Fight in the Night is next on the Australian Endurance Championship calendar. Image: Supplied
A staple of Australian production car racing, the enduro under lights at Queensland Raceway has been a mainstay of the calendar since 2012.
This year, the three-hour race will be contested by the Australian Endurance Championship, ushering the race into a new era and opening it up to a multitude of vehicles not previously eligible.
Open to Production Sports vehicles, the first two races of the AEC season have seen entries ranging from a variety of production cars to production-based GT machinery.
Classes are defined by lap time rather than car performance, and regulations around engine, drivetrain and braking modifications are slightly relaxed compared to traditional production car racing.
Tony Quinn and Kiwi young gun Matt McCutcheon combined to win the opening race at QR aboard a Toyota Supra GT, while Jake Camilleri and Glenn Walker took out the second event at Sydney Motorsport Park in a Mercedes-AMG GT.
GT drivers haven’t had it all their way though, with production cars also in the mix at the front.
Oscar Targett and Rob Gooley bounced back from Bathurst 6 Hour heartbreak to finish second outright in the AEC opener aboard the Speedcafe BMW M4.
Glen Ebert and Luke Vanna then brought their BMW M2 home in second place at SMP, having led a significant portion of the race through pit strategy.
Due to the more open nature of the rule book, AEC expects the field to continue growing through the season, beginning with Fight in the Night.
The previous round at SMP had an initial entry list of 19 cars. However, several drivers were forced to withdraw due to outside commitments.
Speedcafe understands that several new cars to the field are expected to contest Fight in the Night, including Toyota 86s and additional Ginetta entries.
Multiple cars that competed in the season opener but were absent from SMP are also expected to return.
The full Fight in the Night entry list will be revealed in the lead up to the event.
Fight in the Night will be held at Queensland Raceway on August 14-15 as part of the AASA Hi-Tec Oils Super Series.