Brock Gilchrist named Team Porsche NZ Scholarship driver for 2024

Porsche New Zealand is pleased to announce that the Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia scholarship driver for the 2024 season is Brock Gilchrist. The scholarship allows Gilchrist to race in a 911 GT3 Cup Car, with the support of Team Porsche New Zealand (TPNZ) and Earl Bamber Motorsport.

46 promising young drivers aged 16-21 applied for the 2024 TPNZ Scholarship. A shortlist of applicants were interviewed by Earl Bamber and Porsche New Zealand, and Gilchrist was selected as the most promising young driver, and best fit for the team.

Gilchrist met Porsche Motorsport officials, Oliver Köeppen – Manager of One Make Series and GT Sport (Worldwide), Claudio Mack – Project Co-Ordinator One Make Series (Asia Pacific), and Nathan Pilcher – Porsche New Zealand Motorsport Co-ordinator to officially accept the scholarship.

The 19-year-old from Auckland has been in motorsport since the age of 6, transitioning from go-karts to cars at the age of 13. After competing for 4 seasons in the Toyota 86 series, Gilchrist won the championship in 2023, taking him to Nürburgring to experience racing in a GT4 Toyota Supra earlier this year. In addition, Gilchrist recently received the inaugural Giltrap Motorsport Junior Scholarship which sees him competing in the GT NZ Championship in a McLaren 570GT4, with the season concluding before his shift to racing Porsche in Australia.

In addition to motorsport, Gilchrist has an apprenticeship as a plumber which he will pursue alongside his racing career next year.

Success since the launch of Team Porsche New Zealand in Australia
In 2023, TPNZ achieved the ultimate success – taking out the double championship victory in Australia’s single-make Porsche series. The achievements show the scholarship programme is meeting its purpose of winning & creating a pathway for young New Zealand talent to advance in motorsport.

In his third year with TPNZ, Callum Hedge took out the top title for Porsche racing in Australia, securing the Porsche Carrera Cup championship victory during the dramatic final race of the season. Callum will pursue his single-seater career next year as he progresses to Indy NXT.

In addition, Marco Giltrap claimed the championship victory for the 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia season at the final round held at Bathurst International last month. Marco has been announced to be continuing with Team Porsche New Zealand in 2024, moving up to competing in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia alongside TPNZ scholarship recipient Zac Stichbury.

In the Porsche Sprint Challenge 2022, Ryan Wood concluded his debut Australian season in second place. In 2023, Wood was picked up by Walkinshaw Andretti United to progress through Super2 and has been announced to be racing in Supercars in 2024.

Matthew Payne was the 2021 TPNZ Carrera Cup Scholarship driver and has since progressed his career in Supercars to become a full-time driver for Penrite racing in 2023 & 2024. Payne recently achieved his Maiden win this year in Supercars at the Adelaide 500.

Brock Gilchrist
“To be selected as a Team Porsche New Zealand driver is a dream come true. I have been working towards this for the past year and it feels amazing to have achieved my goal. I am absolutely thrilled and excited for the season next year.”

Earl Bamber
“We are super excited to have Brock on board. He has shown his pedigree coming out of the Toyota 86 championship where many of our successful scholarship recipients like Callum Hedge started their careers. As a New Zealand champion, we have had our eye on him for some time. We are excited to see him progress from the McLaren scholarship that he is doing in New Zealand into Sprint Challenge Australia with us in 2024.”

Greg Clarke, General Manager, Porsche New Zealand
“Congratulations to Brock Gilchrist for taking out the Team Porsche New Zealand scholarship for 2024. The Sprint Challenge series is the perfect introduction to racing Porsche’s internationally. We hope to see him progress through the Porsche pyramid as we have seen with Zac Stichbury and Callum Hedge this year.”

Townsville 500 added to 2024 Sprint Challenge calendar

Shannons SpeedSeries, Supercars rounds make up 6-round schedule for 2024

A BLOCKBUSTER 2024 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia calendar has been announced, with the series set to continue its incredible recent momentum across six rounds next year.

The calendar mixes high profile national events with sensational permanent circuits and what is likely to be the series’ best media and broadcast package yet.

The calendar is headlined by the series’ street racing debut at the NTI Townsville 500 in North Queensland on July 5-7.

While Sprint Challenge has supported Supercars Championship rounds in the past, the category has never competed on a street circuit in its 16-year history.

The spot on the Townsville program effectively replaces Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia at the North Queensland event.

The addition of the Townsville event will allow for the young drivers in the field to gain experience on street circuits prior to their progression through the Porsche Pyramid to Carrera Cup, while offering a high-profile event and outstanding location for all competitors to enjoy.

The 2024 series will commence at the Shannons SpeedSeries event at the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit in Victoria in April, allowing for a longer off-season for teams and drivers to prepare for the year ahead.

From there, the series shifts to Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend on 31 May – 2 June for the second round, prior to the trip to North Queensland one month later.

The series will stay North in the winter months, returning to the Shannons SpeedSeries at Queensland Raceway on August 2-4.

A return to the popular NED Whiskey Tasmania Supersprint will add a second Supercars round to the program next year, following a successful and popular return to the Apple Isle this year.

The series will conclude with a two-day event at Sydney Motorsport Park as the key support to the TCR World Tour event at Race Sydney on the November 1-3 weekend.

The full broadcast package will be announced in due course; however, the Supercars rounds will include coverage on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo, with the Townsville event also being broadcast on free-to-air via the Seven Network.

Broadcast details for Shannons SpeedSeries rounds’ will be confirmed soon.

2024 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series Calendar

1. Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC (Shannons SpeedSeries) April 12-14
2. Shell V-Power Motorsport Park, SA (Shannons SpeedSeries) May 31-June 2
3. NTI Townsville 500, QLD (Repco Supercars Championship) July 5-7
4. Queensland Raceway, QLD (Shannons SpeedSeries) August 2-4
5. Ned Whiskey Tasmania SuperSprint, TAS (Repco Supercars Championship) August 16-18
6. Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW (Race Sydney / SpeedSeries) November 1-3

BARRY HAY – Motorsport Manager, Porsche Motorsport Australia

“The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge takes another step forward in 2024 with what we think is the best calendar yet for the series.

“It mixes incredible permanent circuits, high profile events and the first opportunity for the Sprint Challenge field to go street circuit racing in Townsville.

“It’s a great opportunity for the series on a major national stage and one of the larger motorsport events on the calendar.

“We’re looking forward to returning to Symmons Plains with the Supercars, and to returning to the Shannons SpeedSeries show with what is looking to be a massive year on that program.

