GT World Challenge Australia: Rain-Soaked Race 2 Sees Talbot Secure Aston Martin’s Breakthrough Win

Pre-Race Tribute to Tim Miles

As the field assembled on the grid ahead of Race Two, a poignant tribute was paid to Tim Miles, a respected figure in Australian motorsport and a familiar presence in the GT World Challenge Australia paddock. Miles competed in the 2024 and 2025 seasons with Melbourne Performance Centre, driving an Audi R8 LMS GT3, and had previously raced in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia.

Miles tragically lost his life on 6 July while road cycling in Sydney.

A seasoned veteran of the sport, both on and off the track, Miles was a former co-owner of Triple Eight Race Engineering, one of the most successful teams in Australian touring car history, and a co-founder of Tasman Motorsport. His influence extended beyond team ownership; he played a key role in the commercial side of the sport, helping to broker the sale of the Supercars Championship, Australia’s top-tier touring car series, in both 2011 and 2021.

Race 2 Starting Conditions

Earlier races throughout the day were affected by intermittent rain, which eventually gave way to dry running. However, just 15 minutes before the start of GT World Challenge Australia Race Two, the rain returned with intensity. Most cars on the grid during the pre-race grid walk were still fitted with slick tyres, anticipating a dry start. This triggered a flurry of activity as teams rushed down the main straight from pit lane, tyre trolleys and air jacks in hand, to rapidly switch to wet weather tyres before the formation lap.

Race 2 Starting Grid

Qualifying 1 results determined the starting order for Race Two. Outright pole was secured by Jordan Love with a time of 1:08.2165 in the #77 Arise Racing GT Ferrari 296 GT3. He was followed by Jayden Ojeda, 0.3805 seconds behind, in the #66 Realta Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO starting second. Jaxon Evans rounded out the top three, 0.5837 seconds off pole, in the #26 Arise Racing GT Ferrari 296 GT3.

In the Trophy Cup class, sole entrant Paul Stokell qualified ninth outright with a time of 1:10.6465 in the #24 KFC Team MPC Audi R8 LMS.

In the Am class, Darren Currie claimed class pole and tenth outright in the #111 Racing Pty Ltd Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO with a time of 1:10.6699. He was followed by Ben Schoots, 0.1766 seconds behind, starting second in class and 11th outright in the #16 Black Wolf Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO. Third in class and 12th outright was Theo Koundouris, 0.4021 seconds off the Am pole, in the #47 Supabarn Supermarkets Tigani Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.

Note: Full Qualifying Results are included at the end of this article

Penalties for Saturday Success

In GT World Challenge Australia, pit lane penalties are applied to the top three outright finishers from the previous day’s race. As a result, Evans-Schutte (26, Ferrari), Saturday’s winners, were required to serve a 15-second time penalty during their pit stop window. Wood-Brooks (88, Audi R8 LMS EVO ll), who finished second, received a 10-second penalty, while Feeney-Schumacher (888, Audi R8 LMS EVO ll), who placed third, were handed a 5-second penalty. This penalty is applied in addition to the minimum required pit stop duration of 87 seconds.

Race Start

With the track fully wet, the green flag dropped and the race timer began counting down from 52 minutes and 40 seconds. Ojeda (66, Mercedes) got the jump on Love (77, Ferrari) heading into Turn 1, but Love fought back under brakes and retook the lead into Turn 2. Holdsworth (9, Audi R8 LMS EVO ll) made a move on Evans (26, Ferrari) for third at Turn 2, before Love spun from the lead on the exit of Turn 3, making contact with the inside guard rail. He rejoined at the back of the field, now 4.3 seconds off the lead.

Along the back straight, Ojeda led from Holdsworth, while Feeney (888, Audi) outpaced Evans to move into third heading towards the Esses and Dandenong Road (Turns 8 and 9). Feeney then ran wide exiting Turn 11, briefly skimming the grass, but recovered at Turn 12 without losing position to Evans.

At the start of Lap 2, Feeney again ran wide, this time at Turn 2, running across the grass at Turn 3. He held onto third place, but now had Evans Ferrari right on his tail down the back straight. Evans moved to the outside and nearly pulled alongside, but ultimately backed out before the Esses.

