Broc Feeney and Brad Schumacher took a major step towards successfully defending their 2026 GT World Challenge (GTWC) Australia powered by AWS Pro-Am title with victory in Race 2 at Sydney Motorsport Park.
The #1 Kelso Electrical/Team MPC Audi R8 LMS EVO II pairing emerged from a dramatic Sunday contest ahead of title rivals Brendon Leitch and Sergio Pires, while Valentino Astuti and Darren Currie completed the podium with their first top-three finish together. Feeney and Schumacher’s victory followed their fifth place in Saturday night’s opening race and leaves the reigning champions in a significantly stronger position before November’s Adelaide finale.
The result continued an impressive run of Sunday performances for the Audi pair, who had already returned to victory during Hidden Valley Race 2. They arrived in Sydney holding a seven-point championship advantage after reclaiming the Pro-Am lead in Darwin, with the Sydney preview highlighting Leitch and Pires, Mark Rosser, and Jayden Ojeda and Paul Lucchitti as their closest challengers.
Peroni leads Wood from pole at the start
Alex Peroni started Sunday’s race from pole after narrowly beating Ryan Wood during Qualifying 1. The Team BRM driver produced a 1:25.7995 around the Sydney Motorsport Park Gardner circuit, only 0.0186 seconds faster than Wood in the sister #88 Team BRM/Wolfbrook Motorsport Audi. Ojeda qualified third for Move My Wheels by Tigani Motorsport, with Saturday winner Oscar Targett fourth and Leitch fifth. Feeney lined up seventh, 0.3964s away from Peroni’s benchmark.
Peroni initially retained the advantage when the race began, but Wood immediately placed his Team BRM stablemate under heavy pressure. The New Zealander completed his move for first on Lap 2 and quickly began pulling away, showing the pace that had already carried him and Steve Brooks to third in Saturday night’s opening race.
Leitch also made an aggressive start from fifth and soon passed Peroni to move into second. With Wood already beginning to escape, Leitch concentrated on creating his own advantage over the cars behind, while Peroni came under increasing pressure from Feeney and Ojeda.
Wood and Leitch escape as Feeney moves forward
Wood’s early pace quickly established the #88 Audi as the car to beat. He extended his lead to almost eight seconds over Leitch, while the Geyer Valmont Racing by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG built a similarly comfortable margin over third-placed Peroni.
That left the most intense fight among the next group. Feeney had started seventh but worked his way onto Peroni’s rear bumper as the Team BRM Audi struggled to maintain its early pace. Ojeda remained close behind in the #66 Mercedes-AMG, creating a three-car battle for third as the race approached its mandatory pit-stop phase.
Feeney eventually found his way past Peroni on Lap 16, an important move given the championship situation. Ojeda soon followed, dropping the pole-sitter to fifth and ensuring three of the leading title contenders were now running inside the top four behind Wood.
For Feeney and Schumacher, the progress was especially important after a more subdued Saturday. They had finished fifth in Sydney Race 1’s championship-shaping contest, while Leitch and Pires had retired with mechanical damage. Sunday offered the Mercedes-AMG pairing an opportunity to respond, but Feeney’s climb ensured the championship leaders remained directly involved at the front.
Pit-stop phase keeps Wood and Brooks ahead
Wood handed the #88 Audi to Brooks with a significant advantage as the mandatory driver changes began. Once the pit cycle and success penalties had been completed, Brooks remained in first place with Pires second after replacing Leitch.
Schumacher emerged third in the #1 Audi after taking over from Feeney, keeping the championship leaders within range despite their lower starting position. The running order initially appeared to favour Wood and Brooks, who had been searching for their first victory of the season after repeatedly finishing on the podium.
Their pace throughout Sydney suggested that breakthrough could finally arrive. Wood had qualified on the front row, climbed into the lead almost immediately and established a sizeable margin before handing over, while Brooks returned to the circuit with approximately seven seconds in hand over Pires.
The #88 pairing had already come close earlier in 2026, including a recovery to second during Hidden Valley Race 2. Sunday in Sydney initially appeared set to reward that consistency with a first victory.
Reliability failure ends Wood and Brooks’ victory bid
The complexion of the race changed dramatically on Lap 22 when the leading #88 Audi suddenly stopped on circuit.
Brooks’ retirement erased the advantage Wood had created and ended what had looked increasingly likely to become the pairing’s breakthrough win. The stranded Audi also triggered a Safety Car, compressing the field and changing the dynamic of the final stint. The car was eventually classified as a non-finisher after completing 23 laps.
Crucially, Schumacher had passed Pires shortly before the Safety Car was deployed. That move elevated the championship leader into first place once Brooks stopped and gave the #1 Audi control of the race for the restart.