“Sprint Challenge has been incredible this year and we’re incredibly proud of the series and everyone who competes in it. There is no doubt 2024 is shaping up to be even better.”

Ben Taylor joins PMSC, partners with auticon

Autistic Porsche Sprint Cup driver partners with the largest autistic-majority professional services firm in the world

Autistic race car driver Ben Taylor on debut, in his first race out of karting, won the first round of the Australian F3 Championships in Sydney in 2021. In 2024, he’ll debut in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, but this season will be different. This season he’s partnering with the largest autistic IT consulting business in the world and they’re planning to use autistic strengths to give him a winning edge.

Today marks the official launch of Ben Taylor’s auticon car. The launch was held at Porsche Centre Melbourne Motorsport’s dedicated motor racing facility in Collingwood. The facility is factory owned and one of the few Porsche owned racing facilities that exist outside of Germany.

At the car’s unveiling, it was revealed that auticon, a company that employs over 465 autistic people in 15 countries around the world will be helping to advance Ben’s driving through providing analytics support specifically looking at Ben’s on track data. The company will deploy its autistic data analysts and software engineers to build insights that will take Ben’s driving to the next level.

This strategy will bring a new way of thinking to motorsport. It will see autistic IT professionals using their strengths in coding and analysis supporting a highly focused and skilled autistic driver making the auticon car and Ben Taylor racing, a team with a difference.

At the age of 17, Ben was formally diagnosed as autistic with ADHD. He believes that this gives him unique strengths, helping his performance on the track. Ben wants to inspire people on the autism spectrum to have the courage to believe in their capabilities and find their strengths.

“auticon is an organisation that focuses on the strengths of autistic people like me. As an IT professional services business, the team at auticon have adopted a saying, “autism is not a processing error, it’s a different operating system.”  Meaning autism is really a different way of thinking.”

“One of the more common traits of people on the spectrum is an ability to be hyper focused. In IT this helps with things like error detection and strengths in data analysis and coding. For me, I believe that my autism helps to keep me to be hyper focused on the intricate details of racing, such as timing stopping distances and corner speeds. It really enables my abilities as a high-performance athlete.

“Through this partnership I really want to start a conversation about the key strengths of autism, and I want to inspire others on the spectrum not to underestimate what they have to offer our community.

“I thank auticon for their support this season, and I’m really looking forward to what lies ahead.”

Motorsport enthusiast and television presenter Glenn Ridge hosted today’s car launch and spoke about how the sport was transforming, becoming far more inclusive and what this means for the future of motorsport.

“As I stroll through the Porsche Motorsport stable here in Collingwood, we’re starting to see some real diversity. Not only is this a second home for Ben Taylor and the auticon team but rising Porsche Carrera Cup star Courtney Prince, she also calls Porsche Centre Melbourne Motorsport home.”

“This diversity brings new people, new ideas and new ways of thinking about our sport. This not only leads to innovation and enhancement to the way cars perform but it will inspire kids that may see their own image reflected in these great drivers and know that anyone with a passion and desire to succeed in motorsport can make the jump. This sport really can be for anyone. That’s what is truly exciting about today.”

Managing Director and CEO of auticon Australia & New Zealand Bodo Mann was excited to get behind Ben. He discussed the partnership and opportunity for auticon’s skilled technologists.

“We’re looking forward to applying some fresh thinking to motorsport data analytics. The team have already identified some opportunities to enhance racing insights and really add value to Ben’s on track performance.”

“This partnership is a fantastic opportunity to showcase autistic strengths in action and we want to demonstrate the power of neurodiversity and how thinking differently can be a real asset. We believe that what is true in sport is true in business, and we plan to illustrate how embracing neurodiversity can offer a competitive advantage,” said Mr. Mann.

The racing team is not the only connection between auticon and Porsche, Bodo went on to talk about the organisations close affiliation to the German car maker.
“As auticon also began in Germany. As it happens one of the first investors in the company was the Porsche family and it fills us with great pride to know that we are now working alongside this great brand in such an important venture.”

Morris wins enduro, Giltrap, Shahin lock in titles

Class B title heads to final day after dramatic Enduro encounter

Nash Morris has survived a late race safety car restart to claim victory in the first race for Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International.

Morris held off Marcos Flack in a race-long battle, whilst Marco Giltrap in third wrapped up the Jim Richards Enduro Cup and became the 2023 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge champion-elect.

Meanwhile, Sam Shahin also did enough to seal the Pro-Am title, now mathematically unbeatable in tomorrow’s two races.

Morris made the most of his pole position to head the field into Hell Corner, whilst Marcos Flack fell behind Oscar Targett who made a good start from third on the grid.

Flack would get back by the Grove Racing driver before the end of the first lap, and by the end of lap two was all over the back of the Morris’ TekworkX Motorsport entry, leaving Targett behind, who now had Hamish Fitzsimmons for company.

There would be drama behind on lap six, when Sonic Motor Racing’s Harrison Goodman retired to the pits from fifth with damage to the right-rear of his Bob Jane T-Marts car after contact with the wall.

Oscar Targett also dropped two spots in an unrelated incident, promoting Fitzsimmons and Giltrap into third and fourth.

The safety car would make its first appearance on lap nine as Pro-Am runner Caspar Tressider found trouble in his Wall Racing / Hillcrest Merimbula entry.

The field would see the green flag once again on lap twelve, as Morris once again led the field away, with Flack in tow as had been the case all race.

Fitzsimmons ran wide on the exit of Murray’s Corner at the restart, allowing Giltrap to get alongside and complete the move at Hell Corner to move onto the podium.

Giltrap’s timing proved fortuitous as the safety car would come out for the second and final time after Tim Wolfe found drama on top of the mountain in his Pro-Am PER Equipment Rentals entry.

The field would have one final green flag lap, however the order at the front of the field remained unchanged as Morris remained in total control.

The Pro-Am class was won by Sam Shahin in tenth outright for The Bend Motorsport Park, becoming Pro-Am champion-elect in the process.

Class B was taken out by Car Mods Australia’s Bradley Carr in sixteenth outright, setting up an intense finals day tomorrow as he and second-placed Lachy Harburg continue to pursue class leader, Phil Morriss.

Race Two for Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia starts at 12:05pm AEDT tomorrow.

Both Saturday races will be live on Stan Sport, while the season finale’ will also be live on free to air via the Nine Network around Australia this weekend.

Morris claims Bathurst pole as season finale commences

Shahin, Carr take class poles ahead of Enduro Cup race on the Mountain

TekworkX Motorsport’s Nash Morris has claimed his maiden Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge pole in qualifying for the final round at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International.

