Change at the helm of Porsche Motorsport

Fritz Enzinger passes the Porsche Motorsport baton to Thomas Laudenbach

Thomas Laudenbach (53) will assume the role of managing Porsche Motorsport on October 1, 2021. The accomplished German engineer takes over from Fritz Enzinger (65), who has led the racing department of the sports car manufacturer to countless successes since 2011. “We cannot thank Fritz Enzinger enough for his enormously successful work over the past ten years. He shaped an era at Porsche Motorsport that led us to incredible triumphs and title wins,” comments Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche AG. “Motorsport has played a very special role in Porsche’s corporate strategy. We’ve always used the racing platform as a test laboratory for the latest technologies. Thomas Laudenbach has everything it takes to successfully continue on this path. We look forward to the future of motorsport, in which we want to take an active role in shaping. The Mission R concept presented at the IAA MOBILITY showcases an exciting preview of what’s to come.”

When the Austrian Fritz Enzinger came to Porsche in 2011, he spearheaded the successful LMP1 programme with the 919 Hybrid. Between 2014 and 2017, he achieved three overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as winning a total of six world championship titles in three consecutive years. In 2019, Enzinger took over complete responsibility for Porsche Motorsport. Two more world championship titles followed that year, this time with the 911 RSR in the GTE-Pro category of the World Endurance Championship FIA WEC. Under Enzinger’s direction, the sports car manufacturer also tackled the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, and won the titles in the North America IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) in the fiercely contested GTLM class with the 911 RSR.

“I look back on what we’ve achieved together with pride and gratitude,” explains Fritz Enzinger. “It was an incredibly intense time. The development of the LMP1 programme, the hat-trick at Le Mans and the world championship titles with the 919 Hybrid, the title wins with the 911 RSR, our entry into Formula E and the preparation of our LMDh engagements from 2023 onwards have demanded fortitude and focus from us all. Such successes are always the result of excellent teamwork. My greatest respect and thanks go out to everyone who contributed to this – in the cockpit, on the racetrack, in Weissach, Flacht and Zuffenhausen. My thanks also go to the strong Porsche customer teams who, among other achievements, clinched overall victories in the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and in Spa-Francorchamps,” the Austrian added. “Motorsport, like the entire automotive industry, is changing. Thanks to his experience and expertise, Thomas Laudenbach is exactly the right man to lead Porsche Motorsport into this future.”

“I’m thrilled about the trust that’s been placed in me and excited about the tasks ahead,” comments Thomas Laudenbach. “The big goal is to build on the great successes that have been achieved under the direction of Fritz Enzinger. It’s a wonderful challenge. We will adapt motorsport to the changed conditions in the automotive industry – from customer racing to factory involvement in the major racing series around the globe. We have our sights firmly set on claiming our 20th Le Mans victory, we want to win world championships – both in endurance racing and in Formula E. It’s also important to continue developing our customer racing. With the Mission R concept study, we are showing how attractive this can look.”

The qualified engineer Thomas Laudenbach, born in Santiago de Chile, completed his mechanical engineering studies at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. His path initially led him to the DTM and to a service company that developed powertrain components for various European vehicle manufacturers. In the autumn of 1998, Laudenbach came to Porsche AG. As Head of Powertrain Development, he was involved in racing and sports car projects such as the 918 Spyder, 911 RSR, 911 GT3 R and the 911 GT3 Cup until 2013.

As the leading developer of the 3.4-litre direct-injection V8 engine for the Porsche RS Spyder, Laudenbach also became acquainted with the North American motorsport scene. This will soon come full circle: From 2023, Porsche will compete for overall victories with a new LMDh hybrid prototype in the US IWSC racing series and the FIA WEC World Endurance Championship. As was the case with the RS Spyder between 2005 and 2008, the top American team Penske will once again serve as Porsche’s cooperation partner.

Local Legends aligns with Sonic driver Courtney Prince

Courtney Prince will feature a new livery and backing from Local Legends Beef Jerky

Sonic Motor Racing Services driver Courtney Prince will feature a new livery and backing when the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge returns to the race track at Sandown in September.

Local Legends Beef Jerky, a loyal supporter on the Australian motorsport scene, has thrown its support behind Prince for the remaining rounds of her maiden Porsche campaign.

Owned by noted motorsport enthusiast Tony Quinn, Local Legends already supports Fabian Coulthard’s Team Sydney Holden ZB Commodore amongst a variety of rising stars competing in state-based categories.

“The association started with Tony by competing against him in Aussie Racing Cars and I’m really excited to have him on board with Local Legends Beef Jerky,” Prince said.

“I’m grateful for his support as my first big sponsor and I’m thrilled that Tony’s interest has led to his company becoming involved in my racing. I am stoked about it and it provides me with added confidence as I look towards the next round of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge at Sandown in September.”

The striking livery that adorns Prince’s Sonic Motor Racing Services Porsche 991 Cup Car features Local Legends’ trademark fluro yellow colours.

“MSC Signs wrapped the car for us and it has turned out great,” enthused Prince. 

“The fluro yellow, orange and the black altogether makes it a great livery, and it will definitely stand out compared to my competitors. There’s nothing quite as bright as it!”

Prince completed a test at Winton Motor Raceway prior to the Melbourne lockdowns where she completed around 100 laps of running.

After a strong start to her season at Phillip Island, Prince heads to Sandown fourth in the standings with added confidence after racing her Porsche at the venue late last year. 

“I raced in the end of year event Porsche held at Sandown last December, so I’ve done a few laps there,” said Prince. 

“I’m looking forward to continuing my learning this season and hopefully we’ll be at the pointy end. I seem to have clicked with the Porsche and I’m absolutely loving it.”

The Sandown round of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge will be held on September 17-19.

Jaxon Evans repeats his 2020 Porsche Mobil1 Supercup win in Spielberg

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Round 3, Race, Spielberg (Austria)

The Red Bull Ring continues to be good turf for Jaxon Evans: The New Zealander won round three of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup on the Formula 1 circuit in Styria. It was here in 2020 that the Martinet by Alméras driver won his very first race in Porsche’s international one-make cup. Evans swept to the front in the first lap and controlled the 32-strong field over the remainder of the race. At the flag, he held a 0.646-second lead over Luxembourger Dylan Pereira (BWT Lechner Racing), who had taken up the race from pole position. Third place was enough for Larry ten Voorde (Team GP Elite) from the Netherlands to defend his championship lead.