The timing proved decisive. Instead of attempting to recover the lead after the neutralisation, Schumacher could concentrate on controlling the restart and maintaining track position ahead of one of his closest championship rivals.
Schumacher controls restart to secure another Sunday win
Schumacher successfully retained first when racing resumed and gradually put the race beyond Pires’ reach. The #44 Mercedes-AMG remained comfortably second but could not mount a sustained challenge for victory during the closing laps.
The defending champion eventually completed 37 laps in 1:00:52.9290, taking the chequered flag 2.941 seconds ahead of Leitch and Pires. The victory marked another important Sunday success for Feeney and Schumacher, who had also won the second race at Hidden Valley to reclaim the championship lead earlier in the year.
Leitch and Pires’ runner-up finish was nevertheless an important recovery after Saturday. Their Race 1 had lasted only three laps following damage to the #44 Mercedes-AMG, leaving them unable to capitalise fully on Feeney and Schumacher finishing fifth. Second place on Sunday therefore kept their championship challenge alive ahead of Adelaide.
The result also ensured the two pairings that entered Sydney separated by seven points both leave the weekend having stood on the podium, although Feeney and Schumacher’s victory gives them the stronger position going into the final two races.
Campbell spin opens fight for final podium place
The final podium position remained much less settled after the Safety Car. Cameron Campbell briefly ran third in the #23 Zagame Autosport Ferrari 296 GT3 he shared with Josh Buchan, continuing the pairing’s strong form after their breakthrough podium at Hidden Valley.
However, Campbell spun during the closing stages and dropped out of contention for the top three. Rosser consequently moved into third aboard the #268 Team BRM Audi after taking over from Peroni, completing an impressive recovery for a car that had fallen from pole to fifth during the opening stint.
Rosser’s position carried major championship significance. He entered Sydney level with Leitch and Pires on 101 points and had already scored heavily by finishing second in Saturday’s Race 1. Another podium would have strengthened his title challenge considerably before Adelaide.
Currie, however, had other plans. The #2 Trading Garage/Team MPC Audi closed onto Rosser in the final phase and began applying increasing pressure as the laps counted down.
Astuti and Currie secure maiden podium
Currie eventually completed the pass on Rosser to claim third, earning both himself and Astuti their first podium together in GTWC Australia.
The #2 Audi finished 8.5596 seconds behind its victorious Team MPC stablemate, giving Melbourne Performance Centre two cars inside the top three. Rosser and Peroni followed just over two seconds behind in fourth after a race in which their early pole position had initially created hopes of victory.
The podium also carried significance beyond the main championship. Astuti remains involved in the SRO GT Academy contest with Targett, whose Race 1 victory had strengthened his own position. A first podium of the year therefore provided Astuti with another important result as that separate battle approaches its conclusion.
For Currie and Astuti, Sydney represented their strongest weekend result of the season and demonstrated the depth of Audi’s challenge. Three R8 LMS EVO IIs occupied four of the top positions, despite the retirement of the previously dominant Wood and Brooks entry.
Gracie and Davison complete top five
Renee Gracie brought the #181 OnlyFans Racing Ferrari home in fifth after taking over from Will Davison, adding another solid finish to a season that has already included outright victory.
The Ferrari crossed the line 12.7139 seconds behind Feeney and Schumacher and less than four seconds away from the podium. Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte followed in sixth for ARGT, only 0.3914s further back as the two Ferraris finished almost together.
Evans and Schutte’s sixth place added another points finish during a campaign built heavily around consistency, although the result did little to close their deficit to the championship-leading Audi. With only Adelaide remaining, opportunities to make up significant ground are now limited.
Tom McLennan and Andrew Georgiadis completed an impressive debut GTWC Australia weekend with seventh for Earl Bamber Motorsport. Their #81 Porsche 911 GT3 R finished only 0.4348s behind the ARGT Ferrari and followed sixth place in Saturday’s opening race, giving the new pairing two top-seven results from its first championship appearance.
Race 1 winners settle for eighth
Targett and Smollen could not repeat their Saturday night victory and eventually finished eighth in the #56 Kollosche AMG by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG.
The pairing started fourth after Targett qualified within three-tenths of pole, but success penalties following their Race 1 win affected their race after the mandatory stop. They eventually crossed the line 14.8903s behind the winning Audi.
Their result still completed an important weekend after the pair secured their maiden outright GTWC Australia victory under the Sydney lights. Targett also remains central to the SRO GT Academy contest, although Astuti’s podium ensured that battle will continue into Adelaide.
Ojeda and Lucchitti finished ninth following another race in which their ultimate result did not fully reflect their early pace. Ojeda had qualified third and ran among the leading group during the first stint, but the #66 Mercedes-AMG eventually finished more than 36 seconds behind the winner.
Stokell and Stoupas complete Trophy sweep
Paul Stokell and Matt Stoupas made it two Trophy Class victories from two Sydney races aboard the #24 KFC/Team MPC Audi.
