Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series ace Dylan O’Keeffe will fill in for Chaz Mostert aboard the #24 Bostik Trade Audi during round three of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Series powered by AWS at The Bend Motorsport Park, 8-9 May.
Mostert is unable to compete in the upcoming round due to his conflicting Supercars Championship commitments during the OTR SuperSprint event.
Over the first two rounds, Mostert and Tony Bates have amassed a pole position and a streak of podium finishes to sit third in the PRO/AM standings.
O’Keeffe has previous experience in the Audi R8, including starts in the Bathurst 12 hour along with previous GT rounds. More recently, he has accumulated valuable seat time with a ride day at Sandown and a test at The Bend.
Bates said O’Keeffe’s versatility made him an ideal candidate to replace Mostert.
“I’ve watched Dylan race since he first started in Porsche 944s, and I gave him his first test in a Carrera Cup car,” Bates said.
“Dylan is fast in everything he drives, but he’s also level-headed and provides good technical feedback. I’m looking forward to teaming up with him.”
“It’s always fun teaming up with Tony, and I’m really happy to reunite with him again this year. We’ve got a great rapport and a relationship that goes way back to when I was in Carrera Cup where we were teammates,” O’Keeffe added.
“The Audi R8 is vastly different to the TCR car I’ve been driving this year which really excites me. There’s a lot of power and grip available to you and overall, it’s just a really fast car that I’m looking forward to racing again.”
“The Bend is a track that suits GT machinery very well too, which only makes it more enticing. Tony is in contention for the title, so I’ll do everything I can to help his championship and net a positive result for the team,” O’Keeffe concluded.
Round three of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Series powered by AWS takes places from May 8-9 as part of the OTR SuperSprint.