Wood steals pole with last-lap flyer; Shahin, Carr grab class poles

RYAN WOOD has sensationally stolen pole position for round 2 of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series, a one-lap flyer at the end of the session enough to put the young Kiwi on top at Queensland Raceway. 

A late red flag in the 20-minute qualifying session – held in near-night conditions at the Ipswich circuit – set up a one-lap dash to decide the top spot with Thomas Sargent holding sway by less than 0.1 seconds as cars returned to the track.

While Sargent, who finished second in the opening round of the series in Sydney, was unable to improve, Round 1 winner Wood did and turned an 0.03s deficit into a 0.06s advantage to secure back-to-back pole positions.

Sargent will start race one from second on the grid alongside the young Kiwi star, as he did at Round 1, having not been able to improve on his final flying lap.

Lachlan Bloxom qualified third, just 0.3 seconds behind the duelling pair on the front row, while Sam Shahin was fourth outright and first of the Morris Pro-Am runners.

Madeline Stewart qualified fifth in a personal-best effort from the Gold Coast-based New Zealander while Brett Boulton was sixth and second in Morris Pro-Am.

The top-10 was completed by Jason Miller, Aaron Shields, Tom Taplin – who has shifted into the Pro class commencing at this weekend’s Queensland round – and newcomer Brad Carr.

Missing out on the first five rows was Sonic Racing’s Courtney Prince. After finishing on the podium in the opening round in Sydney, Prince qualified 12th in Queensland, with Harrison Goodman in between the Victorian driver and a spot in the Top-10.

Carr, an experienced Production Car competitor, is making his debut in Michelin Sprint Challenge competition this weekend and as well as qualifying 10th outright, topped the Class B leaderboard for previous-generation cars as well.

Fellow rookie Tom McLennan was second in class and 15th outright on his series’ debut.

Earlier in the day, Thomas Sargent topped the leaderboard across a pair of practice sessions, his 1m10.4880s flyer well beneath the existing Queensland Raceway lap record for the category.

Lachlan Bloxom and Courtney Prince were next, with Round 1 winner Ryan Wood fourth.

Brett Boulton was quckest in Morris Pro-Am ahead of Sam Shahin, while newcomer Tom McLennan topped Class B.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia field returns for two races tomorrow, both to be broadcast live on Stan Sports.

Race 1 ( 14 Laps ) commences at 11:15am while Race 2 – another sprint – starts at 2:10pm.

The 40-minute Jim Richards’ Enduro Trophy race concludes the weekend on Sunday morning.

QUOTES:

Ryan Wood, Fastest Pro

“Yes, it was pretty stressful there with the rain coming down, but the boys made the right call to put me straight through into the pit lane, so kudos to them. Because then I had a clear track to punch on and get that fast lap. Tom’s been the quickest car all day, so overnight we should just have a look at the data and myself, as I’ve struggled a bit earlier today.”

Sam Shahin, Morris Pro-Am

“It has been a tricky day acclimatising again to the 991 GT3 Cup car, it really does behave differntly and it makes its speed in very different places and parts of the corner to the 992. The qualifying lap was a good one, it was just getting greasy with the light rain falling, it’s a shame that the red flag came right on my money lap. I chose not to go out again, which was a little risky, but I wanted to save the tyre and live to fight another day.”

Bradley Carr, Class B

“Pretty happy with the lap we were sitting it out there with the Michelin wets ready to go, there were a few spots on the windshield. But I got out there and got held up on my first flyer which is a bit of a shame. Our game plan was to be on it straight away, so only had one go at it and had to come in and went out for another go.  But by then it was a bit wet out there, so we came in and parked it. But all in all, it ended up a pretty good lap in the end.”

Autohouse Racing and Lachlan Harburg to Continue Porsche Family Dynasty

Harburg steps up to Porsche National Series with McElrea Racing

Lachlan Harburg steps up to Porsche National Series with McElrea Racing at Queensland Raceway

Round 2 of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia at Queensland Raceway this weekend will feature a name that dates back to the pioneering days of the Australian Porsche Cup in the early 1990’s.

Lachlan Harburg will be making his debut in the Autohouse Racing 991.1 Generation 911 GT3 Cup Car in the contest for Class B honours. Harburg has been learning his graft in older 997-Generation machinery in State-level competition over the last few years, and now stepping up into an ex-McElrea Racing 991 Generation machine.

Lachlan is son of long-time Porsche campaigner Peter Harburg, who was one of the founding competitors in the Australian Porsche Cup in the early 1990s, and went onto have a tenure in the series for over a decade.

Lachlan Harburg: “Having the privilege of making my debut in a National-level Porsche Racing Series means an awful lot to me. I grew up running around Australian Racing Circuits in the 1990s when my Dad was competing in Porsche Cup, which laid the foundation for Carrera Cup as we know it today. Needless to say Porsche Motorsport has been in the blood since the very early days, and I honestly can’t ever see myself racing anything else.”

“Competing in this series was always a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’, so to finally put a program together where we can be a part of it is absolutely surreal. I’m under no illusion as to how competitive this field is, so this weekend is being treated purely as a steep learning curve for me and our very humble operation. I’ve been working with (Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship Leader) Harri Jones in recent months which has been hugely beneficial for find lap time, as well as understanding a more comprehensive approach to driving a race car. To be able to integrate my passion of Motorsport into my Automotive Businesses of The Autohouse (Car Storage) and The Cover Shop (Automotive Cover Specialist) is a massive win, as the Motorsport market is a vital one for both of our operations. I’m absolutely pumped to roll out with a very healthy field of Porsches on Friday morning.”

Following two practice sessions and a qualifying on Friday, both Saturday’s two 14 lap Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge sprint races and Sunday’s 45-minute Enduro will be broadcast LIVE on Stan Sport.

For race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

BROADCAST SCHEDULE: Stan Sport

Saturday 6 August
11:15-11:35 Race 1 (14 laps)
14:10-14:30 Race 2 (14 laps)

Sunday
11:10-11:55 Race 3 (35 laps)

Largest Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge field ever at Queensland Raceway

Thomas Sargent and Ryan Wood to resume battle in Round 2 at revamped QR

Thomas Sargent and Ryan Wood to resume battle in Round 2 at revamped QR

The newly revamped Queensland Raceway Circuit near Ipswich, is set to host the largest Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge field ever at the Queensland venue (27 cars), the previous being a field of 23 Porsches back in 2015.

The huge 27-car field is due in part to eleven new drivers making their debut in the series in Sydney for the opening round of the championship. Round 1 marked the most first-time racers in any one round of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge in the last decade of competition.

Included in that list of starters were six drivers in the Pro class, two in Morris Pro-Am and three in Class B including: Thomas Sargent, Lachlan Bloxsom, Ryan Wood, Jason Miller, Harrison Goodman, Aron Shields (All pro), Christian Fitzgerald, Emanuel Mezzasalma (Morris Pro-Am) and Jacob Li Nathan Sticklen and Gerard Murphy in Class B.

