Nathan Halstead and Luke Youlden will return to GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS this year with the pair set to run for the full season in the Trophy Class.
Behind the wheel of the #71 Porsche 911 GT3R, the pair will link back up with Tigani Motorsport for the season having already raced with them before.
The pair made just one appearance together in the series last year, with a mixed weekend at Queensland Raceway seeing them score a class podium in the opening race before retiring early in the second race.
Outside of that, both drivers have solid experience in motorsport around the country, with Youlden a familiar name to Australian race fans having had a successful career for more than 25 years.
Undoubtedly, Youlden will forever be known for his Bathurst 1000 win in 2017 alongside David Reynolds and his ability as an experienced endurance driver, having picked up podiums in major Supercars’ long form races such as Sandown 500, Phillip Island 500 and Gold Coast 600.
In addition to an impressive Supercars career, Youlden is a multiple-time race winner in Super2, has raced Porsche Carrera Cup, TGRA GR Cup, Super GT, Australian GT and the Intercontinental GT Challenge, which includes appearances at the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Halstead also brings in plenty of experience since making his debut in 2017, predominantly featuring in production and sports car categories at state and national level.
Beginning with a Porsche 3.6 in the Cue Sports Car Interclub Championship, he made a maiden appearance at Bathurst as part of a Production Sports Cup one-hour enduro before running in multiple categories between 2019 and 2022, including Porsche Sprint Challenge, Super GT and The Cue Enduro Super Series, where he finished fourth for the year.
From 2023, he has made annual appearances as part of the Bathurst 6 Hour and showing rapid progress every year he partook in the popular race, culminating in Class C victory at last year’s running of the event.
The pair begin their 2026 GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS campaign at the upcoming LIQUI MOLY GT Festival Phillip Island on 27-29 March at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
QUOTES
Luke Youlden
#71 Tigani Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3
"The 2026 GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS season marks the first full time campaign in any series for me since 2022 - so excited is the word. I’ve missed the competition and opportunity to sink my teeth into a full year and really get comfortable in the car,” Youlden said.
“The opportunity to work with and coach Nathan is what keeps me coming back. We’ve talked about doing this together for some time and the series provides a unique opportunity to not only coach but to also drive.
“We go into this season looking to win the class. I think we’ll also surprise a few in Pro Am if some things go our way. Even through the car is a little older, it will be close in performance to the newer models judging by how well we mixed it with the heavy weights at Queensland Raceway last year.
“I don’t think you can win the championship without consistency and wins. The main target will be to get Nathan feeling comfortable and confident. We’ve done some one-on-one coaching recently and if he can drive as aggressively as he did that day then there will be no stopping him!
“I’m pleasantly surprised to hear there may be a few big players in Trophy and I expect them to be fast. The competition has been doing this for some time but I’m confident that we’ve prepared well as a driving unit and Tigani Motorsport always supply a fast car so we can mix it with the best.
“Tigani Motorsport has had a massive expansion and the fact that they are now factory affiliated shows the confidence the industry has them. They run a very professional outfit and have great people. I have every confidence that best GT Team in Australia is preparing our GT3 R.”
Nathan Halstead
#71 Tigani Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3
“The initial GT experience was amazing and the opportunity to drive GT3 cars (in particular the Porsche GT3R), is a life challenge and goal of mine, coming back also gives me the opportunity to improve my driving and push myself to my limits,” Halstead said.
“I wanted to come back because I like having the ability to work with dedicated professionals in the racing industry, such as Luke Youlden and Tigani Motorsport. They set a high benchmark for me to aspire to.
“The 2026 season provides an exciting race calendar all across the country, so I am looking forward to this year immensely. GT3 racing I believe, is the best form of racing as its relevant to road cars and has a large motorsport fan base.
“It was an east decision to come back and we’re very motivated to drive at amazing tracks. I have been preparing for the season in advance and will continue throughout the season to improve, so I expect to be competitive with other Trophy cars and Luke may even give the Pro Am cars a real challenge.
“I have improved substantially in the last 12-24 months with Luke as my guide. Luke knows Porsche and is getting me to understand the car and its aero better every time I drive it.
“At the start of the season I will be trying to settle into the car and the GT racing environment. Once settled I’ll be aiming for class wins or at least top two and finally to achieve a consistent year throughout all 12 races.”