The second Spielberg race within two weekends got off to a turbulent start. Taking up the race from the second grid spot, Evans overtook Pereira shortly after the start when he had to veer into the run-off area in a corner. “The brake balance was perfect in qualifying but wasn’t quite optimal in the race – the front wheels locked up for a second,” said Pereira, explaining his detour. While a vehicle was being salvaged from the gravel trap shortly afterwards, the race officials deployed a safety car. The race had only just gone green again when a similar incident caused another safety car phase. Evans kept his cool after the two restarts and even managed to pull clear of his pursuers. “I was certain that Dylan would have problems with his tyres after his brakes locked up so I wasn’t too worried,” revealed the New Zealander, who has advanced to position two in the standings after his victory.

While Evans and Pereira turned their laps at a respectful distance, a fierce fight for third place unfolded behind them. Defending champion Larry ten Voorde, Porsche Junior Ayhancan Güven (BWT Lechner Racing) from Turkey and Germany’s Laurin Heinrich (Nebulus Racing by Huber) battled amongst themselves in almost every corner and also switched positions. Güven overtook ten Voorde only to have a puncture knock him out of the three-way fight during the penultimate lap. Ten Voorde managed to fend off Heinrich, who ultimately took the flag in fourth place and won the rookie classification. “I couldn’t do more today,” admitted ten Voorde, the reigning champion and winner of last weekend’s race at the Red Bull Ring. “Ayhancan’s overtaking manoeuvre was superb. If it hadn’t been for the puncture, I’d never had caught him again.”

The ProAm category went to the Monegasque Nicolas Misslin (Lechner Racing Middle East), who shared the podium with Stéphane Denoual (F/Pierre Martinet by Alméras) and the defending ProAm champion Roar Lindland (N/Nebulus Racing by Huber). Hollywood star Michael Fassbender (X-Men, 12 Years a Slave) finished the race on 24th as a guest driver in the ca. 375 kW (515 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. “My goal was to beat the other amateur guest driver Georgios Frangulis to the flag – and I did it,” concluded the German-Irish actor, who normally contests the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) in the Porsche 911 RSR.

The winner’s trophy was presented by Albrecht Reimold, Member of the Executive Board, Production and Logistics, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. “It’s fantastic that spectators can now return to the circuits. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup races always have a great atmosphere. As the person responsible for production, I’m thrilled that the teams are very satisfied with the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup,” he commented. “As a sponsor for sustainability with our company, I’m proud that the Supercup is powered by regenerative fuel from renewable sources. Motorsport at Porsche has always brought about innovations that benefit production vehicles. Now, motorsport again has the unique chance to advance key elements not only for the automobile but also for society as a whole. In this regard, Porsche has taken the perfect first step.”

Round four of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup will be contested in Budapest, Hungary from 26 to 28 July, 2021.

Race 3 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, 17 laps, Spielberg (A)
1. Jaxon Evans (NZ/Martinet by Alméras), 28:31.966 minutes
2. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing), +0.646 seconds
3. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), +4.902 seconds
4. Laurin Heinrich (D/Nebulus Racing by Huber), +5.370 seconds
5. Florian Latorre (F/CLRT), +5.850 seconds
6. Tio Ellinas (CY/Lechner Racing Middle East), +10.890 seconds

Overall classification Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup after 3 of 8 races
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 67 points
3. Jaxon Evans (NZ/Martinet by Alméras), 55 points
2. Dorian Boccolacci (F/Martinet by Alméras), 37 points
4. Leon Köhler (D/Nebulus Racing by Huber), 35 points
5. Christopher Zöchling (A/FACH AUTO TECH), 29 points
6. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing), 25 points

* Full results and overall standings:
https://motorsports.porsche.com/usa/en/article/2021/03/12/pmsc-2021-results

To keep abreast of Jaxon Evans performances in 2021 follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

Round 3 of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge to move to 13-15 August

Shannons at Morgan Park postponed

Round 3 of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge at Morgan Park in Queensland will now take place on 13-15 August, due to the current border restrictions.

Below is the Motorsport Australia announcement made this afternoon:

The upcoming Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships round at Morgan Park will now take place on 13-15 August.

Originally slated for 25-27 June, ongoing border restrictions mean the event will be pushed back until August to allow all competitors, fans and officials to attend the event in Queensland.

Those who have already purchased tickets for the event will be able to use their existing tickets on the new date. Current ticketholders do not need to do anything to have their existing tickets honoured for the new dates.

Motorsport Australia Director of Motorsport & Commercial Operations Michael Smith said it was pleasing that a new date for the event could be found.

“This round of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships is one we have been looking forward to for some time, with a unique ‘country round’ feel expected at Morgan Park,” Smith said.

“We obviously are disappointed that we can’t hold this round of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships in June, however we are delighted to be able to secure a new date in August to put on a great show for competitors and fans alike.

“Motorsport Australia is working closely with Porsche, the Australian Racing Group and all our loyal categories to work on a track schedule for the new date and will release details of the full line up shortly, but we are hopeful everyone can join us as originally planned.

“A big thank you must also go to the Southern Downs Regional Council and the Warwick and District Car Club for their ongoing support of this event and making sure it’s a success for Warwick and the surrounding areas.”

Existing categories will be given the option of taking part in the new dates, with the line up to be finalised in the coming weeks.

Tickets remain on sale for the new date, and can be purchased here. Any fans unable to make the new dates will also be able to request a refund.

TAG Heuer expands partnership with both Porsche one-make series in Australia

Swiss watchmaker to be the Official Watch and Naming Rights partner for Fastest Lap Awards

Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) is pleased announce that Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer has increased its partnership with the German car brand in Australia, expanding its motorsport involvement across both the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series in 2021.

Together with TAG Heuer’s global partnership with Porsche, Porsche Motorsport and the Porsche Formula E team, domestically the brand will be the Official Watch and Naming Rights partner for the Fastest Lap Champions in both Australian one-make series.

In return, TAG Heuer brand will be featured on the Fastest Lap graphic displayed during the qualifying sessions at seven premier Carrera Cup Australia rounds in 2021. At each of these rounds, the TAG Heuer Pole Position Award will also be presented to camera for the fastest qualifying driver in both the Mobil Pro and Morris Finance Pro-Am classes.

Together with post produced telecast coverage, photo calls and media releases, the TAG Heuer Fastest Lap Award will be presented at both the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Awards nights at the end of year.