Morris, who has impressed since making his category debut at Sydney Motorsport Park in July, set a 2m 07.7338s to pip Sonic Motor Racing’s Marcos Flack by just over five hundredths of a second.

The lead pair were the class of the field, with Oscar Targett best of the rest in third for Grove Racing, just over half a second behind Morris.

Championship leader Marco Giltrap will line up fifth for this afternoon’s first race, where the Team Porsche New Zealand driver can clinch the Pro title with two races left in the season.

Pro-Am pole was taken by The Bend Motorsport Park’s Sam Shahin, who will start from tenth outright, two places ahead of the second-best Pro-Am entry of Daniel Stutterd for TekworkX Motorsport.

Pole for Class B went to championship contender Bradley Carr for Car Mods Australia, who will line up in sixteenth outright, with fellow contenders Lachlan Harburg and Phil Morriss third and fifth in class respectively.

Race One for Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge begins at 4:40pm AEDT at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International.

Porsche title season begins with Sprint Challenge Bathurst showdown

Three titles on the line this weekend at Mount Panorama

CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON has come to Porsche Motorsport Australia, with the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series to kick off an amazing two weeks of title-deciding action this weekend at Mount Panorama.

The sixth and final round of a record-breaking Sprint Challenge season will see the category race three times at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International this weekend and decide the Pro, Pro-Am and Class B titles.

That will be followed two weeks later by a climactic Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia showdown at the VAILO Adelaide 500 on the Adelaide streets.

The Sprint Challenge season has been an unpredictable affair though series leader Marco Giltrap’s consistency has him entering the final round with a commanding lead.

The 19-year-old New Zealander leads by 171 points with 180 up for grabs this weekend, meaning a 17th-placed finish in the opening race would be enough to deliver the Team Porsche NZ / Earl Bamber Motorsport driver his first Porsche title.

Giltrap has won four races this season, has never finished lower than fifth in a race and claimed round victories at Phillip Island and Symmons Plains to entrench himself at the top of the standings early in the year, where he has since remained.

The fight for the final steps on the podium is well and truly alive, however, with Aron Shields and Oscar Targett set to battle for second and third.

Shields leads Targett by just 32 points heading into this weekend with the pair arguably the most in-form drivers among the whole field.

Targett won two of the three races at The Bend last time out, with Shields claiming the epic enduro cup race at the South Aussie venue.

The Pro-Am fight will also be decided this weekend with Sam Shahin holding a 118-point lead over newcomer Matt Slavin in Porsche’s ‘race within a race’ title battle.

Shahin will be seeking his second PMSC Pro-Am title, having previously won the title in 2019.

Meanwhile, a fast-finishing Brett Boulton will be aiming to overhaul David Greig in the battle for third position in the final round.

Class B, for first generation 991 GT3 Cup Cars, sees the most exciting title battle of all with Phil Morriss, Lachlan Harburg and Brad Carr all firmly in contention for the title.

The consistent Morriss leads Harburg by just 51 points heading to Bathurst with Carr a further 26 behind in third.

A bumper 29-strong field will contest the three races this weekend, including 13 in the Professional class.

The field includes the addition of Porsche Carrera Cup Pro-Am regular Danny Stutterd, while Nash Morris will also return aboard his TekworkX Motorsport entry.

Last year at Mount Panorama, Kiwi Ryan Wood scored pole position with a Sprint Challenge record 2m07.9652s flyer.

Wood then claimed the round with two wins from three starts, would-be champion Tom Sargent claiming the first and second overall.

Wood also holds the Bathurst Sprint Challenge lap record at 2m07.7595s.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia field will hit the track for a 45-minute practice session on Friday morning, ahead of qualifying at 1:50pm that afternoon.

Race one will be the enduro cup title decider and is due to commence at 4:40pm and run for 18 laps.

Two 7-lap sprint races on Sunday will then decide the title, with the first sprint at 12:05pm and the second at 2:50pm.

Both Sunday races will be live on Stan Sport, while the season finale’ will also be live on free to air via the Nine Network around Australia this weekend.

ENTRY LIST – Round 6, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia

Shields, Giltrap both elevated in Enduro Cup thriller

Race of the year at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park

ARON SHIELDS has claimed a remarkable Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge enduro in South Australia that saw the race result change after the flag and the round result tipped on its head in dramatic fashion.

The wild race had seen Lachlan Bloxsom cross the line first only to be penalized post-race, handing win to Shields and his TekworkX Porsche.

Shields had led the race briefly on two separate occasions before initially crossing the line third behind Bloxsom and Oscar Targett.

A further time penalty for young star Oscar Targett then denied him the round win, handing that honour to series leader Marco Giltrap.

The New Zealand teenager now holds a mighty 171-point lead in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia standings with 180 up for grabs in the season finale’ at Mount Panorama.

The Sunday race was a thriller from the outset in one of the best displays of one-make Porsche racing this year.

The race commenced in changeable conditions as light rain swept across the circuit.

The unpredictable affair saw Lachlan Bloxsom initially credited with the race win following an absolute thriller that saw five lead changes between four different drivers across its duration.

He led home Oscar Targett, Aaron Shields, Marco Giltrap and Marcos Flack on track – with the top five covered by just 1.5 seconds in one of the most unpredictable races the series has seen.

The pulsating race saw Giltrap take the early lead with positions behind him changing rapidly as conditions gradually improved.

Polesitter Targett dropped to fourth initially before climbing back to second by lap three.

He was then passed by Shields on the 10^th lap, the latter then deposing Giltrap for the lead on lap 14 when the former ran wide at Turn 17, dropping off the road briefly before recovering.

Shield’s time in front was short lived however as he was delayed at Turn six on the following lap, taking evasive action as Ross McGregor spun in front of him, handing the lead back to Giltrap and dropping the TekworkX driver back to fourth.

Targett pounced on the climactic lap 19 to grab the lead from Giltrap as Lachlan Bloxsom followed him through to second and Shields to third.

With Flack keeping the leaders in close company in fifth, Bloxsom jumped to the lead on the following lap and then fended off attack after attack from the Grove car across the final 4.9km to cross the line first.

That Bloxsom should have been in the fight at all was remarkable given he very nearly stalled his Bloxsom Team Navy / McElrea entry at the start, his rear wing clipped by another car as he tried to get away.

He crossed the line ninth at the end of lap one however recovered rapidly to carve his way to the field to run third by lap 15 and ultimately pass for the lead with two laps to go.

