Oscar Targett and Shane Smollen claimed their maiden GT World Challenge (GTWC) Australia powered by AWS victory with a controlled performance under the lights at Sydney Motorsport Park.
The #56 Kollosche AMG by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO led almost throughout the one-hour contest after Smollen started from pole, before Targett resisted pressure during the second stint and eventually took the chequered flag 12.652 seconds clear of Alex Peroni and Mark Rosser. Ryan Wood and Steve Brooks completed an all-Australian manufacturer podium for Team BRM in third, while championship leaders Broc Feeney and Brad Schumacher finished fifth.
The victory continued a strong Sydney weekend for Tigani Motorsport after Friday practice produced three different session leaders, while it also came at a crucial stage of a championship that arrived at the penultimate round with Feeney and Schumacher holding only a seven-point Pro-Am advantage.
Smollen converts Sydney pole into early lead
Smollen entered the night race from pole after topping the second qualifying session earlier on Saturday. His 1:26.6942 placed the #56 Mercedes-AMG 0.1184s ahead of Sergio Pires in the #44 Geyer Valmont Racing by Tigani Motorsport entry, while Paul Lucchitti started third for Move My Wheels by Tigani Motorsport. Mark Rosser and Brad Schumacher completed the top five.
However, Smollen did not immediately control proceedings when the lights went out. Pires briefly moved the #44 Mercedes-AMG ahead on the opening lap, creating an early intra-team battle at the front before Smollen reclaimed first place and began settling into the race. His return to the lead proved important, as the pole-sitter could then concentrate on building his advantage before the mandatory driver changes.
Pires’ promising start ended quickly when contact caused a cracked crankcase on the #44 Mercedes-AMG. The damage eventually forced him to retire after only three laps, delivering a major blow to a pairing that had entered Sydney tied for second in the Pro-Am championship and only seven points behind Feeney and Schumacher. The retirement also removed one of Targett and Smollen’s most immediate challengers from the race.
Rosser and Lucchitti clash in fight for second
With Pires out, the battle directly behind Smollen intensified between Rosser’s #268 Team BRM Audi R8 LMS EVO II and Lucchitti’s #66 Mercedes-AMG.
The pair fought closely for second before substantial contact dropped Rosser several positions. Their clash brought Elliott Schutte’s #26 ARGT Ferrari 296 GT3 and GTWC Australia debutant Andrew Georgiadis in Earl Bamber Motorsport’s #81 Porsche 911 GT3 R into the fight for the leading positions.
The reshuffling gave Smollen an opportunity to strengthen his advantage as the opening stint developed. Behind him, the battle remained fluid as Rosser attempted to recover the ground lost in the incident, while Lucchitti kept the Move My Wheels Mercedes-AMG firmly in contention before the mandatory pit-stop window.
The opening phase also highlighted the strength Tigani Motorsport had displayed throughout the weekend. Three of its Mercedes-AMGs had qualified inside the top three for Race 1, giving the team a strong opportunity to control the contest before Pires’ early retirement reduced its numerical advantage.
Targett emerges ahead as Ojeda applies pressure
The mandatory stops changed the drivers but did little to alter the identity of the leader. Targett took over the #56 Mercedes-AMG from Smollen and emerged still at the head of the field, while Jayden Ojeda replaced Lucchitti and began closing the gap in the #66.
Ojeda steadily reduced Targett’s advantage until less than one second separated the pair. With both cars representing Tigani Motorsport-run programmes, the race appeared set for a close Mercedes-AMG fight during the final stint. Targett was chasing his and Smollen’s first outright GTWC Australia victory, while Ojeda and Lucchitti were looking for a major result to strengthen their position in the championship battle.
Behind them, Peroni had taken over the #268 Audi from Rosser and began undoing the damage from the first-stint contact. The Team BRM driver worked his way back through the order and passed Evans, who had replaced Schutte in the #26 ARGT Ferrari, to move into third.
That recovery became even more valuable when the fight at the front changed through a penalty rather than an on-track pass.
Pit-stop infringement ends Ojeda victory challenge
Ojeda’s pursuit of Targett ended when officials handed the #66 Mercedes-AMG a drive-through penalty for a pit-stop procedure infringement.
