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.

Exton claims Sprint Challenge opener at Phillip Island

Ramu Farrell claims Pro-Am, Daniel Quimby Class B in opening round of brand-new year

NEW ZEALAND rising star Willie Exton has claimed the opening round of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series in a dramatic weekend’s racing at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit. 

Exton, driving for TekworkX Motorsport, claimed the opening race on Saturday and then Sunday’s opening sprint before a safe seventh in the Jim Richards Enduro Trophy opener on Sunday afternoon ensured he claimed the big trophy in the first of six rounds this year.

He led home fellow Kiwi Tom Bewley and teenager Jake Santalucia in the overall results for Round 1 with three teams represented in the top three, while the round win was the first for the Queensland-based TekworkX squad in Sprint Challenge competition.

After finishing second on Saturday, a pair of victories delivered Ramu Farrell the Pro-Am round win while Daniel Quimby punched well above to claim the Class B round and mix it with the outright contenders in the process.

Exton’s pathway to the round win was aided by a dominant victory in race two on Sunday morning as he led from lights to flag.

The star of that race, however, was Jake Santalucia who charged from 13th on the grid to second in a stirring drive aboard his Sonic Motor Racing entry.

Hunter Robb had led the race early on the opening lap before he ran off the road and spun at turn 12, handing the lead to Exton and dropping back through the field.

Santalucia, meanwhile, carved his way past several rivals with some thrilling racing that included a three-wide battle for the minors on the exit of Siberia mid-race.

Farrell finished an outstanding sixth outright to claim the Pro-Am win while Quimby was ninth and first of the Class B cars.

Race three doubled as the Jim Richards Enduro trophy opener and was held in challenging conditions – an earlier rain shower leaving the track damp but drying for the 45-minute encounter.

With a majority of the field starting on slick Michelin rubber, Santalucia made the best start from the outside of the front row and rocketed to an early lead he would never lose: easing away throughout the race to claim a dominant win – his first in one-make Porsche racing.

His win made him the youngest winner of a one-make Porsche race in Australia since 2018.

Tom Bewley finished second while Ryan Casha was the biggest improver: working his way forward from 11th on the grid to a top three finish in his strongest performance of the weekend.

With Lockie Bloxsom fourth – a position he owned in each race at Phillip Island – fifth went the way of Kamal Mrad, who starred in his Cup Car Engineering entry to cap off a strong debut weekend for the open-wheel graduate.

Tyler Greenbury finished sixth while Exton slipped back as the race progressed however ensured he did enough to seal the round win overall.

James Lodge rebounded from an unfortunate pair of non-finishes in races one and two to claim eighth with Jackson Rooney and Hunter Robb completing the 10.

Farrell claimed the Pro-Am win in the Enduro while Quimby completed his sweep to take Class B.

As a sign of the competitive balance in this year’s championship, the top eight positions overall for the weekend were filled by eight different teams.

With the first round complete, there will be little time for Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia contenders to regroup ahead of the second round of the series at Sydney Motorsport Park in New South Wales.

Running with the Shannons SpeedSeries, the Western Sydney circuit will host round two on May 2-4.

Exton storms to maiden victory in Sprint Challenge opener

Lachy Harburg claims Pro-Am victory in wild 2025 opener

KIWI young gun Willie Exton has charged to a maiden victory on debut in a dramatic opener to the 2025 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series at Phillip Island. 

A topsy-turvy 30-minute opener was filled with excitement as Exton converted pole into a maiden victory – though not without having to work for it first.

Meanwhile, Lachy Harburg claimed his first ever Pro-Am race win and Daniel Quimby opened his account with Class B victory.

Starting from pole, Exton was slower away from the front row and was beaten to turn one by front-row starter Jake Santalucia and Tyler Greenbury, who started from the second row.

There was early drama as Ryan Casha locked his brakes at the hairpin and tumbled down the order, Ramu Farrell another fast starter and leaping to fourth.

The leaders ran close together for the opening laps before Santalucia survived a huge moment at the Hayshed on lap four, running wide before firing across the circuit to the outside of the road at Lukey Heights. The Sonic driver resumed at the back of the field and recovered to 13th position without damage.

That elevated Greenbury to the race lead however his time on point would only last a lap: his Edge Designer Homes car passed by Exton at Turn One on the following lap.