However, results changed quickly following the race.

Bloxsom was penalized five seconds for contact with Giltrap as the pair battled for position late in the race.

That would have elevated Targett to the potential race win, however he too was penalized, this time having 15 seconds added to his race time for overtaking under yellow flags at Turn one with two laps remaining – just prior to the Bloxsom – Giltrap contact.

The penalties dropped Bloxsom to fifth and Targett to eighth in the final reckoning.

Impressive New Zealand rookie Clay Osborne was also penalised five seconds for a start infringement, as was Pro-Am racer Brett Boulton.

Their penalties saw Osborne – who at one point had run third – finish sixth and Boulton 13th, though he maintained his second position in the Pro-Am class.

With the penalties applied, Marco Giltrap claimed Round 5 over Targett and Marcos Flack.

In Pro-Am, a remarkable comeback drive from Sam Shahin saw him recover from a spin on the formation lap, and a second one on the opening lap, to charge through the field and claim the round overall.

He won the round over Brett Boulton and Matt Slavin.

Class B was a thriller as the older-specification cars ended up dicing in the outright top 10 in the inclement conditions at the start of the race.

The race ended with newc0omer Jacques Jarjo the race winner while Brad Carr took the round.

It means three different drivers claimed the class win this weekend in the best weekend for the 991.1 generation cars yet this year.

More importantly, the Class B title will now go down to the wire at Mount Panorama this November with leader Phil Morriss, Harburg and Carr covered by 79 points.

ROUND 5 RESULTS:

1. Marco Giltrap 162
2. Oscar Targett 147
3. Marcos Flack 144

Pro-Am

1. Sam Shahin 181
2. Brett Boulton 150
3. Matt Slavin 150

Class B

1. Brad Carr 168
2. Lachy Harburg 163
3. Jacque Jarjo 156

PROVISIONAL SERIES STANDINGS: 

1. Marco Giltrap 739
2. Aron Shields 568
3. Oscar Targett 536
4. Hamish Fitzsimmons 485
5. Ronan Murphy 452

Pro-Am

1. Sam Shahin 791
2. Matt Slavin 673
3. David Grieg 509

Class B

1. Phil Morriss 678
2. Brad Carr 632
3. Lachy Harburg 627

Oscar on Targett for South Australian Sweep

Two wins from two the perfect start as Targett joins the winners list

OSCAR TARGETT has added his name to the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia winners roster, charging from pole position to a pair of commanding race victories today at the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park in South Australia.

The Grove Racing driver was in stunning form on Saturday as he swept to back-to-back wins in The Bend’s sprint races, leading home series leader Marco Giltrap and Marcos Flack in both races today.

A further 45-minute enduro race completes the penultimate round of the series tomorrow.

In the Pro-Am class, home-town hero Sam Shahin won both races today, while Lachlan Harburg and Brad Carr split the honours in Class B.

Race one commenced with Targett making a strong start from pole position, while Giltrap was slower away from the outside of the front row, allowing Flack to gain an early advantage.

However, the race was quickly slowed behind the Safety Car following a significant impact on the left-hand side of the circuit for Zak Stichbury.

The Team Porsche NZ / Earl Bamber Motorsport Whittaker’s driver was in a three-wide battle as the field charged up the hill to turn one, contact sending the young Kiwi spearing across the circuit in front of the field and into the concrete wall.

Stichbury emerged unscathed from the incident however will take no further part in the weekend.

Following a two-lap Safety Car period, Targett led the field to green, while Giltrap was able to slice past Flack to secure second position.

Further back, newcomer Clay Osborne passed Ronan Murphy for seventh position in a strong debut Porsche performance.

Targett ultimately drove a measured race to beat Giltrap by just over one second, with Flack completing the top three.

Hamish Fitzsimmons finished fourth on the road, however was penalized five seconds for weaving under safety car and relegated to seventh.

Lachlan Bloxsom therefore climbed to fourth and Aron Shields fifth in a side-by-side battle for the spot with Bloxsom.

Behind Fitzsimmons, Osborne, Murphy, Nash Morris – who started 17^th – and Tom McLennan completed the top-10.

Sam Shahin had a clean run to claim the Pro-Am win over Brett Boulton and Matt Slavin, while Lachy Harburg took the Class B win over Brad Carr.

A straightforward second race saw Targett again lead Giltrap from pole position, with Flack settling in third position.

He, Lachlan Bloxsom and Aron Shields spent much of the race dicing for third before finishing in that order, with Clay Osborne improving further to finish sixth.

Hamish Fitzsimmons was seventh, Ronan Murphy eighth and Nash Morris continued his recovery in ninth – Tom McLennan completing the 10.

Harrison Goodman started race two from last position having missed race one due to illness, charging his way through the field from 28^th to 12 position in the eight-lap duration.

In Pro-Am, Sam Shahin won the class after Brett Boulton spun down the order on the opening lap.

That saw the South Australian clearly in front of Matt Slavin and fellow Adelaidean Pan Boyaci, with Boulton recovering to fourth.

In Class B, Brad Carr turned the tables on rival Harburg, taking the class B win over his fellow Queenslander, with Jacque Jarjo third on debut.

Round 5 of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge concludes on Sunday at The Bend with the 40-minute Jim Richards Endurance Trophy race.

In the penultimate round of the PMSC ‘series within a series’. Marco Giltrap leads the series of the longer-distance races, with Hamish Fitzsimmons in second and Ronan Murphy third.

Four different winners have won the Enduro Cup races so far this season.

Sunday’s race will be broadcast live on 7+ tomorrow.

Targett on top again in thrilling qualifying shootout

Less than 0.05s between front row as another young-gun shootout awaits

OSCAR TARGETT has become the first repeat pole sitter of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia season, edging Marco Giltrap for the top spot in qualifying today at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park in South Australia. 

The pair traded blows at the top of the times in the 20-minute qualifying session with Targett on top early, before Giltrap responded with less than three minutes remaining to go to the top spot.

RESULTS: Qualifying, Round 5

The series’ leader didn’t remain on top for long, however, with Targett’s final flyer returning the Grove Group-supported car back to the top with his 1m50.4916s flyer.

It means the teenager edged Giltrap by 0.0488 seconds, the fourth consecutive round where the pole has been decided by less than 0.05 seconds.

It also ended a series-record streak of four different polesitters from four rounds, Targett backing up his debut pole effort in Queensland at the last round.

With the series leader second, Sonic’s Marcos Flack was third and just 0.3 seconds from pole position.