The penalty removed the Move My Wheels by Tigani Motorsport entry from second and dropped Ojeda to seventh, giving Targett a sizeable cushion during the closing stages. The #66 still recorded the fastest lap of the race through Ojeda’s 1:26.6162, but the penalty left the pairing unable to convert its outright pace into a podium.
With the immediate pressure removed, Targett could control the remaining distance rather than defending against Ojeda. He completed 38 laps in 59:33.2971 and crossed the line 12.6652s ahead of Peroni and Rosser, securing a breakthrough victory for the #56 Kollosche AMG by Tigani Motorsport crew.
The result made Targett and Smollen the sixth different race-winning combination of the 2026 GTWC Australia season. It also represented another significant result for Targett during a campaign in which he has remained at the head of the SRO GT Academy contest.
Wood snatches final podium place from Evans
Peroni’s recovery secured second for Team BRM, but the fight for the final podium position continued into the closing stages.
Evans initially occupied third in the ARGT Ferrari after Ojeda served his penalty, but Wood closed in aboard the #88 Team BRM/Wolfbrook Motorsport Audi. The New Zealander completed the decisive pass late in the race to move into third and secure the pairing’s fourth podium of the season.
Wood and Brooks finished 14.4871s behind the winners and only 1.8219s behind their Team BRM stablemates in second. Their result gave Audi both remaining positions on the outright podium and continued the pair’s strong recent form after they recovered to second in Hidden Valley Race 2.
Evans and Schutte eventually settled for fourth, finishing just over nine seconds behind the #88 Audi. The ARGT Ferrari remained under pressure to the finish, with Feeney closing in aboard the championship-leading #1 Kelso Electrical/Team MPC Audi.
Feeney and Schumacher limit championship damage
Feeney and Schumacher entered Sydney at the head of the Pro-Am standings after their Hidden Valley Race 2 victory returned them to first in the championship.
They had not enjoyed an ideal starting position for Saturday night’s contest, with Schumacher qualifying fifth for the race. Nevertheless, the defending champions remained inside the leading group throughout and eventually finished fifth after Feeney chased Evans during the closing stages.
Only 0.2639s separated the Ferrari and Audi at the chequered flag, with Evans successfully defending fourth. Although fifth represented a relatively modest result compared with the pair’s Hidden Valley victory, it became more valuable after the early retirement for title rivals Pires and Brendon Leitch.
Rosser, meanwhile, gained considerably more from the race through second place. He had arrived in Sydney level with Leitch and Pires and only seven points behind the championship-leading Audi pairing, making Team BRM’s runner-up finish particularly important before Sunday’s second contest.
Earl Bamber Motorsport takes sixth on debut
Tom McLennan and Georgiadis delivered an impressive result on their first GTWC Australia weekend together for Earl Bamber Motorsport.
Georgiadis started seventh in the #81 Porsche and became involved in the leading battle after the Rosser-Lucchitti contact. The car briefly ran among the strongest contenders before McLennan completed the second stint and brought the Porsche home sixth.
They finished only 4.2838s behind Feeney and Schumacher and 0.2189s ahead of Ojeda and Lucchitti, who recovered to seventh following their drive-through.
The debut performance continued a promising weekend after the Porsche had already shown competitive pace during Friday practice. With another race remaining on Sunday, the EBM pairing gave itself an opportunity to build on an immediate top-six result.
Davison and Gracie lead tight midfield finish
Will Davison and Renee Gracie finished eighth in the #181 OnlyFans Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, completing all 38 laps and crossing the line a little over 34 seconds behind the winners.
Behind them, Josh Buchan and Cameron Campbell narrowly secured ninth for Zagame Autosport following one of the closest finishes of the race. Buchan brought the #23 Ferrari across the line only 0.0183s ahead of Valentino Astuti and Darren Currie’s #2 Trading Garage/Team MPC Audi.
Tony D’Alberto and Adrian Deitz followed in 11th on Wall Racing’s return to the championship with the #93 Lamborghini Huracán GT3. The pairing completed the race on the lead lap but finished 1:14.3258 behind Targett and Smollen.
