2007 Australian GT Championship explained

The 2007 Australian GT Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing championship open to closed production based sports cars as approved for FIA GT3 competition and to similar cars as approved by CAMS.^[1] The championship began on 3 February 2007 at Eastern Creek Raceway and ended on 9 December at Sandown Raceway after eight rounds held across five states. It was the eleventh Australian GT Championship.

The championship was won by Danish driver Allan Simonsen who drove a Ferrari 360 GT owned by Ted Huglin in the first four rounds and a Ferrari F430, newly imported by Mark Coffey Racing, in the last four rounds.^[2]

Teams and drivers

The following drivers competed in the 2007 Australian GT Championship.

Team	Car	No	Driver
Property Solutions Group	Ferrari F430	2	Kevin Miller
Consolidated Chemical Company	Ferrari 360 GT	4	Allan Simonsen Craig Baird Ted Huglin Andy Knight
Lamborghini Australia	Lamborghini Diablo GTR	5	Peter Hackett
	Lamborghini Gallardo	5	John Bowe
Abcor Preston General Engineering	Aston Martin DBRS9	7	John Kaias Will Davison
	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 997	77	John Kaias
Flash Air Daikin Air Conditioninh	Porsche 911 GT3-RSR Type 996	8	Simon Middleton Peter Hill
Hallmarc	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	9	Marc Cini
Supaloc	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	10	Gary Dann
Taplin Real Estate ANZ Banking	Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996	11	Andrew Taplin Dean Evans
Quarterback Shirts	Ferrari 360 Challenge	12
Promat	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	13	Matthew Turnbull
Echo Ridges Wines	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	14	Greg Ward Jr.
Twigg Waste Management	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	18	Max Twigg
Nexus Cleaning Roock	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	19	Damien Flack Ash Samadhi Marc Cini
Palmer Steel Industries	Lamborghini Gallardo	20
Sherrin Motorsport P/L	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	21
		27
Pelorus Property Group	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	23
Audi Centre Melbourne	Ferrari F430	29	Maher Algadrie
WTF Motorsport	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	31	Jon Trende
Lynns Building Materials	Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996	32
Kirchner Constructions	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	33
Jaylec Buzza Auto Electrics	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	36	Peter Fountas Matthew Coleman Garth Rainsbury
RDS - Wall Racing Pty Ltd	Porsche 911 GT3-RSR Type 996	38	David Wall Des Wall
Sedgman Limited	Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996	40
Brennan IT Securetel	Ferrari F430	43	David Stevens Hector Lester
Autohaus Hamilton	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	44	Bill Pye
Bolin Racing	Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996	45
Travelplan	Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996	46
Koala Furniture	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	51	Ross Lilley
	Ferrari 360 GT	95
Natrad Radiators & Auto Air	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 Lamborghini Gallardo	54
Data Recovery Systems P/L	Lotus Elise	73
Bicycle Express	Porsche 911 Type 964	74
The Oxford Tavern Wollongong	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	77
Cue	Lotus Elise	78
Sirena Racing	Ferrari F430	80	Allan Simonsen Tim Leahey
Urban Arrangements	Lotus Elise	86
	Lotus Elise	99
Industry Central Stahlwille	Ferrari F430	88	John Teulan Steven Johnson
Sonic Motor Racing Macpherson & Kelley Lawyers	Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996	90
Cooks Construction	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996	91
Zagame Lotus	Lotus Elise GT3	98	Angelo Lazaris
	Lotus Exige GT3

Calendar

Rd.	Race title	Circuit	Location / state	Date	Winning driver(s)	Car	Report
1	Eastern Creek	Eastern Creek Raceway	Sydney, New South Wales	2–4 Feb	Allan Simonsen	Ferrari 360 GT
2	Adelaide	Adelaide Street Circuit	Adelaide, South Australia	21–24 Feb	Allan Simonsen	Ferrari 360 GT
3	Bathurst	Mount Panorama Circuit	Bathurst, New South Wales	5–7 Apr	Bryce Washington	Lamborghini Gallardo
4	Queensland Raceway	Queensland Raceway	Ipswich, Queensland	25–27 May	Bryce Washington	Lamborghini Gallardo
5	Phillip Island	Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit	Phillip Island, Victoria	10–12 Aug	John Bowe	Lamborghini Gallardo
6	Symmons Plains	Symmons Plains Raceway	Launceston, Tasmania	31 Aug – 2 Sep	John Bowe	Lamborghini Gallardo
7	Oran Park	Oran Park Raceway	Sydney, New South Wales	2–4 Nov	Bryce Washington	Lamborghini Gallardo
8	Sandown GT Classic	Sandown Raceway	Melbourne, Victoria	7–9 Dec	Allan Simonsen Tim Leahey	Ferrari F430	Report

Allan Simonsen and Tim Leahey were awarded the 2007 Australian Tourist Trophy for their victory in the Sandown GT Classic.^[3]