The Kiwi, driving for TekworkX Motorsport, was measured in his performance from there, never headed to deliver a first-up start victory just a few weeks after claiming New Zealand’s GT4 title.

Having run as low as sixth position on the opening lap, Jones Motorsport’s Hunter Robb was a late charger, taking advantage of a last-lap mishap for Tom Bewley to grab second position, with Greenbury third.

Lockie Bloxsom finished a stout fourth, having been relegated to the back of the top-10 in qualifying following an impeding penalty.

With Bewley fifth, Kamal Mrad was a quiet achiever on his debut to finish sixth outright for Cup Car Engineering, while Casha recovered to seventh following his lap one mishap.

Eighth was an elated Lachy Harburg, who claimed a long-awaited maiden Pro-Am class win after a late-race incident dropped early class leader Ramu Farrell down the order.

Farrell and James Lodge were caught up at Turn four which allowed the EBM / The Cover Shop entry past and while Farrell closed rapidly in the closing laps as he recovered, Harburg was able to hold on and claim the class win.

With Farrell ninth, Daniel Quimby completed a strong debut performance for the Cup Car Engineering team to finish 10th outright and first in Class B.

Two races complete the opening Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia round on Sunday at Phillip Island, with both broadcast on 7plus and the third and final race – the opening encounter for the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy – also live on 7mate.

Competitive times ahead following Sprint Challenge opening day

Pro-Am contender Ramu Farrell surprise pacesetter in Friday practice

THE BRAND-NEW Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia season has launched in competitive style at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Victoria. 

A pair of 30-minute practice sessions set the tone for a competitive new season that begins with a 23-strong grid assembled at the Shannons SpeedSeries this weekend.

RESULTS: Practice at Phillip Island

Pro-Am contender Ramu Farrell was the surprise pacesetter today, his Jones Motorsport Rennauto entry topping the charts in both sessions outright.

His 1m30.2605s best set in practice two stands as the quickest time of the day and saw him leading Pro pacesetter Jake Santalucia on combined times today.

Santalucia’s Dexion-backed Sonic Motor Racing entry was followed by the lead TekworkX car of Kiwi star Willie Exton, fresh from winning the New Zealand GT4 title recently.

Fellow Kiwi Tom Bewley ended the day in fourth aboard his Team Porsche NZ entry with the top three Pro class cars covered by just two-tenths of a second.

McElrea Racing’s Lockie Bloxsom was fifth today, commencing the third of his 14 one-make Porsche events this year in a double-duties campaign between Sprint Challenge and Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia.

DNA Autosport’s Ryan Casha was sixth, the TCR Australia race winner adapting to Porsche power quickly with his Sydney-based team, while Ashley Seward Motorsport’s James Lodge – another Toyota GR Cup graduate – made it seven teams in the top seven today.

An outstanding comeback from Damien Flack saw him second in Pro-Am today and eighth outright, while Kamal Mrad made his Porsche debut in style with 9th outright for Cup Car Engineering. Defending Pro-Am champion Lachlan Harburg completed the top-10 overall today. Daniel Quimby was quickest of the Class B runners and 14th outright.

The opening round of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia continues tomorrow with qualifying and the opening race of the championship.

Both sessions will be broadcast live on 7plus throughout the day, with race one also shown on 7mate.

Talent-stacked field to contest Michelin Sprint Challenge opener

Juniors, Pro-Am and Class B contenders stack up for opening round of new year

A SPECTACUALR start to a new Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia season is in store following confirmation of an outstanding grid for the opening round at Phillip Island this week. 

The 23-strong field will once again see a mixture of up-and-coming young Porsche Michelin Junior drivers, more experienced Professionals and Pro-Am / Class B competitors looking to claim their own titles this year.

13 cars are entered in the Professional class, 11 of them current Porsche Michelin Junior drivers.

Tom Bewley makes his debut as the official Team Porsche NZ representative, following in the footsteps of Ryan Wood, Callum Hedge, Marco Giltrap and Brock Gilchrist in the program’s fifth year.

His signing comes as Earl Bamber Motorsport look to win a third consecutive Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge title, a feat only achieved once before in series history.

Tyler Greenbury Racing expands to a pair of entries for the first time, the karting ace himself to be joined by young-gun Lincoln Evans, a Ferrari young driver academy member.

