Santalucia stars to take handy lead to Sprint Challenge showdown

Clutch day delivers largest margin of the season to Sonic ace with one round to go

JAKE SANTALUCIA has starred on his way to securing a handy lead in the battle for the 2026 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series with just one round remaining. 

The teenager from Melbourne turned a 16-point lead coming into the weekend into one that nears 90 points with three races to go at Sandown in November after two victories on Sunday at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend, delivering him back-to-back round victories in the process.

An imperious Ramu Farrell claimed the Pro-Am class victory over Lachy Harburg and Andrew Georgiadis to put one hand on that class trophy, while Daniel Quimby again impressed in his class B machine.

However it was Santalucia’s starring Saturday – some of it aided by drama for others but mostly via raw speed and race craft – that saw him claim both Sunday races and entrench both he and his five-time title winning team, Sonic Motor Racing, on top of the standings with a round to go.

He finished second on the road to Lockie Bloxsom in race two however the former was later penalised 10 seconds for his role in contact with Ryan Casha at turn six, relegating him down the order and delivering Santalucia maximum points.

Race one Pro winner Tom Bewley was another to falter, gearshift selection issues seeing him drop from an early lead to an eventful seventh-placed finish, while Pro-Am winner Farrell crossed the line second on the road and James Lodge third.

Santalucia’s success in the Jim Richards Enduro Trophy race that completed the weekend was hard-won, escaping to an early lead before having to withstand several Safety Car restarts before he could claim the win.

The Sonic racer led early but then was jumped by James Lodge on lap six, who went on to lead the next three laps.

A further restart saw Santalucia attack and Lodge hung out wide, losing several spots and dropping as low as fifth while the #777 car returned to the race lead. The battle then waged behind as Bewley and Casha made contact at turn six, delaying both and allowing Kamal Mrad and Lodge to pass them both – only doing favours for the race and series leader out front.

They crossed the line in that order, Farrell finishing fourth outright and claiming the Pro-Am race win in the enduro encounter.

Bloxsom, meanwhile, was working his way through the field after a lap one off at the high-speed right hander sequence around the back of The Bend’s International layout. Contact then subsequently saw him out with broken suspension, scoring zero points.

The results saw Santalucia claiming his second round win of the season and becoming the first repeat round winner of the year to date.

James Lodge and Kamal Mrad completed the Pro class podium – Bewley later penalised 30 seconds for his clash with Casha during the race – while Farrell’s Pro-am sweep saw him win the round over Harburg – who scored a pair of seconds on Sunday – and Andrew Georgiadis.

With one round remaining, Santalucia takes a (provisional) 81-point lead into the Sprint Challenge season finale’ at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne this November.

Ryan Casha now sits in second overall with Bloxsom third (26 behind the DNA Motorsport driver) and Bewley fourth, a further four points back.

181 points will be up for grabs at the season finale’, to be held at the Sandown 500 Supercars event in November.

Farrell claims another, Bewley takes Pro win at Tailem Bend

Pro-Am runner beats the pros again as title battle intensity turns up the intensity.

RAMU FARRELL has claimed his third Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia outright race win, sweeping to a comfortable victory in Race One at The Bend in South Australia. 

On a cool Friday afternoon, Farrell made a blinding start from second on the grid and build a comfortable margin on the opening lap, never headed en route to another outright win, while also extending his lead in the Pro-Am class.

In the Pro class, Tom Bewley converted outright pole to second on the road at the line – though scores maximum points in the ongoing intense fight for the 2025 championship.

He was trailed home closely by series leader Jake Santalucia and Lockie Bloxsom, who rebounded from a slow start to work his way to fourth outright at the line, and third in class.

The 30-minute race saw multiple battles throughout the field though Farrell saw few of them – at one point building a nearly five-second margin out front.

Bewley fended off an early challenge from James Lodge to hold on to second, the latter – who had run second on the opening lap – slipping back after being caught on the wrong side of the road in an intense fight for the Pro Class win, eventually finishing ninth.

Bewley asserted himself in the Pro lead for much of the race before Santalucia and later Bloxsom each closed on the Team Porsche NZ car, Bloxsom having crossed the line seventh at the end of lap one before picking his way forward with a series of key overtakes.

Ryan Casha finished fifth with Hunter Robb sixth, his best race result since Queensland Raceway. Daniel Quimby completed a day of outstanding performances to finish seventh and claim the Class B win, while Kamal Mrad, Lodge and Tyler Greenbury enjoyed a combative scrap to complete the 10.

Behind the dominant Farrell, Jacque Jarjo took second in Pro-Am, less than a second in front of Andrew Georgiadis with Lachy Harburg keeping them both in sight in fourth place.

Early contact ruled out Eric Constantinidis and debutant Diesel Thomas after just three laps, while Ben Taylor was out of the race before the race commenced with a technical issue on his Auticon Porsche.

The race 1 results help to further close the intense battle for the Pro class in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series, just 43 now points splitting leader Jake Santalucia and fourth-placed Bewley – who was the big winner today, trailing the Sonic racer by 50 points coming into the weekend.

Bloxsom now sits 23 behind his Sonic rival while Ryan Casha grips onto third place by just two points ahead of tomorrow’s two races.

Race 2 will be held first thing at The Bend, while the third and final race – the Jim Richards Enduro trophy encounter – will complete the weekend and will be broadcast live on 7plus.

Two-day SA challenge to prove decisive in Michelin Sprint Challenge title battle

Condensed weekend adds to storylines with 4 cars split by 50 points

A QUICK-FIRE penultimate round of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series could prove make or break for key title protagonists this weekend in South Australia.

A condensed two-day schedule will see a 23-strong field practice, qualify and complete three races across the Friday and Saturday at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park / The Bend this weekend as key title contenders look to position themselves best for the Sandown championship finale’ in November.

Just 50 points separate the top four contenders with 181 up for grabs this weekend meaning it truly remains anyone’s year with six races and two rounds remaining.

Sonic Motor Racing’s Jake Santalucia leads the standings heading to South Australia, his race three non-finish in Townsville not significantly denting his lead following three dominant Pro class wins at Queensland Raceway.

Lockie Bloxsom was a big winner from the series’ street circuit stop in July, the McElrea racer climbing back second in the standings and just 16 behind Santalucia.

