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[NATIONALS] Nationals add Morgan Park..
pic: PGT3CC / Klynsmith Photo
SHANNONS NATIONALS ADDS MORGAN PARK TO 2009 SCHEDULE
The Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships will visit Queensland's Morgan Park Raceway for the first time in 2009, following a change to this year's schedule.Round Seven of the Nationals' fourth season on 8-9 August has been moved from Queensland Raceway to Morgan Park, located at Warwick, 160km south-west of Brisbane.The Shannons Nationals will be the first national-level series to visit Morgan Park, which is currently undergoing upgrades and a circuit extension.
"We were looking forward to returning to Queensland Raceway," series director Rob Curkpatrick said."Unfortunately, an issue between track management and CAMS was delaying things, and we needed to finalise arrangements to get on with our business."The Shannons Nationals has a large number of Queensland-based competitors who are keen to race in their home state, and we're about looking after our customers."We're pleased to have a suitable replacement in Morgan Park; it's a great little track and gives us an opportunity to visit Queensland."
Three regular Shannons Nationals categories will head to Morgan Park; the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, Supaloc Saloon Car National Series and the Australian Production Car Championship.
The national classes will be joined by four Queensland state series', the latest state categories to take advantage of the Nationals' flexible, 'place to race' scheduling model.Morgan Park's addition sees the finalisation of the 2009 Shannons Nationals calendar, with individual category calendars also now confirmed.
Including five core categories - Australian Formula 3 Championship, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, Australian Production Car Championship, Saloon Cars and V8 Commodore Cup - a diverse range of 18 different classes will race with the Shannons Nationals this year at 10 circuits in five states.
Regulars like Kerrick Sports Sedans, Australian GT Championship and the Shannons V8 Touring Car Series will also continue to contest all or the majority of their season with the Shannons Nationals.Among the categories making one-off appearances is the Supersport class - featuring Le Mans-style bodied cars with motorcycle engines - which will race at Eastern Creek.
"The Supersport class is really interesting, there's a lot of different chassis, they look great and they're really quick, we're looking for them to develop with us in the future," Curkpatrick said."On the whole, we're really pleased with how the schedule has worked out and looking forward to the year ahead." The 2009 Shannons Nationals kicks off later this month at Bathurst's famous Mount Panorama.
In conjunction with the WPS Bathurst 12 Hour on 20-22 February, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, Supaloc Saloon Car Series, Formula Vee National Series, HQ Holdens and Improved Production will be at the season opener.Including a number of capacity, 55-car grids, over 260 competitors will tackle the mountain in races on Friday and Saturday before Sunday's growing Production Car enduro.
"It's a great partnership we've got with the WPS Bathurst 12 Hour," Curkpatrick says of the Shannons Nationals season opener."Our competitors are always excited to race at Bathurst and that's translated into massive grids, with over 50 entries on average for each class."A number of drivers and team members will be staying on to take part in the 12 Hour itself on Sunday, so it's shaping up as a big event and a great way to start the year."
2009 SHANNONS NATIONALS MOTOR RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS CALENDAR
R1. Bathurst, NSW, 20-21 Feb
WPS Bathurst 12 Hour, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, Supaloc Saloon Car National Series, Formula Vee National Series, HQ Holdens, Improved Production
R2. Wakefield Park, NSW, 25-26 April
Australian Formula 3 Championship, V8 Commodore Cup, Australian Production Car Championship, Kerrick Sports Sedan National Series, Shannons V8 Touring Car Series
R3. Phillip Island, VIC, 16-17 May
Australian Formula 3 Championship, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, Supaloc Saloon Car National Series, V8 Commodore Cup, Australian GT Championship
R4. Mallala, SA, 6-7 June
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, Supaloc Saloon Car National Series, Kerrick Sports Sedan National Series, Shannons V8 Touring Car Series, Australian Superkart Championship
R5. Winton, VIC, 27-28 June
Australian Formula 3 Championship, Supaloc Saloon Car National Series, V8 Commodore Cup, Shannons V8 Touring Car Series, Australian Superkart Championship, Formula Vee National Series
R6. Eastern Creek, NSW, 18-19 July
Australian Formula 3 Championship, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, V8 Commodore Cup, Australian Production Car Championship, Australian GT Championship, Australian Superkart Championship, Supersports
R7. Morgan Park, QLD, 8-9 August
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, Supaloc Saloon Car National Series, Australian Production Car Championship, 4xTBA
R8. Oran Park, NSW, 29-30 August
Australian Formula 3 Championship, Supaloc Saloon Car National Series, V8 Commodore Cup, Kerrick Sports Sedan National Series, Australian Production Car Championship, Shannons V8 Touring Car Series
R9. Symmons Plains, TAS, 17-18 October
Australian Formula 3 Championship, Australian GT Championship, Formula Vee National Series, Historic Touring Cars
R10. Sandown, VIC, 28-29 November
Australian Formula 3 Championship, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, Supaloc Saloon Car National Series, V8 Commodore Cup, Australian Production Car Championship, Australian GT Championship, Shannons V8 Touring Car Series
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