TekworkX Motorsport will field a pair of young chargers from New Zealand in the form of current New Zealand GT4 Champion Willie Exton and 19-year-old Toyota 86 series graduate and multiple Australian and NZ Karting champion, Jackson Rooney.

Another New Zealander, Hunter Robb, will contest a full season with Jones Motorsport, the team led by reigning Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia champion, Harri Jones.

DNA Autosport will field former TCR Australia winner Ryan Casha in a continuation of their GR Cup relationship, while Lachlan Bloxsom will create his own piece of Porsche history by doubling up his Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup campaign with a full season in Michelin Sprint Challenge as well. As he is in Carrera Cup, Bloxsom will be fielded by McElrea Racing.

Auticon-backed Ben Taylor shifts to Wall Racing for his second Sprint Challenge season, while new team Cup Car engineering will sport two entries having locked in US F4 champion Daniel Quimby and another Formula 4 graduate in the form of Sydney-based driver, Kamal Mrad.

Multiple Sprint Challenge champions Sonic Motor Racing return for another tilt this year, second-year driver Jake Santalucia returning for his second Sprint Challenge season. The Formula Ford graduate returns following six top-five finishes in his rookie season, including a best of a runner-up finish at The Bend.

Completing the Pro mix will be Ashley Seward Motorsport, who have secured Toyota GR Cup series runner-up James Lodge to pilot their #39 entry this year.

The Pro-Am fight is set to be fiercely competitive once again with defending champion Lachlan Harburg returning to defend his title in his The Cover Shop / EBM entry.

Harburg, who will have reigning Sprint Challenge Champion Oscar Targett on the headset from pit lane this weekend, will seek a maiden Pro-Am race win this year having claiming the 2024 title without winning a race in an incredibly consistent performance.

He is likely to be challenged by the very quick Ramu Farrell – who won six races in 2024 – while a Phillip Island wildcard could be Damien Flack, who makes his first Porsche one-make start since the 2014 Carrera Cup Australia Championship season.

The father of Carrera Cup Michelin Junior Marcos, Damien will return to Sonic Motor Racing in a Phillip Island one-off next week.

The Pro-Am field will add to its depth by including PSCA regulars David Grieg, John Papantoniou, Indiran Padayachee and Eric Constantinidis.

In Class B, Daniel Quimby is expected to be the man to beat, however newcomer David Valeo and 2024 Porsche Sprint Challenge Michelin Sportsperson of the year Stephen Moylan will be in the mix, running the previous-generation 991.1 GT3 Cup Cars.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia field will contest three races across the Phillip Island weekend running alongside the Shannons SpeedSeries.

Following a pair of practice sessions on Friday, qualifying will be held on Saturday morning with the opening race later that afternoon.

Two further races will be held on Sunday to complete the opening round, with both the Saturday and Sunday action to be broadcast live on 7+ and 7mate this weekend.

Michelin Sprint Challenge has developed since its 2008 foundation to become one of Australia’s premier development categories, for both Professional and Pro-Am drivers and teams.

12 of the 18 Professionals in this year’s Porsche Carrera Cup championship are Sprint Challenge graduates, as are seven in the Pro-Am class.

Meanwhile, existing Sprint Challenge teams Jones Motorsport and DNA Autosport became race winners in Carrera Cup on stepping up for the first time this year.

ENTRY LIST
Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia, Round 1.

James Lodge makes step up to Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge

New Michelin Junior another to graduate to Sprint Challenge ranks

Toyota GAZOO Racing Australia GR Cup race winner James Lodge will make the next progression in his racing career by driving in Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge for Ashley Seward Motorsport, starting at Phillip Island this weekend.

Lodge, 19, proved a standout in last year’s TGRA GR Cup achieving four victories, nine podiums, a pair of pole positions and three fastest laps in a standout year, and will now progress through the ASM pathway into Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge.

The second-tier Porsche category in Australia is renowned as a key developer of talent by providing the launch pad to careers in GT racing overseas, Carrera Cup and even Supercars.

As part of the deal, Lodge will be inducted into the Michelin Junior Program where he will benefit from tuition and experiences to fast track his career.

Ashley Seward Motorsport is vastly experienced in the category having supported many drivers efforts during the past decade.

Lodge and Ashley Seward Motorsport will begin their Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge campaign at Phillip Island at the Shannons SpeedSeries, starting this Friday.

“I’m very excited to be rejoining ASM in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge,” said Lodge.