Meanwhile, Ryan Casha climbed to third aboard his DNA Racing entry – the Queenslander now having finished either second or third in five of the last six completed races, only outscored by Santalucia who has won four of them.

A non-finish for Team Porsche NZ / EBM racer Tom Bewley dropped him to fourth in the standings following Townsville however it also showed how quickly things have changed in this year’s Sprint Challenge title fight.

All four will be in action this weekend amidst a 12-strong Pro class pack that will include the Michelin Sprint Challenge debut of Diesel Thomas, who steps in for Willie Exton at TekworkX Motorsport for his one-make Porsche debut.

At longer odds to become title contenders and yet too competitive to be ruled out of the hunt, fifth-placed Kamal Mrad and James Lodge in sixth are both likely to be contenders this weekend, while Tyler Greenbury’s strong recent pace has not been represented by results.

Every driver in the top nine of the outright / Pro class standings has finished in the top three of at least one race this year, showcasing the depth of the 2025 grid.

In the Pro-Am class, Ramu Farrell remains in control with a handy 131 point lead over Andrew Georgiadis, with Townsville winner Jacque Jarjo only 12 points further back in third. Lachy Harburg sits fourth in the standings and will return to the track this weekend following damage sustained in the substantial multi-car accident at the start of race two in Townsville.

The event at The Bend will see the field return to the full, 4.9km International circuit, having raced on the shorter ‘West’ circuit last year.

The last time the series raced on the longer version of the South Australian circuit, in 2023, it delivered one of the most dramatic races in series history as five different drivers led the Enduro Cup race.

The race, now regarded as one of the most thrilling in series history, was won by Aron Shields – driving for TekworkX – after both Lockie Bloxsom – who had initially crossed the line first – and runner-up Oscar Targett copped post-race penalties and were relegated.

Bloxsom had dropped to as low as ninth by the end of lap one after stalling but recovered superbly before his post-race penalty dropped him down the order.

Remarkably, The Bend’s International circuit has a lap record held by two drivers at the same time.

Ryan Wood (2022) and Oscar Targett (2023) each set a time of 1m50.4916s to score their respective pole positions – though technically Wood can claim the benchmark given he set it first.

The now Supercars ace holds the race lap record on his own, at 1m51.5419s.

The condensed two-day format this weekend – designed to support teams also tackling the upcoming Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship round at the same circuit next week – will see an extended practice, qualifying and the opening sprint race on Friday this week, followed by a second sprint on Saturday morning and then the longer, Jim Richards Endurance Trophy affair on Saturday afternoon.

That race will be broadcast live and free on 7plus as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries GT Festival coverage this weekend.

ENTRY LIST, Round 5 – Shell V-Power Motorsport Park, South Australia

Flack grabs surprise win in drama-filled Townsville Sunday

Wild day delivers race, round win to Flack as series leaders fail to score

RETURNING to the category in which he made his name, Marcos Flack has claimed Round 4 of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series on the streets of Townsville in a wild and crazy Sunday of action. 

Flack triumphed in the sole sprint race held on the final day of the NTI Townsville 500, taking advantage of high drama from key contenders at the front of the field to not only grab the race win, but the round as well.

Flack claimed the round win over Lockie Bloxsom and Kamal Mrad in the Pro Class, while Jacque Jarjo took the Pro-Am battle and Daniel Quimby Class B.

The race was notable for the non-finishes from both championship leader Jake Santalucia and his then-nearest rival Tom Bewley, with their zero scores and big results from Bloxsom and points for Ryan Casha ensuring the championship is now closer than ever ahead of the final two rounds.

Sunday’s action started in dramatic fashion with the Jim Richards Enduro Trophy Race making it just a few hundred metres beyond the race start before an enormous accident saw the race stopped.

Contact at turn one between Lachy Harburg and Eric Constantinidis saw the former spun across the circuit and into the path of much of the field, 10 cars involved in a substantial accident that saw the race suspended and ultimately declared a non-event.

That left a reduced field ready for the finale’ which turned into a wild sprint for the sole points on Sunday.

Santalucia made the early headway and grabbed the race lead with Bewley and Ryan Casha behind in the early stages.

The leader then ran slightly wide at the turn 11 hairpin, opening the door for Bewley to pass on the entry to turn 13 – and Casha to sneak past on the exit.

With Santalucia watching on and now in third, that pair then battled down towards turn two, Casha making contact with Bewley as he defended in the braking zone on the run into turn two.

The Team Porsche NZ entry was tipped into the wall and ultimately parked up on the run to turn three with damage to the front of the car and the steering; bringing out the Safety Car and bunching up the field.

Casha was penalised with a drive through penalty for his role in the incident, serving that once racing had resumed.

The drama wasn’t over, however, with Santalucia’s Sonic entry noticeably trailing smoke and leaking fluid once the race resumed.

It would ultimately boil over – literally – when the #777 car slowed on the run to turn two; closing up the pack and allowing Flack to take the lead while at the same time Mrad passed teammate Bloxsom for second position on the road.

They would end the race in that order with Flack taking his first Sprint Challenge race victory in style.

Behind them there was plenty of action with a stirring drive from Tyler Greenbury seeing him charge from 17th position to fifth place in his rebuilt car – the Edge Designer Homes entry one of the 10 cars involved in the race two accident.

Daniel Quimby finished an outstanding 6th outright in his class B entry while Jacque Jarjo fended off Ramu Farrell for the second time in as many races to take the Pro-Am win, sealing the deal in the round result as well.

With four rounds complete, Jake Santalucia continues to lead the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia standings though his lead has been significantly reduced this weekend.

Provisionally, Lachlan Bloxsom now moves to second in points with Ryan Casha third and Tom Bewley fourth – though just 50 points cover the top four contenders heading into the final two rounds of the championship.

The championship resumes in mid-September at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend for Round 5.

Santalucia stars in Townsville opener

Jacque Jarjo claims Pro-Am victory in ultra-competitive fight at Townsville 500

SERIES leader Jake Santalucia has starred in the opening Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series race at the NTI Townsville 500, launching from second on the grid to lead every lap of the opening race to claim a strong victory. 

It was the Sonic Motor Racing driver’s fifth Pro class victory of the season and saw him extend his series lead ahead of the two races on Sunday in North Queensland.

