friday afternoon with a 60-minute practice session scheduled ahead of two 30-minute qualifying sessions around midday Saturday, then the opening 60-minute leg of the race in the twilight on Saturday afternoon.
EVENT02 – 2018 CAMS Australian GT Championship
The Bend Motorsport Park, South Australia – 13-15 April, 2018
Friday, 13 April
3:35pm – Practice#1 (60-minutes)
Saturday, 14 April
12:30pm – Qualifying#1 (30-minutes)
1:15pm – Qualifying#2 (30-minutes)
5:20pm – Race (Part#1 – 60-minutes)
Sunday, 15 April
10:45am – Race (Part#2 – 120-minutes)
2018 Australian GT Calendar;
EVENT01 – Australian Grand Prix (Albert Park) SPRINT – 22-25 March
EVENT02 – The Bend, South Australia, ENDURANCE – 14-15 April
EVENT03 – Sandown, Victoria, SPRINT – 12-13 May
EVENT04 – Phillip Island, Victoria, ENDURANCE – 2-3 June
EVENT05 – Sydney Motor Sport Park, SPRINT – 4-5 August
EVENT06 – Hampton Downs, NZ, ENDURANCE – 13-14 October
Source. Motorsport Media
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