“It will be a new challenge, compared to 86, but I’m prepared for it and I know I have the team to get the results that we are looking for.

“The Porsche is certainly a lot faster than the 86, but it’s a pleasure to drive. I’ve enjoyed the two test days that we’ve had and I can’t wait to get to Phillip Island for the first round.

“Last year was a really strong season. We expected to do another year in the 86s, but after having so much success, we needed to take the step up. And Porsche was the logical progression for my career.

“It’s going to be a challenge to step up like this. I don’t want to set expectations too high, so I’ll just take it a step at a time and see what happens at Phillip Island.”

Jackson Rooney Joins Sprint Challenge Field with TekworkX Motorsport

Rooney will join fellow Kiwi William Exton to form a two-car line-up for the opening round of the season at the multiple-race winning squad.

New Zealander Jackson Rooney will make his Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia debut at Phillip Island next weekend with TekworkX Motorsport.

Rooney will join fellow Kiwi William Exton to form a two-car line-up for the opening round of the season at the multiple-race winning squad.

The 21-year-old has an extensive racing background, competing in karting since the age of just seven. After numerous titles throughout New Zealand, Rooney made his car racing debut in the 2024 NZ Toyota 86 Championship.

Rooney immediately excelled in the category, blazing his way to five race wins and eight podiums, netting the rookie fourth in the points standings. 2024 also saw Rooney make his debut in Australian car racing, contesting a round of the Monochrome GT4 Australia Series alongside Tony Quinn at The Bend Motorsport Park.

Phillip Island will mark the first time TekworkX has fielded multiple Pro-Class cars in the category since 2023, when the team clean swept three of the final four rounds.

Round one of the 2025 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series takes place from April 4-6 at Phillip Island, as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries.

Jackson Rooney

“I don’t really know what to expect, it’s going to be a big learning curve, but I can’t wait to hit the track with TekworkX.

“I haven’t driven a car like this before, so our goal is just to learn as much as we can at Phillip Island. There are a few drivers in the field who have done a lot of testing, and we’ll be on track on Thursday for the first time. From what I’ve seen it’s definitely a fun track, lots of high-speed corners to test the limits.

“William and I grew up karting together, and we were actually teammates in the Toyota 86 last year so I’m looking forward to teaming up with him again.

Rob Woods

“I had been in discussions with Jackson last year and we met at Hampton Downs earlier this year when we ran Zoe in the GT4. Since then, there have been further discussions and from there, I left Jackson to put together the budget to run with TekworkX in 2025.

“I know it hasn’t been ideal for him to get the budget together and it being so late prior to Round 1, but it was finalised only this Monday while we were testing at Phillip Island, some 10 days prior to round one.

“Jackson comes with obviously a very good karting career and achievements. His season in 2024 in Toyota 86s in NZ and his results as well were very impressive. For us as a team, we really want Jackson to improve session by session over the weekend at Phillip Island and not put any pressure on himself for results as he learns these cars.”

US F4 Champion to join Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia

International F4 champion to join Porsche Sprint Challenge

2024 US F4 Champion Daniel Quimby has signed with Andy Hall’s Cup Car Engineering for his rookie campaign in Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Class B.

Quimby has been racing since the age of 10 in National Karting series around Australia, highlighted with a move to the US last year and winning the US F4 Championship in his debut year.

Quimby, is also the youngest ever US Formula Pro Winter series champion at the age of 14 years old, racing on the west coast of America in 2023.

Returning home he has his sights set on making his mark in the Porsche championship starting off in Class B with a move to the Pro class in 2026.

“I’m really looking forward to racing this year in the Porsche, I know I wont be able to compete fully with the guys in the faster cars, but I will be trying to put myself in amongst them.

“I still have racing commitments in the US this year, with a scholarship drive for winning the F4 championship, so I will be flying in and out of Australia this year” concluded Quimby.

Cup Car Engineering lead by Porsche guru Andy Hall will be helping Quimby with car preparation and track support this year from their Melbourne Based workshop.

“I have had the privilege of racing with Daniel in 2024 at the last round of Sprint Challenge and I have been massively impressed by his ability to drive the Porsche. said Hall.

The 2025 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season gets underway at Phillip Island from April 4-6 – the first of a six-round calendar that also sees the category race in Sydney, Queensland, Townsville, Tailem Bend and Sandown.