The in-form Hamish Fitzsimmons was fourth for TekworkX Motorsport, just pipping Zac Stichbury to the second row of the grid.

The Whittaker’s driver will line up fifth alongside Lachlan Bloxsom for race one on Saturday.

Ronan Murphy qualified seventh in his Muscle Car Warehouse-backed Sonic entry with rookie Clay Osborne eighth aboard his McElrea Racing #15 car.

The Kiwi first-timer had been impressive throughout practice earlier in the day and continued that form in his first Porsche qualifying session, ending the 20-minutes just 0.71s from pole.

Harrison Goodman qualified ninth and Aron Shields 10th, with Tom McLennan just missing the top-10.

Notable among those missing the top-10 was Nash Morris, who has won five of the last six races in the championship.

Stricken down by the Flu, Morris missed both practice sessions earlier on Friday meaning his first laps of The Bend in a Porsche were in qualifying trim.

He did enough to qualify 17th outright with a view to moving forward in tomorrow’s pair of sprint races.

Sam Shahin qualified his car on pole in the Pro-Am class and will also line up 12th outright in race one tomorrow.

He bested the returning Brett Boulton for the top spot with Matt Slavin third, South Aussie racer Pan Boyaci fourth and David Grieg fifth in class.

Meanwhile, a thrilled Lachy Harburg made it two EBM Poles in three classes today by topping the largest Class B grid of the year to date.

Harburg not only scored pole but out qualified all bar two of the key Pro-Am contenders in an outstanding performance that saw him lap nearly three seconds quicker than he did in 2022.

Brad Carr qualified second in class – and 18th outright – with newcomer Jacque Jarjo third in class and 22nd outright.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia field returns to the circuit tomorrow for a pair of 20-minute sprint races at The Bend.

The 45-minute Jim Richards Enduro Championship finale will be held on Sunday, and will be shown on 7plus.

World Champion karter added to Sprint Challenge mix for The Bend

28-strong field heads to South Australia for critical penultimate round of PMSC Season

WORLD CHAMPION Karter Clay Osborne will join the already remarkable mix of young talent contesting this year’s Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series this weekend at The Bend Motorsport Park. 

The 18-year-old from New Zealand will join what is already the most talented mix of young drivers Sprint Challenge has ever seen amidst a 28-strong field entered for the penultimate round of the series this weekend at the South Australian venue.

Set to drive for McElrea Racing, Osborne claimed a Karting world championship title in Italy in 2019, as well as a pair of National titles in his native New Zealand.

Following a brief stint in Formula First and Formula Ford, Osborne graduated to tin-top circuit racing in 2022 and has now contested two seasons of the New Zealand Toyota 86 Series prior to making his Porsche debut.

He joins the series at a remarkable time as the title race builds with just six races remaining in the season.

Fellow New Zealander Marco Giltrap holds a comfortable series lead of 141 points heading into The Bend’s three races however faces challenges from all angles.

The biggest threat of late has been Queenslander Nash Morris, who since making his debut for TekworkX at Sydney Motorsport Park has slammed home five race wins from six starts, including a clean sweep at his home circuit last time out.

His teammate Hamish Fitzsimmons has also been a mover in the last few races, claiming a pair of seconds at the last round.

Since joining the series’ at Round two at Symmons Plains, Oscar Targett has not finished a race lower than eighth position and has charged up the championship order – now sitting just 47 points behind second-placed Aron Shields in the Michelin Sprint Challenge series standings.

In the Pro-Am class, Sam Shahin continues to hold the lead in both major one-make Porsche titles this year – his Carrera Cup points lead mirrored by an even larger 87-point gap at the top of the Sprint Challenge standings.

Shahin will be challenged this weekend, however, as Queenslander Brett Boulton returns to the championship having missed the two most recent rounds.

Brad Carr and Lachy Harburg find themselves tied on points in second position in Class B – for the older-model Generation 1 991 GT3 Cup Cars – as they both race to chase down runaway series leader Phil Morriss.

The latter has a handy 118-point lead heading into the final two rounds and six races this year.

As well as the young Kiwi in the outright class, Class B will see a pair of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge debutants, in the form of New South Wales driver Jacque Jarjo and fellow Class B runner, Dave Allen.

The Round 5 field includes 14 cars in the Pro class, 9 in Pro-Am and 5 in Class B.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia field tackles three races this weekend as part of the Shannons Trophy Series Event at South Australia’s world-class racing venue.

Following practice on Friday, the field races twice on Saturday before the Jim Richards Endurance Championship decider will be held on Sunday.

There, Marco Giltrap leads Hamish Fitzsimmons by 16 points and Ronan Murphy by 26 going into the winner-take-all finale.

That race will be broadcast live on 7plus on Sunday.

ENTRY LIST:

Morris sweeps home round in TekworkX 1-2

Two rounds remain in Sprint Challenge fight as unpredictable season continues

NASH MORRIS has led teammate Hamish Fitzsimmons to an emphatic TekworkX Motorsport 1-2 sweep of the fourth round of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia at Queensland Raceway. 

Morris led from lights-to-flag to claim victory in the Jim Richards Enduro Trophy race on Sunday morning at the Ipswich circuit to sweep all three races at his home circuit.

He was chased hard by his teammate all race but was up to the task of holding onto his race lead to complete a rear Sprint Challenge sweep.

Morris has won five of the last six races since joining the championship while TekworkX have now claimed the last two rounds.

Morris’ won the round ahead of Fitzsimmons and Grove Racing junior Oscar Targett, while Matt Slavin led David Grieg and newcomer Ramu Farrell in Pro-Am.

Lachlan Harburg claimed the Class B victory for the round.

While Morris commanded the enduro race all the way, the battle was on for second.

Fitzsimmons had run second for the entire duration of the race however was caught on the final lap by a chasing pack that included Oscar Targett, championship leader Marco Giltrap and Sydney winner, Aron Shields.

The pair were three wide at times though Fitzsimmons was able to hold on to claim second for the race and the round.

Targett was third in the race and the round while Marco Giltrap took further advantage of challenging weekends for his title rivals to further extend his championship lead.

With Shields fifth, a racy Harrison Goodman charged his way to sixth position with Caleb Sumich, Tom McLennan, Zac Stichbury and Pro-Am winner Sam Shahin claiming tenth.

Brad Carr came back from a challenging race on Saturday evening to win Class B in the race, while Lachy Harburg won the round.

With two rounds of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series remaining, Team Porsche New Zealand / Earl Bamber Motorsport’s Marco Giltrap remains well in command of the championship.

