The Top 5 Things That Will Happen in ’24
It's been a mighty large off-season, and the On the Grid team is back to break it all down, with an added bonus of our top five things that we reckon will have to happen this season. Plus, hang around for the usual dose of Hots & Nots from a summer of sport... Spotify: Click HereApple: Click HereDeezer: Click Here
Continue readingVic Excels Receive Backing
Lanotec, the Australian-made leader in high-performance multi-purpose lubricants and protectants, is expanding its motorsport partnerships to support the immensely popular Hyundai Excel class in the Victorian State Race Series. The one-make category has grown massively in recent years, with its low cost of entry and close racing attracting hundreds of competitors across the nation. In recent years, the Hyundai Excel Racing Association of Victoria (HERA) has emerged as a must-watch portion of the Vic State Race Series program, which is streamed live via the popular Blend Line TV platform, with large fields engaging in doorhandle-to-doorhandle racing. This year, the series
Continue readingBig Field Set for B6HR
ANOTHER blockbuster grid has been unveiled for Bathurst's biggest enduro - the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour. To be held across the March 29-31 Easter long weekend, the annual Production Car classic has attracted a 60-plus entry for the fifth time in its history, with 62 nominations confirmed at the time of entries closing last week. 2024 will mark the eighth running of the race which has established itself as one of Bathurst's 'must win' endurance classics each year. Last year, Simon Hodges and Jayden Ojeda claimed a dramatic victory following a late charge to the front of the field.
Continue readingRally Retro Festival Returns to Melbourne
A hidden jewel on the local motorsport calendar is fast approaching, with the fifth running of the Shannons Rally Retro Festival on February 17-18, with some of the best rally cars from around the region converging on Melbourne. While rallying out in the bush can, at times for spectators, be a longwinded process, this gathering sees the best of the best come thick and fast. Held at the METEC Driver Training Centre in the Melbourne suburb of Bayswater North, the Festival sees many genuine period cars mixed with a smattering of uber-cool reproductions, who take to a closed loop of
Continue readingAussies Star in Pro AMGs
With a total of ten cars, Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing will be starting its campaign in the International GT Challenge (IGTC) at the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour. The prestigious endurance race will be held at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, Australia, on 17 and 18 February. The performance and sports car brand from Affalterbach will start the 2024 IGTC season as the defending champion. In the past two years, victory in the endurance racing classic down under went to the SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. To continue this winning streak in 2024, the team again relies on last year’s winning trio: Jules
Continue readingPakenham Kicks off Khanacross Season in Style
The Pakenham Auto Club’s competition season kicked off in fine style with a khanacross event contested over the weekend, with an impressive turnout of competitors in a wide range of machinery turning on an entertaining display. All told, 36 competitors took to the dirt track, testing themselves against the clock on what is essentially a short rally stage. The day saw specialist competition machines go up against standard road cars, with drivers including a healthy mix of juniors, families, and seasoned veteran racers. Overall honours went to Mark Leddra’s awesome Suzuki Sierra off-road racer, which turned on a great show
Continue readingThe Case for Lang Lang
Since the 1950s, the Lang Lang Proving Grounds have been the mysterious test track for all things General Motors, and now, in a post-Holden era, the venue presents a wonderland of automotive opportunities. When the pin was pulled from GM Downunder at the start of 2020, the fire sale of company assets saw some prize jewels up for grabs. Enter VinFast, a rapidly expanding Vietnamese-owned automotive brand, which made a swift move into the Australian market, picking up ex-Holden, Ford and Toyota engineers for their Port Melbourne office. Concurrently, the company invested $36.3 million into securing the Lang Lang facility.
Continue readingAussie Pros with a Cause
SCOTT TAYLOR MOTORSPORT has shown off the impressive new livery that their Mercedes-AMG GT3 will sport in the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour this year. To be driven by Craig Lowndes, Thomas Randle and Cameron Waters and run by Ash Seward Motorsport the #222 Mercedes-AMG carries the traditional STM green and black primary colors - with silver and red highlights – but in a new design for this year’s race. The dynamic new scheme, created by well-known livery designer Tim Pattinson, includes the Southern Cross – showcasing the team’s proud Aussie roots and all-Aussie driving squad – plus support from BP
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