The TAG Heuer brand also be included on both the carreracup.com.au and porschesprintchallenge.com.au websites as well as related content on the Porsche Motorsport Australia (@PorscheMortsportAU) social media channels. Porsche Cars Australia will also provide a bespoke driving experience for ten TAG Heuer customers at a tailored Porsche Drive the Range event.

Quotes:

PCA Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “This relationship between TAG Heuer and Porsche connects two of the world’s most premium brands and extends across all areas of our business in Australia and abroad. To see that partnership enriched further at a local motorsport level allows not only Porsche, but TAG Heuer to continue their strong heritage in motor racing and both our one-make series in Australia.”

TAG Heuer, General Manager Australia & New Zealand, Van Mulryan:  “We are honoured to strengthen our partnership both globally and locally with Porsche, the alliance which further reinforces our passion and commitment to motor racing. Both brands share an uncompromising commitment to quality and technology, we are excited for what the future holds and look forward to seeing what we will achieve together from this dynamic partnership.”

The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph

Carrera as an icon of a name has been associated with Porsche and TAG Heuer for generations – so it was a natural choice for the first creative product collaboration. A tribute to the heritage of two brands, the new chronograph offers a first glimpse at what they can achieve together and is a seamless blend of the Porsche and TAG Heuer universes, reflecting the excellence of both names without diluting the essence of either.

Porsche’s engraved inscription is visible on the bezel and the unmistakable font is also used for the indexes. The Porsche colours of red, black, and grey – which also recall historic Heuer models – are incorporated throughout the watch, and on clear display through the transparent cristal case back is the oscillating mass, which has been redesigned in affectionate tribute to Porsche’s celebrated steering wheel. It is printed with “Porsche” and “TAG Heuer”.

The dial’s asphalt effect, created especially for this watch, expresses a passion for the road, while Arabic numerals suggest the numbers on the dashboard of fine Porsche sportscars. The timepiece is presented either on a soft strap in luxurious calf leather and innovative stitching that echoes the Porsche interior or on an interlocking bracelet reflecting streamlined racing design. At the heart of the timepiece is the in-house Calibre Heuer 02 manufacture movement with an impressive 80-hour power reserve.

Pancione and Shahin take the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge round win

Suhle and Shahin victorious in final race at Sydney Motorsport Park

The third race of Round 2 of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series took place slightly later than scheduled after thick flog blanketed the Sydney Motorsport circuit on the Sunday morning, causing a small delay in the Motorsport Australia program.

But the fog gradually lifted during the morning and clear skies greeted the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge competitors as all 21 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars took to the grid for the final race.

As in Races 1 and 2, Christian Pancione made a great start to lead his teammate into turn 1, followed by Bayley Hall and Callum Hedge. Hall, like most of the field, had used up his two allocated sets of new Michelin tyres earlier in the weekend and would start the final race on used rubber.

While the Queenslander would jump passed the Team Porsche New Zealand driver off the line, Hedge would eventually retake third position after drafting passed Hall into turn 1 later in the race.

Behind the leading quartet, Sam Shahin had again assumed control of the Morris Finance Pro Am from the start and was involved in a tussle with Courtney Prince for the duration of the race.

The safety car was deployed on lap 3 after Ross McGregor’s Ash Seward Motorsport drew to a halt in turn 3. After closing the gap to Pancione after the restart, Suhle would challenge for the lead, overtaking his teammate around the outside of turn 8.

Suhle would maintain that advantage to the line with Pancione finishing second to take his maiden round win in the series. Hedge filled the remaining step on the Mobil Pro podium for the Earl Bamber Motorsport team. Pancione’s efforts in Sydney sees the VCM Performance driver now reduce Suhle’s lead in the series from 19 to 13 points heading into round 3.

Sam Shahin’s three race wins in Sydney, sees him with a commanding lead in the Morris Finance Pro Am class, with Sergio Pires and Valmont Racing teammate Marcel Zalloua finishing the round in second and third in class respectively. Zalloua would make up six positions in Race 3 to finish third just behind Pires in the final race of the weekend.

The next round of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series takes place at Morgan Park in Warwick, Queensland on the 25-27 June.

Race results: https://www.porschesprintchallenge.com.au/results/

Pancione takes maiden Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge victories

Christian Pancione and Sam Shahin dominate Races 1 and 2

Clear skies and cool conditions greeted Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge teams as they rolled out for the first sprint race of the weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park.

After dominating both Friday’s practice sessions and narrowly missing out on the qualifying window to take pole in the Mobil Pro class the previous evening, Christian Pancione made the perfect start from the front row to lead his McElrea Racing teammate, Ryan Suhle, and the rest of the chasing field through Turn 1.

Pancione’s pace was blistering in the opening stages, lapping over a second faster than anyone in the 21-car field. The VCM Performance driver would quickly amass a 3 second advantage over his McElrea Racing teammate and control the race fairly effortlessly to the flag.

Suhle would finish a hard fought second after coming under heavy pressure from Callum Hedge in the early laps after out breaking himself into turn 2. Hedge would eventually cross the line 4 seconds behind the Queenslander in third with Bayley Hall and Courtney Prince rounding out the top five.

After a treacherous qualifying, Sam Shahin would overcome Sergio Pires early in the Morris Finance Pro Am battle and take the lead into turn 2. Despite being plagued with brake bias issues, The Bend Motorsport Park owner would take the class win ahead of Pires and Matthew Belford.

One the most impressive drives of the race, was from Shahin’s teammate, Tom Taplin, who would make up over 14 places to finish in seventh overall. The most entertaining tussle for spectators lining the Sydney Motorsport Park circuit however, was in the Morris Finance Pro Am mid field, which saw Marcel Zalloua, Michelin Junior Madeline Stewart, David Greig and Ross McGregor embroiled in race long battle.

As Pancione had used his second allocated set of Michelin control slick tyres in qualifying, many expected the 19-year old to fade in the second 45-minute endurance race. But as in Race 1, Pancione made a clean start and built an early lead lapping four tenths quicker than Suhle. Both Pancione and Suhle gradually pulled away from Callum Hedge and Bayley Hall, with the series debutants matching the more experienced front pair for pace in the early stages.

While a short delay when lapping a back marker toward the end of the race looked like it may rob Pancione of his second race victory, he absorbed the pressure from Suhle and maintained his advantage to the line.