The young kiwi provisionally enjoys a 141-point lead over Aron Shields, who moves to second in the series.

A tough weekend for Ronan Murphy – a puncture in the final race saw him forced to pit for a replacement – has him in third, tied on 402 points with Zac Stichbury. Oscar Targett has moved to fifth in the series.

Sam Shahin continues to lead Matt Slavin in the Pro-Am title fight, with David Grieg now third, while Phil Morris continues to lead the Class B battle, with Brad Carr and Lachlan Harburg tied on points in second.

The next round of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series will see the championship rejoin the Shannons Trophy Series at The Bend Motorsport Park on October 13-15.

Morris Saturday sweep sets up Sunday showdown

Chaotic sprints leave enduro race as weekend decider in Queensland

NASH Morris has added another pair of race wins to his ever-expanding CV, taking both sprint races in Round 4 of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series at Queensland Raceway. 

With one race remaining in the round, Morris finds himself in a similar position to his debut round in Sydney a fortnight ago, where he ultimately finished second overall.

A dramatic day of racing at the Ipswich venue saw Morris commence proceedings by winning an arm-wrestle with Oscar Targett on the opening lap of the first race before edging away to claim the race win.

Starting from pole, Targett made a strong start however Morris pounced at turn three and completed the move at four to grab a lead he’d never lose.

Targett then held of Marcos Flack to secure second – his third of the season – with Flack scoring his best result of the season in third.

Hamish Fitzsimmons and Macro Giltrap were next, in close company with the leaders, with Aron Shields, Caleb Sumich, Tom Taplin, Zac Stichbury and Tom McLennan completing the top-10.

Pro-Am went the way of Matt Slavin, who capitalised on a late race incident that included Sam Shahin being forced off the road and out of the race three laps from home.

Also in strife was Ronan Murphy, who spun onto the infield at Turn four early in the race, making contact with Lachlan Bloxsom as he speared across the road. The damage forced the Sonic racer out of the race.

Race two saw more of the same with Morris smartly away from pole position and into the race lead.

Targett held on around the outside of turn two, however dropped all four wheels of the road and into the dirt, which dropped the Grove junior down the order.

That shuffled the pack with Hamish Fitzsimmons and Flack battling for second, swapping the place twice before the former held on with a late pass.

With Flack third, Tom Taplin was an outstanding fourth in his best race of the season.

Sheilds, Giltrap, Targett, Stichbury, a recovering Lachlan Bloxsom and McLennan completed the top-10.

The race was brought under the control of a Safety Car following contact between Brad Carr and Tim Wolfe at Turn 2, that saw both cars deposited into the gravel trap at turn two.

That set up a two-lap dash to the line, with Morris ultimately holding on to claim the win.

Pro-Am went the way of Ramu Farrell, while Shahin charged from the back of the field to 2nd in class, with Slavin third.

Lachlan Harburg completed a sweep of Class B wins across the two races today.

The end of the final race saw a serious crash involving Richard Cowen and Andrew Goldie.

Both drivers were taken to hospital for further observation. We thank our medical teams and all our officials for their prompt response.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge returns for a third and final race – the next edition in the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy – on Sunday morning at Queensland Raceway.

Record-setting session delivers Targett pole by 0.001 seconds

Closest pole, Top 3, Top 5 and Top 10 margins in series history at Queensland Raceway

THE closest qualifying session in Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series history has seen teenager Oscar Targett grab his first pole award of the year.

Targett, a Grove Racing junior driver and karting graduate, scored pole by a tiny margin of 0.0012 seconds as he bumped Nash Morris off the top spot late in Friday’s 20-minute session.

It’s the closest 1-2 qualifying margin in series history, and came in a session that also delivered the closest top three, top five and top 10 qualifying results in the history of the championship, as well as the quickest ever lap of Queensland Raceway in the process.

He’s the fourth different polesitter from four rounds this year, also a series record.

Targett’s 1m09.944s flyer displaced Morris for the top spot, the Queenslander having earlier set the first sub-70 second lap of his home circuit earlier in the session.

Morris had looked likely to hold on with his then-record lap and it took a late flyer from Targett on his second set of Michelin slick tyres to displace the Porsche newcomer, who continues to excel after a stunning debut in Sydney last time out.

The pair will share the front row for race one tomorrow with Marcos Flack and Lachlan Bloxsom on row two.

Flack had earlier topped both practice sessions by tiny margins and ultimately missed pole position by 0.0085 seconds – making it the closest top three in series history.

Lachlan Bloxsom was in the midst of that battle and was only fractions away from a spot on the front row. Aron Shields, who won last time out in Sydney, qualified fifth but only missed pole position by 0.087s.

Behind them, Ronan Murphy, Caleb Sumich – a personal best seventh – championship leader Marco Giltrap, Hamish Fitzsimmons and Pro-Am polesitter Ramu Farrell were all within 0.397s of the pole position time.

The top 14 cars were split by 0.6 seconds in a remarkable session that will likely stand as one of the series’ best for some time.

Newcomer Farrell grabbed the Pro-Am pole award on his series debut and qualified an outstanding 10^th outright in the process.

The local driver is racing for home-town team McElrea Racing this weekend and made an instant impact, finishing the opening practice session inside the top three.

Pro-Am Championship leader Sam Shahin qualified 15^th outright and second in the Pro-Am class, himself less than 0.9s away from Targett’s impressive pole lap.

Matt Slavin qualified third in Pro-Am with Richard Cowen just behind in fourth.

Defending class champion Lachy Harburg powered his The Cover Shop entry to pole in Class B, edging out Brad Carr by three-tenths to score a strong pole position.

They qualified 18^th and 19^th, respectively, in their older-generation 991 GT3 Cup Cars with Harburg just 1.5s away from outright pole.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia field returns for two races sprint races on Saturday, both broadcast live on Stan Sport.

Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia racer and former champion Fabian Coulthard will join the commentary team for the races tomorrow.

Team switch for McLennan as he prepares for home race in Queensland

Team switch for Michelin junior ahead of next PMSC round

Tom McLennan has joined Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) for the remaining rounds of the 2023 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia, with Round 4 to be run at Queensland Raceway this weekend.

The 18-year-old switches from McElrea Racing who have helped him sit ninth in the standings.

The Earl Bamber Motorsport drive will see McLennan compete in the final three rounds of the all-Porsche series at Queensland Raceway, The Bend and Mount Panorama, plus a series of testing opportunities in the new-generation Porsches 992s that EBM compete in Carrera Cup – the highest level of Porsche racing in Australia.

