Method Motorsport’s Summer Rintoule and Jarrod Hughes are set to miss GT4’s debut round in Darwin. Image: Jack Martin
A strong field of 27 cars will make the trek north to the Top End for Round 4 of the season as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries GT Festival Darwin.
The #87 Method Motorsport McLaren Artura of Rintoule and Hughes will not be making the trip to Darwin, however. Speedcafe has sought clarification regarding their absence.
It is understood that Rintoule and Hughes may return for the subsequent rounds at Sydney and Sandown.
The popular duo picked up their first race win at The Bend. A tough outing at QR followed, which included a disqualification from Sunday’s race that left them ninth in the Silver Cup standings.
While the Silver Cup loses a race-winning pair, the Silver-Am ranks are bolstered by the return of two championship-contending Ford Mustangs.
Aaron Seton and Jason Gomersall will be back on track in the #1 following a successful test day for the re-shelled car at Queensland Raceway.
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With three rounds remaining heading into Darwin, tight championship battles are expected for all three classes.
Reigning champion Tom Hayman and co-driver Jett Murray enter Darwin with the Silver Cup lead, however just 17 points cover the top five.
Cameron McLeod/Mason Harvey, while yet to pick up their first win, sit just nine points away from the lead.
With three Mustangs in the top five, Hidden Valley’s signature 1.1km pit straight may play into the blue oval’s favour.
However, how the circuit’s unique blend of flowing sections, its tight hairpin, and the main straight affects different GT4 manufacturers remains an unknown quantity.
While Ryder Quinn sits comfortably atop the Silver-Am standings, the battle for second place is heating up.
Just 10 points covers second through fifth, and with third place Tony Quinn and Matt McCutcheon set to miss Darwin, Lachie Evennett/Andrew Torti and Caleb Patterson sit primed to move up.
The Am Cup has begun to morph into a two horse race, with the Method Motorsport pair of Chris Lillis/Nathan Callaghan leading the way by just 10 points over Gomersall Motorsport’s Glenn Walker.
Monochrome GT4 Australia Track Schedule (ACST)
Friday July 24
Practice 1: 2:45pm – 3:25pm
Practice 2: 4:40pm – 5:20pm
Saturday July 25
Qualifying 1: 10:10am – 10:25am
Qualifying 2: 10:35am – 10:50am
Race 1: 1:10pm – 2:10pm
Sunday July 26
Race 2: 11:30am – 12:30pm
GT4 Australia hits the track on Friday for a pair of practice sessions before qualifying and racing kicks off on Saturday and Sunday.
All of the Saturday and Sunday on-track action can be seen live on Fox Sports and Kayo.
Entry list: Monochrome GT4 Australia, Hidden Valley Raceway
Num
Team
Driver 1
Driver 2
Car
Class
1
Gomersall Motorsport
Aaron Seton
Jason Gomersall
Ford Mustang GT4
Silver-Am
3
Thunder Buddies Racing / Black Diamond
Ryder Quinn
Steve Jakic
BMW M4 GT4 G82
Silver-Am
5
Morris / McElrea Racing
Nathan Murray
BMW M4 GT4 G82 EVO
Am
6
Method Motorsport
Cy Pearson
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS
Am
7
Slatterys / McElrea Racing
Jay Murray
BMW M4 GT4 G82 EVO
Silver
9
GWR Australia
Daniel Frougas
Chris White
Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO 2
Silver
11
Method Motorsport
Ryan Sorensen
McLaren Artura GT4
Am
14
Gomersall Motorsport
Glenn Walker
Ford Mustang GT4
Am
17
Love Racing by TSM
Bailey Love
Rob Love
Mercedes-AMG GT4
Am
21
Ekebol MPC
Jarrod Keyte
Ford Mustang GT4
Am
25
Method Motorsport
Tom Hayman
Jett Murray
McLaren Artura GT4
Silver
27
Multispares Racing
Aaron Cameron
Lochie Dalton
Ford Mustang GT4
Silver
28
Norganic Proteins
Caleb Paterson
Kent Quinn
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS
Silver-Am
33
Randall Racing
Peter Lawrence
BMW M4 GT4 G82
Am
35
Miedecke Motorsport with Lubrimaxx
Blake Tracey
George Miedecke
Ford Mustang GT4
Silver
36
Gomersall Motorsport
Jake Camilleri
Ford Mustang GT4
Silver
46
RENNEN Motorsport
Jensen Shearer
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS
Silver
48
Purdie Racing / Team BRM
Blake Purdie
Jobe Stewart
Audi R8 LMS GT4
Silver
58
Murphy Racing by TSM
Jed Murphy
Gerry Murphy
Mercedes-AMG GT4
Silver-Am
62
Wallis Motorsport
Sam Paley
Jack Wallis
Ford Mustang GT4
Silver
64
Method Motorsport
Chris Lillis
Nathan Callaghan
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS
Am
75
Tufflift Racing by TSM
Zac Soutar
Glenn Nirwan
McLaren Artura GT4
Silver-Am
88
CAMM Quarries & Concrete Racing
Lachlan Evennett
Andrew Torti
Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO 2
Silver-Am
95
Miedecke Motorsport with Lubrimaxx
Cooper Cutts
Blake Dowdall
Ford Mustang GT4
Silver
114
Team Soutar Motorsport
Jack Johnson
William Exton
McLaren Artura GT4
Silver
118
Method Motorsport
Cody Burcher
Dean Campbell
Ford Mustang GT4
Silver-Am
227
Multispares Racing
Cameron McLeod
Mason Harvey
Ford Mustang GT4
Silver