Points system

For Rounds 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7, points were awarded on a 38-32-28-25-23-21-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for the top 25 positions in each of the three races.
Round 3 featured only two races and points were allocated on a 57-48-42-37.5-34.5-31.5-28.5-27-25.5-24-22.5-21-19.5-18-16.5-15-13.5-12-10.5-9-7.5-6-4.5-3-1.5 basis.
Round 8 was a 500 kilometre endurance round and points were allocated on a 114-96-84-75-69-63-57-54-51-48-45-42-39-36-33-30-27-24-21-18-15-12-9-6-3 basis.
Three bonus points were allocated for pole position at each of the eight rounds.^[1]

The total for each driver was adjusted by deducting the worst round point score of those rounds which were contested. This resulted in drivers scoring zero nett points if they only contested only one round.^[4]

Championship results

Pos.^[5] Driver Car Round 1 - Eas^[6] Round 2 - Ade^[7] Round 3 - Bat^[8] Round 4 - Qld^[9] Round 5 - Phi^[10] Round 6 - Sym^[11] Round 7 - Ora^[12] Round 8 - San^[13] Total Pts Retained Pts Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 1 Race 2 Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 1 1 Allan Simonsen Ferrari 360 GT Ferrari F430 1st 1st 1st 2nd 1st 1st 3rd 3rd 2nd 3rd 4th 2nd 3rd 3rd 2nd 2nd 3rd 2nd 3rd 3rd 1st 779 695 2 Bryce Washington Lamborghini Gallardo 3rd 2nd 3rd 14th 3rd 3rd 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 4th 4th 9th 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st 1st 1st Ret 662 662 3 David Wall Porsche 911 GT3-RSR Type 996 2nd Ret 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd 3rd 2nd 2nd 6th 7th 10th 4th 4th 1st Ret 2nd 2nd 13th 604 565 4 Damien Flack Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 7th 5th 7th 13th 12th 15th 5th 7th 13th 8th 17th 10th 10th 6th 5th Ret 9th 5th 6th 4th 11th 409 371 5 Sven Burchartz Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996 17th Ret DNS 6th Ret Ret 6th 5th 5th 5th 6th 7th 8th 5th 6th Ret DNS 6th 9th 7th 4th 379 370 6 Peter Lucas Lotus Elise 8th 7th 12th 9th 7th 7th 13th 12th 6th 12th 12th 17th 11th 12th 10th 9th 8th Ret 7th Ret 12th 345.5 326.5 7 John Teulan Ferrari F430 5th 4th Ret 3rd 4th 4th Ret DNS 10th 15th DNS 11th DNS DNS 3rd 8th 6th 3rd 319 319 8 Paul Tresidder Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 9th Ret 9th 10th 9th 8th 9th Ret 11th Ret 8th Ret 17th 13th 7th 6th 6th 7th 10th 8th Ret 279.5 279.5 9 Ian Palmer Lamborghini Gallardo 4th 4th DNS DNS DNS Ret 6th Ret Ret DNS DNS 4th 5th 5th 2nd 263 263 10 Max Twigg Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 6th Ret 6th 8th 6th 7th 6th 5th 8th 9th 11th Ret 4th DNS Ret 238.5 238.5 11 Jon Trende Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 14th 12th 11th 11th 18th Ret Ret 10th 9th 19th DNS DNS 11th 5th 10th 4th 233 226 12 Mark Eddy Ferrari 360 Challenge 5th 6th 5th DNS Ret 8th 7th 10th 9th Ret 7th 10th 204 204 13 Ross Lilley Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 13th 10th Ret Ret 11th 12th 11th 9th Ret 16th 16th 9th 8th 7th 10th Ret DNS 196 196 14 Paul Bolinowsky Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996 12th 11th 10th 12th 10th Ret Ret DNS 12th 12th 14th 8th 11th 9th 180 180 15 Peter Fountas Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 16th 14th 14th 18th 15th 17th 17th 15th 15th 17th 14th 15th 15th 17th 9th 206 206 16 Gary Dann Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 DNS DNS DNS 4th 5th 6th 10th 8th 9th 7th 7th 173 173 17 Angelo Lazaris Lotus Elise GT3 Lotus Exige GT3 18th 16th 16th 16th Ret 15th 8th 7th 5th DNS DNS DNS 8th 163 163 18 Blake Lynn Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996 10th 8th 8th Ret Ret 14th 14th 11th 12th 11th 13th 146.5 134.5 19 John Bowe Lamborghini Gallardo 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 4th 221 117 20 Will Davison Aston Martin DBRS9 5th 2nd 2nd 7th 144 87 21 John Kaias Aston Martin DBRS9 Ret DNS DNS Ret DNS DNS 4th 4th 3rd 7th 135 78 22 Craig Baird Ferrari 360 GT 3rd 5th 4th Ret 76 76 23 Bill Pye Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 4th 6th 5th 7th DNS 97.5 69 24 Andrew Taplin Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996 8th Ret Ret 6th 81 63 25 Ted Huglin Ferrari 360 GT 11th 12th 10th Ret 45 45 = Marc Cini Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 7th Ret Ret 11th 64 45 27 Grant Sherrin Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 16th 14th 11th 14th 13th 8th 80 43 28 Graeme Cook Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 12th 10th Ret 16th 13th 64.5 34.5 = Anthony Skinner Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996 Ret 9th Ret 15th 14th 51.5 34.5 30 Simon Middleton Porsche 911 GT3-RSR Type 996 17th 14th 13th 13th 14th Ret DNS 59 34 31 Russell Kempnich Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996 15th 15th 15th 14th 18th DNS 53 33 = Iain Sherrin Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 17th 13th 15th Ret 19th Ret 40 33 33 Fraser Kirchner Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 19th 16th 16th 18th 16th 54 27 34 Eric Northwood Lotus Elise 19th 17th 18th 18th 18th 48 24 - Peter Hackett Lamborghini Diablo GTR Ret 3rd 4th 53 0 - Maher Algadrie Ferrari F430 16th 8th 10th 44 0 - Keith Wong Porsche 911 Type 964 15th 13th 11th 39 0 - Hector Lester Ferrari F430 Ret 17th 9th 26 0 - Justin Levis Lotus Elise Ret 13th 13th 26 0 - David Stevens Ferrari F430 11th DNS DNS 15 0 - Kevin Miller Ferrari F430 DNS DNS DNS 0 0 - Matt Turnbull Ret DNS DNS Ret Ret 0 0 - Greg Ward Jr. Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 DNS DNS DNS 9th Ret DNS 17 0 - Scott Bargwanna Lotus Elise DNS DNS DNS 12th 42 0 - Tim Leahey Ferrari F430 1st 114 0 - Paul Stokell Lamborghini Gallardo 2nd 96 0 - Steven Johnson Ferrari F430 3rd 84 0 - Dean Fiore Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996 4th 75 0 - Anthony Kosseris Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 5th 69 0 - Matt Hunt Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 5th 69 0 - Dean Evans Porsche 911 GT3 Type 996 6th 63 0 - Warren Luff Lotus Exige GT3 8th 54 0 - Garth Rainsbury Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 9th 51 0 - Matt Coleman Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 9th 51 0 - Dean Grant Ferrari 360 Challenge 10th 48 0 - Ash Samadi Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 996 11th 45 0 - Des Wall Porsche 911 GT3-RSR Type 996 13th 39 0 - Andy Knight Ferrari 360 GT Ret 0 0 - Peter Hill Porsche 911 GT3-RSR Type 996 DNS 0 0 - Michael Trimble Lamborghini Gallardo Ret 0 0