Santalucia led home a strong Ryan Casha – who finished inside the top three for the fifth consecutive race – and Tom Bewley, who started sixth but continued his supremely consistent season by climbing to a top three finish by race’s end.

In the Pro-Am class, Jacque Jarjo spent much of his race in a furious battle with series leader Ramu Farrell to claim the victory.

The 25-minute race was a competitive affair and saw Santalucia beat polesitter Lachy Bloxsom into turn one to assume a lead he would never lose.

Bloxsom was then under fire in second and saw himself involved in a frenetic fight for the minors before ultimately slipping behind both Casha – who started fifth – and Bewley.

Tyler Greenbury and Willie Exton were also in the fight for the top three early in the race before contact ended both of their races.

Marcos Flack and James Lodged battled for fourth and fifth, with Kmal Mrad also in the fight and ultimately finishing seventh. Hunter Robb was eighth, while another starring performance from Daniel Quimby saw the class B contender score ninth outright.

10th was Lincoln Evans, who scored his first top-10 finish in what was his first ever street circuit race.

Behind them was the furious battle for the Pro-Am class win that would ultimately go to Jacque Jarjo.

His win didn’t come easy however after spending much of his race with Ramu Farrell locked beneath his bumper bar.

The pair battled until the closing stanza of the race when Farrell attempted a move up the inside of Jarjo into the back chicane, locking his rears and spinning into the runoff area.

That elevated Andrew Georgiadis to second position and Eric Constantinidis to third in the class.

With one of three races completed this weekend, Jake Santalucia’s championship lead extends to 50 points over Tom Bewley, Ryan Casha closing to within two points of second position thanks to his performance on Saturday.

Two races complete round four of the series on Sunday at the NTI Townsville 500, including the next stanza in the always competitive Jim Richards Enduro Trophy race in the morning.

The final race of the weekend will double as the curtain raiser before the Super2 and Supercars races on Sunday afternoon.

Both races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo, with race three also on the screens of seven.

Bewley leads the way in hot Townsville practice

Friday shootout points to ultra-competitive weekend on the Streets of North Queensland

THIS weekend might be the first time Tom Bewley has raced on a street circuit – but it hasn’t slowed the Kiwi star down: his Team Porsche NZ / EBM entry topping the charts in a competitive day of practice at the NTI Townsville 500. 

Bewley topped the second of two, 25-minute practice sessions today, a session that turned out to be something of a qualifying simulation, as the field bolted brand-new Michelin tyres on for a crack at fast lap times.

He edged out championship leader Jake Santalucia by just 0.09 seconds with a 1m14.2644s lap that was 0.2 seconds quicker than the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge qualifying record set last year.

The session started slowly but built to a crescendo as multiple drivers took turns at topping the charts.

Bewley, who sits second in the championship, has been the king of the consistency this season and will be keen to continue that form this weekend – while championship leader Santalucia looks to build his narrow, 38-point lead as they move to the second half of the 2025 season.

Third was McElrea Racing’s Lockie Bloxsom while fellow Carrera Cup ringer, Marcos Flack, was fourth in the second Sonic entry.

James Lodge was fifth and Tyler Greenbury sixth but both within 0.5 seconds of the quickest time, while Ryan Casha was only fractionally further behind in seventh position.

Willie Exton was next, while Hunter Robb and Pro-Am class pacesetter Ramu Farrell completed the top-10.

It was Farrell’s first street circuit experience with his best lap 1.5s away from the quickest outright time.

Jacque Jarjo was second in Pro-Am with Lachlan Harburg third in what is shaping as another competitive race within a race this weekend.

Daniel Quimby continued his strong run in Class B but also impressively ended the second session twelfth outright – despite missing all of the first session following a radiator drama on his McElrea-run entry.

The day was relatively trouble-free for the 26-strong Porsche field as they build towards an early start on Saturday, Qualifying set to commence at 7:35am local time ahead of the first race at 10:50am.

Both sessions will be shown live on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo Sports tomorrow.

Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge returns to the streets in Townsville

26 cars locked in for North Queensland street fight

THE second half of an intense Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series kicks off this weekend as the one-make Porsche pack returns to the NTI Townsville 500 in North Queensland.

It marks the second time that the series will have raced on the challenging Reid Park street circuit following a successful debut in 2024 that saw eventual champion Oscar Targett claim the round honours.

Another highly competitive field – 26 strong – all driving Porsche GT3 Cup Cars will compete this weekend as key contenders begin to flex their muscle ahead of the deciding rounds in an ultra-competitive title fight.

So far three drivers have claimed round victories this year while six different drivers have claimed race victories – from the nine contested.

The 26-strong field is headlined by current championship leader Jake Santalucia, who claimed the Pro class in the most recent round at Queensland Raceway and became the third different leader in three rounds this year.

He’ll be joined in the Sonic Motor Racing camp by a one-off cameo from Sprint Challenge graduate Marcos Flack, who is now a regular in Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia.

Flack returns to Sprint Challenge this weekend in a bid for more valuable street circuit experience and will help give Sonic a strong two-car punch this weekend.

Second in the championship, Team Porsche NZ / EBM ace Tom Bewley, will make his first Street Circuit start this weekend however does so in the knowledge that the car he is driving sat on pole position twelve months ago: teammate Brock Gilchrist having grabbed the top spot on his Townsville debut last year.

Queensland’s Ryan Casha has spent his most recent rounds rebounding from a slow start to the year and now sits third in the championship, just a few points in front of fellow Queenslander, Lockie Bloxsom.

Like Flack this weekend, Bloxsom is doing double duties this season and heads to Townsville fresh from the most recent Carrera Cup round in Darwin.

A return to form at Queensland Raceway ensured TekworkX’s Willie Exton remained in the title hunt after winning the opening round – he sits fifth in points and less than 100 from the leader; 180 are up for grabs in Townsville this weekend.

A total of 12 Porsche Michelin Juniors will make up the 14-strong Professional class this weekend, including Class B leader Daniel Quimby who will be looking for another strong run on the Townsville streets this weekend – at a circuit that should narrow the performance gap between the later-specification cars and his.

In Pro-Am all eyes will be on Ramu Farrell following his remarkable performance last time out at Queensland Raceway – where he not only won his class but also claimed two outright race victories; beating the Pro drivers at their own game.

