GWR Australia Nissan GTR driver Brett Hobson his kick-started his GT World Challenge Australia Trophy Series campaign in fine style, scoring a class victory in the weekend’s second race at Phillip Island and finishing a superb fifth outright against a fleet of current-model GT3 machines.
Hobson qualified eighth outright and third in the Trophy Class, before a solid performance in Saturday’s opening one-hour race saw him running as high as second outright before taking his compulsory pit stop. He eventually finished third in class and seventh outright.
A combination of improved speed, slick pit strategy and intelligent race craft saw Hobson’s performance taking another step forward in today’s second race. In a frenetic sprint to the line after a late Safety Car, Hobson made some inspired overtaking moves on his rivals, which included the Prince Jeffri Ibrahim/Jamie Whincup Triple 8 Mercedes, to seal the class win and fifth place outright.
The result has seen Hobson emerging from the weekend second in the standings, just a handful of points off the lead.
For Hobson, who had not raced since the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour, it was a satisfying return to the race track.
“We didn’t have too many expectations coming into the weekend – I didn’t run many laps in the lead-up and before that, it was a 12 month break,” Hobson said.
“I was slightly disappointed with the Saturday result, because I felt we could have done better, but I’m very happy with today’s race.
“The GWR crew have done a great job with the car, every time we hit the track, the engineering group keep coming up with ways to make it faster.”
The strong Phillip Island result has given Hobson confidence heading to the next round of the championship at Bathurst on the Easter long weekend.
“I’m really looking forward to Bathurst, it’s the track I’ve raced at most frequently over the last five years,” Hobson said. “The Nissan is typically well-suited to Bathurst and I enjoy the track, so we’ll be looking to fight for some more wins there,” Hobson concluded.
Round Results Summary
Qualifying: 3rd
Race 1: 3rd
Race 2: 1st
Overall: 2nd
2021 GT Trophy Series Points
1. Matt Stoupas – 43
2. Brett Hobson – 40
3. Dale Patterson – 21
4. Greg Taylor – 20
5. Brad Schumacher – 18
