SpeedSeries Queensland Raceway Review
The 2025 GT Festival Queensland delivered a thrilling weekend of motorsport at Queensland Raceway, marking the third round of the Shannons SpeedSeries season. Despite challenging weather conditions on Friday, the event concluded with clear skies and exhilarating races across multiple categories.
Friday's sessions were marked by wet conditions that tested drivers' skills and strategies. In the GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS, the Volante Rosso Motorsport duo of Declan Fraser and Liam Talbot led the opening practice in their Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3, narrowly edging out the Arise Racing GT Ferrari 296 GT3 of Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte. The OnlyFans Team MPC's Renee Gracie dominated the Am class, leading all three sessions in her Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.
The Monochrome GT4 Australia series saw Method Motorsport's Tom Hayman and Max Geoghegan set the pace in the opening practice with their McLaren Artura GT4. In the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, Lachlan Bloxsom and James Lodge each topped a practice session, while Ramu Farrell led the Am class in both sessions.
As the weather improved over the weekend, Sunday featured standout performances. In the GT World Challenge Australia, Team BRM/ACM Finance's Alex Peroni and Mark Rosser achieved a remarkable comeback, winning in their Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II after retiring from Race 1 due to an early clash. They led an Audi 1-2-3 finish in the Pro-Am class. Renee Gracie continued her dominance in the Am class, securing her second victory of the weekend.
The Monochrome GT4 Australia's Race 2 was a nail-biter, with Rylan Gray and George Miedecke clinching victory in their Ford Mustang GT4, narrowly beating Jarrod Hughes and Summer Rintoule's Mercedes-AMG GT4. Nash Morris and Zoe Woods completed the Silver Cup podium in their Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS.
In the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, Ramu Farrell won the first race on Sunday, while Jake Santalucia secured victory in the 45-minute Jim Richards Endurance Championship, leading to his overall round win. Farrell also topped the Am class standings.
The First Focus Radical Cup Australia saw Cooper Cutts and Peter Paddon each claim a win on Sunday, continuing their weekend-long battle. Zig Fuhrmeister secured the Am class victory in the opening race.
The National Sports Sedan Series returned to the Shannons SpeedSeries lineup, with Steve Tamasi dominating the weekend by sweeping all races in his Holden Calibra.
The GT Festival Queensland showcased the resilience and skill of drivers across various categories, overcoming early weather challenges to deliver a weekend of high-octane racing.