Farrell’s remarkable weekend was a Sprint Challenge record-breaker and doubled as the first Sprint Challenge team win for Jones Motorsport, the squad headed by two-time Carrera Cup Champion Harri.

Farrell leads Andrew Georgiadis in the Pro-Am standings, the latter holding a narrow lead over Jacque Jarjo and Lachy Harburg in the battle for second, third and fourth at the half-way point of the season.

Farrell will, however, have plenty of attention this weekend as key Pro-Am contenders return and new drivers step up to the plate.

As well as round winner Jacque Jarjo, Hallmarc’s Marc Cini will also return to Sprint Challenge competition this weekend; making it four Carrera Cup regulars making cameo’s in North Queensland. Cini contested the Townsville event last year and qualified second in the Pro-Am class. Indiran Padayachee also returns to the Sprint Challenge grid this weekend.

Stepping up to a new car will be 2024 Porsche Michelin Sportsperson of the year, Stephen Moylan – who has upgraded his Class B 991 GT3 Cup Car to a 991.2 entry between his most recent round at Sydney Motorsport Park and now.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia field will be on show across all three days of the NTI Townsville 500 this weekend.

Following two practice sessions on Friday to set the tone, the Porsche field will be first on track as Townsville’s wake-up call on Saturday morning with qualifying.

Race one will be contested later that morning, with the field then returning early on Sunday for the 45-minute Jim Richards Enduro Trophy encounter.

Race three will be the curtain-raiser before the final Super2 and Repco Supercars Championship races on Sunday afternoon.

All sessions this weekend will be shown on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo Sport, while race three on Sunday will also be broadcast on the Seven network.

ENTRY LIST
Round 4, NTI Townsville 500, Townsville, QLD

Santalucia strikes as Farrell makes history at Queensland Raceway

Third winner from three rounds as Sprint Challenge reaches half way point

JAKE SANTALUCIA has stormed to the lead of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series with an emphatic victory at Queensland Raceway, becoming the third different round winner from three events this year. 

The teenager and his Dexion Victoria Sonic Motor Racing entry stormed to victory in Sunday’s Jim Richards Enduro Trophy race, backing up two further Pro class wins in the two sprint races as he raced towards his first round win and provisionally, a 38-point championship lead.

In the Pro class, Santalucia won the round ahead of local hero Ryan Casha and Tom Bewley, who had an up-and-down weekend in his Team Porsche NZ entry but finished strongly in the long race.

Santalucia now leads the Sprint Challenge standings by 38 points at the half-way mark of the season, Tom Bewley now second and Ryan Casha sitting third.

In Pro-Am, Ramu Farrell created history as he became the first Pro-Am driver in the history of the championship under the current Pro / Pro-Am regulations to claim an outright race victory – a feat he then backed up in race two on Sunday morning.

While he slipped to sixth position outright in race three, he still swept the Pro-Am class weekend and extended his championship lead in the process.

Farrell holds a comfortable series lead over Andrew Georgiadis heading to the next round, while Jacque Jarjo has moved to third in the Pro-Am standings.

Daniel Quimby continued his sweep of Class B to extend his lead in that series.

Sunday’s races were action packed with Ramu Farrell making more history and the outright championship lead changing hands twice across the day.

Backing up his race one efforts, Farrell stormed away from pole in race two on Sunday morning to take a lead he’d never lose.

Santalucia played the points game by finishing second while Willie Exton was third in another consistent performance from the TekworkX driver. Ryan Casha and James Lodge were next with Hunter Robb and erstwhile championship leader, Lochie Bloxsom, in seventh.

With Tyler Greenbury next, Tom Bewley finished ninth having survived a wild moment at turn two on the opening lap – one that saw his EBM entry run wide on the exit and launch high into the air, all four wheels of the ground before the landing damaged the front of this car, the Kiwi ensuring he finished and scored points from there.

In his milestone 50th Sprint Challenge race, Lachy Harburg was 10th outright and second in the Pro-Am class.

The longer distance Jim Richards Enduro race completed the weekend and featured plenty of drama for key contenders.

Santalucia’s start was the best from the front row and he charged into an early lead, pulling away gradually from a chasing pack that included Willie Exton and Ryan Casha.

Farrell was slower away and found himself in the midst of the pro-driver fight, ultimately settling in a solid top five outright position – but still the class lead – as the race evolved.

Santalucia then survived an attack from Exton, who sent a move up the inside at turn six only to run wide and find the barrier on the outside of the corner, the damage ending his day and costing him valuable championship points.

That freed up Santalucia out front, though he then had to spend his race with a chasing Ryan Casha in his mirrors, never more than 1.5 second behind for the run to the flag.

Casha, in turn, spent his race fending off a charging Tom Bewley who had started ninth but made solid ground in the early running to race his way to the podium.

Greenbury was another one to work his way forward to finish fourth while Bloxsom was a solid fifth to score more championship points in his consistent campaign. Farrell finished sixth outright, claiming all three Pro-Am races, while Jackson Rooney was another impressive performer as he charged through the field.

Jacque Jarjo made a late pass on Harburg to take second position in the Pro-Am class, sealing that position for the round result overall in the process.

Leading contender James Lodge finished 12th outright, recovering through the field after an earlier spin at turn three saw him tumble down the order as he battled for a spot in the top five.

Hunter Robb was another to suffer disappointment as his car cried enough mid-race, the Kiwi forced to pull to the side of the road at turn one with fluid pouring from his car – denied a top 10 finish that would have capped off a strong weekend.

Following a busy start to the season, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia teams take a well-earned break before the fourth round of the championship returns the series to North Queensland and the NTI Townsville 500 on July 11-13.

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship returns sooner, taking to the Top End and Hidden Valley Raceway in two weeks time.

Ramu Farrell claims historic win at Queensland Raceway

First win for Jones Motorsport as Santalucia, Exton battle for Pro class victory

RAMU Farrell has etched himself into his own piece of Porsche Motorsport Australia history, becoming the first driver in the current Pro / Pro-Am era to win a race outright as a Pro-Am driver. 

The Jones Motorsport driver had earlier grabbed pole position in another category first, made the best start and led the entire duration to claim the race one victory both outright and in the Pro-Am class in a sublime performance at his home circuit.

A newcomer to motorsport, Farrell is in just his third year of Sprint Challenge competition but looked like a veteran as he spent today’s 30-minute race fending off advances from first Willie Exton and then Jake Santalucia.