External links

• Official series website
• 2007 Racing Results Archive at www.natsoft.com.au
• Images from the Eastern Creek round at www.flickr.com

Notes and References

1. 2007 Australian GT Championship Sporting and Technical Regulations
2. Mitchell Adam, The world at our feet, The Annual - Australian Motorsport, Number 3/2007, page 93
3. http://archive.paddocktalk.com/story-62078.html GT's To Race For Australian Tourist Trophy Title At Sandown, archive.paddocktalk.com
4. Outright Standings 2007 from www.australiangt.com.au, (Table includes competitors who completed the championship with a nett points total of “0") Retrieved on 11 January 2008 – webpage no longer live
5. Australian GT Final Points, The Annual - Australian Motorsport, Number 3/2007, pages 94 (Table shows only the 34 drivers who completed the championship with a nett points total of greater than “0”)
6. Web site: Eastern Creek International Raceway 04/02/2007 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport - Round 7 . National Software . 2 February 2007 . 19 December 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071113052420/http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?04%2F02%2F2007.ECIR . 13 November 2007 . live .
7. Web site: Adelaide Parklands Circuit 04/03/2007 2007 Clipsal 500 Adelaide . National Software . 4 March 2007 . 19 December 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071226051751/http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?04%2F03%2F2007.ADEL . 26 December 2007 . live .
8. Web site: Mount Panorama 08/04/2007 WPS Bathurst International Motorsport Festival . National Software . 8 April 2007 . 19 December 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071113055203/http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?08%2F04%2F2007.MOUN . 13 November 2007 . dead .
9. Web site: Queensland Raceway Ipswich 27/05/2007 Shannons National Motor Racing Championship - Round 3 . National Software . 27 May 2007 . 19 December 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071113072357/http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?27%2F05%2F2007.QR1 . 13 November 2007 . live .
10. Web site: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit 12/08/2007 Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships 2007 - Round 6 . National Software . 12 August 2007 . 19 December 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071113061327/http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?12%2F08%2F2007.PHIL . 13 November 2007 . live .
11. Web site: Symmons Plains International Raceway 01/09/2007 Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships 2007 Round 7 . National Software . 2 September 2007 . 19 December 2007 . 13 November 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071113051624/http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?01%2F09%2F2007.SYMM . dead .
12. Web site: Oran Park Raceway South And Grand Prix 03/11/2007 Shannons Nationals 2007 - Round 9 . National Software . 4 November 2007 . 19 December 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071208063645/http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?03%2F11%2F2007.ORAN . 8 December 2007 . live .
13. Web site: Sandown International Motor Raceway 09/12/2007 Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships 2007 - Rd 10 . National Software . 9 December 2007 . 19 December 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071210125029/http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?09%2F12%2F2007.SAND . 10 December 2007 . live .