Sam Shahin would continue to dominate Morris Finance Pro-Am in Race 2. Despite issues with his HTFU liveried Porsche 911 GT3 Cup’s cooling and steering systems, the South Australian had pulled out a 10 second advantage with 20 laps remaining and eventually cross the line over 20 secs ahead of his nearest competitor, Sergio Pires.

Pires recovered from an early altercation with Matt Belford into turn one on the first lap and was followed home by David Greig, Michael Hovey and Graham Williams. One of the stand out drives of the second race was that of Hovey, after starting from the back of the field due to a gearbox issue in the first race, the Morris Finance Pro Am made up 12 positions to finish in ninth overall.

The third and final race of the weekend takes place at 14:05 local time on Sunday and will be broadcast live via the 7Plus app.

For Race 1 and 2 results visit: https://www.porschesprintchallenge.com.au/results/

Suhle and Pires top Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge qualifying

Sergio Pires takes his maiden pole in Morris Finance Pro-Am

Ryan Suhle will start Round 2 of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series from pole position after topping Mobil Pro class in an eventful Friday night qualifying session under the Sydney Motorsport Park lights.

In contrast to the wet and wild conditions of Round 1, the pace in each Friday’s three sessions was very quick, due in part to the near perfect weather and the added grip from Sydney Motorsport Park’s newly resurfaced turns two and three.

Practice 2 lap times as a result saw the front four cars all drop under the existing race lap record of 1m30.869s, currently held by none other than Jaxon Evans in a 997 generation 911 GT3 Cup car in 2016.

But as the 21 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car field ventured out for the first lap of qualifying under lights, Tom Taplin was caught out, spinning on cold tyres and making contact with the safety barriers. The session was red flagged and after a delay it was the turn of Sam Shahin to bring out a second red flag for the session.

With only 3 minutes remaining, Suhle made the most of the second restart to claim pole from team mate Christian Pancione by 0.4 secs, the largest margin between the whole day. The pace of the McElrea Racing front pair throughout Friday will serve as an ominous sign for the chasing Mobil Pro field as McElrea drivers have taken the last two round wins at the circuit with Jimmy Vernon victorious in 2018 and Harri Jones in 2019.

While Suhle had trailed Pancione in the days first two sessions, the latter’s improvement and pace in both Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge and Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia has been impressive to watch so far this year and the VCM Performance driver has gone from strength-to-strength since joining the McELrea squad from Ash Seward Motorsport.

Keeping them honest in tomorrow’s first race will be Porsche Team New Zealand driver, Callum Hedge, and the youngest addition to the McElrea team, Bayley Hall. The two Michelin Juniors continuing to impress in their debut season along with Courtney Prince.

In the Morris Finance Pro Am class, Shahin had looked the class of the field the whole day, but The Bend Motorsport Park owner could only recover second by the time the session ended. An ecstatic Sergio Pires found himself on pole, the first of his career. Matthew Belford and Michael Hovey will start in third and fourth respectively for the first race.

Quotes:

Ryan Suhle, McElrea Racing: “It was a massive day, we we’re here for the track walk at 07:00 this morning and we just went out tonight at 19:30, so it’s probably one of the biggest racing days we’ll do given we can drive at night here, it was awesome. The two red flags saw two resets, so it was just about coming in, clearing your head and going again. The lighting system here is so good it was almost like daylight, the only difference was in the cabin. I’ve done a bit of karting under lights so it wasn’t unfamiliar and I really enjoyed it.”

Sergio Pires, Valmont Racing: “I saw Sam go off and he’s the class of the field, so I knew this was my chance to take the pole. I put down a good lap following some of the guys out the front which helped. It was my personal best as well, so a really a good session all round. This is the best track in Australia when racing under lights in my opinion, but this is my home track, so I might be a bit biased, for me it just feels special.”

Saturday morning sees the Race 1 sprint race start at 09:35, while the 45-minute Race 2 Endurance takes place at 15:10. Both races will be broadcast live via the 7plus app.

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

Pre-purchase your tickets for Round 2 at SMP and save time

Purchase Round 2 tickets in advance as no ticket sales will be available at the SMP gate

Sydney Motorsport Park to host Porsche qualifying under lights

21-car Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge grid for Round 2

After wet weather and two unfortunate accidents marred the opening round of the 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, both Mobil Pro and Morris Finance Pro-Am competitors will be looking forward to drier conditions and better fortunes when they converge on Sydney Motorsport Park for Round 2 of the one-make series on Friday.

A full Shannons Motorsport Australia Championship program has provided a rare opportunity for Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge competitors to qualify under lights on the Friday evening. The 20-minute qualifying session follows two earlier practice sessions on the first day, before the business end of the weekend starts early on Saturday morning, where teams contest a 20-minute Sprint race followed by a 45-minute Endurance race. The final 20-minute Sprint race of the weekend takes place on Sunday afternoon, with all three races broadcast live on the 7plus app.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series last visited Sydney Motorsport Park in May 2019, a fiercely competitive round that saw three different winners from the three races. Max Vidau won race 1, while Ryan Suhle and Harri Jones shared the spoils in races 2 and 3. Sam Shahin was fourth overall and took home the silverware in the Morris Finance Pro-Am class.

Suhle will be hoping to carry the momentum from both Round 1 and his 2019 race victory into Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend, with the McElrea Racing driver currently leading the Mobil Pro Championship from the Team Porsche New Zealand rookie, Callum Hedge. The impressive New Zealand teenager gave the Earl Bamber Motorsport team their maiden win on Australian soil on his (and their) debut and will again be a podium contender in Round 2 together with McElrea Racing team mates Christian Pancione and Bayley Hall, as well as Courtney Prince from the Sonic Motor Racing team.

In Morris Finance Pro-Am, Porsche Centre Melbourne driver, Matt Belford, leads the Championship for the first time in his career, from Sam Shahin. David Greig sits third with Michael Hovey fourth after a second in race two in Phillip Island. Shahin became just the third driver to notch up 100 race starts in the series in the opening round, only Ross McGregor (106) has more.
The Bend Motorsport Park owner will also surpass John Goodacre for second on the list for all-time starts in Sydney – and will eclipse Goodacre for rounds started at the Sydney circuit, with the pair currently tied on 34 starts a piece following the Victorian event.