Added to that list in Queensland Raceway for Round 2 will be Pro-Am Eric Constatinis in 991 Gen II car as well as Tom McLennan, experienced Production Car racer Bradley Carr and Lachlan Harburg, who will all run previous-gen 991.1 cars in Class B. Lachlan Harburg is the son of Peter, a well-known Porsche racer from Queensland who’s competition history dates back to the original Porsche Cup days. Apart from the series’ inaugural year, 15 debutants in a single season is the most in series history.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia last raced at Queensland Raceway in 2019, with the eventual champion, Harri Jones, claiming the round by virtue of a second and two race victories across the weekend. Jones would eventually win the round over Christian Pancione and Aaron Love, who was third, with Max Vidau fourth. Christian Pancione (set a lap record 1m10.0536s) scored his first pole positionwhile Max Vidau (Sonic) won the opening race.

Another home-town hero, Brett Boulton, won the Morris Pro-Am class over Sam Shahin giving McElrea Racing double victories. Boulton won the first two races, Shahin the third. In class B the always entertaining battle between Andrew Goldie and David Greig ended up in a tiebreak, decided by virtue of Goldie claiming the final of three races.

The opening round of the 2022 championship in Sydney in May was a thriller with young guns Ryan Wood and Thomas Sargent going head-to-head across the three races. Wood leads the Pro Championship heading into Round 2, with Sargent just behind.

Fresh off his Round 5 victory in Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia at The Bend Motorsport Park last weekend, Sam Shahin leads the Sprint Challenge Morris Pro-Am standings, while Tom Taplin heads the field in Class B and remains the man to beat into Round 2.

While Wood and Sargent will have the likes of Courtney Prince and Jason Miller in the hunt for podium spots in Pro, in the Morris Pro-Am class Shahin will likely come under fire from Boulton, Goldie and as well as Carrera Cup regulars Indiran Padayachee and Scott Taylor.

Sonic Motor Racing have the most wins at the venue (3), closely followed by rivals and local team McElrea (2). What is more telling is that in the last five visits to the circuit the Queensland Raceway round winner has gone on to win the championship. All eyes will be on the 2022 battle to see whether history will repeat itself.

Following two practice sessions and a qualifying on Friday, both Saturday’s two 14 lap sprint races and Sunday’s 45-minute Enduro will be broadcast LIVE on Stan Sport.

For race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, Round 2, Queensland Raceway
ENTRY LIST:

# Name Surname Class Sponsor
2 Richard Cowen Pro-Am McElrea Racing
5 Nathan Murray Pro-Am Garage 1
8 Madeline Stewart Pro Bullrush Rally / EBM
11 Eric Constantinidis Pro-Am Our Kloud / Up to 11 Motorsport
13 Sam Shahin Pro-Am The Bend / OTR
22 Andrew Goldie Pro-Am Cirrus Aircraft
23 Lachlan Bloxsom Pro McElrea Racing
26 Tom Taplin Class B Taplin Real Estate
29 Rob Woods Pro-Am TekworkX Motorsport
32 Courtney Prince Pro Sonic Motor Racing / Local Legends
34 Nathan Sticklen Class B TekworkX Motorsport
35 Indiran Padayachee Pro-Am Hyundai Forklifts
40 Ryan Wood Pro Team Porsche NZ/ EBM
47 Thomas Sargent Pro Tegra Australia
58 Gerard Murphy Class B Australia Zoo / Wildlife Warriors
59 Jason Miller Pro Stokes Skis Australia
81 Tom McLennan Class B Tom McLennan
84 Brett Boulton Pro-Am Bold Living
85 Bradley Carr Class B Car Mods Australia
87 David Greig Pro-Am DW Motorsport
88 Harrison Goodman Pro Bob Jane T-Marts / True Grid
91 Lachlan Harburg Class B Autohouse Racing
99 Ross McGregor Pro-Am Southern Star Windows
116 Aron Shields Pro McElrea Racing
131 Graham Williams Pro-Am Sonic Motor Racing / WRA
222 Scott Taylor Pro-Am Scott Taylor Motorsport
266 Jacob Li Class B ASM / Mars Performance

BROADCAST SCHEDULE: Stan Sport
Saturday 6 August
11:15-11:35 Race 1 (14 laps)
14:10-14:30 Race 2 (14 laps)

Sunday
11:10-11:55 Race 3 (35 laps)

Round winners at Queensland Raceway
2019: Harri Jones (McElrea Racing) (Pole: Pancione. Race winners: Vidau, Jones, Jones)
2018: Simon Fallon (Sonic) (Pole: Cooper Murray. Race winners: Murray, Fallon, Fallon)
2017: Jordan Love (Sonic) (Pole: Jordan Love. Race winners: Jordan Love x3)
2016: Jaxon Evans (McElrea Racing) (Pole: Jaxon Evans. Race winners: Jaxon Evans x3)

Campbell confirmed as driver for Porsche Penske Motorsport as new Porsche 963 prototype is unveiled

Porsche 963 prototype unveiled at Goodwood Festival of Speed

• Porsche Penske Motorsport fields two cars each in world’s greatest endurance series
• Design of the new Porsche 963 hails from the victorious 956 and 962 classics
• Experienced works drivers and accomplished sportscar champions behind the wheel

Australian driver Matt Campbell has been announced as a factory driver for the new Porsche Penske Motorsport operation, as the new Porsche 963 prototype was unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.

Stuttgart/Goodwood/Australia. Campbell, Porsche Penske Motorsport and the Porsche 963 will compete for overall victories in the world’s greatest endurance races.

It continues the meteoric rise for the 27-year-old from Warwick in Queensland, who has risen through the ranks of Porsche’s driver development program.

Campbell won the Carrera Cup Australia title in 2016, the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2019 and already has class wins to his credit in some of the world’s biggest sportscar races aboard GT class Porsches. Campbell will now step up to prototype sportscars and compete for outright honours.

Introducing the Porsche 963

From 2023, two hybrid LMDh-specification prototypes will be fielded by Porsche Penske Motorsport in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The 963 was unveiled today at Goodwood in England and wears the typical Porsche motor racing colours: white, red and black.

In the cockpits of the 500 kW (680 PS) racers, experienced and championship winning prototype drivers are paired with seasoned specialists from Porsche’s works driver squad. Porsche Penske Motorsport prepares for these missions at two locations: The branch in Mannheim, Germany is responsible for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship vehicles prepared in Mooresville, North Carolina, USA.

“After 7,889 test kilometres during the first half of 2022, we’re on a very good path but there is still work to be done before the start of next season,” said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Motorsport, Porsche AG.

“Our new Porsche 963 should continue the legacy of legendary models such as the 917, 935, 956, 962 and the 919 Hybrid. I’m positive that we’ll be well-positioned when it comes to technology and we’ve also created the relevant team structures to set us up for wins in the thrilling competition between many manufacturers and different concepts.”

The official race debut of the Porsche 963 is planned to take place in January 2023 at the 24 Hours of Daytona in the USA. In the meantime, the FIA WEC has opened the door for testing as part of the upcoming world championship races this year. Porsche Penske Motorsport is aiming for a non-competitive dress rehearsal at the final round of the season in Bahrain this November.

“Over the past few months, our people at Porsche Motorsport and Team Penske have grown into an efficient and committed squad – the Porsche Penske Motorsport Team,” said Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh., Porsche AG.

“We’ll have powerful driver crews in the four factory cars. The collaboration with our long-standing tyre partner Michelin and the chassis manufacturer Multimatic works flawlessly. The Porsche 963 should be homologated this autumn. Until then, we want to make further progress with test drives and gain additional insights. We can hardly wait for our first outing.”