Koundouris (47, Mercedes, Am), running in 10th, lost control exiting Turn 3 and hit the inside wall, coming to rest facing the wrong direction. While attempting to turn around, the car lost drive and came to a stop partially blocking the circuit, facing the outside wall. The safety car was called just as Ojeda crossed the line to start Lap 3.

Safety Car Restart

The race resumed on Lap 6 with Ojeda (66, Mercedes) leading from Holdsworth (9, Audi) and Feeney (888, Audi). At Turn 4, Jamie Day (1, Aston Martin AMR GT3) dived up the inside of Wood (88, Audi R8 LMS EVO 11), the pair making contact before Day came out ahead to take fifth place. Exiting the final corner, Evans (26, Ferrari) got a strong run on the inside of Feeney, taking third as they crossed the line to begin Lap 7. Love (77, Ferrari) was also on a charge following his disastrous opening lap, climbing from 10th to 8th by Lap 8.

With the field beginning to thin out, the closest battle was between Holdsworth in second and Evans in third. The pair were separated by just three tenths of a second, with Evans Ferrari applying pressure before the two made contact on Lap 11 at Turn 4, as Evans attempted a move up the inside. The incident allowed Feeney to close in on Evans.

On Lap 12, Jamie Day ran wide at Turn 1, allowing Wood to reclaim fifth position. Evans then passed Holdsworth’s Audi for second along the back straight approaching the Esses, holding the line comfortably through Dandenong Road (T8/T9). As they crossed the line into Lap 13, Evans trailed Ojeda’s Mercedes by 4.836 seconds.

Race Clock at 30 Minutes & Am Pitstops Begin

With 30 minutes remaining on the race clock, Feeney (888, Audi) made a move into Turn 1 on Lap 14, diving up the inside of Holdsworth (9, Audi) to take third position. The pit stop window for the Am and Trophy classes opened shortly after, with Currie (111, Mercedes, Am) the first to stop, handing over to Donaldson, with the team electing to keep their original wet tyres.

On Lap 15, Stokell (24, Audi, T) brought the Trophy class entry into pit lane for a driver change to Stoupas, also without any tyre change.

Pro-Am Pitstop Window Opens

The Pro-Am pit window opened on Lap 16, with King (55, Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO) the first to stop, handing over to Perez.

As the window neared closure on Lap 18, the majority of Pro-Am runners pitted. Leader Ojeda (66, Mercedes) swapped with Lucchitti, Evans (26, Ferrari) handed over to Schutte, Love (77, Ferrari) to Wyatt, Feeney (888, Audi) to Schumacher, Holdsworth (9, Audi) to Cini, and Day (1, Aston Martin) to Talbot. Peroni (268, Audi R8 LMS EVO ll) stayed out and briefly inherited the lead before pitting on Lap 19.

On the Pro-Am out laps, the action resumed immediately. Along the back straight, Cini (9, Audi) was outpaced by both Schumacher, who moved into third, and Talbot, who slotted into fourth.

The surprise came at the start of Lap 20, when Rosser (268, Audi) having just taken over from Peroni and rejoining from pit lane, leapt from their earlier position of seventh to second outright. Once the pit cycle completed, the top five were: Lucchitti (66, Mercedes) in the lead, Rosser (268, Audi) second, Schumacher (888, Audi) third, Talbot (1, Aston Martin) fourth, and Cini (9, Audi) fifth.

In Trophy class, Stoupas (24, Audi, T) held 10th outright, while the Am class leaders were Woodman (16, Mercedes, Am) in 11th, Gracie (181, Audi R8 LMS EVO ll, Am) in 12th, and Donaldson (111, Mercedes, Am) in 13th.

Battle for the Lead – Final 15 Minutes

On Lap 22, Talbot (1, Aston Martin) moved past Schumacher (888, Audi) to take third, with Rosser (268, Audi) just half a second ahead in second. The following lap, Talbot made a decisive move under brakes into Dandenong Road (T9), diving down the inside to claim second. He immediately began pulling away from both Rosser and Schumacher.

