March 21, 2026

NEW ERA AT THE BEND AS STEER TAKES RACE 1 HONOURS

The Australian Prototype Series officially launched its 2026 season at The Bend Motorsport Park today, marking the first round under the category’s new Bracket Racing Balance of Performance (BoP) system. The updated format sees drivers nominate into one of three classes AP1, AP2 or AP3 — based on lap time brackets, with competitors required to stay within their nominated performance window and avoid breaking out. The change, combined with the debut of the new Hoosier Tyres added an extra layer of strategy as teams worked through pressures and setup in real race conditions for the first time.

STEER DELIVERS UNDER PRESSURE

Taking victory in Race 1, Aaron Steer (Jam Motorsport) delivered an impressive performance both on and off the track. Typically racing alongside his customers, Steer found himself balancing driving duties with team responsibilities after mechanical issues sidelined two Jam Motorsport entries.
"We’re running five cars, and staff were asking questions about the other cars while I was racing and we still won, I honestly didn't think I had a chance driving an APS 3 car in APS 1." Steer said.
Only nominating into AP1 today, Steer had originally considered competing in AP3, making the win an even stronger statement under the new format.

STRONG DEBUT FOR BORMANN

Finishing second, Scott Bormann impressed in his first race in the category.
Having purchased the Ligier JS P325 in November after watching the Asian Le Mans series several years ago, Bormann made an immediate impact.
"Really clean race. Grip levels were good, the car ran fantastic. I love the BoP you're not restricted at all, you can drive it full throttle."

LOCAL EXPERIENCE SHOWS

Rounding out the podium, Phil Andrawos used his experience at The Bend to deliver a strong result.
A local to the circuit, Andrawos was able to stay consistent throughout the race.
"It’s been a slow build-up to Race 1, but I’m pretty happy with how it went. Had a good run out there."

MIDFIELD STORIES

Gary Patel made solid progress through the field:
"Great start and was able to move forward after watching how things unfolded ahead."

Ian Eldridge reflected on a demanding race:
"It was really close racing the tyres and brakes were going off towards the end."

Tim Cook showed strong pace before a costly mistake:
"I was chasing Phil, pushed a bit too hard and spun."

Paul Trengrove navigated a busy opening phase:
"The first few laps were full on. I had to take evasive action at one point, but I’m really enjoying the car."

Sam Milton experienced tyre degradation as the race developed:
"The race started well, but we picked up understeer as the tyres went off after a few laps."

Matt Powell delivered a consistent performance in his first national-level outing in AP3:
"Good race only about a second off my qualifying time with consistent laps. Super pumped for tomorrow."

MECHANICAL CHALLENGES

Several competitors were impacted by mechanical issues during the race.

Jason Makris was running strongly before being forced into the pits:
"We had alarms come up and the car went into limp mode. Water temperature was fine it looks like a faulty sensor. Frustrating, but we’ll come back tomorrow, I look forward to over taking everyone..... hopefully............."

Mark Laucke was unable to finish the race due to a fuel pump issue, resulting in a DNF.

FIRSTS AND DISTANCE TRAVELLED

For Michael Yialas the event marked his first-ever circuit race:
"Steep learning curve but really exciting. Now I understand the starts, I’ll be better tomorrow. I tried to follow Scott to learn the race lines I can see how addictive this is."

Travelling the furthest to compete, Glen Stallbaum made the journey from Cairns and took valuable experience from the race:
"Had a challenging race and had to take evasive action at one point, but great to be here and part of it."

LOOKING AHEAD

With teams continuing to learn both the new Hoosier tyre and the Bracket Racing BoP system, Race 1 provided a strong foundation for the season ahead. With more pace to unlock and strategies evolving, the field is set to return for Race 2 & 3tomorrow with increased confidence and momentum.

RESULTS – RACE 1 (TOP 5)