The drivers selected for the races in the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship include the experienced works drivers Kévin Estre (France), Michael Christensen (Denmark), André Lotterer (Germany), Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium), Matt Campbell (Australia), Mathieu Jaminet (France) as well as the accomplished sportscar drivers Dane Cameron (USA) and Felipe Nasr (Brazil). In the initial development phase, Frédéric Makowiecki played a key role: during the rollout at Weissach in January, the Frenchman drove the first metres in the Porsche 963 and also turned the first laps in the simulator. Other driver announcements, including those for the endurance races at Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta (Petit Le Mans), will be made at a later date.

Porsche Penske Motorsport prepares a total of four 963 for the world’s most important sports car races at its bases in Mooresville (North Carolina) and Mannheim (Germany). The WEC facility in Germany’s Baden-Württemberg is a former Porsche Centre of Penske Automotive, built to state-of-the-art standards. The exchange of data between the three high-tech centres of Porsche Penske Motorsport occurs almost in real-time. The WEC team will move into the Mannheim premises this autumn.

Jonathan Diuguid is the Managing Director of Porsche Penske Motorsport: “Expectations are extremely high,” acknowledges the American. “Not only from the public but also from Porsche and Team Penske, who have written great motorsport chapters together in the past.” Diuguid and Travis Law (Competition Director) will guide the global Porsche Penske Motorsport Team, with direct oversight and management of both the FIA WEC and IMSA programs. Daily operations of the FIA WEC team will be led by Bernhard Demmer (General Manager) and Francis Schammo (Team Manager). Joel Svensson (Team Manager) will be responsible in the IMSA championship in North America.

In compliance with the LMDh regulations, the Porsche 963 is based on an LMP2-category chassis. This newly developed vehicle chassis is supplied by the Canadian high-tech company Multimatic. Bosch, Williams Advanced Engineering and Xtrac contribute the standard hybrid components. At the heart of the powertrain lies a 4.6-litre V8 Biturbo. The engine is based on the high-performance 918 Spyder hybrid sports car. Its DNA goes back to the RS Spyder racing car, with which Porsche and Team Penske notched up many victories between 2005 and 2008. The design of the new Porsche 963 hails from the victorious 956 and 962 classics from the 1980s. A continuous strip of lighting at the rear echoes the distinctive feature of the latest 992-generation 911. The white-red-black vehicle design is a salute to Porsche’s successful racing cars. And another tradition lives on: The new Porsche 963 will be available to customers from the first year of competition. The first Porsche customer teams will already communicate their program in the next few days.

For its envisaged campaign in the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSA) – the world’s two most long-distance racing series including the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Daytona 24 Hours and the 12 Hours of Sebring classics – Porsche Penske Motorsport joins forces with strong and proven partners. The tyre manufacturer Michelin continues its close alliance, as does ExxonMobil with its Mobil1 brand. In addition to the software specialist Ansys, which supports the global team with cutting-edge simulation solutions as the official technology partner, the Penske Corporation, which will highlight a number of subsidiaries and brands, is also on board as an official partner. With its expertise in development and engineering, Multimatic joins the project as a technology partner. The luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer also joins the global team as the official timing partner of the Porsche Penske Motorsport team. The fashion brand Hugo Boss as the team’s clothing partner and outfitter as well as the sports lifestyle company Puma as the technical partner for fireproof race clothing complete the portfolio of top-level partnerships of Porsche Penske Motorsport.

Further information, film and photo material in the Porsche Newsroom: newsroom.porsche.com.au. The Twitter channel @PorscheRaces provides live updates from Porsche Motorsport with the latest information and photos from racetracks around the world.

Sargent claims final race as Wood takes season opener

Sam Shahin claims Morris Finance Pro-Am win, Tom Taplin Class B in Sydney

Michelin Junior Thomas Sargent claimed his first race win in the 2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series at Sydney Motorsport Park, while a second for fellow Michelin Junior Ryan Wood was enough for the young New Zealander to clinch his maiden round win.

Sam Shahin won race three and the round in Morris Finance Pro-Am while Tom Taplin took a clean sweep of race wins in Class B.

In what was a repeat of the first two races, Sargent got the better of Wood off the start line, while Sonic Motor Racing’s Courtney Prince slotted into second after starting third.

Sargent slowly had the better of Prince and Wood and built up a 1.8 second lead by lap eight.

Wood pressured Prince into a slight mistake at turn two – the pair ran deep under brakes, Prince ran wide while Wood snuck down the inside while going wide himself.

The margin to Sargent blew out to 2.8 seconds as the young Tegra Australia driver clinched the win and second for the round.

Wood was second but had enough points in hand to secure the round, while Prince was third in the race and round.

Shahin was forced to work for his win in Morris Finance Pro-Am – he started second in class behind Boulton.

Shahin struggled in the opening laps, falling behind Christian Fitzgerald and Andrew Goldie to be sitting in fourth after lap two.

He slowly made his way back towards the front to be in behind Boulton by lap five.

Shahin had a run on Boulton down the main straight and into turn one on lap six – he got down the inside and made the decisive move.

From that point on, Shahin pulled clear to clinch his second win of the weekend in Morris Finance Pro-Am, and the round by one point.

Boulton was second for the race and the round while Fitzgerald crossed the line in third.

A fourth for Goldie was enough for him to be third for the round in Pro-Am.

In Class B, Taplin was mixing it with some of the leading contenders in Pro-Am – he would go on to finish ninth overall in the race while claiming the race and round win for Class B.

A second for Gerard Murphy was enough for him to leapfrog Jacob Li into second for the round, after the latter finished fourth in the final race behind Jonathan Gliksten.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series heads to Phillip Island next for round two, with the Motorsport Australia Championships event to be held between June 24-26.

QUOTES:

Ryan Wood, Pro Round 1 winner 

“Getting the round win this weekend was really exciting achievement for myself and the team, to turn up and to beat Tom Sargent – when everyone knew he would be the title contender – here at Round 1 and I can’t thank the team enough. Putting it on pole was a really positive for the weekend, as was the passing races 1 and 2 especially to get him on the last lap was great. I haven’t raced in 10 months, so to get this result was awesome and again kudos to the Team Porsche New Zealand for backing me and giving me this opportunity and I want to say a massive thanks to Ben Jenkins my engineer and the whole EBM team.”

Sam Shahin, Morris Finance Pro Am Round winner

“I feel ecstatic, getting back into a 991 Gen 1 car, it’s a very different car to the 992 and it took a bit of driving to get back used to it, but absolutely thrilled to mix it with these guys. Race 1 went to plan, Race 2 not so well, and I had first stall of my life off the grid that was an absolute lesson on how to not do it, but I did it the hard way and got myself into gear and the end result was good.”

Tom Taplin, Class B round winner

“It feels great to win the round and have clean races all weekend. There’s few areas for me to improve on going into Phillip Island. I need to familiarise myself with the starts and when you get down into the tenths the driving technique is really important and remembering to do the basics well, slow on entry, fast on exit.”

Wood claims thrilling opening day of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge

Shahin, Boulton share the honours in Morris Finance Pro-Am

Porsche Michelin Junior Ryan Wood has taken out a thrilling pair of victories in the opening round of the 2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series at Sydney Motorsport Park, capping off a remarkable day for the young New Zealander.