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

ENTRY LIST: Round 2 – Sydney Motorsport Park

# NAME     SURNAME CLASS                             SPONSOR
2 Richard     Cowen            Morris Finance Pro-Am McElrea Racing
3 Jonathan   Gliksten        Morris Finance Pro-Am Racing to Beat FA
5 Nathan      Murray          Morris Finance Pro-Am Garage 1
7 Ryan          Suhle              Mobil Pro                          Latitude Coffee
8 Madeline  Stewart          Mobil Pro                          Porsche Team NZ/EBM
9 Callum      Hedge            Mobil Pro                          Porsche Team NZ/EBM
13 Sam         Shahin           Morris Finance Pro-Am HTFU / OTR
14 Matthew Belford          Morris Finance Pro-Am ID Land
22 Andrew  Goldie            Morris Finance Pro-Am Cirrus Aircraft
26 Tom        Taplin            Mobil Pro                          Taplin Real Estate
28 Bayley    Hall                Mobil Pro                          Siebe Gorman
29 Rob         Woods           Morris Finance Pro-Am TekworkX Motorsport
32 Courtney Prince          Mobil Pro                          Sonic Motor Racing
44 Marcel    Zalloua         Morris Finance Pro-Am Valmont Racing
55 Sergio     Pires              Morris Finance Pro-Am Valmont Racing
68 Terrance Knowles      Morris Finance Pro-Am ASM
73 Michael  Hovey           Morris Finance Pro-Am HHH Racing / Triffid
76 Christian Pancione    Mobil Pro                           VCM Performance
87 David      Greig            Morris Finance Pro-Am David Greig
99 Ross        McGregor   Morris Finance Pro-Am Southern Star Windows
131 Graham Williams     Morris Finance Pro-Am Sonic / Williams Racing

BROADCAST SCHEDULE: Round 2 – Sydney Motorsport Park

Race 1: Sat 01 May 09:35-09:55 7plus
Race 2: Sat 01 May 15:10-15:55 7plus
Race 3: Sun 02 May 14:05-14:25 7plus

From track days to the top of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge podium

Matt Belford’s journey up the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid through the Porsche Track Experience

Just five rounds in the 2019 series was all it took for Morris Finance Pro-Am, Matt Belford, to climb to the top step of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge podium. Belford took out the class win at the opening round of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge 2021 season at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

His story is a great example of where the Porsche Track Experience can develop participants and how his journey up the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid offers opportunities for drivers of all experience levels, to ascend from track day enthusiasts to the top echelons of national competition.

Belford’s passion for motorsport evolved after completing all five levels of the Porsche Track Experience in 2018. His brother, also a keen motorsport enthusiast and historic racing competitor, then convinced him to buy a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to use in track days.

Belford participated in a range track day events including the Porsche Pole Position experiences at Albert Park and Bathurst, before returning to Porsche Track Experience to complete Level 4 and 5 again in 2019.

The Melbourne resident joined the Porsche Centre Melbourne Motorsport team under the guidance of Team Manager and Race Engineer, Karl Batson the same year. Belford improved every round and would finish seventh out of 15 Pro-Am competitors in his debut Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season in 2019.

According to Batson, “Matt was a quick learner from the start and takes instruction well. He never gets flustered or emotional at the track, he just comes in from every session sees where he needs to improve and goes out and does it.“

“Every test and race session we’ve had with him, he’s bettered his personal best and lap times. Overall he’s down-to-earth and a great guy to have in the team, we all get on very well,” Batson enthused.

Following his first round victory in the Morris Finance Pro-Am class in a wet and wild season opener at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit this year, Belford paid homage to the support of not only his brother and the whole Porsche Centre Melbourne Motorsport Team, but also his driving coach and Porsche Centre Melbourne teammate, Nick McBride.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/7SKAocQXX4E

McBride, himself a widely experienced and successful Mobil Pro driver in the premier Carrera Cup Australia series said, “When Matt joined the team, he had next to no racing experience, which was an advantage in a way as he was almost a clean canvas to work with. “

“He’s very driven and has a natural ability and picked up pace fairly easily. His first year he showed massive glimpses of speed, but lacked the experience to give him the consistency and extract the best from the car in qualifying.”

“He has a really good attitude and knows what success looks like on and off the track. You can see it in how he prepares and does his homework before test days, he’s very analytical, spending a lot of time reviewing data to know what the limit is and what’s achievable. I think he’s also learn’t from Jonathan (Gliksten) at high speed circuits.”

“The biggest difference I’ve seen in him this year over 2019, was that he is not making the same mistakes. He’s an intelligent driver and for example knew to drive within himself in the wet at Phillip Island and that ultimately won him the round. He’s on a very steep trajectory of improvement and I feel he will be very quick in a year or so, with every race he gets under his belt,” McBride concluded.

Belford will be in action in Round 2 of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series which takes place at Sydney Motorsport Park from 30 April to 02 May. All three races will be broadcast live on the 7plus app. The app is free to download and accessible from any computer, smart tv, or mobile phone, together with replays of each race on demand.

To learn more about the Porsche Track Experience and the courses available visit https://porscheevents.com.au/Track-Experience or email trackexperience@porsche.com.au

Suhle and Belford take Phillip Island round wins after accident red flags Race 3

McGregor, Hovey and Gliksten all discharged from medical centre after Race 3 accident

The final race of the Round 1 of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series in Phillip Island, was red flagged soon after the race start after Jonathan Gliksten and Michael Hovey made contact on the exit of turn 2.

The altercation between the two Morris Finance Pro-Am drivers also sandwiched an unlucky Ross McGregor against the inside tyre wall. While all three drivers were taken to the Phillip Island medical centre and later discharged, all three Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars were severely damaged and had to be recovered from the circuit.

As a result of the incident, race 3 was red flagged by the Motorsport Australia officials and Gliksten was handed 10 series points penalty. He will also have to start from the rear of the grid for the first race of round 2.

The round win in each class was then based on the performance of the drivers in Races 1 and 2, which saw Ryan Suhle take the overall win in Mobil Pro from Callum Hedge and Christian Pancione.

Ryan Suhle (Mobil Pro winner): “It was great to get the first race win yesterday and obviously in the wet it was pretty interesting for Race 2. It was the first time for me in the rain in one of these Cup cars and I certainly found out that it bites sometimes. I was just happy to recover through the field to second.”

“While today was a little disappointing as we all want to go racing, we’re also just glad that the guys are all ok. Overall, it’s great to come away from the weekend with the championship lead.”

Matthew Belford took his maiden round win in Morris Finance Pro-Am, from Sam Shahin and David Greig.