He was unflappable in his lead however, executing a performance as professional as his team boss – Carrera Cup champion Harri Jones – to claim the win.

It was also the first race win for Jones Motorsport in their young history, while Farrell was the sixth different winner from seven races so far this season.

Santalucia started fifth but a blazing start saw him storm to third position on the opening lap of the race.

In another chapter of the unpredictable Pro class battle in this year’s championship, he spent much of his race challenging Pro leader Exton before slicing past late in the race to take the class win, and second on the road.

It was a key moment for the Sonic Motor Racing teenager who benefited from challenging races from championship leaders Lockie Bloxom and Tom Bewley.

Ryan Casha finished a solid fourth with James Lodge fifth to continue his strong form from Sydney last time out.

Bewley survived a wild off at turn six to recover to sixth place at the end to eat into the championship lead held coming into the event by Bloxsom.

The latter finished 10th after a late spin dropped him down the order, further closing the championship fight that reaches its half way point at the conclusion of the Queensland event this weekend.

Tyler Greenbury, Hunter Robb, Kmal Mrad and Bloxsom completed the top 10 at the end of the 30-minute race.

With attention focussed on Farrell out front, the fight for second in Pro-Am was a competitive affair with Jacque Jarjo charging through the pack to claim second. In his 49th career start Lachy Harburg was third while Andrew Georgiadis was fourth and Eric Constantinidis next.

Daniel Quimby finished 14th outright and extended his class lead in Class B.

Earlier in the day, Farrell scored the outright and Pro-Am class pole position in a qualifying session held on a wet but drying circuit.

Several red flags stopped key contenders from improving in what turned out to be a less than 10-minute shootout, Farrell holding on to take top spot.

Exton was second while Tom Bewley was third – having now qualified either first, second or third in the three rounds so far.

Ryan Casha and Jake Santalucia were next in yet another diverse mix of teams in the fight this weekend.

James Lodge, Lockie Bloxsom, Jackson Rooney, Tyler Greenbury and Andrew Georgiadis – who was second in Pro-Am – completed the top-10 in qualifying.

Round 3 of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series concludes on Sunday with a pair of races, first a sprint and then the next stanza of the Jim Richards Enduro Trophy at the end of the day.

Both races will be live on 7plus, while Race 2 will also be shown live on 7mate around Australia.

Wet / dry practice continues unpredictable theme of 2025 season

Contenders quick across changing conditions on first day at QR

A MIXED day of wet and dry weather running has continued the unpredictable theme of the 2025 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series today at Queensland Raceway. 

The pair of 30-minute practice sessions commenced with practice one in the dry before light rain fell at the end of the opening hit out.

The second session was then run entirely in the rain giving teams a mixture of conditions to practice in advance of a weekend likely to feature more unpredictable weather.

In the dry / damp opening session Lockie Bloxsom continued his good form by topping the charts over Round 1 winner Willie Exton and Kiwi Tom Bewley.

Bloxsom has been Mr. Consistency this season and leads the championship after a strong string of races across the opening rounds at Phillip Island and Sydney Motorsport Park, respectively.

In the afternoon’s wet running it was an entirely different top three with Sydney winner James Lodge quickest with Sonic’s Jake Santalucia second and Jackson Rooney – another quick Kiwi – in third.

The wet session featured several stoppages for vehicle recoveries which stopped several contenders from setting their best laps in an interrupted session.

Still, just one second covered the top 10 cars in what is expected to be another incredibly tight round; Queensland Raceway famous for producing highly competitive racing.

Ramu Farrell topped the Pro-Am class in both sessions over Andrew Georgiadis and Lachlan Harburg, who swapped second and third between them in the respective sessions, while Daniel Quimby continued his domination of Class B by sweeping the session.

With practice complete, the 24-strong field turns its attention to qualifying tomorrow morning and the first of three races set for this weekend’s Shannons SpeedSeries GT Festival event at Queensland Raceway.

Both sessions will be shown live on 7plus on Saturday.

Remarkable Sprint Challenge battle shifts to Queensland

Race for championship form guide still as unpredictable as ever heading to Ipswich

THE most wide-open Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia season in ages continues its rollercoaster ride this weekend at Queensland Raceway. 

A 24-strong field will roll to the midway point of the championship this week with most none the wiser as to where real championship-contending form sits within the highly competitive field.

The dramatic pair of opening rounds has been remarkable in its diversity: five drivers have won the first six races, five different drivers have been represented on the overall round podiums and a remarkable nine drivers have scored top three race finishes to date.

Nine different teams feature in the top nine championship standings in the Pro Class after two rounds, a first in the history of one-make Porsche racing in Australia.

McElrea Racing’s Lachlan Bloxsom leads the championship to his home circuit this weekend with a narrow nine-point lead over EBM / Team Porsche NZ rival Tom Bewley.

The dynamic duo up top are the only two drivers to have finished every race in the top six so far this season with that consistency likely to be key to building a title challenge this year. Both broke through for maiden victories at Sydney Motorsport Park last time out.

Sonic Motor Racing’s Jake Santalucia sits third overall while a resurgent Ryan Casha jumped to fourth thanks to a strong Sydney round last time out.

Round 1 winner Willie Exton dropped to fifth in the championship following a tough weekend in Sydney, though is only 65 points from the series lead.

Kmal Mrad – who scored a remarkable pair of thirds in Sydney – Tyler Greenbury and Sydney winner James Lodges are next with Hunter Robb and Jackson Rooney completing the top-10.

Lodge’s Sydney weekend was critical for his title hopes following a disastrous opening round at Phillip Island that left him with a pair of DNFs in the first two races of the year.

All the Pro contenders return from Sydney this weekend, while Harry Walker will make his second start in the championship following a solid debut with Wall Racing last time out.

The Pro-Am fight will again be elevated this weekend as defending champion Lachy Harburg returns to the field having missed the recent Sydney event – competitors able to drop their worst round of the season in the Sprint Challenge ‘race within a race’.

He’ll front up with the rapid Ramu Farrell and Jacque Jarjo this weekend, both of whom tasted success in Sydney.

The Pro-Am field is every bit as wide-open as the outright battle with six drivers having scored a top three race finish to date; four of them winning in the first six starts.