Stokell and Stoupas strengthen Trophy campaign
Paul Stokell and Matt Stoupas controlled the Trophy Class throughout Race 1 in the #24 KFC/Team MPC Audi.
The pair led their class from start to finish and completed all 38 laps, finishing 12th overall. Their result delivered another important victory in a Trophy championship battle that had been separated by only 11 points before the Sydney weekend.
Luke Youlden and Nathan Halstead finished second in Trophy and 13th overall aboard the #71 AED Consulting by Tigani Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R. They completed 37 laps and remained the only pairing capable of applying sustained championship pressure to Stokell heading towards the final races of the season.
The #24 Audi also received a five-second penalty, although its margin over the Porsche was sufficient to preserve the class victory.
Hobson and Sheargold win Am Cup on return
Brett Hobson and Michael Sheargold completed their return to GTWC Australia with victory in the Am Cup aboard the #45 RAM Motorsport/GWR Australia Mercedes-AMG.
The pairing had already demonstrated encouraging pace on Friday, when Hobson topped the dedicated Bronze Practice session. Their race proved more straightforward, with the Mercedes-AMG completing 37 laps to finish 14th overall and secure the Am classification.
Their result completed a successful first race back in the category after a weekend in which the returning entry had steadily rebuilt familiarity with the current GTWC Australia field.
Full 2026 GTWC Australia Sydney Race 1 classification
- Oscar Targett/Shane Smollen — Kollosche AMG by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO — 38 laps, 59:33.2971
- Alex Peroni/Mark Rosser — Team BRM Audi R8 LMS EVO II — +12.6652s
- Ryan Wood/Steve Brooks — Team BRM/Wolfbrook Motorsport Audi R8 LMS EVO II — +14.4871s
- Jaxon Evans/Elliott Schutte — ARGT Ferrari 296 GT3 — +23.7399s
- Broc Feeney/Brad Schumacher — Kelso Electrical/Team MPC Audi R8 LMS EVO II — +24.0038s
- Tom McLennan/Andrew Georgiadis — Earl Bamber Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R — +28.2876s
- Jayden Ojeda/Paul Lucchitti — Move My Wheels by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO — +28.5065s
- Will Davison/Renee Gracie — OnlyFans Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 — +34.6550s
- Josh Buchan/Cameron Campbell — Zagame Autosport Ferrari 296 GT3 — +59.0806s
- Valentino Astuti/Darren Currie — Trading Garage/Team MPC Audi R8 LMS EVO II — +59.0989s
- Tony D’Alberto/Adrian Deitz — Wall Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 — +1:14.3258
- Paul Stokell/Matt Stoupas — KFC/Team MPC Audi R8 LMS EVO II — +1:29.9978 — Trophy winner
- Luke Youlden/Nathan Halstead — AED Consulting by Tigani Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R — 1 lap — Trophy
- Brett Hobson/Michael Sheargold — RAM Motorsport/GWR Australia Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO — 1 lap — Am winner
NC. Brendon Leitch/Sergio Pires — Geyer Valmont Racing by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO — 3 laps completed.
Ojeda recorded the fastest lap with a 1:26.6162 in the #66 Mercedes-AMG. The official classification and complete Sydney session results are available through the GTWC Australia results page.
Race 2 set to complete Sydney weekend
Targett and Smollen leave Saturday night with their first GTWC Australia victory, but the championship implications extend well beyond the winning Mercedes-AMG. Rosser’s second place, Feeney and Schumacher’s fifth and the retirement for Leitch and Pires have all changed the complexion of the Pro-Am battle ahead of the second race.
Ojeda and Lucchitti will also look to respond after losing a likely podium through their drive-through penalty, while Wood and Brooks enter Sunday having added another top-three finish to an increasingly competitive campaign.
GTWC Australia concludes its Sydney Motorsport Park weekend with Race 2 at 2:05pm AEST on Sunday. With only the season finale remaining afterwards, the second one-hour contest offers the championship contenders one final opportunity in Sydney to strengthen their positions before the title fight reaches its conclusion.
