Marc Cini will make his first GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS appearance for the 2026 season, with Nick McBride to run alongside him at the upcoming bp Adelaide Grand Final.
In what will be their first-ever meeting co-driving together, the long-time friends will contest the Pro-Am class in Cini’s regular Hallmarc/Team MPC Audi R8 LMS Evo II, with McBride making his first appearance in the series since 2024, while Cini last raced in a one-off appearance last year.
McBride brings plenty of experience to the fold, with most of his recent racing occurring this year in Monochrome GT4 Australia alongside Dean Koutsoumidis in the GR Supra GT4 EVO, where the pair enjoyed two podiums across a part-time season.
He also enjoyed a brief stint in GT World Challenge Australia alongside Steve Brooks in 2024, where the pair competed at The Bend together.
Outside of the two SRO Motorsports Australia categories, McBride was a regular competitor in the Porsche Carrera Cup Championship, where he enjoyed considerable success throughout the years, including a career-best season in 2017, when five wins helped him finish fourth overall before ending up in the same position two years later, courtesy of three victories.
It was during his time in Carrera Cup that McBride and Cini built their friendship, with the latter a longstanding supporter of McBride’s career.
Cini himself had a long career in the one-make series, which he has been competing in regularly since 2003, exceeding 400 race starts, along with stints in Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia and ventures overseas for international competitions.
The Victorian has also built an impressive résumé in GT racing over the years, with four GT3 Pro/Am podiums at the Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour between 2015 and 2020 and multiple class podiums in GT World Challenge Australia since 2021.
GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS wraps up the 2026 season as part of the bp Adelaide Grand Final on 26 - 29 November.
Marc Cini
#9 Hallmarc Team MPC Audi R8 LMS Evo II
“I'm really looking forward to it. The Audi performs very well around this track, so I'm excited to get out there,” Cini said.
“I've been Nick’s teammate in Carrera Cup for five years, so it's great to be continuing that partnership and sharing a new chapter together, as it will be the first time we have raced in the same car during a race.
“This year’s Adelaide Grand Final will also be a special one, as it is likely to be the last time we compete in this configuration, so I am looking forward to being part of this historic weekend.
“As a gentleman driver, I don't have any major aspirations beyond having fun, enjoying the weekend and making the most of the opportunity.”
Nick McBride
#9 Hallmarc Team MPC Audi R8 LMS Evo II
“It's a bit of a step up from Monochrome GT4 Australia, but one I'm really looking forward to, as it’s been a while since I drove a GT3 car,” McBride said.
“Marc and I are good friends, and we've known each other for a long time, so when the opportunity came up to race at a circuit we both love and have enjoyed success at, it was an opportunity I grabbed with both hands.
“I'm looking forward to a great week at the track and, most importantly, sharing the experience with a good mate.”