The Queensland field includes Eric Constantinidis, Kent Leicester, Andrew Georgiadis, David Grieg and John Papantoniou, while Mark Darling returns for his second PSCA start having made his debut at QR last year – he’ll drive with Jones Motorsport.

Newcomer Tim Farrell will make his debut at his home circuit this weekend.

In Class B, Daniel Quimby will be the lone entrant this weekend, though his focus will again be punching on with the Pro contenders at the pointy-end of the field despite running an older-model car.

The open-wheel graduate, a teenager from Sydney, did just that in Sydney in a starring weekend for both he and teammate, Kmal Mrad.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia field will tackle three races this weekend at Queensland Raceway, traditionally a highly competitive and action-packed venue for the one-make Porsche championship.

Last year, Oscar Targett scored pole at the Ipswich venue in a weekend dominated by the EBM team, the Queenslander winning all three races and the round – re-setting the qualifying and race lap records in the process.

Qualifying and all three races will be shown live on 7plus this weekend, with the first race on the Sunday program also shown live on 7mate.

ENTRY LIST – Round 3, Queensland Raceway

Harry Walker Signs with Wall Racing for the remainder of the 2025 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge

Full season campaign locked in for next-gen Walker racer

Wall Racing is thrilled to announce that rising motorsport talent Harry Walker will join the team for the remainder of the 2025 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series.

After a comprehensive four-day evaluation at Round 2, Sydney Motorsport Park, Harry impressed the team with his composure, pace, and determination—despite never having raced the track or the car before.

Piloting the Porsche 991.2 Cup Car for the first time, Harry faced a true baptism of fire, navigating both a new machine and unfamiliar circuit under competitive pressure.

His ability to adapt quickly and deliver consistent improvements over the weekend left a strong impression on the Wall Racing team.

Wall Racing Team Owner David Wall shared his excitement:

“We’re genuinely excited to have Harry on board. He handled a tough weekend with maturity and speed, and he’s clearly hungry to learn and grow.

“His debut was as demanding as it gets, but he kept pushing, kept listening, and showed us exactly why we wanted him on the team.”

The Walker family has a long and respected history with Wall Racing, having supported a number of the team’s drivers over the years – including David Wall himself.

That relationship now evolves into a new era, with Harry stepping into a race seat as a full-season entry.

Harry Walker now shifts his focus toward building momentum in the upcoming rounds, aiming to deliver strong results and further develop within one of Australia’s most competitive one-make championships.

A weekend of firsts in Sydney as Lodge claims maiden Porsche wins

Jacque Jarjo takes Pro-Am round in Sydney as Daniel Quimby stars in Class B

THE second round of the 2025 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series has ended delivering a weekend of firsts across three dramatic races at Sydney Motorsport Park. 

James Lodge claimed his first Porsche round win in dramatic circumstances, also taking his maiden win in Sunday’s Jim Richards Endurance Trophy race – joining Tom Bewley and Lockie Bloxsom as first-time Porsche winners this year.

There has now been five winners from the first six races in an already unpredictable season that is now two rounds in to a six-round campaign.

Lodge claimed the Sydney round ahead of Lockie Bloxsom and Tom Bewley, while Jacque Jarjo took his first Pro-Am round win over Ramu Farell and Eric Constantinidis. Daniel Quimby continued his perfect start to his Class B campaign, sweeping the round.

Lodge claimed the Jim Richards enduro after the driver first across the line – Kamal Mrad – was issued a five second penalty for a false start.

Mrad, who started third, launched from the second row of the grid and in a bold move around the outside of turn two managed to secure and then manage the race lead throughout the 45-minute encounter, only for the penalty post-race to drop him to third.

That elevated Lodge to the top spot in the Enduro race, the Ashley Seward Motorsport driver ultimately fending off Ryan Casha by just 0.1 seconds in what turned out to be a very consequential last-lap battle as the pair drag-raced to the line.

The result was something of a relief for Lodge who endured a brutal opening round of the championship at Phillip Island that saw him finish just one of the three races – the Toyota GR Cup graduate returning to his impressive prior form this weekend and resurrecting his title hopes in the process.

With Mrad third, Lockie Bloxsom finished fourth in the race and second overall for the weekend, though the Queenslander heads to the next round at his home circuit leading the Sprint Challenge standings for the first time in his career.

Jake Santalucia was fifth for Sonic while a remarkable performance from Class B leader Daniel Quimby saw the Cup Car Engineering contender charge through the field in his previous-generation Porsche GT3 Cup Car to finish an enormous sixth outright.

A struggling Tom Bewley, who battled Power Steering issues this weekend, led home the recovering Jackson Rooney, Willie Exton and Hunter Robb with all three making comeback performances today.

Speaking of comebacks, Ramu Farrell charged his way through the field to win the Pro-Am race, though the round overall went to Jacque Jarjo – who finished third, just behind Andrew Georgiadis.

With two rounds complete, Lockie Bloxsom provisionally leads the Michelin Sprint Challenge standings with 282 points to Tom Bewley’s 273.

Jake Santalucia sits third in the championship with Ryan Casha fourth and Round 1 winner Willie Exton fifth.

Ramu Farrell leads the Pro-Am class with Andrew Georgiadis second and John Papantoniou third while Daniel Quimby leads Stephen Moylan in Class B.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series returns in just over three weeks alongside the next round of the Shannons SpeedSeries at Queensland Raceway in Ipswich.

Dramatic day delivers two first-time Porsche winners in Sydney

Under lights or in the day, Sydney Motorsport Park offers wild day of racing in Sprint Challenge

A DRAMATIC day at Sydney Motorsport Park has delivered two first-time Porsche race winners and two championship lead changes in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series. 

Team Porsche NZ driver Tom Bewley claimed race one – his first win – after a race long battle with Lockie Bloxsom, before the latter claimed his maiden Porsche triumph under lights in a bruising second race.

Bewley’s win saw him briefly wrestle the championship lead away from Round 1 winner Willie Exton before Bloxsom’s race two triumph saw him take point going into Sunday’s finale.

Jacque Jarjo was the big winner in Pro-Am on Saturday while Daniel Quimby continued his Class B form with a pair of wins.

Race one started with a drag race between Bewley and Bloxsom to turn one, the Team Porsche NZ driver grabbing the lead after a furious opening-lap battle.