The change of team coincides with McLennan’s home round – Queensland Raceway near Ipswich. McLennan has enjoyed plenty of testing and racing at the 3.1km venue over the past few years, racing in Formula Ford, production cars and Porsche racing.

McLennan has secured one podium finish in 2023 (at Symmons Plains Raceway) and will be looking to use his local knowledge against some of the young stars of the Porsche series.

The fourth round will be held in conjunction with the Shannons SpeedSeries. All of the racing can be seen live and ad-break free on Stan Sport.

Practice starts on Friday, with qualifying and racing held on Saturday and Sunday.

Tom McLennan
#81 Earl Bamber Motorsport Porsche

“It will be great to start with EBM and I am excited to work with Earl Bamber, Ben Jenkins and the team,” said McLennan.

“EBM has extensive experience and success in Porsche and GT racing at all levels, here in Australia, Asia, Europe, and America. It’s a great fit for me.

“The car will be set-up differently, but I’m up for the challenge and ready to see how I stand.

“The team certainly has a clear direction with an eye to progress into the future, so I’m looking forward to seeing where we take this new partnership.

“I’ve done plenty of laps around Queensland Raceway, so I definitely know the track well.

“It will be a weekend for me to adjust and understand all of the new processes, but I’m really excited.

“I’d also like to thank the team at McElrea Racing for helping me in my first start in Porsches. They are a professional team and have made me raise my own game.”

Ben Jenkins
Team Manager, Earl Bamber Motorsport

“Having Tom join our team is a great addition to our EBM line-up,” said Jenkins.

“He has some strong results already in the Porsche category and we will be looking to build on that.

“Tom will compliment the young guys that we have in the team already. It’s an easier start for him, given that this is his home track. We won’t need to help him understand where the circuit goes.

“Of our drivers, he will be the most experienced driver for Queensland Raceway, so he’ll be handy to lean on.

“We’re looking forward to watching his development and moving him forward in his career, like we have done with many other drivers under the EBM stable.”

Morris returns as Michelin Sprint Challenge field heads to Queensland

First Shannons SpeedSeries round of the year as title battle builds

NASH MORRIS will continue his Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series campaign, having been locked in by TekworkX Motorsport for the remainder of the 2023 season.

It comes after a stunning one-make Porsche debut at Sydney Motorsport Park last week where he scored pole, won two races and finished second overall for the weekend, behind only teammate Aron Shields.

Morris’ will aim to pick up where he left off at Queensland Raceway this weekend as the Michelin Sprint Challenge field enjoys a quick turnaround from the Sydney event.

24 cars will line up at the 3.2km circuit outside of Ipswich as the launches into the second half of the season.

It comes with Kiwi teenager Marco Giltrap enjoying a solid lead over countryman Ronan Murphy in the series standings, with Zac Stichbury making it a New Zealand 1-2-3.

Giltrap is the only driver to have finished every race in the outright top ten this season, underpinning his impressive championship lead.

After winning last time out in Sydney, Aron Shields sits fourth in the championship just four points out of the top three, with Harrison Goodman in fifth.

Sam Shahin takes a formidable lead in the Pro-Am class to Queensland Raceway, though the battle will be on for second in the championship with Brett Boulton on the sidelines for this round.

That opens the door for the likes of Matt Slavin – who was a career-best second in class in Sydney – third-placed Andrew Goldie and local Richard Cowen, who sits fourth in the standings, to step up further and put pressure on the runaway leader.

Points leader Phil Morriss and defending champion Lachy Harburg will battle for Class B honours in the Gen I 991 GT3 Cup Car fight.

The field also welcomes debutant Ramu Farrell, who makes his PMSC debut driving the #888 Kaldewelg Auto GT3 Cup Car in the Pro-Am Class.

The Queensland Raceway event will see the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series rejoin the Shannons SpeedSeries for the first time this year.

Both of Saturday’s Sprint Races will be shown live on Stan Sport, while the Jim Richards’ enduro cup race will decide the weekend first thing on Sunday morning.

SCHEDULE – ROUND 4, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia

Friday, 11 August

Practice 1 – 10:15am
Practice 2 – 13:40pm
Qualifying – 16:05pm

Saturday, 12 August

Race 1 – 13:00pm (20 Minutes)
Race 2 – 17:05pm (20 Minutes)

Sunday, 13 August

Race 3 – 9:10am (45 Minutes)

ENTRY LIST

Shields claims maiden Porsche Sprint Challenge win

Adrian Flack, Stephen Moylan claim Pro-Am, Class B wins respectively in Sydney

ARON SHIELDS has powered to his maiden Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia round victory by virtue of a stunning race win in the final race at Sydney Motorsport Park. 

In a weekend-long battle with TekworkX Motorsport teammate Nash Morris, Shields was leading the final race when Morris spun out of second position at Turn 11, giving the former all the points he needed to claim his first round success in circuit racing.

Morris, who had earlier won race two, finished second overall while championship leader Marco Giltrap finished third to extend his series lead aboard his Team Porsche NZ / Earl Bamber Motorsport Porsche.

Adrian Flack claimed the Pro-Am class win over Matt Slavin and Sam Shahin, while Stephen Moylan took advantage of a Brad Carr non-finish in race three to claim the Class B win on debut.

At the half-way point of the series, Marco Giltrap continues to lead Ronan Murphy, with the margin now 38 points.

Aron Shields’ superb weekend rocketed him to fourth, just behind Zak Stichbury fourth and Harrison Goodman now fifth.

In Pro-Am, Sam Shahin still continues to lead, with Andrew Goldie now second, while Phil Morriss extended his Class B lead following a consistent weekend in Sydney.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series resumes in two weeks time at Queensland Raceway for Round 4 of the series, racing with the Shannons SpeedSeries on August 11-13.

RACE 2

Nash Morris maintained his perfect record in Porsche competition after making a bold last lap move on his TekworkX Motorsport teammate Aron Shields in Race Two of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge at Sydney Motorsport Park.

In a repeat of the Saturday night race, the two TekworkX cars ran riot, Morris and Shields the only two drivers to set lap times in the 1m 32s range in the race.

Shields led the field away from the outside of the front row, and led the whole race right until Morris made his move at turn six on the fourteenth and final lap.

The TekworkX teammates gapped the field to the tune of almost ten seconds, with Team Porsche New Zealand/EBM’s Marco Giltrap rounding out the podium.

Giltrap made a brilliant overtake of his own to take third place, capitalising on a slight error from Lachlan Bloxsom to dive down the inside at turn seven on lap before covering aggressively at turn eight.

