Kane Rose is heavily favoured to wrap up his first Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia title at the category’s final round of the season this weekend, but the Victorian wouldn’t be on track at all without the generosity of a fellow competitor.
Rose will race a car loaned from Stephen Grove at the Phillip Island Shannons Nationals event having heavily damaged his own in an accident at the penultimate round in Queensland.
Despite missing the final race of the weekend in Ipswich, Rose heads to Phillip Island 70 points clear of his nearest rival John Modystach. With 91 points available for a clean sweep of the weekend – including pole position – Rose appears on the box seat.
Rose is not surprisingly grateful to Grove for the use of the car, with which the Victorian hopes to cap off a largely impressive season in style.
“Once we had the bingle at Queensland Raceway, Steve said that he had a spare car for me to finish the championship off in,” explained Rose of the deal that sees him on the Phillip Island grid.
“No money changed hands, just a kind-hearted gesture. That helped us out a lot.
“The season has gone perfectly, apart from the Queensland Raceway round. We’ve had a good run; won a lot of races and had good pace all year. We then had the one incident at Queensland, but you get that from time to time.”
The GT3 Cup Challenge will be joined on the Shannons Nationals bill this weekend by the Formula 3 Australian Drivers’ Championship, Australian GT Championship, Kumho V8 Touring Car Series, Radical Australian Cup and Dial Before You Dig Australian Saloon Car Series.
A field of 11 cars are expected to front for the final round of the 2012 F3 ADC. The championship title has already been secured by Briton James Winslow.
Last year’s champion Chris Gilmour will also be one to watch in what is being touted as potentially the Queenslander’s last run in the class, while many eyes will also be on the debut of rising star Jake Fourace in Mygale Australia’s M07-Mercedes.
The Australian GT Championship field meanwhile is headlined by the appearance of TeamVodafone V8 Supercars star Craig Lowndes, who this weekend lines up for the pair of 60 minute races in a Melbourne Performance Centre Audi R8.
Former V8 Supercars team owner will also be making his first AGTC appearance in an MPC-prepared R8.
Headed by points leader Peter Hackett, Erebus Racing’s Phillip Island effort will be boosted by import Maro Engel, who is making a one-off appearance in the Mercedes SLS formerly driven by James Brock.
The opening practice sessions of the weekend at Phillip Island kick-off this morning.
CLICK HERE for the complete Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia entry list
CLICK HERE for the complete Formula 3 Australian Drivers’ Championship entry list
CLICK HERE for the complete Australian GT Championship entry list
CLICK HERE for the complete Kumho V8 Touring Car Series entry list
CLICK HERE for the complete Radical Australian Cup entry list
CLICK HERE for the complete Dial Before You Dig Australian Saloon Car Series entry list
