The 2016 CAMS Australian GT Championship was a CAMS-sanctioned Australian motor racing championship[1] open to FIA GT3 cars.[2] It was the 20th running of the Australian GT Championship. The championship began on 3 March 2016 at the Adelaide Street Circuit and ended on 13 November at Highlands Motorsport Park, with five rounds held in Australia and one round in New Zealand.
The 2016 season marked an expansion in Australian GT racing, with a separate endurance championship, the CAMS Australian Endurance Championship, being run for GT cars for the first time. A third series for older-specification GT3 and GT4 class cars, the CAMS Australian GT Trophy Series, was also held.[3]
The Australian GT Championship events were held in support of V8 Supercar events, as part of rounds of the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships and as self-promoted events. The Australian Endurance Championship also shared events with V8 Supercars and the Shannons Nationals, though its final two rounds were staged at Hampton Downs and Highlands Motorsport Park, both owned by series owner Tony Quinn. The Australian GT Trophy Series was contested exclusively at Shannons Nationals events.[3]
Klark Quinn won the Australian GT Championship, Grant Denyer and Nathan Morcom were awarded the Australian Endurance Championship and Rob Smith won the Australian GT Trophy Series.
The 2016 season included three separate series:
All competitors were able to enter the Australian GT Championship and the Australian Endurance Championship, and all were eligible to win the championships outright, however only older-specification cars could enter the Australian GT Trophy Series.
The Australian GT Championship was contested over six rounds, the Australian Endurance Championship over four rounds and the Australian GT Trophy Series over five rounds. Each race, with the exception of the Australian Grand Prix round of the Australian GT Championship, included at least one compulsory timed pit stop.[3] The exception was the Australian Grand Prix round where drivers seeded time was added to the final race time.
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The Gold Driver Cup was for drivers over 40 years of age, competing solo and ranked Pro 4 or below.[8]
Grant Denyer and Nathan Morcom were awarded the Australian Endurance Championship.
Rob Smith won the Australian GT Trophy Series.