Matthew Belford (winner Morris Finance Pro-Am) said: “It was a great weekend, but finishing with a red flagged race was unfortunate, but we all just really glad the guys are ok. My weekend was good, qualifying I was fourth and fought my way to second in race 1 while race 2 was just wild. I was just thrilled to take the overall round win.”

“It was only three years ago I was doing track days and went on to do the Porsche Experience Driver Training up in Queensland. I enjoyed that and bought a Cup Car and started doing Sprint Challenge and now within just a few years, I have my first race (and round) win. I can’t thank the whole Porsche Centre Melbourne team enough especially Karl Batson and Nick McBride.”

The next round of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series takes place at Sydney Motorsport Park on the 01-02 May.

Belford and Hedge take maiden wins in rain affected Race 2

Round 1, Phillip Island, Race 1 and 2 review

Phillip Island serves up wet and dry conditions for Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season opener

After a 16-month break, twenty Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge 91 GT3 Cup cars lined-up for Race 1 of the 2021 season. Overcast, breezy conditions had replaced the sunshine and blue skies of Friday’s qualifying. While the asphalt for Saturday’s opening sprint race would be dry, a huge rain front was on the weather radar for later in the day.

Pole sitter Ryan Suhle made clean start to lead the Mobil Pro field into the first turn, followed  by debutants Bayley Hall and Courtney Prince in close attendance. Callum Hedge struggled to get his Team Porsche New Zealand 911 GT3 Cup car off-the-line dropping three places. Morris Finance Pro-Am top qualifier, Sam Shahin had to take evasive action to miss Hedge, but as a result found himself in fourth position overall after lap 1 just behind the leading Mobil Pro trio.

Matthew Belford had also made a strong start from tenth on the grid, jumping three spots into second in the Morris Finance Pro-Am class. Belford was closely followed by David Greig, Marcel Zalloua and Sergio Pires for the opening laps.

Suhle quickly amassed a 2.2 sec lead at the front of the field, while Pires and Tom Taplin dropped down the order after early off-track incidents. After Christian Pancione and Callum Hedge caught and passed Shahin, attention then switched to the battle between Hall and Prince for second position.

Hall and Prince were locked in battle for the entire race holding their podium positions to the line. They were followed home by Pancione in fourth and a recovering Hedge in fifth. Despite a small lock-up toward the end of the race, Suhle looked unfazed and controlled the gap to the chasing pack throughout the race. The McElrea Racing driver eventually crossed the line 1.6secs ahead of his teammate, Hall.

Shahin meanwhile would grow his advantage over the Morris Finance Pro-Am throughout the race and cross the line first in the class. Behind Shahin great racing had ensued throughout the field between Matthew Belford, David Greig and Marcel Zalloua. Michael Hovey and Shane Barwood too were locked in an intense battle further down the order, until Barwood spun late in the race, allowing Hovey to come home in 14th.

As predicted a huge rain front hit the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit around midday, forcing the officials to declare a wet race for the second sprint race. The sodden conditions saw the field start behind the pace car as a precaution. Suhle would jump the field at the restart and pull out a 2.5 sec lead by the end of the first lap.  The McElrea Racing driver then set the fastest lap of the race – nearly 4 seconds faster than his nearest rival at that point- until spinning under brakes at the turn 3 hairpin. On the same lap, Shahin would ironically also spin at the same corner dropping him down the order to 13^th overall.

With Suhle and Shahin started their recoveries through the rain and field, Courtney Prince seized the opportunity for the overall lead at the front of the field, overtaking Bayley Hall. The Team Porsche New Zealand entry of Callum Hedge was on the move however and would catch the pair, setting the second fastest lap of the race.

After overtaking both Hall and Prince, the young Team Porsche New Zealand driver would tenaciously hold onto that lead for the remainder of the incident marred race, giving the Earl Bamber Motorsport team their first race victory in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series on debut.

After an impressive drive, Prince would spin late in the second race and eventually finish the race in fifth. Bayley Hall’s equally impressive weekend would come to an unfortunate end in the dying laps due after making contact with a recovering Shane Barwood on the main straight. Hall was lying a strong third in Mobil Pro class until that point. Unfortunately the damage sustained in the incident, saw both Hall and Barwood’s cars retired for the weekend, but thankfully neither driver was hurt in the incident.

Suhle would eventually recover to second behind Hedge by the time the flag fell, with Tom Taplin coming home third. Despite several cars struggling in the worsening conditions, it was Matthew Belford who would emerge unscathed to take his maiden Morris Finance Pro-Am victory for the Porsche Centre Melbourne team, ahead of Michael Hovey and Shahin.

The third and final race of the weekend will also be the longest (45 minutes) on Sunday morning and gets underway at 10:05am AEDT. The race will be broadcast live via the 7plus app.

For Race 1 and 2 results visit: https://www.porschesprintchallenge.com.au/results/

Suhle and Shahin top Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge qualifying

Round 1, Phillip Island, Qualifying

Sunshine and warm track temperatures greeted teams as they ventured onto the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for the opening round of the 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season.

As expected McElrea Racing’s Ryan Suhle topped the timesheets in both the Friday practice sessions. Suhle’s advantage over the chasing Mobil Pro field in the day’s final qualifying session was 0.4secs, in a dominant display from the Michelin Junior driver.

Just behind Suhle was a trio of newcomers to the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Mobil Pro class including Bayley Hall (McElrea Racing), Callum Hedge (Porsche Team New Zealand) and Courtney Prince (Sonic Motor Racing), who all improved and impressed throughout the days sessions.

“It was good to take poll on that last lap and come across the line in a good position for tomorrow’s race. After the break last year, it was great to have a strong result and some seat time in Sandown last December. That race really helped today, as any time in the car counts and was good preparation for this year” Suhle said.

“2021 is going to be a really competitive season, as it always is in Sprint Challenge. But that’s what you want in a series and a good line-up of drivers is great for the whole series.”

Sam Shahin looks to have started this season where he left off in 2019. The reigning Morris Finance Pro-Am Champion, dominated all three Friday sessions in his brightly liveried HTFU Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, prepared by Buick Motorsport. The South Australian was kept honest throughout the day by a hard charging Sergio Pires and former Class B front runner, David Greig.

After qualifying, Shahin, who celebrates his 100^th start in the series in Sunday’s final race, was very happy with his performance after a massive accident sidelined The Bend Motorsport Park CEO in the Bathurst 12-hour a year ago,

Shahin enthused, “I’m very thrilled on so many fronts. I can’t believe I’m in a race car to start with and everyone in the Pro-Am class is fast this year. All the drivers here went out of the gate very fast this morning, but that is what it should be.”