At the start of Lap 24, Schumacher passed Rosser with an inside move into Turn 1, reclaiming third. Meanwhile, Talbot was rapidly closing in on race leader Lucchitti (66, Mercedes), cutting the gap from three seconds on Lap 24 to just 1.5 at the start of Lap 25. By the end of the back straight, the margin had shrunk to 0.724 seconds and just 0.271 into Dandenong Road (T8/T9). Talbot held the inside line into Turn 11 and made a clean pass for the lead, with Lucchitti opting not to defend heavily, instead focusing on holding off Schumacher, who was now only 0.331 seconds behind in third.

Crossing the line to begin Lap 26, Schumacher pulled alongside Lucchitti and completed an easy move up the inside at Turn 1 to take second. Lucchitti appeared to be struggling with tyre wear in the increasingly wet conditions, the Mercedes, around 150kg heavier than its rivals, potentially losing performance as grip levels dropped.

Building Gaps and Wet-Weather Woes

Crossing the line to begin Lap 25, Schumacher (888, Audi) pulled alongside Lucchitti (66, Mercedes) and completed a clean pass up the inside at Turn 1 to take second. Lucchitti appeared to be battling tyre wear as rain continued to intensify, the Mercedes being roughly 150kg heavier than its rivals and potentially more prone to degradation in the wet.

By Lap 26, the field had spread out again. Talbot (1, Aston Martin) held a 2.086-second lead over Schumacher, with Lucchitti a further 6.285 seconds behind in third. Schutte (26, Ferrari) sat fourth, 8.790 seconds off Lucchitti, while Rosser (268, Audi) ran fifth, 4.089 seconds behind Schutte, all with rain still falling more heavily.

With 8 minutes and 20 seconds remaining, on Lap 30, Cini (9, Audi) lost traction on the exit of Turn 3 and went head-on into the inside guardrail, the same corner that had already caught out Love (77, Ferrari) and Koundouris (47, Mercedes, Am) earlier in the race. Fortunately, Cini was able to continue, and a safety car was avoided.

Closing Gaps and Challenging Conditions

On Lap 35, with just five minutes remaining, Schumacher (888, Audi) was closing in on the leader, reducing the gap to Talbot (1, Aston Martin) to just 0.657 seconds.

Track conditions had become extremely wet, with heavy spray limiting visibility along the front straight. Despite the worsening weather, all cars were still on the original wet tyres fitted at the start.

With 3 minutes and 10 seconds left on the clock, Brooks (88, Audi) lost control at the exit of Turn 3, the same spot that had already caught out several others, and ended up facing backwards on the outside of the corner. No contact or damage occurred, but under local yellows, Brooks was forced to hold position until a safe gap appeared to rejoin.

Final-Lap Drama and the Fight for the Podium

With 1 minute and 18 seconds remaining, Schutte (26, Ferrari) had rapidly closed on Lucchitti (66, Mercedes) for third place, cutting the gap from 8.790 seconds just eight minutes earlier to only 0.891 seconds. At the start of Lap 36, Schutte made an initial attempt down the inside into Turn 1, but Lucchitti defended firmly. By Dandenong Road (T8/T9), the gap had shrunk further to just 0.377 seconds, and the pressure was building.

As the race timer expired, Lap 37 began with Schutte tucked up directly behind Lucchitti. Heading into Turn 1, Schutte launched a late move down the inside. He completed the overtake, though he ran slightly wide on exit. Lucchitti, having been forced to the inside, couldn’t get the same drive off the corner and was unable to counter. Schutte took over third position with less than two laps to go.

Starting the final lap on Lap 38, Talbot (1, Aston Martin) continued to lead, but Schumacher (888, Audi) was just 0.648 seconds behind and closing. Talbot clipped too much of the inside kerb, unsettling the car and losing time, allowing Schumacher to close right up into Turn 2.

Talbot Secures Historic Win for Aston Martin

Talbot–Day (1, Shannons Volante Rosso Motorsport, Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3) crossed the line to claim the first victory for the new Aston Martin in the series, finishing 1.023 seconds ahead of Schumacher–Feeney (888, Kelso Electrical / Team MPC, Audi R8 LMS EVO II). Schutte–Evans (26, Arise Racing GT, Ferrari 296 GT3) completed the outright podium in third, 31.940 seconds behind the leaders after a strong late-race charge.

Stoupas–Stokell (24, KFC / Team MPC, Audi R8 LMS), the sole Trophy class entry, finished eighth outright.