Brett Boulton and Sam Shahin shared the wins in the Morris Finance Pro-Am class after great battles in both races, while Tom Taplin dominated the two races in Class B.

Wood passed and edged away from polesitter Tom Sargent in the season-opening Jim Richards Enduro Trophy race that kicked off proceedings, however it was his race two victory that was the undisputed highlight of the day.

Tegra Australia’s Tom Sargent bolted from second in race two and led in the run to turn one, while fellow Michelin Junior Courtney Prince vaulted from third up to second.

After starting from pole, Wood dropped back to third before quickly getting by Prince.

The Team Porsche NZ / EBM driver then went after Sargent in what turned out to be a brilliant battle for the top spot.

Wood was applying the pressure as Sargent locked up his left front tyre on two occasions into turn six.

Wood pestered Sargent on the last lap and gathered an overlap coming out of the last turn.

Sargent was hung out wide as the pair went either side of lap traffic – Sargent had to take to the grass, while Wood drove down the inside of the track and snatched away the lead in the run to the line.

Wood claimed the win by 1.2 seconds while it was a case of wrong place, wrong time for Sargent who crossed the line second.

Prince finished third followed by Jason Miller and Aron Shields to complete the top five.

Boulton held off Shahin after a race long battle for Morris Finance Pro-Am class honours.

Shahin started one row higher than Boulton, but it was Boulton who would later gain track position.

Shahin was sideways at one point coming off the back of Corporate Hill, but didn’t have the pace to get by Boulton who claimed victory by 0.8 seconds.

Andrew Goldie was third as Christian Fitzgerald and Indiran Padayachee completed the top five.

Despite almost going off at turn two during the middle portion of the race, Tom Taplin finished 11^th outright and winner in the Class B field.

Race one doubled as the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy over 24-laps.

Just like the later race, Wood started off pole but Sargent got the better traction off the start line and led the field through turn one.

Lachlan Bloxsom jumped to third after starting fourth while Prince was the biggest mover off the line, going from ninth to fourth.

Sargent and Wood cleared out from the rest of the field, building an eight second margin.

The field was brought under the control of the safety car on lap 12 when Bloxsom went off at turn three and was stuck in the sand trap.

Wood capitalised on the safety car restart on cold tyres Michelin tyres and ran around the outside of Sargent through turn four before he finally cleared Sargent off turn five.

Further back Maddie Stewart was running in sixth before she was turned around at turn four, dropping back to 17^th by races end.

Wood proved to be too strong, claiming the win by five seconds. Sargent held off Prince in the battle for second while Shields and Miller completed the top five.

Having earlier qualified third outright and starting as first in his class, Shahin held track position over his rivals in in Morris Finance Pro-Am.

He would go on to win in class by five seconds over Boulton. Goldie was third followed by Padayachee and Fitzgerald completing the top five.

Taplin proved to be too strong in Class B, going on to win from pole. Jacob Li was second as Gerard Murphy finished third.

The field return for one final race on Sunday at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Race three will be run over 11-laps at 12:40pm AEST and will be shown live on Stan Sport.

QUOTES:

Ryan Wood, Race 2 Pro winner

“I had to really work for that one, that start was terrible again, I need to tune that up. I’m just really, really appreciative. Tom made a few little mistakes and that last lap was so hectic I’ve never been in something like that before and he got really unlucky with the lapped car. It is a shame for him, but that’s what we expected today with such a wide spread of times throughout the grid. Really stoked to take another win and it was a really good battle.”

Tom Sargent, Race 2 Pro 2^nd place

“Second place is awesome, great bunch of points, would have liked to have got first, but I had it all race and lost it on the last corner with lapped traffic, but those things happen and I definitely learn’t from it. I’ll definitely be smarter for it next time.”

Brett Boulton, Morris Finance Pro Am Race 2 winner

“It was an awesome race, had a fantastic start which obviously helps and I came down into turn 2 ahead of Sam and that’s where I needed to stay. I kept looking in the mirrors and saw he was there, we obviously had similar pace, it was excellent to get the win. The Track was fine we had Luffy up the top saying the track was ok with basically no rain out there with no wet patches, it felt just like it did earlier in the race meeting.”

Sam Shahin, Morris Finance Pro-Am Race 1 winner

“That was a very enjoyable race, I really wasn’t sure where I would fit between the very good Ams and the terrific field of Professional drivers here today. I felt I was competitive with the back end of the pro grid but not quite faster enough to make a fist of it. I just need to keep trying and we have two more races this weekend, so glad to finish in one piece. We started with the pressures a little bit too high and the rear of the car got very nervous just before the safety car, so when it came in, it gave us an opportunity to get the tyre temperatures down. The car was  almost on rails after the restart for about three laps and then dropped off again, so I made it as competitive as I could today, but will have another crack this afternoon.”

Junior star Ryan Wood on pole for Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge opener

Sam Shahin dominates Morris Finance Pro-Am to grab class pole under lights

A FRIDAY NIGHT fight has seen Porsche Michelin Juniors Ryan Wood and Tom Sargent battle for pole position in the opening round of the 2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The pair traded fastest times in the session held under lights at the Sydney venue, the Team Porsche NZ / EBM driver jumping to the top late on his second run to displace Sargent to second.

Sam Shahin took pole in Morris Finance Pro-Am and qualified an outstanding third outright in the process.

Wood and Sargent ended the session split by just 0.26 seconds with the pair to start from the front row for tomorrow’s season opener – which doubles as the first Jim Richards Endurance Trophy race of the year.

Wood’s 1:30.0881 was just 0.26s faster than Sargent’s best, the latter not improving on his flyer set on his first run earlier in the session.

The effort was even more impressive after Wood suffered a broken upright in an earlier session, causing him to miss practice two.

The dynamic duo up front were some margin ahead of the remainder of the field as they dominated the flat-out 20-minute session held on a cool and crisp Western Sydney evening.

With Shahin third, another Sprint Challenge rookie qualified fourth: McElrea Racing’s Aaron Shields securing a spot on the second row.

Tigani Motorsport’s Ollie Shannon qualified fifth, the brand-new outfit making it five different teams in the top five in the competitive session.

Lachlan Bloxsom was sixth, in front of Sonic Motor Racing / Local Legends driver Courtney Prince who was seventh.

Adelaide-based racer Tom Taplin celebrated his return to the championship by qualifying eighth, and also topping the Class B contenders.

The Class B field sees drivers racing the previous-generation Type 1 991-Generation Porsche GT3 Cup Car – the model that until this year was the latest eligible for the series.

Madeline Stewart qualified a strong ninth in her spectacular Bullrush Rally-backed entry, while another rookie – Stokes Skis Australia racer Jason Miller – completed the top-10.

With Shahin’s late-session flyer seeing him well ahead in the Morris Finance Pro-Am ranks, the battle for the next few positions within the class was much more competitive.

Brett Boulton was second in class and 13th outright, and only just edged out West Australian Andrew Goldie for bragging rights within the category.

Christian Fitzgerald was fourth in class on his Sprint Challenge debut.

26 cars have qualified for the opening round of the series, with only TekworkX Motorsport driver Nathan Sticklen unable to set a time following an incident in practice earlier on Friday.

All three Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge races will be broadcast on Stan Sport this weekend from Sydney Motorsport Park’s Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships event.