“This is a track that rewards bravery and commitment. Everyone has done exceptionally well and it’s great that there were no incidents throughout the day,” Shahin concluded.

Saturday sees two sprint races taking place in what looks to be a very wet weekend according to the weather forecast. The Michelin wet tyres are likely to be working to their optimum with between 5 to 10mm predicted for tomorrow. Race 1 gets underway at 10:30 AEDT, followed by the second sprint race at 15:05 AEDT. Both races will be broadcast live via the 7plus app.

Full results: https://www.porschesprintchallenge.com.au/results/

Solid 20-car Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge grid for Phillip Island

Mobil Pro and Morris Finance Pro-Am entries announced ahead of season opener

After a 16-month forced break as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge teams mark their return to the track this weekend at one of Australia’s most iconic race circuits.

Round 1 will see a grid of twenty (20) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars take to the Phillip Island Grand Prix start line, with the premier Mobil Pro class featuring some of the country’s top junior drivers and the Morris Finance Pro-Am class destined to be one of the mostly hotly contested in the series history.

McElrea Racing teammates Ryan Suhle and Christian Pancione carry strong momentum into the 2021 season after strong performances in both the 2019 series and the more recent Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Cup one-off event at the Sandown International Raceway last December.

South Australian, Tom Taplin returns as well for 2021 and will again be an ever present contender for race honours. Set to challenge the established trio of Michelin Juniors is a swathe of talented newcomers all with strong racing pedigrees. The challengers include Bayley Hall (McElrea Racing); Courtney Prince (Sonic Motor Racing) and the Porsche Team New Zealand pairing of Callum Hedge and Madeline Stewart (Earl Bamber Motorsport).

2019 Morris Finance Pro-Am champion, Sam Shahin returns to defend his class title, but will face strong opposition this season from the likes of Andrew Goldie and David Greig, who have made the step up from the 997 Class. Other experienced contenders expected to challenge the front trio include: Matthew Belford, Ross McGregor, Michael Hovey, Sergio Pires, Marcel Zalloua, Jonathan Gliksten, Shane Barwood, Graham Williams and Nathan Murray, while Terrance Knowles makes his debut in the series with Ash Seward Motorsport.

After two practice sessions and a 20-minute qualifying on Friday 12 March, teams contest two sprint races on Saturday, followed by a final 45-minute race on Sunday morning. All three races will be broadcast live on the 7plus app. The app is free to download and accessible from any computer, smart tv, or mobile phone, together with replays of each race on demand.

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

ENTRY LIST: Round 1 – Phillip Island

#    DRIVER               SURNAME          SPONSOR                        Class

3     Jonathan                Gliksten                  Racing to beat FA                Morris Finance Pro-Am

5     Nathan                    Murray                    Garage 1                                Morris Finance Pro-Am

7     Ryan                        Suhle                       Latitude Coffee                     Mobil Pro

8     Madeline                Stewart                   Porsche Team NZ                 Mobil Pro

9     Callum                    Hedge                     Porsche Team NZ                 Mobil Pro

13   Sam                        Shahin                     HTFU / OTR                          Morris Finance Pro-Am

14   Matthew                 Belford                    ID Land                                  Morris Finance Pro-Am

17   Marcel                    Zalloua                    Valmont Racing                     Morris Finance Pro-Am

21   Shane                      Barwood                                                                   Morris Finance Pro-Am

22  Andrew                   Goldie                     Cirrus Aircraft                        Morris Finance Pro-Am

26  Tom                        Taplin                      Taplin Real Estate                 Mobil Pro

28  Bayley                    Hall                          Siebe Gorman                         Mobil Pro

32   Courtney                Prince                     Sonic Motor Racing              Mobil Pro

55    Sergio                     Pires                       Valmont Racing                     Morris Finance Pro-Am

68   Terrance                 Knowles                 Ash Seward Motorsport       Morris Finance Pro-Am

73   Michael                   Hovey                     HHH Racing / Triffid           Morris Finance Pro-Am

76   Christian                 Pancione                VCM Performance                Mobil Pro

87   David                      Greig                        David Greig                            Morris Finance Pro-Am

99   Ross                        McGregor               Southern Star Windows       Morris Finance Pro-Am

131  Graham                  Williams                 Sonic Motor Racing              Morris Finance Pro-Am

BROADCAST SCHEDULE: Round 1 – Phillip Island

Race 1: Sat 13 March  10:30-10:55  7plus

Race 2: Sat 13 March  15:05-15:25  7plus

Race 3: Sun 14 March 10:05-10:50  7plus

Coffex Coffee Roasters renews partnership with Porsche Cars Australia for 2021 season

Coffex to keep the Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Sprint Challenge teams energized for 2021

An integral part of the service Porsche provides to its teams and drivers at each event would only be possible with the support of partners Coffex Coffee Roasters, who have renewed their support of Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series for the 2021 season.

Coffex has been closely aligned with the Carrera Cup Australia series since the start of the 2015 season when it began as the Official Coffee Supplier of Australia’s premier one-make series, providing coffee, tea and associated products to all involved in each series.

The Coffex Coffee bar is traditionally the most popular feature within the Carrera Cup Australia hospitality lounge at each event and provides a place for teams, partners and drivers to relax and enjoy premium, locally roasted – and, above all, the freshest – coffee from professional baristas.

For 2021, the proudly Melbourne brand will again receive integrated Coffex branding in the Porsche hospitality area, on every vehicle, and communications across Porsche’s websites and social media channels. Coffex also continues as the naming rights partner to an exclusive behind-the-scenes video series, dubbed the Coffex Backstage Pass.

The series will be shot by Porsche at each Carrera Cup event and give fans an insight into the Porsche life at every circuit, by showcasing profiles on leading teams, drivers and personnel as well as highlighting aspects of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Championship that set it apart from other categories in Australia.

Quotes:

Porsche Cars Australia Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “We are thrilled to continue our strong partnership with Coffex Coffee Roasters into the 2021 season. The benefits Coffex provide at each event play a crucial role in the overall racing experience for our drivers, teams, sponsors and this is evident from the tremendous feedback we receive. The 2021 partnership is vital in allowing us to continue to enhance and innovate the on- and off-track experiences for our motorsport customers.”

