Current Monochrome GT4 Australia Champion Shane Smollen will return to the GT World Challenge Australia later this month, joining Kiwi driver Ant Pedersen for the GT Festival at Hampton Downs.
The pair will share the Mach 1 Engineering Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO for the 2025 season finale across the Tasman, in a joint effort between Mach 1 Engineering and Tigani Motorsport.
“I am extremely excited to be rejoining GT World Challenge Australia. The drive was unexpected, given we were still in the GT4 title battle, but the opportunity to challenge myself in a new car, track, and team was too good to pass up,” Smollen said.
“I’ve just been looking at options for next year, and one of the people I’ve spoken to was Nathan Tigani. I’ve been impressed with the operation that he has built over recent years and has obviously notched some great results.
“Tigani Motorsport will partner with NZ-based Mach 1 Engineering, and given Ant’s pedigree and experience at Hampton Downs, it’s a fantastic opportunity to run in the category in a proven package.
The New Zealand round marks a return to the category for both drivers, who last competed at the season opener at Phillip Island.
Smollen drove the EMA Motorsport Porsche 992 GT3R alongside France’s Dorian Boccolacci, while Pedersen partnered with his father, Paul, in the returning Mach 1 Engineering Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
The Hampton Downs round marks a significant shift for Smollen, who has spent much of his GT racing career behind the wheel of a Porsche. After several seasons in the Porsche Carrera Cup, the New South Welshman claimed back-to-back success in Monochrome GT4 Australia – securing the 2023 title and the 2024 Pro-Am Cup crown.
He then made his GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS debut earlier this year, delivering an impressive performance at the GT Festival Phillip Island.
New Zealand-born Pedersen combines valuable experience in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO with extensive local knowledge of the Hampton Downs circuit, making him a key asset to the pairing.
A seasoned competitor, Pedersen boasts three Bathurst 1000 starts, the most recent a decade ago alongside Andre Heimgartner with the Prodrive Racing-run Super Black Racing Team, and a strong Super2 pedigree, with 38 starts across campaigns with Eggleston Motorsport and MW Motorsport.
“I’m really excited to team up with Shane and to collaborate with the New Zealand-based Mach1 Engineering and Tigani Motorsport,” Pedersen said.
“It’s a little disappointing that I can’t be racing with my dad after the shunt in Sydney, but given the circumstances, I couldn’t be happier to have someone like Shane alongside me.
“Shane is a title-winning driver who knows his way around a car, and he’s incredibly sharp. We’ve spoken on the phone a few times – he’s extremely dedicated to his craft and takes his racing seriously. I’m really looking forward to teaming up and chasing some good results together.
“It’s great to have the series over on our side of the ditch. For many of the teams and drivers, it’ll be their first time experiencing Hampton Downs. There are going to be some seriously quick cars that weekend, and I reckon the local fans will really get behind it – which is awesome to see.”
Smollen and Pederson will make their return to GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS as part of the 2025 season finale at Hampton Downs Raceway on 31 October – 2 November.
Header Image: Supplied
