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

Full season campaign locked in for next-gen Walker racer

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

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

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

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

Wall Racing Team Owner David Wall shared his excitement:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dramatic day delivers two first-time Porsche winners in Sydney

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tom Bewley snags Sydney night race pole by tiny margin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sprint Challenge champion to join broadcast in Sydney

Oscar Targett to trade steering wheel for microphone in Sydney

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sydney Sprint Challenge show in store as Round two awaits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Night racing to highlight Round 2 in Sydney

Prime time Porsche racing set for massive Shannons SpeedSeries Sydney encounter

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

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

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

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

Click here for the full schedule. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exton claims Sprint Challenge opener at Phillip Island

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exton storms to maiden victory in Sprint Challenge opener

Lachy Harburg claims Pro-Am victory in wild 2025 opener

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Competitive times ahead following Sprint Challenge opening day

Pro-Am contender Ramu Farrell surprise pacesetter in Friday practice

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

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

RESULTS: Practice at Phillip Island

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Talent-stacked field to contest Michelin Sprint Challenge opener

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ENTRY LIST
Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia, Round 1.

James Lodge makes step up to Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge

New Michelin Junior another to graduate to Sprint Challenge ranks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jackson Rooney Joins Sprint Challenge Field with TekworkX Motorsport

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jackson Rooney

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

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

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

Rob Woods

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

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

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

US F4 Champion to join Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia

International F4 champion to join Porsche Sprint Challenge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sprint Challenge opening round schedule confirmed

Packed Phillip Island program locked in for start of new year

Cup Car Engineering to join Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia grid

Two-car commitment from Sydney-based team in 2025

SYDNEY-BASED team Cup Car Engineering will enter a two-car team in the 2025 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series. 

Porsche Engineer Andy Hall has made the decision to take his Cup Car Engineering team to the next level and has entered a 2-car team in the 2025 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge.

Hall’s deep understanding of Porsche vehicles and racing strategies will be a key asset for the team. His experience in high-stakes competition will be crucial in navigating the challenges of the Sprint Challenge, positioning Cup Car Engineering for success in 2025.

FCL Transport has come on board to support the team and has made significant investment to ensure its success, which has been critical to the start-up phase of this venture.

Further announcements to follow in the next few weeks with an exciting driver lineup to be announced.

Ryan Casha to make Porsche debut in 2025

TCR Australia and Toyota 86 race winner joins the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series

TCR Australia and Toyota 86 race winner Ryan Casha will join the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series with DNA Autosport in 2025. 

Casha, 20, was the 2023 Toyota champion and also scored a class podium finish in the Bathurst 6 Hour, before making his TCR Australia debut with Garry Rogers Motorsport last year.

That season delivered a race win at Queensland Raceway and sixth place in the championship in a strong year.

Casha switches to one-make Porsche racing this season and will join the Porsche Michelin Junior Program as part of his campaign with the Sydney-based DNA team.

“I’m overjoyed by the opportunity to reunite with the team we had so much success with in the Toyota 86 Series in 2023 and I’m eager to replicate that championship winning feeling again in 2025,” Casha said.

“This season will be exciting, as Porsche always host a strong depth of talent in Sprint Challenge and I’m keen to join the esteemed Porsche Michelin Junior Program.

“Last year was a great experience for myself and to be able to learn off the likes of Aaron Cameron in TCR Australia and work with our corporate partners like Valvoline to find success, made it enjoyable.

“However I felt like I needed a change heading into 2025 and DNA afforded me that option. I can’t thank Barry and Garry and the rest of the crew at GRM enough for what they did for me last year. Especially my engineer Timmi who really helped develop me as a driver and person over a short 12 months and to secure that race win at home with those boys was a feeling like no other.

“I’m more focused and prepared then ever to hunt those trophies down this season and will be doing everything I can to work with our partners to make it a memorable year.”

Casha’s livery and sponsor reveals will come in due course in the lead-up to the opening round of the series – to be held with the Shannons SpeedSeries at Phillip Island – in April.

Kiwi Ace William Exton Signs with TekworkX Motorsport

Another young rising star from New Zealand joins 2025 Sprint Challenge grid

One of New Zealand’s brightest prospects, William Exton, has signed with TekworkX Motorsport for his rookie campaign in Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge.

Exton plied his trade across an extensive junior career in national karting, highlighted with a championship winning campaign in the Rotax Max Light class in the 2021 Kartsport NZ National Sprint.

After making his car racing debut, Exton put together an impressive maiden season in the NZ Toyota 86 Championship in 2023. One year later, Exton returned to the category and claimed 11 podium finishes on his way to third place in the championship.

In recognition of his outstanding efforts both on and off-track Exton was awarded New Zealand’s Kaizen Award. The honour earned the 20-year-old a place aboard a GR Supra GT4 EVO in a round of GT4 Germany, held at the iconic Nürburgring circuit.

Exton is currently competing in the Summerset GT New Zealand Championship, after earning the Giltrap Group Scholarship, where he competed against TekworkX’s Zoe Woods in the GT4 class at Hampton Downs.

“I’m very excited to be joining TekworkX Motorsport, they’re an amazing team and Sprint Challenge is the best next step for me,” said Exton.

“My best friend recommended the team, and then over the past six months we’ve been talking and decided to give Sprint Challenge a crack. The field was pretty strong last year, I’m hoping it will be again this year with some more great drivers and I can really challenge myself.

“I’ve been to a few of the tracks, but I’ve never raced on any of them so that will be a huge challenge. There’ll be a couple other kiwi’s as well so we’ll all be in the same boat and testing our abilities to adapt.

“I know TekworkX will give me the best opportunity with the car and the data to get up to speed. I met some of the team last weekend in New Zealand, I already knew a few of the team through karting as well, so it was great to catch up and look forward to the season,” concluded Exton.

TekworkX Motorsport have established their place as a front-running organisation in the hotly contested Sprint Challenge category. Across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the team earned 12 outright race wins along with a further six wins in the Pro-Am class.

“We at TekworkX couldn’t be more happier to have Will join the TekworkX team in 2025 for Sprint Challenge. He was a driver that was identified midway through 2024, with discussion taking place from then right through to the end of 2024. I was ecstatic when I got the phone call from Will only a couple of weeks ago confirming he will join TekworkX,” said Woods.

“I finally got to meet Will in person along with his family, last weekend at the Hampton Downs round of the NZ Summerset GT Series and I couldn’t be more impressed with the maturity and professionalism he showed throughout the weekend.

“I know he has the ability and skill, and we will give him a car and the attention required to have him at the pointy end of the field from the onset of round one at Phillip Island,” concluded Woods.

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