National-level motorsport is set for a revolution in 2018 with the launch of the brand-new Australian Motor Racing Series (AMRS), to be conducted over six rounds across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.
The AMRS will be managed by one of the largest investors in Australian motorsport, the Benalla Auto Club, which owns the Winton Motor Raceway and Wakefield Park circuits. It will be sanctioned by the Australian Auto Sport Alliance (AASA).
Competitors in AMRS events will enjoy benefits associated with national-level motorsport competition, including consistency of officials between events, a streamlined entry process, and a dedicated media and PR package including extensive online and social media coverage at events, live streaming on the Sunday of every event, and the option of television highlights packages for participating categories.
To encourage participation from categories and competitors, entry fees have been positioned at an affordable level, ranging from $395 to $595 per car for each round.
The inaugural AMRS will visit the BAC-owned Winton and Wakefield Park venues, but will also travel to Mallala, Morgan Park and Sydney Motorsport Park.
AMRS manager Wayne Williams has been inundated with expressions of interest from categories wishing to be part of the AMRS in 2018.
“We approached a number of categories and the response has been overwhelming, because of the value we have been able to offer competitors,” Mr Williams said.
“There are some categories that will be at all six of our rounds, and others that will be part of a few rounds. Our format allows us to be flexible, and suit the needs of different categories – this is great for spectators and live-stream audiences, because it means there will be variety at each round and different stories to tell at every event.”
Categories confirmed to be participating at some or all AMRS rounds in 2018 include:
- Australian Formula 3 Premier Series
- Australian Formula Ford Series
- Giti Tyres Australian Super Truck Championship
- Group 4 Touring Cars (including Super Six Touring Cars and Saloon Cars)
- Aussie Racing Utes (for superseded V8 Utes)
- IROC Challenge (for classic Porsches)
- Miniature Race Cars (including Future Racers and superseded Aussie Racing Cars)
- RX8 Cup
- HQ Holdens
- Legend Cars
- TA2
- Stock Cars
- Victorian TT (including Production TT, Super TT and Extreme TT)
RX8 Cup category manager Ric Shaw said the AMRS presented a perfect opportunity to become involved in something new and exciting.
“RX8 Cup is a brand-new category, so it made sense for us to align ourselves with a brand-new series as well,” Shaw said.
“From the dealings we’ve had with the series organisers, we can see it’s going to be totally focused on looking after the needs of the competitor – they’re very accommodating, and all about making things work for the competitors which is very positive. All the ingredients are there for it to be successful.”
Miniature Race Cars category manager Chad Cotton said the AMRS provides a platform for grass-roots categories to race at national-level events.
“Our category is targeted at budget racers, so to be able to have a properly-recognised national series with the chance to race in multiple states and benefit from features such as live streaming, while still maintaining affordable entry fees, is a big win for our competitor base,” Cotton said.
Other categories in discussion with AMRS management include Sports Sedans, Superkarts, Pulsar Series, Excel Series, Porsche 944 Challenge and BMW Drivers Cup.
Further details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Provisional AMRS 2018 Calendar
Round 1 – Winton Raceway, 9-11 March
Round 2 – Mallala, 6-8 April
Round 3 – Morgan Park, 8-10 June
Round 4 – Wakefield Park, 17-19 August
Round 5 – Sydney Motorsport Park, 26-28 October
Round 6 – Winton Raceway, 23-25 November