QUOTES:

Pro

Ryan Wood, Team Porsche NZ / EBM

“It was a great start, can’t thank the guys at Earl Bamber Motorsport enough as well as Porsche Team New Zealand for making this opportunity possible and everyone who has backed me to get to this point. It’s been a hard slog to make this happen and I’m just glad to be able to show my potential. It was a hard session, I’ve never driven a race car at night, it made it a bit difficult, especially missing Practice two today as well with the upright failing, which put us on the back foot, but we ended up with a good result, so it eyes forward for tomorrow.”

Morris Finance Pro-Am

Sam Shahin

“I love the 991, I have wonderful memories of both the Gen 1 car and the the Gen 2. I didn’t do myself any favours going out in the first session on last year’s tyres, it really knocked my confidence about, but the second session was a little better and I was quite anxious about the qualifying session in the dark and how the track was going to behave. Coming off driving the 992 generation car last week, the 991 is so different to drive, so I’m absolutely thrilled to put in a good lap right at the end.”

Class B

Tom Taplin

“It was good to be fastest in class B, obviously not really used to that as a benchmark we want to be up with the Pros, they have slight advantage with the Gen 2 car, but we using this as an exercise to see how close we can get to them and we’re in a good position for the long race, I just got to focus on getting a good start and be consistent as I have been all day, so if the guys in front have an incident I’ll be there to pick up the pieces.”

Sonic Motor Racing Services reveals three-car Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge line-up

Harrison Goodman to join Graham Williams and Courtney Prince at Sonic

Team Sonic has revealed an expanded three-car attack ahead of the opening round of the 2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend.

Harrison Goodman and Courtney Prince will spearhead the team’s attack on the Pro class, while Graham Williams returns to contest the Morris Finance Pro-Am class.

And in an expansion of the team’s long-standing partnership with Bob Jane T-Marts, both Goodman and Prince will race with the support of Bob Jane T-Marts for season 2022.

A long-time supporter of Sonic, Bob Jane T-Marts provides support for another two rising stars as it has done for the likes of David Reynolds, James Moffat, Nick Foster, Jordan Love and continues to support Simon Fallon in Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia.

The deal underscores Bob Jane T-Marts’ commitment to both of Sonic’s Pro class drivers, and its commitment to the development of youth drivers in Australian motorsport.

Goodman progresses from Formula Fords to Porsches after finishing fifth in the national Formula Ford title last year. This will mark his first races in a tin-top this weekend.

Re-joining the team for a second campaign in the Local Legends entry is Prince, who started her career in Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge in style with third at last year’s opening round at Phillip Island. Also a previous graduate of National Formula Ford, Prince will be among the contenders this season.

Rounding out Sonic Motor Racing Services line-up of drivers is Graham Williams as he targets further improvement in his racing and has been a stalwart to the team for many seasons in Porsche racing.

Created in 2008, the series is renowned for being a proving ground for young drivers aiming to climb the proven Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.

Sonic Motor Racing Services has enjoyed great success in this category, winning three titles in a row through Hamish Hardeman, Jordan Love and Simon Fallon between 2016 and 2018.

After an interrupted past two seasons, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge returns and is expected to again be hotly-contested.

All three races across Saturday and Sunday, will be screened live on Stan Sport.

Harrison Goodman
Bob Jane T-Marts, Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup Car

“I’m definitely excited and it will be good to be racing in a competitive field,” said Goodman.

“It’s going to be very different to the Formula Ford, but the cars handle similar to each other, which is helpful.

“Michael and Maria have been very helpful during the transition from Formula Ford to Porsche, and without them I wouldn’t be able to do it.

“I’m excited to be driving the Bob Jane T-Marts entry. It’s one that has a lot of history with Sonic and to represent an iconic brand is one I’m thrilled to be a part of.

“It’s been a fairly fast learning curve with just three test days, but I definitely think we’ve done enough to be competitive at the first round and I’m keen to get started at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend.”

Courtney Prince
Local Legends, Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup Car

“It’s been over a year since we raced and we only had two rounds so I’m super keen to get into it again,” said Prince.

“We’ve done four test days prior to this season commencing, which has made me feel ready, prepared and I just can’t wait to start racing again.

“We finished third in our first ever Porsche round, which I was stoked with and we led a majority of the second race in the rain.

“I enjoy racing the Porsche and working alongside Mick, who really seems to get the most out of me.

“I just want to maximise both myself and the car when I hit the track as well as to provide the right feedback to Mick.

“Winning the title this year would be awesome and it’s something I’m really putting my mind to do.”

Graham Williams
Sonic Motor Racing Services, Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup Car

“It was a shortened season last year with two rounds, so it’s been a long while between races and I’m ready to get back into it,” said Williams.

“If anything, what we’ve learnt in the last couple of years is to have no expectations. I don’t have any expectations, but certainly the ambition is to go faster than I did last time I was there. That’s just the natural progression.

“I just want to progress and have a good time. Enjoy the racing, enjoy the team, enjoy the people and go faster, it’s as simple as that.”

EMA Motorsport expands domestic racing programme with Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge entry

Christian Fitzgerald to continue Porsche family motorsport legacy in Australia with EMA

With a successful start to the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship, EMA Motorsport has confirmed plans to expand its domestic racing programme this season with an entry into the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia. The national series sees round 1 of the 6-event championship take place this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park , 27-29 May, with Christian Fitzgerald at the wheel of the 991.2 generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

Driving duties will be handled by Christian Fitzgerald, son of Porsche motorsport stalwart Peter, whose name has been synonymous with the brand for more than 40 years. Christian continues his relationship with EMA Motorsport having already competed in the Victorian Sports Car Championship earlier this year, finishing 3^rd in the overall standings and continuing the family legacy with the Porsche brand. Prior to this, he debuted with the team in the Australian GT4 Series during 2019 for a one-off weekend scoring a double race win, double pole position and fastest lap at Sandown Park.

This latest championship entry for Melbourne-based EMA Motorsport forms part of the team’s objectives to expand capabilities and knowledge running as a Porsche Customer Racing team. A strong start to the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship saw EMA Motorsport score a first race win last weekend at Winton Raceway, and further details of the European GT3 programme with entry into the Total Energies 24 Hours of Spa will be confirmed in the coming weeks. The additional domestic programme is designed to gain important track experience while building a further platform to support a multi-car expansion into the Carrera Cup Australia and GT3 competition.

The 2022 season kicks off at Sydney Motorsport Park with a strong grid of 27 cars competing across multiple classes. Christian will run the #74 EMA Motorsport Porsche 991.2 911 GT3 Cup in the Morris Finance Pro-Am category, with action starting with two practice sessions and night qualifying on Friday, before three races broadcast live on Stan Sport over the course of the weekend.

Madeline Stewart ready to renew Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge in Sydney

Bullrush Rally to support Stewart’s 2022 Sprint Challenge campaign

It’s been a year since Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge last contested a round, but Madeline Stewart is ready to return to the track featuring new backing from Bullrush Rally as she renews her campaign with Earl Bamber Motorsport.

Stewart has raced a variety of categories since transitioning from karts including Super3, GTs and production cars, but has targeted climbing the famous Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.

Earl Bamber Motorsport debuted in Australia with victory in the 2019 LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour, however included campaigns in both Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge last year in addition to other programs across Asia.

