The Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships is a series of motor racing events held across five states of Australia. It was first held as the CAMS National Racing Championships in 2006 [1] and adopted its present name the following year when it gained Shannons Insurance as a new partner.[2]
The series brings a number of Australian racing categories together under one banner, allowing costs to be spread across a broad base. The five core categories represented are Australian Formula 3 (contesting the Australian Drivers' Championship), Saloon Cars (contesting the Australian Saloon Car Series), Australian Manufacturers' Championship (incorporating the Australian Production Car Championship), Commodore Cup and Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge. Other series supported are Kerrick Sports Sedan Series, Shannons V8 Touring Car National Series, Australian Superkart Championship, Formula Vee Series and Aussie Racing Cars.
The environment of the series has given some categories the opportunity to grow where opportunities might have been more limiting in higher profile events, while the pooling of resources across a number of categories has resulted in lower management costs and improved access to television recording facilities. Categories that contribute to the cost of the television coverage are screened, usually the following weekend, as part of the Speedweek programme, which is broadcast initially on SBS and then repeated on Fox Sports. The Championships have also allowed several higher profile races to be established or re-established, including the Bathurst 12 Hour, the Tasmanian Super Prix, the Australian Tourist Trophy, the Clem Smith Trophy and the Pacific Superkart Challenge.
Contents |
| Rd. | Circuit | City / State | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Creek Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | 9-11 March |
| 2 | Mallala Motor Sport Park | Mallala, South Australia | 13-15 April |
| 3 | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | Phillip Island, Victoria | 25-27 May |
| 4 | Winton Motor Raceway | Benalla, Victoria | 22-24 June |
| 5 | Eastern Creek Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | 13-15 July |
| 6 | Queensland Raceway | Ipswich, Queensland | 10-12 August |
| 7 | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | Phillip Island, Victoria | 21-23 September |
| 8 | Wakefield Park | Goulburn, New South Wales | 12-14 October |
| 9 | Sandown Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | 23-25 November |
| Source[3] | |||
| Series | Champion | Car |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Drivers' Championship | Ben Barker | Dallara F307 HWA-Mercedes |
| Commodore Cup | Adam Beechey | Holden VS Commodore |
| Australian Manufacturers' Championship | Mitsubishi | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| Australian Production Car Championship | Stuart Kostera | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| Australian Saloon Car Series | Tim Rowse | Holden VT Commodore |
| Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge | Roger Lago | Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 997 |
| Kerrick Sports Sedan Series | James Sera | Saab 9-3-Chevrolet |
| Shannons V8 Touring Car National Series | Tony Evangelou | Ford BA Falcon |
| Formula Vee National Series | Benjamin Porter | Checkmate JP02 |
| Australian Superkart Championship | Darren Hossack | Anderson Maverick SAFE |