Bloxsom would take fourth for Bloxsom Team Navy, with Oscar Targett continuing to recover from his poor qualifying in fifth for Grove Racing.

In sixth was Pro-Am winner Adrian Flack, who put in a standout performance amongst the front runners, running in the top five for the majority of the race before being overtaken late by Targett.

Second in Pro-Am was Sam Shahin, who went on a tear in the opening laps, gaining twelve places in the first lap and a half, finishing thirteenth outright after starting in twenty eighth.

Matt Slavin rounded out the Pro-Am podium in his Ares Group entry in sixteenth outright.

Class B was won by the Car Mods Australia entry of Bradley Carr in twentieth outright, ahead of Lachlan Harburg in twenty second, with Brayden Taylor rounding out the podium in twenty seventh outright for Wall Racing.

RACE 3

TekworkX Motorsport’s Aron Shields won the final race of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge at Sydney Motorsport Park, clinching the round win after teammate Nash Morris had a difficult race.

Morris made a poor start from pole position, allowing Shields to take a lead he would not lose, and allowing Marco Giltrap to jump into second from third on the grid.

Morris was in the process of getting back past the Team Porsche New Zealand/EBM driver when the Safety Car was deployed following an incident at turn one between Pro-Am runners Andrew Goldie and Matt Slavin.

The lead Class B runner of the weekend, Bradley Carr, also found trouble on the first lap, losing power almost immediately.

The race went green again on lap five, and Shields began to inch away from the field as the TekworkX cars had done all weekend, with Giltrap finding himself coming under pressure from the recovering Morris.

Morris made his move on lap eight, bumping doors with the championship leader as they went through turn four.

Also on the charge was Grove Racing’s Oscar Targett, who moved by Lachlan Bloxsom at turn two off the restart and followed Morris to go past Giltrap into third.

Targett then gained another position when Morris spun by himself at turn ten on lap thirteen, dropping from second to fifteenth.

Though Morris would eventually recover to twelfth at the finish, the mistake cost the Porsche debutant the round win, as Shields cruised to a comfortable win by just over two seconds.

Targett finished second, with Hamish Fitzsimmons rounding out the podium in the third TekworkX entry, ahead of Rohan Murphy with Giltrap rounding out the top five.

The Pro-Am Class was won by AGAS National’s Damian Flack, who secured another top ten outright result in a strong performance, with Sam Shahin second in fourteenth outright for The Bend Motorsport Park, and Casper Tresidder claiming third in class with sixteenth outright for Wall Racing/Hillcrest.

The Class B race blown wide open after Carr’s issues off the start, with Lachlan Harburg claiming the class win for Autohouse Racing in nineteenth outright, with Stephen Moylan second and twenty fifth outright, with Brayden Taylor rounding out the podium in twenty sixth outright.

Aron Shields first pole position comes in tight Sydney session

0.1 seconds cover top three cars as Flack, Carr grab class poles

ARON SHIELDS has edged teammate Nash Morris by under one-tenth of a second to score pole position for Round 3 of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series today at Sydney Motorsport Park. 

In a thrilling qualifying session that went down to the wire, Sheilds’ 1m29.9891s flyer edged Porsche debutant Morris by 0.0171s to give TekworkX Motorsport a 1-2 result in qualifying and the driver his first career pole.

Shields is the third different polesitter from three rounds this year, while TekworkX become the third different team to qualify on pole.

The tight session saw times consistently drop as teams switched from their first set of Michelin slicks to their second late in the session.

Late improvement from Marcos Flack saw him storm to third in his Sonic entry, the second-generation Porsche racer only 0.0277s from pole and even less from a spot on the front row.

Zac Stichbury was fourth, while the third row of the grid will be comprised of Ronan Murphy in fifth and championship leader Marco Giltrap in sixth.

Even then, the latter was just 0.35s from pole position.

Lachlan Bloxsom was next, while Adrian Flack starred on his Pro-Am class return to Sprint Challenge – not only taking pole in class but qualifying well inside the top-10 in the process.

Harrison Goodman and Tom Taplin completed the top-10. The top 15 cars were covered by under one second in one of the most stacked Sprint Challenge fields in history.

Second in Pro-Am was championship leader Sam Shahin, the Pro-Am rivals in Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup continuing their rivalry into the Sprint Challenge series.

Shahin was 12th outright, while Brett Boulton was third in class and 16th outright, not far behind.

Matt Slavin was fourth in class, with Richard Cowen a strong fifth in the Pro-Am fight.

Brad Carr continued his strong recent form – he won the Symmons Plains round last time out – to grab pole in Class B, with defending champion Lachlan Harburg and Brayden Taylor next in class.

After a busy Friday that saw two practice sessions and a qualifying session in a single day, the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge field now waits until later on Saturday for the first time this weekend, with the opening race of the weekend set for a 6:25pm start tomorrow night.

That race will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo Sports.

Preparation key as Tom McLennan makes Sydney Motorsport Park debut

Strong momentum from a pre-event test for McLennan

Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge young gun Tom McLennan is hoping he can bring the strong momentum from a pre-event test to Round 3 of the title chase at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Many of the leading Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge teams including McLennan as part of McElrea Racing were part of the test day at the venue recently where he impressed. It also provided useful miles around the Eastern Creek-based circuit as McLennan prepares for his first national racing weekend there.

Sitting fifth in the standings after demonstrating frontrunning pace in Tasmania where the second-tier Porsche category also supported the Repco Supercars Championship as it does this weekend as part of the Sydney SuperNight.

McLennan will be aiming to learn as much as possible during Friday’s two practice and qualifying sessions.

Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge will also race under lights right before the Supercars hit the track making for a new experience for many drivers in the field, including McLennan. Two races round out the weekend of action on Sunday.

QUOTES

Tom McLennan

#81 Macpro Properties

“It’s been a long time between drinks, but I’m ready to get back on track at Sydney Motorsport Park,” said McLennan.

“We did a test day with McElrea Racing and a lot of my Pro competitors were there too a couple of weeks ago. It was a fairly confidence building test; we were one of the quickest on used tyres and were up there on a new set. It’s left me excited for a good weekend ahead.

“We’re aiming to climb up the title ladder in Sydney, so another good event this weekend will ensure we go a long way in doing that. We struggled in qualifying last time out and if I rectify this, we’ll be on for a top five across the races.

“It was good to race with the Supercars in Tasmania. It puts on the pressure for everyone, but it’s good to have this environment and the live TV is good as well.

“I’ve only completed a state round in the older spec Porsche at Sydney Motorsport Park making this a new experience for me.”