The pair pulled away from a warring pack for third as James Lodge spent much of his race fending off Tyler Greenbury and Jake Santalucia in a tense battle for the final podium spot – Lodge ultimately grabbing his first top three finish.

The leading battle paused briefly for a mid-race safety car but resumed following the restart as Bloxsom launched attack after attack on Bewley, however the young Kiwi was stout in defense as he held on to grab his maiden win.

Ryan Casha was a big mover to sixth position while Jackson Rooney was next, Hunter Robb, Willie Exton and Kamal Mrad rounding out the top 10.

Pro-Am was dramatic after early leader Ramu Farrell speared off the road at high speed at turn one, followed by Andrew Georgiadis behind.

That handed the lead to Jacque Jarjo, who delivered his second Sydney Motorsport Park win of the season – having claimed the win in Carrera Cup earlier this year on his debut in the top class. Daniel Quimby finished 11th outright and won Class B ahead of Stephen Moylan and Brayden Taylor.

Race two was held under lights on Saturday evening, Bloxsom winning the start comfortably and gapping the field early on.

Bewley, meanwhile, struggled in the opening laps and after getting off line found himself tumbling down to the back of the top five.

Tyler Greenbury battled his way to second position with Lodge third and Jake Santulucia fourth.

The race was paused early following an off from Kent Leicester at turn one at the start of the second lap, pulling Bloxsom back to the field.

The restart was frenetic and in intense battling for the final spot on the podium, a move from Santalucia on Lodge for third place also saw contact with Greenbury, who found himself turned around to drop to the back of the field – the Sonic driver penalised 15 seconds for his role in the contact.

The race was then neutralised again when Jackson Rooney spun at turn two while trying to slide up the inside of Santalucia. Rooney spun, and was then unfortunately collected by Hunter Robb while he tried to recover.

That delivered a second Safety Car, ensuring Bloxsom grabbed his maiden Porsche race win with Lodge second and an outstanding Kmal Mrad – who started 10th – finishing third.

Bewley recovered to fourth and Ryan Casha fifth, while Jacque Jarjo won Pro-Am again ahead of Ramu Farrell, who recovered to second.

The other big story from the race was Round 1 winner Willie Exton, who spun at turn six while side by side with Hunter Robb.

The second race delivered the second championship lead change of the day with Bloxsom moving to the top of the standings for the first time in his career, with Bewley second and Santalucia now third.

The third and final race of the weekend doubles as the second instalment of the Jim Richards Enduro Trophy at Sydney Motorsport Park, to be broadcast live on 7plus.

Tom Bewley snags Sydney night race pole by tiny margin

0.0077 seconds between Kiwi and Lockie Bloxsom in tight Sprint Challenge qualifying

TOM BEWLEY has charged to pole position in the second round of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The Team Porsche NZ / Earl Bamber Motorsport driver’s 1m29.5256s was enough to edge out Lockie Bloxsom for the top spot on the grid, by a tiny 0.0077s, to score his first career pole.

Bewley sits second in the championship following a strong weekend in Round 1 at Phillip Island and will start eight places higher than the series leader Willie Exton in race one on Saturday.

Held in cool and incredibly quick conditions under Sydney Motorsport Park’s stunning lights, Bewley’s lap stands as the Sprint Challenge qualifying record at the Western Sydney circuit, 0.4s quicker than Oscar Targett’s benchmark set in the 2024 season finale’.

Qualifying times ended up being decided by the first of two planned runs from the entire field after the session was red-flagged with five minutes to go following an off from James Lodge – who still ended the session third overall.

Lodge had a left rear wheel issue aboard his #39 entry however will remain third on the grid for race one tomorrow.

The recovery ensured that the session failed to restart, locking in the grid on the basis of their first flying laps recorded earlier in the session.

That ensured Tyler Greenbury was fourth while Jake Santalucia, a winner at Phillip Island, was fifth for Sonic.

Ramu Farrell topped the Pro-Am runners in sixth outright and ended the session less than 0.5 seconds from pole position, while Ryan Casha split Farrell and his nearest rival, Jacque Jarjo, by qualifying seventh.

Round 1 winner Willie Exton ended the session ninth with no chance to improve on his second run, while TekworkX Teammate Jackson Rooney completed the top 10. Just 0.8 seconds split the top nine runners in the session with the top six covered by less than 0.5s.

Andrew Georgiadis was third in Pro-Am and 12th outright, while Daniel Quimby grabbed the Class B pole ahead of Stephen Moylan and David Valeo.

Two races will be held on Saturday at Sydney Motorsport Park, the first at 12:50pm AEST and the second at 17:55pm local time – under lights.

Both races will be broadcast on 7plus while the second race will also be shown live on 7mate tomorrow evening at the Shannons SpeedSeries Sydney GT Festival event.

Sprint Challenge champion to join broadcast in Sydney

Oscar Targett to trade steering wheel for microphone in Sydney

REINGING Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge champion and Porsche Michelin Junior Oscar Targett will experience life on the other side of the microphone this weekend.

The Earl Bamber Motorsport driver will trade helmet for headphones as he joins the Speed Series broadcast team this weekend, calling the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge races alongside long-time Porsche caller Richard Craill.

The 19-year-old from Brisbane will be the first of several Porsche Michelin Juniors to rotate through the commentary box at Sprint Challenge rounds this year in what is a rare opportunity to expose the categories young talent to the media and broadcasting side of the sport.

“It’s something new and exciting for me, but also something I have been wanting to do for a while now,” Targett said.

“I’m looking forward to learning about how another aspect of the sport outside of driving works. I think I’ll be able to add some insight from a drivers perspective on not only how the car drives, but also some of the decisions that drivers make while overtaking or defending.”

As well as working in the commentary box, Targett will remain closely focussed on the performance of his own EBM team via coaching support for their new star rookie – Team Porsche NZ driver Tom Bewley.

The Kiwi started his campaign well at Phillip Island and sits second in the championship behind early leader, Willie Exton.

“I think Tom will be strong based on what we have seen in testing at the circuit, but it’s hard to pick,” Targett said.

“I think Ramu (Farrell) could be one to watch. He was super quick in testing and it can be quite hard to pass at Sydney Motorsport Park so if he qualifies well he will be tough to beat.

“One of the best things about Sprint Challenge is how competitive it is and that’s one of the reasons it is so good preparation for Carrera Cup. I can’t see this weekend being any different.”