Coffex Coffee Roasters, Managing Director, Fong Loong: “We are once again, very proud to be the Official Coffee Supplier of Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series. With the Coffex Backstage Pass, we would like to give audiences a glimpse into the role that Coffex Coffee Roasters plays behind the scenes at every race. The event is truly a highlight in the Australian events calendar for us and we look forward to supporting Porsche Cars Australia for many more years.”

Round 1 of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season takes place from the 19-21 March in Sandown International Raceway, while Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge gets underway at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from the 12-14 March.

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

About Coffex Coffee Roasters:

Born in 1959, Coffex Coffee Roasters has a rich and diverse heritage in Melbourne. Our founding goal was to deliver premium, locally roasted and, above all, the freshest coffee to baristas and coffee lovers – and we have been doing so, ever since. Locally roasted in Brunswick, Victoria; Coffex Coffee Roasters is now one of the largest coffee roasters in the southern hemisphere. As part of its partnership with Porsche, Coffex’s perennial crowd favorite and multiple award winner – Superbar blend is served in the Porsche Lounge at every Carrera Cup Australia event.

Coffex Coffee Roasters – https://www.coffex.com.au/
For more coffee information and videos, follow the Coffex Coffee Roasters social pages: Instagram – @CoffexCoffeeRoasters  / Twitter – @CoffexCoffee / Facebook.com/CoffexCoffee

Coffex Backstage Pass

VIDEO: Episode 1 – Richard Crail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UysKeK7Ykk

VIDEO: Episode 2 – Michael Ritter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fx-UwwgJcE

Two-car Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge attack for Sonic

Sonic Motor Racing Services will enter a two-car attack on the 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge

Sonic Motor Racing Services will enter a two-car attack in the 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series, fielding entries in both the Mobil Pro and Morris Finance Pro-Am classes.

Heading the charge in the Mobil Pro class is Courtney Prince. The 19-year-old female racer is fresh out of the competitive Formula Ford category where she finished eighth in the 2019 championship.

Prince, along with most other motorsport competitors, had a lean 2020 due to COVID-19, however, a strong testing and fitness regime over the enforced break means that she is not lacking any confidence ahead of her first season racing a Porsche.

The Melbourne-based driver will compete in the 911 GT3 Cup car that Aaron Love used to finish second in the 2019 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series.

Morris Finance Pro-Am racer, Graham Williams, continues in the team’s second car in what will be his fifth-straight year with the Sonic team.

Williams is a long-time Porsche enthusiast and is looking to improve on his fifth place in the Morris Finance Pro-Am class from 2019.

The opening round of the 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge will take place at the world-famous Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, with practice and qualifying to be held on Friday, Race 1 and 2 on Saturday ahead of the final race on Sunday.

All races will be seen live and free on the 7plus streaming app in Australia.

QUOTES

Courtney Prince, Driver, Sonic Motor Racing Services: “I am so excited to get into the car and go racing,” said Prince.

“My goal is to do a good job, have good pace, and be fighting against the leading pack. I want to be consistently up the pointy end for the whole weekend.

“And being consistent is important, because at the end of the championship, I want to be in the top five.

“I really love Phillip Island. It’s one of my favourite tracks and after a test day earlier this year, I I feel comfortable. I’m just super excited to get out there.”

Graham Williams, Driver, Sonic Motor Racing Services: “This is now my fifth year with Sonic and it’s exciting to get back on track, into racing and spending time with the Team,” said Williams.

“It is be good to be able to get back into the seat again, and I look to working to improve on our efforts in 2019”

“Phillip Island is a spectacular place, and is great to have this as our first round.”

Michael Ritter, Owner, Sonic Motor Racing Services: “We are looking forward to getting back into the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge this year,” said Ritter.

“Courtney has been progressing really well over the past two seasons. Her momentum was great leading into 2020, but even in the enforced break, she remained active, we tested where we could and she is in a good space.

“It’s always great to have Graham in the team. This is our fifth year working together, and he is always looking to make more gains with his own driving.”

Mobil renews Naming Rights partnership of Porsche’s Mobil Pro Category

Mobil to continue as the Official Fuel Partner for both Porsche one-make series

Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) is pleased to announce that Mobil will continue as the Official Fuel Partner for both Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series this season.

As the “Official Partner” of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series, Mobil also continue as naming rights to its premier class within both series and will be referred to the ‘Mobil Pro Class’ in all official communications, including Porsche press releases, websites and social media accounts.

The partnership with Mobil provides a range of benefits to both parties ensuring that all cars competing in both series will run on Mobil’s Synergy Supreme+ 98 octane fuel product moving forward.

This enhances Porsche’s long term partnership with Mobil 1 ensuring that both Mobil Synergy fuels and Mobil 1 lubricants will be delivered in all Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars in each series.

In addition to the naming rights, Mobil receives extensive branding on all Pro Class cars on the front windscreen together with the side mirrors, rear windscreen, side panels, inside drivers panels and in-car cameras. The Mobil logo will also be present on the podium backdrop and team garages for each Pro Car competing in the Carrera Cup championship this year.

Further to these benefits, a range of money can’t buy experiences will be delivered throughout the year that will provide the chance for race fans and Mobil customers to enjoy the Porsche road cars at a range of exclusive events.

Porsche Cars Australia Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “We are pleased to renew our partnership with a quality fuel supplier for both series and continue to have Mobil as the Naming Rights partner to our Pro class this season. Our premier one-make series provides Mobil a prime platform to showcase their product to our drivers, teams and customers, as well as amplify their product attributes to Porsche customers both on and off the racetrack. The partnership further enhances our existing long term partnership with Mobil1, our Official Lubricant Partner to both series.”

Mobil Australia Retail Sales Manager, Charles Ewart: “Mobil is committed to supporting Australian drivers and the Porsche race series and is very proud to announce our partnership with premium car manufacture Porsche. This partnership provides us with the opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of our world renowned engine protecting Mobil Synergy Fuel Technology to Australians”.

Round 1 of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season takes place from the 19-21 March in Sandown International Raceway, while Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge gets underway at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from the 12-14 March.

About Mobil Synergy Fuels:

At Mobil, it’s all about the details and bringing quality fuels to every driver, all across Australia. That’s why we’re committed to getting performance enhancing additives that protect your engine from the very first fill, clean your engine and improve engine performance into every Mobil branded service station across Australia. You can trust that Mobil has your fuelling needs sorted with Mobil Synergy Fuel Technology. This is one more way our fuels work harder for you every day, and one more reason to refuel at Mobil. Because every drive matters.