A new major partner for Stewart’s program this season is Bullrush Rally, Australia’s ultimate road trip. Founded in 2014 with the target of uniting like-minded performance car enthusiasts, entrants take in a variety of events per year encompassing visits to Australia’s best restaurants, partying at the most exclusive venues, pitting model vs model and driver against driver in motorsport environments.

These events raise considerable funds for charities for causes relating to mental health, bettering the lives of sick children, aiding medical research and many more.

The Bullrush Rally has a history of supporting Porsche racers, which include last year’s Carrera Cup Australia Pro Champion, Cameron Hill. Stewart is involved as a track day instructor as well as an ambassador for Bullrush Rally.

Stewart is excited to continue her Porsche journey with Earl Bamber Motorsport this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park where a twilight event and an endurance race will feature.

All the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge action will be broadcast live, uninterrupted and on-demand through Stan Sport.

QUOTES

Madeline Stewart

Bullrush EBM, Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup Car

“I’m very excited to be doing the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge again,” said Stewart. “Obviously we didn’t have a great season last year as we only got two rounds in at the start, so I’m looking forward to a full-season of Porsche racing.

“I’m back with Earl Bamber Motorsport, we had a great start last year and I’m stoked to have Earl mentoring me again.

“We’ve partnered with Bullrush Rally this year and the livery looks amazing. Marko has been awesome in facilitating that and creating an awesome design, so I’m excited to be partnered with them in 2022.

“We’ve completed a few test days at the start of this year to build on the momentum after not going to race much last season. We had a successful test at Sydney Motorsport Park a few weeks ago, it’s actually one of my favourite tracks and we’ve got a good field for this weekend.

“I’m just excited to get back racing.”

Marko Seider

Founder, Bullrush Rally

“We’ve sponsored the last three Carrera Cup winners, so we were keen to support a dedicated and talented driver within the Porsche ecosystem,” said Seider. “In 2022, we will be continuing our run of eye catching liveries in motorsport by partnering with Madeline in Sprint Challenge.

“We were looking for opportunities to continue in the Porsche category, and with Madeline being one of our Track Day instructors it was only natural to take things to the next level.

“The partnership will enable us to continue attending events, bringing members of the Bullrush Rally community along to the track, and giving us a platform to create more amazing experiences for people who enjoy cars and motoring.

“We are also helping Madeline from a management and branding perspective as well as chasing support for her season via our ever growing community. As a Michelin Junior driver Madeline is a motorsport instructor at the automotive lifestyle brand’s track day events, as well as an entrant in the five-day Bullrush Rally charity drive from Sydney to Brisbane in October.

“Madeline is dedicated both on and off the track, and has been a great addition to the team – especially her ability to get our female members up to speed and comfortable with track driving.”

Shannon returns to Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge with Tigani Motorsport

Bathurst 6 Hour class winner to contest full 2022 Porsche campaign

Ollie Shannon has announced his return to the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge this year, joining new squad Tigani Motorsport.

For the 22-year-old Sydneysider, 2022 marks the next step in his motorsport journey. Not only will Shannon step up to compete in the full season of the national level series, but he will also focus all of his attention on motorsport as a full-time employee for the Wollongong based team as a qualified mechanic.

Fresh off an A1 class win in this year’s Bathurst 6 Hour, his second in succession, Shannon is looking forward to turning his attention to a championship campaign in the Porsche series.

“I’m really excited to be returning to Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge with Tigani Motorsport for a full assault on the 2022 championship,” said Shannon.

“Due to some circumstances outside our control, we’ve been limited with the amount of testing we’ve been able to do in the lead up to the first event, however the testing we have done has shown positive signs.”

“Extremely grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given by Nathan Tigani. Not only am I driving for the team, but I am also now a full-time employee which allows me to be fully focused on my racing and the benefits of that are already showing.”

“Looking forward to sharing our commercial partners and livery in the lead up to Round 1.”

Shannon’s motorsport career commence in state-based production car racing in 2018 before stepping up to compete in the final two rounds of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge in 2019. He also has a couple of starts in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Series and Aussie Racing Cars on his racing resume.

Tigani Motorsport team owner Nathan Tigani is excited to have the young gun as part of his team in its debut in the series.

“We’re excited having Ollie on board. He’s young and enthusiastic. I think he’ll be a great asset especially for us being a new team first season in.” said Tigani.

“He’s fresh off his six-hour victory, he’s done it twice. So he’s not short of ability. It’ll just about getting up to speed in the Porsche and from there building on our year.”

“We’re realistic of our goals and where we want to be but I’m hopefully by end of the year where we’re right at the pointy end.”

Shannon’s championship campaign will commence at his home track of Sydney Motorsport Park. Round 1 of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge will be held as part of an action-packed Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships schedule this weekend with live coverage of all three races on Stan Sport.

For race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

14th season of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge to kick off at SMP

Sargent and Wood among 10 debutants for Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge

Last weekend saw 31 Porsche 992 generation 911 GT3 Cup cars contest Round 2 of Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia at Winton. This weekend, 27 previous generation 991 Cup cars will start the opening round of the 2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia season.

15 of the Winton drivers had all progressed from Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge to Carrera Cup Australia, including former champions Simon Fallon and Harri Jones, as well as class champions Christian Pancione, Tim Miles, Geoff Emery and Sam Shahin. 2022 Carrera Cup round winners Max Vidau and Matthew Belford are another pair who have had success in the Porsche national series in the past.

Of the 58 entries running back-to-back, only one driver – Sam Shahin – will be doing double duty, meaning there are (at a minimum) 57 national level competitors racing Porsches this year, showing the strength of Porsche’s Motorsport Pyramid in Australasia.

The last time Sprint Challenge visited Sydney Motorsport Park was in early 2021, when Christian Pancione took his first-round victory in the series. Ryan Suhle and Callum Hedge completed the Pro podium on that occasion, while Sam Shahin dominated the Morris Finance Pro-Am field from Sergio Pires and Marcel Zalloua.

Ten drivers make their Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge debut this weekend, the most in any one round of the series in the last decade of the competition. These include Nathan Sticklen, Ryan Wood, Thomas Sargent, Gerard Murphy, Jason Miller, Christian Fitzgerald (son of former podium finisher – Peter Fitzgerald), Emanuel Mezzasalma, Aron Shields, Lachlan Bloxsom and Jacob Li.

The likes of Wood and Sargent will bring a wealth of experience to the Pro class and go up against the likes of Courtney Prince, Madeline Stewart and Ollie Shannon – who returns to the series with a new team, Tigani Motorsport.

While the wise money will be on Shahin to take the Morris Finance Pro-Am class this year based on his past performances, The Bend Motorsport Park owner will come under fire from the likes of Brett Boulton, Richard Cowen, , Nathan Murray, Andrew Goldie, David Greig, Indiran Padayachee, Ross McGregor, Terrance Knowles and Rob Woods.

Following two practice sessions and a night qualifying session on Friday, all three races over the course of the weekend will be broadcast live on Stan Sport.