Following practice and qualifying on Friday, two races on Saturday will be filled with action – including one under lights on Saturday night broadcast live on 7plus and 7mate.

Sunday’s Jim Richards Enduro encounter completes the weekend and will be shown on 7plus.

Sydney Sprint Challenge show in store as Round two awaits

24 cars ready for second stop in action packed Sprint Challenge tour

THE BATTLE for supremacy in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia will take its second step this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park.

A 24-strong grid will head into battle in a weekend that is set to be highlighted by a Saturday night fight under lights and on free-to-air TV as well.

Young Kiwi stars Willie Exton (TekworkX) and Tom Bewley (Team Porsche NZ / EBM) lead the way into Sydney, the former coming off two race wins at Phillip Island’s season opener.

Bewley’s consistency saw him second for the round while Jake Santalucia – the only one of the three to have raced at the challenging 3.93km circuit before – sits third in points.

The Sonic drivers’ opening round was highlighted by a remarkable charge through the field following a race one off, ultimately claiming his maiden Porsche win in the third race.

In position for a strong result could be Lockie Bloxsom, who scored a trio of fourths at Phillip Island however heads back to Sydney for his second event at the circuit this year.

The Queenslander tackled the opening round of Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia at the venue in late February, an event which included a race under lights on Saturday.

Tyler Greenbury will be another hoping recent Sydney form plays a role this weekend, the former Karting champion-turned team owner having scored his best ever one-make Porsche race finish – second – at SMP in the 2024 season finale’.

The remarkably competitive championship has seen six different drivers finish in the top three of a race already this year.

In Pro-Am, Ramu Farrell leads the standings heading to Sydney, a circuit where he claimed victory in the 2024 finale’.

Lachy Harburg will sit out Round 2 – taking advantage of the Pro-Am ‘drop your worst round’ option – while Damien Flack’s successful comeback at Phillip Island remains a one-time thing at present.

A contender could be Sydneysider Jacque Jarjo; the 2024 Class B champion to make his first Pro-Am start in Sprint Challenge this weekend. Jarjo has also already raced a Porsche at Sydney Motorsport Park this year; claiming a shock race win in the opening Pro-Am battle in Carrera Cup earlier this year.

Class B leader Daniel Quimby mixed it with the outright Pro cars at Phillip Island and will be hoping to do more of the same this weekend, while the class B field is bolstered by the return of Wall Racing’s Brayden Taylor, who will make his first start of the 2025 season.

Two first-time drivers will add their names to the Sprint Challenge record books this weekend with Pro-Am runner Kent Leicester and Harry Walker set to make their respective debuts.

Walker is the grandson of the late Ron Walker, famous for his role in promoting the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. The youngest Walker makes his debut this weekend fresh from GT competition in Europe, where he raced both GT4 and Ferrari Challenge machinery successfully.

Last year in Sydney – the final round of the championship – Oscar Targett sealed his maiden national championship by claiming pole position and the round win, taking two of the three races on offer in the process.

Targett’s 1:29.9823 flyer in qualifying was a Sprint Challenge record in Sydney before he sealed his title with wins in the first two races, the first under lights in front of Ryan Suhle and the second after a race-long Endurance Trophy race battle with Clay Osborne.

Osborne then claimed the finale’ ahead of Tyler Greenbury, who claimed his best ever one-make Porsche race finish in the process.

Following a pair of practice sessions and qualifying on Friday, two races highlight Saturday’s program at the Shannons SpeedSeries event at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Race two on Saturday will be under lights and also broadcast live and free on 7mate, while race one and Sunday’s Jim Richards Endurance Trophy encounter will be streamed live on 7plus.

Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, Round 2 Entry List
Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW

Night racing to highlight Round 2 in Sydney

Prime time Porsche racing set for massive Shannons SpeedSeries Sydney encounter

A SATURDAY night fight under lights will highlight the on-track schedule for Round 2 of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia at Sydney Motorsport Park next week. 

Following practice and then qualifying under lights on Friday, Saturday at the Shannons SpeedSeries event will see a pair of Porsche races with the second to be held under lights in prime time.

The Jim Richards Enduro Trophy race will then cap off a massive weekend just after midday on Sunday.

All three races will be broadcast live and free on 7plus while the Saturday night race will also be live and free to view on 7mate around Australia.

Click here for the full schedule. 

Sprint Challenge is set to be a massive part of a huge event in Sydney next week.

Following an epic opening round to the 2025 season at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Sydney Motorsport Park is up next to experience Shannons SpeedSeries action with the added bonus of racing under lights and multiple public grid walks.

A packed three-day program is headlined by GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS, Monochrome GT4 Australia, Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Australasia, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia and First Focus Radical Cup Australia and fans will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the highly anticipated event.

Featuring more than 26 hours of on-track action from Friday to Sunday, with practice sessions on Friday to occur for all five categories and will be open to the public for free before the racing action begins on Saturday and Sunday.

A mammoth Saturday program is the weekend’s busiest day. Totalling 11 hours, Saturday’s qualifying and race schedule is headlined by three events under lights, with the opening GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS encounter taking centre stage.

The big winners on the Saturday though will be the fans, with multiple opportunities to see the cars up and close and personal as both Monochrome GT4 Australia and GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS hold public grid walks ahead of their races. In addition to the grid walks, attending fans will also be treated to a public Pit Lane walk, where they be able to walk up and down the pit lane.

GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS will also hold a secondary grid walk on Sunday ahead of its second and final outing.

Tickets start at $35 for a single day or $60 for a weekend pass, which entitles free paddock access, a variety of vantage points to spectate, Park and View, the Pit Lane Walk and entry to the popular GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS and Monochrome GT4 Australia grid walks.

Fans unable to attend Shannons SpeedSeries GT Festival Sydney will be able to watch the action on Saturday and Sunday unfold via the Seven Network coverage – Saturday’s 7plus broadcast to be split into two sessions with the first being from 9:20am to 2:30pm and the second being 3:30pm to 9:15pm, while Sunday will run all day from 9am to 4:30pm.

Both Saturday and Sunday will also be shown live on free-to-air television with 7mate’s Saturday coverage occurring from 4:30pm – 7:30pm AEST and Sunday from 2:00pm – 4:30pm.