In the Am class, Gracie (181, OnlyFans / Team MPC, Audi R8 LMS EVO II) took the win with a tenth-place outright finish. Donaldson–Currie (111, 111 Racing Pty Ltd, Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO) secured second in class and eleventh outright, while Woodman–Schoots (16, Black Wolf Motorsport, Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO) completed the Am class podium in twelfth overall.

Full results from Qualifying 1 and Race 2 are listed in the tables below.

Race 2 Starting Grid – Qualifying 1 (Saturday 26th July 2025)

Pos	Driver / Vehicle / Team	Class	Fastest Lap
1	Jordan Love (AUS) #77 Ferrari 296 GT3 Arise Racing GT	PA	1:08.2165
2	Jayden Ojeda (AUS) #66 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO Realta / Tigani Motorsport	PA	1:08.5970
3	Jaxon Evans (NZ) #26 Ferrari 296 GT3 Arise Racing GT	PA	1:08.8002
4	Lee Holdsworth (AUS) #9 Audi R8 LMS EVO II Hallmarc / Team MPC	PA	1:08.8116
5	Ryan Wood (NZ) #88 Audi R8 LMS EVO II Wolfbrook / Team MPC	PA	1:09.0762
6	Broc Feeney (AUS) #888 Audi R8 LMS EVO II Kelso Electrical / Team MPC	PA	1:09.3370
7	Jamie Day (AUS) #1 Aston Martin AMR GT3 Shannons Volante Rosso M’Sport	PA	1:09.5886
8	George King (GBR) #55 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO Geyer Valmont Racing / Tigani	PA	1:09.6267
9	Paul Stokell (AUS) #24 Audi R8 LMS KFC / Team MPC	T	1:10.6465
10	Darren Currie (AUS) #111 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO 111 Racing Pty Ltd	AM	1:10.6699
11	Ben Schoots (AUS) #16 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO Black Wolf Motorsport	AM	1:10.8465
12	Theo Koundouris (AUS) #47 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO Supabarn Supermarkets / Tigani	AM	1:11.0720
13	Renee Gracie (AUS) #181 Audi R8 LMS EVO II OnlyFans / Team MPC	AM	1:11.4697
14	Alex Peroni (AUS) #268 Audi R8 LMS EVO II Team BRM / ACM Finance	PA	1:19.3709

Race 2 Results (Sunday 27th July 2025)

Pos	Driver / Vehicle / Team	Class	Laps	Race Time
1	J.Day / L.Talbot #1 Aston Martin AMR GT3 Shannons Volante Rosso M’Sport	PA	38	01:00:38.2425
2	B.Feeney / B.Schumacher #888 Audi R8 LMS EVO II Kelso Electrical / Team MPC	PA	38	01:00:39.2656
3	J.Evans / E.Schutte #26 Ferrari 296 GT3 Arise Racing GT	PA	38	01:01:11.2061
4	J.Ojeda / P.Lucchitti #66 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO Realta / Tigani Motorsport	PA	38	01:01:13.3744
5	A.Peroni / M.Rosser #268 Audi R8 LMS EVO II Team BRM / ACM Finance	PA	38	01:01:28.1126
6	R.Wood / S.Brooks #88 Audi R8 LMS EVO II Wolfbrook / Team MPC	PA	38	01:01:43.0789
7	J.Love / S.Wyatt #77 Ferrari 296 GT3 Arise Racing GT	PA	38	01:02:01.2569
8	P.Stokell / M.Stoupas #24 Audi R8 LMS KFC / Team MPC	T	37	01:00:50.2174
9	G.King / S.Pires #55 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO Geyer Valmont Racing / Tigani	PA	37	01:01:16.8952
10	Renee Gracie (AUS) #181 Audi R8 LMS EVO II OnlyFans / Team MPC	AM	37	01:01:28.7981
11	D.Currie / G.Donaldson #111 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO 111 Racing Pty Ltd	AM	37	01:01:34.3730
12	B.Schoots / S.Woodman #16 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO Black Wolf Motorsport	AM	37	01:01:42.4283
13	L.Holdsworth / M.Cini #9 Audi R8 LMS EVO II Hallmarc / Team MPC	PA	37	01:01:46.8649
NC	Theo Koundouris (AUS) #47 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO Supabarn Supermarkets / Tigani	AM	1	00:06:46.5037