GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS will welcome a powerhouse new line-up for the upcoming Hampton Downs round, with local drivers Jonny Reid and Sam Fillmore confirmed for the 2025 season finale.
Racing for New Zealand heavyweights, International Motorsport Group (IMS), the all-Kiwi duo will tackle the Pro-Am class behind the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS Evo II, in what will be their first appearance together in GT World Challenge Australia.
Both Reid and Fillmore bring extensive GT experience to the grid, with careers spanning more than a decade and a long list of successes - both individually and as teammates.
Together, the pair have dominated the North Island Endurance Series 3-Hour Championship, claiming three of the past four titles, including back-to-back victories in 2022 and 2023, and a clean sweep of event wins with IMS in 2025.
Before teaming up with Fillmore, Reid had already established a formidable career both at home and abroad, highlighted by the 2003 Formula Ford New Zealand Championship, victories in the 2010 Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup and 2012 V8 SuperTourers Endurance NZL Series, along with three NZ 3-Hour Endurance Racing Championships in four years. His résumé also includes seven A1GP victories for Team New Zealand between 2006 and 2007.
In Australia, Reid impressed across several categories - most notably Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, where he notched up 33 podiums, including 12 wins, across two seasons between 2011 and 2012. He also claimed a Bathurst 12 Hour GT3 Cup class victory in 2013.
On the international stage, Reid has competed in some of the most iconic motorsport events around the world, including Indy Lights, Euro 3000 and Formula 3 Japan – the latter two of which he picked up a variety of podiums and wins during a three-year stint.
Fillmore, too, brings an impressive racing pedigree, with a career spanning New Zealand, Australia, and beyond. His achievements include podium finishes in the 2014 NZ 3-Hour Endurance Racing Championship, the 2013 and 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour, and the 2019 Cue Enduro Super Series.
He has also competed internationally in the Intercontinental GT Challenge and Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia – LC Cup, with one of his standout results being a class second-place finish at the 2017 24H Series round at Circuit of the Americas, alongside Daniel Studdard and Stephen Grove.
Adding further strength to the entry is International Motorsport Group’s exceptional track record. As a leading force in GT and endurance racing across Australasia, IMS has claimed nine NZ 3-Hour Endurance Racing Championships and secured two Bathurst 12 Hour podiums, cementing its reputation as a benchmark team in the region.
Reid, Fillmore and IMS will make their GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS debut at GT Festival Hampton Downs on 31 October–2 November.
Purchase tickets to GT Festival Hampton Downs, which doubles as the opening round of the Repco NextGen NZ Championship, via speedseries.com.au/tickets.
QUOTES
Sam Fillmore
IMS Audi R8 LMS Evo II Driver
“We’re so excited to have the Australians come over to New Zealand,” Fillmore said.
“It will bring back plenty of memories for me as I used to race at Highlands a lot when Aussie GT came over. But I also thoroughly enjoyed running in Australia. I honestly love racing with the Aussies, and I think it’s going to be a special weekend having everyone over here.
“I’m expecting a lot of people to come out to the track and watch this event so it’s shaping up to be a perfect weekend. We’ve got hundreds of fans coming along, and it’d be pretty cool if we could put on a great show for them.
“Most of all, we’re really looking forward to it and to seeing how we measure up against the Aussies and if we have a strong weekend, we may look really seriously into running a full season next year. It’s just a matter of a timing though.
“Jonny and I have done a lot of driving together in the last four years. He is a great driver and I feed a lot off him a lot. He knows what I need and has really helped my driving evolve. I might be getting older, but I’m definitely getting faster too and it’s because of him.
“We also have a great team behind us in IMS, as well as an awesome engineer in Aaron Harris, who I’ve been working with for 12 years now. A lot of my confidence comes from their support and good work that give me a strong car to work with”
Jonny Reid
IMS Audi R8 LMS Evo II Driver
“Sam and I can’t wait to get out to Hampton Downs and make our debut in GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS,” Reid said.
“I think we’ve got a big task ahead of us as there will be lots of changes to what we are used to racing in New Zealand, especially with the Pirelli tyres, but we are looking forward to the challenge against some strong competition and we’re ready to give it everything.”
“Sam’s a great mate and we have so much fun together, both in and out of the car. The way he’s driving at the moment, I’m really keen to see how high we can put the car against the calibre of competition.
“I love the dedication and passion he puts into motorsport, and I really admire what he has been able to achieve, so it’’s really exciting I get to do this with him
“The goal for us is to definitely win a race, and although we are not in the car as much as the rest of the field overall we are very excited to have the GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS in town and the level of competition it brings with it.”
“We obviously have a lot of confidence heading into the event based on previous form, but Sam and I couldn’t do what we have done without Aaron Harris and the whole IMS team, so it’s exciting that we will be doing this big challenge with them.”
Nick Williamson
International Motorsport Group (IMS) Team Owner
“To join GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS made a lot of sense for us, as it’s been a culmination of a good year of results and a great cohesion between the two drivers and ourselves,” Williamson said.
“It was really nice to win rounds four and five, as well as the New Zealand title. That’s the third championship for Jonny and Sam as a pairing, and the team’s ninth overall, so we seem to have found a pretty good formula for success.
“We’ve also had two podiums at the Bathurst 12 Hour, so while racing with the Aussies isn’t completely unfamiliar territory, it’s always a great challenge and something we are used to.”
“Jonny is a masterclass driver. It was great to get a taste of that again in the North Island, going up against guys like Steve Brooks and Ryan Wood - those battles really build confidence.
“There aren’t many tracks on the planet that Sam Fillmore hasn’t raced on, and he brings a lot to the table, so I’m confident we can mix it with all the Ams.
“It’s a bit easier for us being at our home track - it’s still tough, but we’re going in with a really positive mindset. With that said, it’ll be a tall order to get a win, but once we get on top of the tyre, I back ourselves to be right in the fight.”