Michael Sheargold and Garth Walden have shaken down the GWR Australia-prepared RAM Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 at Sydney Motorsport Park yesterday, both drivers expressing their satisfaction with the car’s performance.
Sheargold and Walden completed around 300 kilometres of running in what was the car’s first on-track appearance since it arrived in Australia.
Walden was glowing in his assessment of the day.
“When the car arrived in Australia, we installed the Evo kit to bring it up to current spec,” Walden said.
“The test day went very smoothly. Michael and I worked well together and importantly, we were both comfortable in the same seating position, which will be useful during the twin-driver endurance races we’re planning to contest next season.
“We made some gains as we tuned the car throughout the day – we weren’t solely focused on outright speed, we wanted to make sure both of us were comfortable in the car.
“We arrived at a solid baseline setup and we gained a lot of information which will give us a platform to build upon for our next test day.”
For Sheargold, who has previously raced a Mercedes A45 AMG production car and a Porsche Cup car, it was his first time behind the wheel of a GT3-spec machine.
“I managed to get my head around it pretty quickly, in some respects it was an easier car to drive than the Porsche because of the driver aids like traction control and ABS brakes,” Sheargold said.
“My lap times gradually improved over the day and I ended up achieving my fastest-ever lap of Sydney Motorsport Park.
“Sharing the car with someone of Garth’s experience is invaluable. Apart from being able to compare his data and in-car footage with mine, we’ve also been able to tap into his extensive car setup knowledge.
“Our goal for the day was to shake the Mercedes-AMG GT3 down and ensure there were no problems, but we ticked that box that within the first two sessions. After that, we were able to experiment with adjustments and work on improving the balance. Overall, we achieved more than we had planned so the day surpassed our objectives.” The next outing for the RAM Motorsport/GWR Australia Mercedes-AMG GT3 will be another test at Sydney Motorsport Park on 4 November, followed by Challenge Bathurst.