For race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, Round 1, Sydney Motorsport Park

ENTRY LIST:

BROADCAST SCHEDULE:

Saturday 28 May

12:40-13:25    Race 1  (27 laps)

16:30-1650     Race 2 (11 laps)

Sunday 29 May

12:40-13:00    Race 3 (11 laps)

2022 CALENDAR:

Rd1       Sydney Motorsport Park                 27-29 May

Rd2       Phillip Island                                     24-26 June

Rd3       Queensland Raceway                      05-07 Aug

Rd4       Sandown                                            16-18 Sept

Rd5       The Bend                                            21-23 Oct

Rd6       Bathurst Intl                                      11-13 Nov

CHE Racing Team’s Tom Sargent ready for Porsche progression

Formula Ford Champion to make Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge debut in Sydney

After dominating last year’s Australian Formula Ford Series, Tom Sargent will take the next step in his motorsport career when he embarks on a maiden campaign in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge this year.

Sargent clean-swept the pole positions and round victories in the 2021 Australian Formula Ford Series title to lead a CHE Racing Team 1-2 in the overall standings.

Following team manager and mentor Cameron Hill’s pathway through the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid, Sargent is starting his journey in the national Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series.

Sargent enters the series as one of the favourites and, with the backing of reigning Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship winning team CHE Racing, with Hill taking a convincing victory in last year’s campaign.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge will contest six rounds, with the first taking place at Sydney Motorsport Park at Round 3 of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships.

It has been a successful start to the season for CHE Racing after success in its maiden appearance at the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour where Hill and Sargent drove to victory in the team’s BMW M2 Competition. While in Australian Formula Ford competition, Jimmy Piszcyk leads the standings and remains undefeated in the NSW state series.

Renowned as a high quality development category, the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge has provided the launch pad for drivers including factory ace Matt Campbell, international GT driver Jordan Love, while both Cooper Murray and Aaron Love have recently begun careers overseas.

Practice and qualifying gets underway on Friday, with live coverage of all three races on Stan Sport on Saturday and Sunday.

QUOTES

Tom Sargent
CHE Racing Team, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car (Type 991 Gen II)

“I’m super excited to be making the step up to the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge this year,” said Sargent.

“It’s awesome to be driving the Porsche this year with CHE Racing. We’ve had an awesome start to the year taking an outright victory in the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour, so hopefully we can continue the momentum and we can have a solid year.

“We’ve got an awesome bunch of supporters, with Tegra Australia, Sloanebuilt Trailers, Australian Builders Cement, Momenta Accounting and Insurance and Scribblegum riding with us this season, which I’m very appreciative of.”

For race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge calendar announced

Six national rounds across four states will make-up the 2022 calendar

Porsche Cars Australia has announced its 2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge calendar, with the national Porsche one-make Series again featuring as one of the main attractions on Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships rounds, alongside categories from the Australian Racing Group (ARG).

With the all-new 992 generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup making its debut in the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia field this year, the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia field will see the introduction of the 991.2 generation previously campaigned by teams in the top-tier class over the last seasons.

The national Porsche series kicks-off in late May at the same venue it concluded in the Covid-halted 2021 season, Sydney Motorsport Park in NSW. Both Pro and Morris Finance Pro-Am competitors will be hoping for an interrupted season this year, following the last two heavily impacted seasons where travel restrictions brought about by the pandemic, meant that no champions could ultimately be crowned in either class.

The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit then follows in late June, before teams head north to Queensland Raceway in early August for Round 3. Porsche customer teams return to Victoria following the halfway mark of the season for Round 4 at Sandown International Racecourse, before continuing to The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend for the penultimate round.

The season finale will be announced in the coming weeks.

For race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Calendar

*All rounds are subject to change

Lachlan Bloxsom to make Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge debut

Bloxsom joins McElrea Racing for 2022 Porsche campaign

Another young, Queensland driver will step-up from TGRA 86 Series into the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series this year with McElrea Racing. Lachlan Bloxsom hails from a Porsche enthusiast family, where his father, Jonathan, contested both the V8 Ute series as well as the Aussie Racing Car series in the past.

When Lachlan was 14, his father bought Broc Feeney’s Hyundai Excel and the talented youngster came under the guidance of Paul Morris and Norwell Motorplex, entering his first race in 2020 at Queensland Raceway.

In 2021, 16 year-old Bloxsom entered two rounds of the TGRA 86 Series in Townsville and Bathurst and was one of six young drivers selected by Erebus Racing to test in the Erebus V8 Supercar at Queensland Raceway at the end of the season.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series is the first big step in the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid for many of the best young drivers in Australia, who have subsequently gone onto succeed not only in the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship, but foster professional careers at the highest levels of the sport locally and internationally.

Some of the young drivers to ascend the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid in recent years under the guidance of McElrea Racing include the likes of Matt Campbell, Jaxon Evans and Cooper Murray, as well as 2019 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Champion, Harri Jones, who will be one of the strong favourites for the 2022 Carrera Cup Mobil Pro Championship title.

Along with Jones, McElrea Racing will also support other Junior drivers across both series including Bayley Hall, Jackson Walls and Christian Pancione, with Driver Coaching and mentorship from Warren Luff. Bloxsom’s 2022 campaign will be supported by Harvey Norman, Opteon Property Group, Hart Sport and Cruisemaster.

QUOTES:

Lachlan Bloxsom: “I’m excited to join McElrea Racing for the 2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series. It’s the next stage of my career to transition from (Hyundai) Excels and (Toyota) 86s now into the Porsche 911. It is really important for young drivers like myself to progress up through the ranks and get knowledge from the Pro and Pro-Am drivers within the McElrea team.”

Andy McElrea, Team Principal, McElrea Racing: “It’s exciting for the team to announce that Lockie will be with us next year. He’s another talented young kid and we looking forward to getting our hands onto him and turning him into a Porsche star. We like to think of our approach with Junior drivers as a holistic approach, mentoring the kids, getting them into the workshop and getting to know them and their families, working out what makes them tick. We’re excited to look after Lockie this year and the next few years beyond that.”

For race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

Barry Hay appointed Porsche Cars Australia Motorsport Manager

Barry Hay to take the reins of Porsche Motorsport in Australia from February 2022

Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) is pleased to announce that former V8 Supercar Team Manager, Barry Hay, has been appointed as the brand’s new Motorsport Manager in Australia from February 2022.

Hay hails from a motorsport family and brings a wealth of both technical and management experience to the role, having held senior positions in Championship-winning Supercar teams such as Stone Brothers Racing, Erebus Motorsport and Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport.

In recent years, Hay has also worked with various other motorsport teams and brands including Melbourne Performance Centre, who currently oversees Audi’s Customer Racing Programme in Australia.

Hay takes over from Troy Bundy, ahead of what will be arguably the biggest season in Carrera Cup Australia’s history in 2022, with Paynter Dixon recently extending their Title partnership of the Championship until 2024 and all 32 new 911 GT3 Cup cars (Type 992) already sold.

Quotes:

PCA’s Sales and Motorsport Director, Toni Andreevski: “We are delighted to welcome Barry to the Motorsport team and I have every confidence that he will continue to grow the programme in every area of our market. Barry is well known to our teams and well respected in the Australian Motorsport pit lane and we look forward to welcoming him early next year.”

PCA Motorsport Manager, Barry Hay: “It’s a privilege to join the Porsche Motorsport family in Australia and I look forward to working with our commercial partners, teams and drivers, to ensure Carrera Cup Australia remains the premier one-make support Championship for years to come.”

For more Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia news and content follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

The new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport

More powerful customer racing car for the GT4 class

Porsche has revealed the new 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The mid-engined race car from Weissach is based on the new 718 Cayman GT4 RS road car which has also just been unveiled.