The pairing finished 10th overall and completed all 37 laps, crossing the line only 0.2311s behind Ojeda and Lucchitti. Their second class victory of the weekend followed a similarly controlled performance under the lights on Saturday and further strengthened their position in the Trophy championship.
Luke Youlden and Nathan Halstead finished second in Trophy for AED Consulting by Tigani Motorsport. The #71 Porsche crossed the line 14th overall and almost 51 seconds behind its class rival, meaning Stokell and Stoupas leave Sydney having maximised the available class points.
The pair had entered the weekend with an 11-point championship advantage. Their double victory therefore gives them an important cushion before the Trophy title is decided alongside the Pro-Am championship in Adelaide.
Buchan and Campbell drop outside top 10
Campbell’s spin cost the #23 Zagame Autosport Ferrari significantly, with he and Buchan eventually classified 11th.
The car had looked capable of another podium during the second stint before Campbell’s error. He eventually recovered to finish on the lead lap, 44.9957 seconds behind Feeney and Schumacher and approximately eight seconds behind the Trophy-winning Audi ahead.
Tony D’Alberto and Adrian Deitz followed in 12th for Wall Racing on the Lamborghini Huracán GT3’s return to the championship, while Hobson and Michael Sheargold finished 13th overall and secured another Am Cup victory for RAM Motorsport/GWR Australia.
Hobson and Sheargold therefore completed their comeback weekend with two class victories after also winning the Am category in Race 1. Their Sydney appearance had begun positively when Hobson topped Friday’s dedicated Bronze Practice session, and they successfully carried that pace through both races.
Full 2026 GTWC Australia Sydney Race 2 classification
- Broc Feeney/Brad Schumacher — Kelso Electrical/Team MPC Audi R8 LMS EVO II — 37 laps, 1:00:52.9290
- Brendon Leitch/Sergio Pires — Geyer Valmont Racing by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO — +2.9410s
- Valentino Astuti/Darren Currie — Trading Garage/Team MPC Audi R8 LMS EVO II — +8.5596s
- Alex Peroni/Mark Rosser — Team BRM Audi R8 LMS EVO II — +10.6209s
- Will Davison/Renee Gracie — OnlyFans Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 — +12.7139s
- Jaxon Evans/Elliott Schutte — ARGT Ferrari 296 GT3 — +13.1053s
- Tom McLennan/Andrew Georgiadis — Earl Bamber Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R — +13.5401s
- Oscar Targett/Shane Smollen — Kollosche AMG by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO — +14.8903s
- Jayden Ojeda/Paul Lucchitti — Move My Wheels by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO — +36.0967s
- Paul Stokell/Matt Stoupas — KFC/Team MPC Audi R8 LMS EVO II — +36.3278s — Trophy winner
- Josh Buchan/Cameron Campbell — Zagame Autosport Ferrari 296 GT3 — +44.9957s
- Tony D’Alberto/Adrian Deitz — Wall Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 — +57.5172s
- Brett Hobson/Michael Sheargold — RAM Motorsport/GWR Australia Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO — +1:06.4122 — Am winner
- Luke Youlden/Nathan Halstead — AED Consulting by Tigani Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R — +1:27.2689 — Trophy
NC. Ryan Wood/Steve Brooks — Team BRM/Wolfbrook Motorsport Audi R8 LMS EVO II — 23 laps completed.
Wood recorded the fastest lap of the race with a 1:27.5340 in the #88 Team BRM/Wolfbrook Motorsport Audi before the car’s retirement. The full Sydney weekend classifications are available through the GTWC Australia results page.
Feeney and Schumacher take stronger title position to Adelaide
Sydney produced another major swing in the Pro-Am championship battle. Feeney and Schumacher arrived with a seven-point advantage and leave the penultimate round having added another victory, while their closest challengers experienced more mixed weekends.
Leitch and Pires recovered strongly with second on Sunday after failing to finish Race 1, while Rosser combined Saturday’s runner-up result with fourth in Race 2. Ojeda and Lucchitti, meanwhile, were unable to convert strong pace into a podium across either race. Those contrasting results ensure the title remains undecided but place the defending champions in a stronger position before the finale.
Feeney and Schumacher’s 2026 campaign began with victory in the Phillip Island season opener before a run of more difficult rounds allowed their rivals to take control of the standings. Their Hidden Valley Race 2 victory returned them to the championship lead, and another Sunday success in Sydney has now brought a second consecutive title significantly closer.
The 2026 GTWC Australia season will conclude at the bp Adelaide Grand Final from 26-29 November. With two races remaining, the street circuit will decide the Pro-Am, Trophy and remaining championship battles after a Sydney weekend in which Feeney and Schumacher once again delivered when the stakes were highest.