The most significant change is the 4.0 litre six-cylinder boxer engine. This high-revving powerplant has been taken directly from the 911 GT3 Cup race car and develops 500 PS* (horsepower) in the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport – 75 PS* more than the previous GT4 Clubsport model.

In addition to many upgraded details, the focus in developing the new 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport was on further improving overall performance. The standard seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (PDK) fitted to the car now uses all seven forward gears, rather than six. All gears feature shorter ratios than in the previous model.

Depending on the track and series-specific regulations, the new 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport can achieve lap times that are over two percent quicker than the previous model. The homologated vehicle is track-ready ex-factory and can be used in SRO racing series around the world without further modifications.

“We have incorporated our experience of the last three years of running the previous GT4 Clubsport as well as customer wishes into the development of the new car,“ said Michael Dreiser, Manager of Sales and Distribution at Porsche Motorsport.

“Faster lap times combined with a further improvement in driveability offer our customers a competitive product for the upcoming racing seasons in GT4 class racing competitions around the world.“

Porsche began offering the Cayman GT4 Clubsport of the 981 generation in 2016, entering into this new customer racing format early with a competitive car. A total of 421 units were built prior to 2018. The next generation model, which was based on the 718 Cayman GT4, debuted in 2019. It was also an extremely successful car, with around 500 units produced to date.

One of the reasons for the strong demand for these vehicles is due to the low running costs. The use of well-proven series production technology, combined with racing-specific components, significantly reduces the costs for customer teams.

The 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport continues this tradition and offers a further improvement in terms of its competitiveness. The 500 PS* 4.0 litre six-cylinder boxer engine taken directly from the current 911 GT3 Cup racing car is almost 18 per cent more powerful than the 3.8 litre engine that was used in the previous model.

Thanks to an optimised air intake, maximum power is achieved at 8,300 rpm – 800 rpm higher than the previous engine. The new engine revs up to 9,000 rpm. It develops 465 newton metres (Nm) at 6,000 rpm instead of the previous 425 Nm at 6,600 rpm. The result is a much wider usable speed band, which makes driving the car much easier for pro-racers and amateur drivers alike.

Modifications to the chassis have also improved the handling of the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. The damper technology has been revised from the ground up in order to achieve an optimised vehicle responsiveness and a further improvement in body control. This has had a significant impact on the overall performance of the vehicle and handling.

Upgrades include the use of two-way adjustable shock absorbers with improved characteristics, in addition to adjustable sword-type anti-roll bars front and rear. Vehicle height, camber and toe are also adjustable. Furthermore, three different spring rates for front and rear axle are now available.

Special NACA ducts in the bonnet are designed to direct the air flow more efficiently to the large racing braking system fitted with 380 millimetre steel brake discs. The Porsche Stability Management System (PSM) is designed specifically for motorsports and includes a switch for traction control (TC), ABS and an updated stability control system.

Excellent aerodynamics ensure that the precise and controllable handling of the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport remains well-balanced even in fast curves. Front dive planes and an extended front spoiler lip increase downforce at the front axle.

Wheel arch vents in the wings inspired by the 911 GT3 R and air curtains specifically designed to calm the air turbulence around the front wheels, while the fully enclosed underbody optimises air flow to the diffusor at the rear of the car. The swan neck rear wing has now been given a 20 millimetre long Gurney flap and an adjustment range extended by two additional stages.

The previous 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport was the first ever series production race car to use body parts made of renewable natural-fibre composite material. In the case of the new GT4 RS Clubsport, even more extensive use of this material is made in the vehicle as a whole. In addition to the doors and the rear wing, the bonnet, the wings, the aerodynamic components at the front end and the steering wheel are now made of this material.

The use of this flax-based fibre as an alternative to carbon fibre composite material can now be tested in motorsports for its use in road cars. Porsche has been using motorsports as a test bed for technology, processes and materials potentially capable of being used in road cars for over 70 years now.

The 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport is equipped to meet all the prerequisites allowing it to compete in racing events directly from the factory. This begins with the welded-in roll cage and the fore and aft adjustable Recaro racing seat, and extends from 2023 compliant six-point racing safety harnesses and safety nets to the fire extinguisher system and the built-in air jack system with three jacks.

The new safety foam on the driver’s side meets the international requirements of the SRO racing series. The FT3 safety fuel cell can take up to 115 litres of fuel, making it suitable for endurance racing. Additionally, Porsche offers two different exhaust systems, allowing the GT4 RS Clubsport to compete at tracks with stricter noise limits. The vehicle is also prepared for the later addition of homologated headlights or openings in the bonnet for fast refueling to enable the car to be converted quickly for nighttime endurance racing.

The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport is available in Australia with the starting price of 196,000 Euro (ex-factory). Enquiries should be directed to the Porsche Cars Australia Motorsport department via motorsport@porsche.com.au.

View the full image gallery HERE

Further information, film and photo material can be found in the Porsche Newsroom:
newsroom.porsche.com.au

* PS (PferdeStärke, German for horsepower) is the standard unit used in the European Union to measure the power output of a motor in ‘metric horsepower’

Formula Ford star to graduate Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge

Tom Sargent to progress Porsche one-make series with CHE Racing

Tom Sargent to progress Porsche one-make series with CHE Racing

Talented 19-year-old racer, Tom Sargent, has revealed his racing plans for the 2022 season, announcing he will compete in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge national series with CHE Racing Team.

Sargent’s progression to a full-time Porsche drive comes off the back of his impressive performances in the Formula Ford junior development category over the last four years, including numerous race wins, round wins and lap records, along with victories in both the NSW and Victorian State Championships.

Sargent will not be left wanting for front-running equipment or team support; he will race the very same Porsche 991 Gen 2 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car currently leading the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Championship in the hands of Cameron Hill and it will be operated by Hill’s CHE Racing outfit.

19-year-old Sargent, who hails from the regional NSW town of Young, said he can barely wait to get behind the wheel of the Porsche.

“A Porsche is one of those brands of cars you dream of racing as a kid, so to say I’m excited for next year is an understatement,” Sargent said.

“I’m very impatient for my turn behind the wheel, but Cameron has a Carrera Cup title to win first!

“We identified Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge as a logical next step for my career, because of the exposure it receives as part of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships.

“It also enables me to participate in the Porsche Michelin Junior Driver Programme, which will give me access to excellent opportunities.

“We’ve seen with drivers like Matt Campbell, Jaxon Evans and Jordan Love, that there is the chance to forge a successful international career if you do well enough here in Australia.”

Hill, who has mentored Sargent through his Formula Ford journey, is looking forward to seeing his young protégé take the next step.

“I have been unbelievably impressed with Tom’s performances in Formula Ford, both his driving and his feedback to the team out of the car,” Hill said.

“He has the ability to analyse very specific details about how he is driving and how the car is behaving, and he uses those skills to maximise his performances every time he is on track.

“I can’t think of a more worthy driver to take over my Porsche next season and I’m looking forward to throwing him the keys after the Carrera Cup Australia season has finished.

“Tom has a few more Formula Ford races this year, so we’ll focus on those before giving him some seat time in the Porsche to prepare him for next season.”

Should the South Australian border restrictions permit, the final two rounds of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge 2021 series, will take place at The Bend Motorsport Park from the 10-12 December.

For race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU