Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge to join C0₂ offset program, Porsche Impact

Porsche Motorsport Australia racing series to be integrated into Porsche sustainability initiative

Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) is pleased to announce that it will integrate both Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia (PCCA) and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia (PSCA) series into the newly launched Porsche Impact Program in Australia. Porsche Impact Program is a C0₂ compensation scheme offering Porsche customers the option to calculate and offset their personal carbon footprint.

PCA commits to compensating the C0₂ footprint of the 911 GT3 Cup cars racing in PCCA and PSCA in the 2021 Season. The financial contribution is based on an estimated annual mileage and consumption during the scheduled Rounds. The monetary compensation will be calculated by using an emission calculator and directed to financially support two selected Australian environmental projects in partnership with South Pole after the 2021 season concludes.

The two certified offset initiatives, also offered to Porsche Customers as a part of the scheme are:

Mount Sandy:

The first project is Mount Sandy, located between the Coorong National Park and Lake Albert in South Australia. It is a pocket of intact native vegetation in a region dominated by farmlands, Mount Sandy brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians to promote land conservation methods that have been used by the Traditional owners of the land, the Ngarrindjeri people, for thousands of years. The 200 hectare site ensures permanent protection for all biodiversity, which is a unique mix of coastal shrublands and saline swamplands. The site provides habitat for iconic native wildlife, such as the short-beaked echidna, purple-gaped honeyeater and elegant parrot.

Myanmyn:

The second local initiative is the Myamyn project at Annya State Forest, located in south-western Victoria. The habitat is home to numerous vulnerable and endangered plant and animal species. The Myamyn project works to protect and rehabilitate the site after clearing and the introduction of an invasive eucalyptus species occurred in 1997. So far 20 hectares of cleared land have been rehabilitated with a total of 200 hectares protected against further clearing.

About Porsche Impact:

Porsche Cars Australia is participating in the Porsche Impact program, which was developed by Porsche AG in association with its subsidiary Porsche Digital. The estimated 2020 CO2 emissions of the Porsche Cars Australia fleet of cars have been offset using Porsche Impact. This includes company cars, press cars and vehicles dedicated to the Porsche Track Experience program.

The sports car manufacturer is committed to reducing CO2 emissions. In doing so, Porsche considers the entire value creation chain: from suppliers, to the product, to after sales and recycling. Today, Porsche AG uses 100% green energy for production and rail logistics. In Australia, Porsche also prioritises other sustainability measures like solar power and tyre recycling.

Quotes:

Sam Curtis, CEO & Managing Director, Porsche Cars Australia: “Sustainability is an essential pillar of our corporate strategy at Porsche. The global approach to sustainability at Porsche is holistic, working in all fields of action: ecological, economic and social.”

For more information about Porsche Impact visit: https://www.porsche.com/australia/aboutporsche/responsibility/porscheimpact/

Porsche Mobil1 Supercup to be shown live on FOX Sports in Australia

Monaco Grand Prix to host debut of the new 992 generation 911 GT3 Cup

The 2021 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season will play host to drivers from eleven teams and herald the racing debut of the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992 generation). All eight rounds of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup Championship will again be broadcast live in Australia on FOX Sports with replays throughout the season.

The premier one-make Championship will be part of the Monaco Grand Prix programme (20 to 23 May) in 2021 with a driver line-up that includes defending champion Larry ten Voorde from the Netherlands and Porsche Junior, Ayhancan Güven from Turkey.

“Despite the ongoing difficulties for international motor racing due to the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve managed to put together an extremely attractive package for the 2021 season,” explains Oliver Schwab, Project Manager Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

“The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup has attracted even more interest from teams. The permanent grid positions that are available are overbooked. I expect up to 32 competitors at all races except Monaco.”

Up to four additional competitors are permitted to contest the remaining seven Cup rounds. The new entries among the permanently registered teams are Parker Racing from Great Britain and Huber Racing from Germany. Both teams ran the overall winners in their respective national Porsche Carrera Cups last season. Lechner Racing from Austria returns to defend its title in the team classification of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Lechner Racing has also entered a second, officially independent squad. GP Elite from the Netherlands and Alméras from France also compete with two separate teams. The other permanent participants are Fach Auto Tech from Switzerland, CLRT from France and Dinamic Motorsport from Italy.

After the 2021 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season gets underway in Monaco, the Championship then travels to seven other race circuits in France, Austria, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy to round off the calendar.

The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992 generation) features a 375 kW (510 hp) flat-six engine that is designed to run on synthetic fuel and will be campaigned in Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia series in 2022.

2021 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup calendar*

Rnd        Event                                        Date

1             Monaco                                          20-23 May

2             Le Castellet (France)                   25-27 June

3             Spielberg (Austria)                      2-4 July

4             Silverstone (England)                 16-18 July

5             Budapest (Hungary)                    30 July-1 August

6             Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) 27-29 August

7             Zandvoort (Netherlands)            3-5 September

8             Monza (Italy)                                10-12 September

*subject to changes

Motorsport Australia announces revised date for Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season opener

Phillip Island season opener to take place on 12-14 March

Motorsport Australia has confirmed a replacement date for the opening round of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships. The event will now be held on 12-14 March.

In addition to Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series, Australian Racing Group categories will again be on show at the event, including the VHT S5000 Australian Drivers Championship, Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, National Trans Am Series and the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS.

Further categories may also be part of the event, with category managers in discussion with Motorsport Australia to compete at the iconic Victorian circuit.

With the Victorian COVID-19 lockdown forcing a postponement of February’s 2+4 Australian All Wheels Race Fest, Motorsport Australia has worked with the circuit and category managers to secure a new date.

Unfortunately, Australian Superbike Championship and its support categories were unable to join the event on this occasion, given a number of scheduling conflicts. However, discussions between Motorsport Australia and Motorcycling Australia are already underway about rescheduling the All Wheels Race Fest for later in the year.

At this stage, Motorsport Australia is unable to confirm any spectator details, however it is hoped that some spectators may be able to attend, in line with any government restrictions that apply at the time.

The event will also be broadcast across the screens of 7, including on 7mate and 7plus. New Zealand viewers will be able to watch via Sky Sports, while other international viewers can watch online via the Motorsport.TV stream.

The opening round of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships will be held at Phillip Island on 12-14 March, 2021.

Michael Smith, Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships Director said: “We’re really pleased to confirm this new date for the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships and also to be able to secure a new date so quickly.”

“I’d like to thank the team at Phillip Island for their flexibility and support, allowing us to put this event on in March. Motorsport Australia is in regular dialogue with the Victorian Government about this event and will certainly work to deliver a COVID safe event in line with all restrictions and requirements that may be in place at the time.

“We hope that we will be able to welcome fans to this event, however understandably there is still some uncertainty about what restrictions may be in place, so at this stage we are not offering tickets for sale. This is something we’ll monitor closely and provide regular updates for motorsport fans.

“I’d also like to acknowledge the team at Motorcycling Australia for their hard work in preparing for the 2+4 Australian All Wheels Race Fest. While we are unable to make the joint-event work for this specific date, we’ve formed a great partnership over recent months and fully expect this combined event to happen in the very near future.”

Amadio Wines renews partnership with Porsche Cars Australia for 2021 motorsport season

Amadio Wines named as Official Wine & Champagne Partner for both Porsche one-make series in Australia

Porsche Cars Australia have announced that Amadio Wines have renewed their support of Australia’s premier one-make motorsport series. The South Australian winemaker will again be the Official Wine and Champagne Partner of both the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series for the 2021 season.

Amadio’s premium wine and champagnes will again be used for all Carrera Cup Australia and Sprint Challenge podium celebrations throughout the 2021 season, with each Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car displaying Amadio Wines branding on the rear wing end plates and sill on every Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge entry.

Porsche Cars Australia Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “Without our long standing partners we could not provide the level of support to our drivers and teams that we do. We’re thrilled to continue our relationship with Amadio Wines for the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge seasons. Both series provide a great activation platform for all our partners and reinforce Porsche’s association with these premium brands.”

On the renewal of the partnership, Amadio Wines Managing Director Danniel Amadio said, “We are delighted to continue supporting this high calibre class of motor racing. It is a testament to all the competing teams and the organisation behind Porsche Motorsport in Australia for their continued efforts in producing some of the best young talents this country has to offer. This is evident not just on a national stage, but the results of their drivers on the international stage.“

Round 1 of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge gets underway at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from the 18-20 February, while Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season is due to start on the 19-21 March at the Sandown International Raceway, as the premier support category for Repco Supercars Championship.

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

About Amadio Wines:

Amadio Wines represents Danniel Amadio’s contribution as the third generation to his family’s successful winemaking legacy. Stemming from his grandfather’s success in the early 30’s and his parents success in the 90’s, whose label rose to be acclaimed ‘most awarded boutique label in Australia’, Danniel is now continuing the family legacy. The Amadio family pride themselves on their Italian heritage, which has aided them in sourcing the best quality food from around Australia and creating a top branding wine as Danniel personally selects the best fruit parcels from his family owned Kersbrook Vineyards in the Adelaide Hills.

Michelin and Porsche announce massive prize pool for 2021 Junior Development Programme

French tyre giant renews its support of both Porsche Sprint Challenge and 2021 Junior Development Programme

The continued support and development of the best young drivers from around the Australasian region has been a key priority for both Michelin Australia and Porsche Cars Australia for several years now. The domestic collaboration has seen the initiative grow into benchmark driver development programme in the country and remain a vital feature of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.

For the 2021 season, the French tyre giant has announced that it will again support the Porsche Junior Development Programme offering eligible young drivers from the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series mentorship, support and training from the country’s leading sports professionals and coaches, as well as the opportunity to win their share of the $300,000 prize pool on offer.

The prize pool sees the top three Junior drivers from each series, receive a set of Michelin competition tyres every round, while the top placed Junior driver at each event will also receive a complimentary entry for the round.

The Michelin Junior Champion, crowned at the end of the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season, will receive a trip to Germany to attend the Porsche Motorsport Night of Champions Dinner in December 2021.

The other main incentive for the Michelin Junior drivers in the premier one-make series is an opportunity to attend the global Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout, which

continues to play a crucial role in the development of the best emerging talent from the region and is seen as the most proven pathway for talented drivers to progress to the highest level abroad.

The 2019 Michelin Junior champion, Jordan Love, won the overall Carrera Cup Australia Championship and went onto to win the Porsche Junior Shootout nomination to compete against Carrera Cup Champions from the leading one-make Porsche championships around the world in three-day, all expenses paid driving evaluation at the Portimao circuit.

Last year Love joined the 2018 Carrera Cup Australia Champion and Porsche Junior driver, Jaxon Evans, on the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup grid, the premier support race for FIA Formula One World Championship.

Other drivers that have progressed up the Porsche Motorsport pyramid in recent years via the Australian Junior Programme, include the likes of Matt Campbell, Nick Foster, Andre Heimgartner and Dylan O’Keeffe, who have all gone on to succeed at the highest levels of the sport both locally and internationally.

In a new incentive for 2021, the Australian nominee to attend the global junior shootout will receive an exclusive test drive in the new 992 generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car ahead of its introduction in 2022. The global Porsche Junior Shootout will be utilising the new 992 Cup Car for the first time this year and this prize provides the best opportunity for the Australian Junior nomination to perfect their skills before they head overseas.

On the partnership announcement, Porsche Cars Australia’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy said, “It’s fantastic to have our long term partner in Michelin to come on board once again and provide the crucial support needed for young talented athletes within this country. Both Michelin and Porsche are aligned in our passion for developing young athletes both on and off the track, which we have had great success in the past, and we are looking forward to continuing this support for the next batch of talented athletes coming through.

Michelin Australia’s Marketing Manager Oceania, Swaroop Tulsidas, is excited to continue the French brand’s support of the region’s young racers, “Michelin Australia are committed to supporting local talent through the Michelin Junior Programme. It’s been a difficult year for the drivers and teams alike, not being able to compete as normal in 2020. Fortunately, there is plenty to look forward to in the season ahead with some fantastic events on the race calendar.”

“The global partnership we have with Porsche comes to life locally when juniors from Australia and New Zealand progress in the Porsche Pyramid and make it to the top. We look forward to seeing the development and progression of our juniors in 2021.”

To be eligible as a Michelin Junior in 2021, both Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge and Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup, drivers must be born between 30.11.1997 and 01.03.2004. All Michelin Juniors in each series must carry additional Michelin branding on their racing apparel and Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars.

To learn more about the professional coaching provided by leading experts in the Michelin

Junior Training days, watch the following videos:

Porsche Michelin Junior Training Day 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YXWEjT_ewM

Porsche Michelin Junior Training Days 2019:  https://youtu.be/cquPduF6iqw

For more information on the 2021 Porsche Michelin Junior Programme Australia email motorsport@porsche.com.au

Madeline Stewart unveils Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge livery

Madeline Stewart has revealed her racing livery for the 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series

Madeline Stewart has revealed her Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racing livery for the 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series. The young New Zealand driver is based on the Gold Coast and is part of Team Porsche New Zealand run by Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM). The striking team livery is predominantly black and red with a white fern down the side of the car.

Madeline will again partner with Boss Air Suspension for her 2021 campaign. The global aftermarket air suspension manufacturer originally came on board for, what turned out to be, a very disrupted 2020 season, which saw Madeline finish third in the first round of Super 3 series at Sydney Motorsport Park, before taking victory in the Townsville Tin Top event.

She then went on to complete the year in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car finishing fourth at The Bend Motorsport Park Tin Top races. Boss Air Suspension is joined by Stewart’s other partners, Fitstop and Melbourne based VT Advisory.

Madeline Stewart said, “I am very excited to be racing in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge this year. I am looking forward to having a great year with Team Porsche New Zealand and Earl Bamber Motorsport.”

“To have a fern on the side of my car and to be representing New Zealand is amazing. I cannot thank everyone who has helped make this happen enough.”

The livery reveal of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car comes as Madeline is set to have her first outing in the car at Phillip Island, as a shakedown before the opening round of the series in the coming weeks.

McElrea Racing announce full strength Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge assault

Suhle, Pancione, Hall, Hovey and Cowen complete McElrea Racing driver line-up

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series will play host to five McElrea Racing drivers for the 2021 season. After finishing fourth and fifth respectively in the 2019 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series, Ryan Suhle and Christian Pancione will be strong favourites for the 2021 Mobil Pro title.

Pancione will also race select rounds of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia series as he affirms his intentions to ascend the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.

Highly-rated, young GT racer, Bayley Hall, announced his plans to join the Queensland squad late last year, while Michael Hovey and Richard Cowen will be chasing victories in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Pro-Am category.

Suhle, Pancione and Hall will all be looking to follow in the footsteps of former McElrea Racing graduates, Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans, who progressed up from Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge to the premier Carrera Cup class. The pair went onto win both the Carrera Cup Championship (2016 – Matt Campbell and 2018 Jaxon Evans) as well as the Porsche Junior Shootout. Both McElrea Drivers have since gone onto forge top-level international careers with Porsche and its customer GT teams.

2021 McElrea Racing Driver line-up – Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge

#7           Ryan Suhle                         Latitude Coffee

#28        Bayley Hall                         TBC

#72        Michael Hovey                  The Triffid

#76        Christian Pancione           VCM Performance

#2           Richard Cowen                 (partial championship)

Quotes:

Team Owner, Andy McElrea: “We are really looking forward to the 2021 Carrera Cup & Sprint Challenge championships. For the first time in our 13 year history that we have the perfect number of customers for our business model, that is four cars in each championship, with businessman Richard Cowen also doing a partial Sprint Challenge Championship and (Christian) Pancho doing some selected rounds of the Carrera Cup Australia series in preparation for 2021. We all realise that we will need to be flexible with plans and logistics for 2021, as some disruptions are inevitable, but we love a challenge and are always prepared to adapt on the run. We started testing with our Sprint Challenge drivers already, while our first Carrera Cup test takes place in February.”

Christian Pancione: “Racing both Porsche series this year is a great opportunity, with a team like McElrea Racing I’m looking for wins and podiums.”

Ryan Suhle: “Testing has started really well this year, so I’m really focused on winning my first Porsche championship this season.”

Bayley Hall: “2021 will be the perfect year for me to aim high, learn, experience and grow from every opportunity that arises.”

Michael Hovey: “I’m here to have fun and win the Pro-Am title this year!”

Richard Cowen: “Prospects of winning Pro Am at first attempt – on the low side. Prospects of marital issues due to racing time and expenditure – Medium to high. Prospects of having a lot of fun racing in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge – 100%.”

McElrea Racing Achievements:

McElrea are the only Australian team to have won races in every season of Australian Carrera Cup (incl 2020) since it re-started in 2011. They are also able to claim to have been on pole for the first race of each new generation car: 997:2 (Jonny Reid at 2011 AGP), 991:1 (Shae Davies at 2014 Adelaide) and 991:2 (Jaxon Evans at 2018 Adelaide).

Porsche titles captured by the team include: the Carrera Cup Pro class on two occasions; Carrera Cup Pro Am title, Sprint Challenge Pro class title, Sprint Challenge Pro Am (twice), Rennsport Pro Am Enduro (twice), and the coveted Porsche Teams Championship three times.

ASM announces three car Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge campaign

Ashley Seward Motorsport confirms McGregor, Goldie and Knowles for Pro-Am

Ashley Seward Motorsport has announced three drivers in the line-up for this year’s Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season, which kicks off at Phillip Island on 18-20 February.

The experienced Ross McGregor will contest his eighth season in the series. McGregor has been a consistent performer during his Porsche racing tenure and has been a regular appearance on the Pro-Am podium over the last few seasons.

“I’m just looking forward to getting back onto the track and having some fun,” McGregor said.

“For me, it’s all about maximum enjoyment and continuing to learn and improve. The Sprint Challenge has a great group of competitors, who are all sensible and show respect for one another on the track.”

“Geoff Emery will be on board as my driver coach again this year, which is a big positive – Geoff really knows how to encourage me and can bring out the best in my driving.”

“Ash (Seward) provides a quality service to his customers, he understands how to put together a racing program that is both economical and enjoyable.”

After finishing runner-up in Class B aboard a 997 Cup car in 2019, West Australian driver Andrew Goldie upgraded to a 991 Gen 1 in 2020. While the pandemic limited his opportunities to go racing, he still competed at Challenge Bathurst before racing in the Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Cup at Sandown in December, where he achieved a clean sweep of race wins in the Pro-Am class.

“The new car is beautiful to drive, very smooth and refined,” Goldie said.

“Don’t get me wrong, I liked my old 997, but the 991 Gen 1 just does everything that little bit better.”

“The paddle-shift gearbox makes the whole experience much more relaxed and I noticed the extra horsepower as well.

“After one of the Challenge Bathurst sessions, I got out of the car and told Ash it was the most fun I had ever had in a race car. To score a clean sweep at Sandown was fantastic, but I had to work hard for it – there is some high-quality opposition and the Pro-Am class will be very competitive this season.”

Joining McGregor and Goldie will be Terry Knowles, who will make his competitive circuit racing debut after completing some track days with the ASM team.

“When I first drove the Porsche, I was like a deer in headlights – it was surreal,” Knowles said.

“I had to learn the paddle shift system and acquaint myself with a left-hand-drive car, but Ross, Andrew and everyone else in the team have been very encouraging.”

“For my first year, the goal is to learn as much as possible finish all the races, challenge myself and above all, have fun.”

Bayley Hall joins McElrea Racing for 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season

McElrea Racing have announced that Bayley Hall will join the team for 2021

McElrea Racing have announced that Bayley Hall will join the team for 2021

McElrea Racing has announced that Bayley Hall, will join the Championship-winning Carrera Cup team for the 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season.

As a Grade 12 student at Coomera Anglican College in Queensland, the talented GT racer sees 2021 as an opportunity to get acquainted with the first generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, before he starts his ascent up the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.

“I’m very excited for this new chapter in my racing career. It’s all a bit surreal, but it’s a dream come true to announce that I will be with the McElrea team in a Porsche next year,” Hall said.

Hall has already amassed a large amount of experience despite his young age, having competed a number of different racing series and cars. His natural speed and adaptability was apparent from early in his career, having finished second overall in both the 2019 Gold Coast round of the Australia GT Championship and the 2020 Bathurst combined sedans series. Hall also became the youngest ever podium finisher at the Bathurst 12 Hour earlier this year, finishing third in class in a Marc Cars Mustang V8.

Andy McElrea said, “We’ve been watching Bayley’s progress for a couple of years and for such a young guy, he already has vast mileage and experience in a variety of cars. A year ago we chatted about a potential future with MR and having a shot at the Porsche Pyramid, following in the footsteps of Matt and Jaxon in Europe. We did an evaluation test with him a couple of weeks ago and we were very impressed with his first run in a cup car, needless to say, he has a very exciting few years ahead of him!”

Hall partnered with McElrea Racing’s Warren Luff for the Bathurst event, “I’m excited that Luffy will be one of my mentors at McElrea as he has known me since I was a toddler playing Mario kart. We get on very well and it was a huge experience to drive with him at one of the biggest races in Australia earlier this year.”

Hall will also be part of the Porsche Michelin Junior Programme in 2021, which in the past has seen drivers like Nick Foster, Dylan O’Keeffe, Andre Heimgartner, Jaxon Evans, Jordan Love and Matt Campbell go onto to compete at the highest level of the sport both locally and internationally.

Campbell and Evans both started their Porsche careers with McElrea Racing in Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge (formerly known as GT3 Cup Challenge) before going onto win the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup titles in 2016 and 2018 respectively.

On the prospect of joining Australia’s benchmark junior development programme Hall said, “I’m looking forward to learning as much as I can in the Porsche Michelin Junior Programme and my goal is to ultimately win the Sprint Challenge series, before I make the step into the main game in Carrera Cup.”

“The opportunity to drive the GT3 Cup car in the test session for around 100 laps was incredible. Working with the likes of race engineer, Leigh Geyer and the rest of the McElrea team was also an amazing opportunity,“ Hall enthused.

“After seeing the success the team have had in the past with the likes of Matt and Jaxon, I’m really looking forward to stepping up to the Porsche one-make series next year, as the cars are identical and the national competition is at the highest level,” Hall concluded.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series gets underway at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in February.

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

Team Porsche New Zealand announces scholarship and 2021 Michelin Sprint Challenge driver line-up

Matthew Payne, Madeline Stewart and Callum Hedge line-up for Team Porsche New Zealand in 2021

Team EBM (Earl Bamber Motorsport) run by both Earl and Will Bamber, have announced that they will enter a 485-hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car for young New Zealand karting champion, Matthew Payne, in the 2021 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia series under the ‘Team Porsche New Zealand’ banner – supported by the Official Porsche Centers of New Zealand.

The partnership is a continuation of the team formed to enter the 2019 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Championship with Will Bamber securing four race victories and third overall in the Championship.

Team Porsche New Zealand will provide an opportunity to offer a scholarship for a young New Zealand talent to drive in Carrera Cup Australia. The oversight of Earl and Will Bamber will provide invaluable experience having success from Carrera Cup series, right to the top of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.

“We are really excited about the Team Porsche NZ Scholarship. It is something we’re proud to offer and it gives a solid platform for young Kiwi drivers to aspire to from karts and other national championships. It’s about providing a path-way to a professional motorsports career” – Earl Bamber.

“2021 will be the first time Team Porsche New Zealand enter the series with their own Scholarship Programme, which is a further testament to the growing awareness and competitive standing our series is receiving across the region.” – Troy Bundy, Head of Motorsport Porsche Cars Australia

Matthew Payne

Matthew Payne, who hails from Auckland has extensive experience in karting after starting at age 5. In 2019 he won the KZ2 National Championship before relocating to base himself in Italy and race in a number of European series against the very best KZ kart drivers in the world. Payne has aspired to make the transition from karts to touring cars with the long-term goal of endurance racing as a factory driver for Porsche.

“To be the driver selected by Porsche New Zealand for their scholarship at this age is something very special, it will be awesome to be mentored by such an accomplished driver and team and I will take this opportunity with both hands and make them proud.

I’ve always wanted to race Porsche cars and race the Australian Championship. It’s a real privilege. It’s a step toward my ultimate goal of racing GT Endurance cars at famous tracks like Le Mans, Daytona, Bathurst. Nurburgring and many more.” – Matthew Payne

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia to visit New Zealand

The Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Series will visit New Zealand for the first time. The round will run alongside the Repco Supercars Championship in early November.

“To race in New Zealand for the first time in our series history will be a huge highlight for all Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia drivers next year. I would like to again thank Porsche New Zealand for partnering with us to make this exciting opportunity a reality for our teams.” – Troy Bundy, Head of Motorsport Porsche Cars Australia

2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge

In addition to the scholarship offered in the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia series, Team Porsche New Zealand will also support Madeline Stewart and Callum Hedge. Stewart and Hedge will be competing in the 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge in Australia with Earl Bamber Motorsport and under the Team Porsche New Zealand banner. As Sprint Challenge drivers as part of the team, both will be eligible to apply for the Carrera Cup scholarship in 2022.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to race with EBM in 2021. The Porsche pathway is really promising and provides a lot of opportunities for myself to progress with my racing experience and my career.

I’m looking forward to building up a good level of skill racing these cars and I’m lucky enough to have Earl Bamber’s help with driver coaching. I know I will gain a lot from listening to his expertise and knowledge.

I am a proud Kiwi so to have Porsche New Zealand’s support is an honor. I am really grateful to be representing their brand and proud to have them onboard for next year.” – Madeline Stewart

“It’s really cool to finally get some direction on where we are headed after almost a year of uncertainty with COVID. I am very excited to be running with the Team Porsche New Zealand/Earl Bamber Motorsport team in Sprint Challenge Australia. It is a privilege to be running under their colours and be chosen for this opportunity to represent Porsche New Zealand and EBM.” – Callum Hedge

Applications for the 2022 Team Porsche New Zealand Scholarship will be taken in the 4th Quarter of 2021. The criteria and application process will be announced by the EBM Team nearer to this time.

Earl Bamber Motorsport and Porsche New Zealand to enter Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge in 2021

Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) will enter a multi-car team in 2021

Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) will enter a multi-car team in both the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia (PCCA) and the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series in 2021.

The EBM team will receive support from Porsche New Zealand and will operate out of a new base on the Gold Coast. Run by the former Porsche Le Mans 24-Hour winner and his brother Will, EBM are looking to growing the team operations outside of Asia and are looking forward to the challenge of entering a new, highly competitive market.

On the announcement, Earl Bamber said, “With Covid-19 we were forced to look at other options in motorsport, and we feel Carrera Cup Australia will be a great fit for our team.”

“We are really excited to be joining the Carrera Cup Australia grid in 2021. Porsche Cars Australia do a fantastic job at promoting the series and provide a solid platform for us to grow as a team across the globe.”

Porsche Cars Australia’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy said, “Earl Bamber Motorsport  are no strangers to racing in Australia, having won the Bathurst 12-hour in 2019 with our very own Matt Campbell, as well as competing in the joint round between Carrera Cup Australia and Asia in 2018.”

“We’re excited to welcome EBM into both Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Sprint Challenge for next year, along with the support of Porsche New Zealand, as 2021 is already shaping up to be one of our most competitive fields to date with strong grids across all classes.”

About EBM:

No strangers to success, EBM previously won the Australian Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-hour title in 2019, capturing Porsche’s first victory in the endurance classic on Mountain Panorama. Prior to 2020, the EBM team competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Series, finishing third in the driver standings, collecting four victories and eight podiums along the way in 2019. The team have already contested joint rounds against Porsche Carrera Cup Australia drivers in previous years, which most recently saw Will Bamber place third in the invitational race in 2019.

With a well-established presence in the Australasian motorsport market, EBM also recently announced their expansion into the North American market. EBM’s joint venture with Team Hardpoint will see the team compete for the GTD title in the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship.

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

Porsche unveils 2021 Michelin Sprint Challenge calendar

Bathurst International headlines 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge calendar

The majestic Mount Panorama Circuit will host the final round of the 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Calendar at the Bathurst International, NSW.

The six-round series, which caters for the previous generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, will again feature as one of the headline acts on the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships program for 2021.

After the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the 2020 series could not take place due to the travel restrictions for many of the series’ competitors, the 2021 schedule sees the series start in February at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Victoria. Competitors then travel to Sydney Motorsport Park in NSW in early May for round 2 before heading to Morgan Park in QLD for round 3 in late June.

Teams then return to the historic, Sandown International Raceway in Victoria in September before venturing further south to The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend, South Australia for the penultimate round of the series in mid-October.

The final round will be held at the Bathurst International, and the series will again include endurance races as part of the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy, with all six rounds featuring a longer endurance-style race for maximum track time.

As a feeder category for Australia’s premier one-make championship, Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge forms the first domestic step for many young, talented racing drivers wishing to climb the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid with the successful Porsche Michelin Junior Program.

The series’ Pro-am class – last won by The Bend Motorsport Park owner Sam Shahin in 2019 – is equally popular with Porsche enthusiasts, playing host to some of the best on-track racing at Shannon’s rounds each year.

Porsche Cars Australia’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy said, “We are really looking forward to having the championship back up and running again next year and we feel we have delivered a calendar that all competitors will enjoy, allowing them to race on some of the best tracks across the country .”

“Finishing the season at the Bathurst International will be a real highlight and will provide great coverage and exposure for all our teams, drivers and partners” Bundy concluded.

2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge calendar 

*Please Note: dates and schedules are subject to change

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

Porsche to headline Shannons Motorsport Australia Festival at Sandown

Carrera Cup and Porsche Sprint Challenge competitors end 2020 on a high note

While national border closures and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meant the 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge seasons could not be conducted as scheduled this year, Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) is pleased to announce a one-off non-championship race weekend to be held on 11-13 December at the Sandown International Raceway in Victoria.

The Porsche PAYCE & MICHELIN Cup races will headline the Shannons Motorsport Australia Festival, which is being supported by the MG Car Club of Victoria. The combined event will see two generations of Porsche 991 Cup Cars, being the Gen I and Gen II, going head-to-head for the first time in a dedicated Porsche event.

The Porsche PAYCE & MICHELIN Cup will have a total of 4 classes in which competitors will compete for Mobil Pro and Pro-Am trophies, for each generation of Cup Car, with  2 x 25 minute races be conducted on the Saturday as well as a longer 40 min endurance race on the Sunday.

Due to maximum grid capacity for the event, first priority for entries will be given to 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge teams and drivers with eligible Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 991 Gen I and Gen II cars. All additional entry requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

PCA is currently working with the Porsche Club of Victoria with the intent of including super sprints over the weekend.  The 944 Challenge racing series will also be in action.

On the announcement of Porsche’s involvement in the event, Toni Andreevski, Porsche Cars Australia’s Director of Marketing and Motorsport said, “As we approach the 70 year anniversary of Porsche Cars in Australia, we felt this was a great way to kick-off our celebrations of this milestone with both Porsche enthusiasts and our motorsport customers.”

While it is hoped some fans may be able to attend the Shannons Motorsport Australia Festival, any decision will be made closer to the event in line with any government restrictions.

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

Madeline Stewart to drive McElrea Racing Porsche at The Bend

Madeline Stewart will contest the Aussie Tin Tops Support category in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car

Madeline Stewart will get behind the wheel of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car this weekend in the Aussie Tin Tops category, one of the support races for The Repco SuperSprint at The Bend Motorsport Park.

Stewart graduated from karting to Super3 Series with Brad Jones Racing in 2019 and had similar intentions for this season, “We had been planning to race a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in Asia with Earl Bamber Motorsport, alongside our Super3 campaign with BJR this year, but obviously, the global pandemic meant we weren’t able to do that.”

Although the 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge seasons were also halted as a result the Coronavirus pandemic, Porsche Cars Australia has in the interim, permitted drivers and teams to compete in localised state-level racing until the Porsche series resumes.

With the support of Motorsportsales.com.au, the Tin Tops Support category at the NTI Townsville SuperSprint round included GT3 cars, Porsche Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge 911 GT3 Cup cars, Super3, TA2, MARC Cars, Toyota 86 Series and other assorted touring cars.

Reigning 2019 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Champion, Harri Jones, took the round one victory ahead of Tony Quinn in a GT3-spec Aston Martin. Bathurst winner, Luke Youlden and Jones’ McElrea Racing teammate, Ryan Suhle, fought it out for the last step of the podium, making it three Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars in the top four overall results.

It was at the inaugural Tin Tops event in Townsville that Stewart saw the opportunity with McElrea Racing, “We were still keen to do some Porsche racing this year and after racing at Townsville in the Tin Tops we thought that if that class raced again it might be a good opportunity to give the Porsche a try.”

“There has been a lot of negatives from the pandemic but the Tin Tops has been a good positive, allowing people who essentially had nowhere to race to get some racing in. We saw McElrea Racing at Townsville and when the Tin Tops were announced for The Bend we approached them to see if they had any cars available and luckily they did” Stewart said.

McElrea Racing’s Andy McElrea said, “We are looking forward to welcoming Madeline to the team and very confident she will do a great job. We hope she has so much fun, that she wants to drive Porsches more in the future!”

While The Bend event will be the second time Stewart has driven a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car – her first was with Earl Bamber Motorsport at Sepang in February this year – she won’t have any time to test with the McElrea team before rolling out for practice one on the race weekend.

Stewart said, “The Porsche is quite different to drive to the Super3 car. One of the big differences is how much more traction it has off the corners. The throttle application in a Supercar is quite tricky because you have to progress it as fast as possible without it breaking into wheel spin. The Supercars have power and not a very big tyre.”

“The Porsche, by comparison, is rear-engined with a much better tyre and less power. You need to be a lot more aggressive on the throttle, carry more mid-corner speed and you can, of course, brake deeper.”

“At this stage, The Bend is a one-off for us and it’s hard to know what racing there will be for the rest of the year and what next year will look like. We will just be looking at any opportunity to get some racing in,” Stewart concluded.

As part of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship doubleheader, fans can expect two jam-packed weekends of racing at the Repco SuperSprint, with various ticket options available from the gate or The Bend Motorsport Park website.

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

Revised 2020 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge calendar revealed

Bathurst International to host Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge finale

Porsche Cars Australia is pleased to announce its revised calendar for the Michelin Sprint Challenge series following the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) – which delayed the start of 2020 season earlier this year.

The number of rounds will reduce from six rounds to five for the remainder of the year and retain their position as a feature support race of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championship calendar.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge calendar gets underway at the Sydney Motorsport Park on the 15-16 August, before heading south to the Sandown Raceway in Victoria a month later for round two.

The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia will then host the third round of the series in mid-October before the teams travel to the flowing, high-speed curves of the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for round four. The season culminates at the Bathurst International event on 14-15 November.

On the announcement, Head of Motorsport at Porsche Cars Australia, Troy Bundy said, “We are pleased to reveal our revised Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge calendar for 2020 and would like to take the opportunity to thank Motorsport Australia and the Australian Racing Group for the support they have given us in developing what we feel is a great line-up of events for the remainder of this season.”

“We are looking forward to returning to the track and continuing to provide an excellent show for our fans, customers, teams and partners and we would like to thank them for their patience and support during this time.”

Further details regarding race formats for each round as well as the revised 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia calendar will be announced in the coming weeks.

Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge: 2020 Revised Calendar

Sydney Motorsport Park             – August 15 -16

Sandown Raceway                        – September 12-13

The Bend Motorsport Park         – October 17-18

Phillip Island                                     – TBC

Bathurst International (ARG)    – November 14-15

Porsche unveil 2020 Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia calendar

Porsche unveils 2020 calendar for the rebranded Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series 

Porsche unveils 2020 calendar for the rebranded Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series 

Following the announcement that the Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge series will be rebranded to Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia from the start of the 2020 season and that the French tyre giant has again reaffirmed their support for the series for next year as Title partner, Porsche has revealed their race calendar for the 2020 season.
The six-round series, which caters for the previous generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars will again feature as a highlight of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships program for 2020.

Having celebrated the series 200th race in 2019, the 2020 schedule sees the series start in late March at the Sydney Motorsport Park in NSW, before heading south to Winton in early May and continuing onto The Bend Motorsport Park a month later.
The second half of the season sees the series travel north to Morgan Park in Queensland before returning to Victoria for the last two rounds at the Phillip Island and Sandown Raceway circuits respectively.

As a feeder category for Australia’s premier one-make championship, Porsche PAYCE Carrera cup Australia, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge forms the first domestic step for Porsche enthusiasts and many young, talented racing drivers wishing to climb the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid with the successful Porsche Michelin Junior Program.
The series’ Pro-am class – won by The Bend Motorsport Park owner Sam Shahin in 2019 – is equally popular with amateur Porsche drivers, hosting some of the best on-track racing at Shannon’s rounds last year.

The 2020 calendar is tailored to offer not only the best value but cut costs for all drivers and teams. Care was also taken that the dates do not conflict with any of the 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Championship rounds, which again feature on seven main marquee rounds of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship as well as the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.
As in 2019, the series will again include endurance races as part of the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy, with the opening five rounds featuring an endurance-style race, followed by two sprint races. The season finale, to be held at Sandown raceway, will remain as a sprint format across all races.

“Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia certainly experienced its strongest year to date in 2019 and we look to build upon this success in 2020,” said Porsche Cars Australia’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy.

“With the Shannon’s Motorsport Australia Championships enjoying record: crowd attendance, social, online and live stream audiences in 2019, we feel this provides our teams, drivers and series partners with an incredible platform from which to start the 2020 series.”

“There is already great interest from those looking to race in Michelin Sprint Challenge next season and we expect to see a similar number of drivers and cars, if not more, on the grid in 2020.”

2020 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia calendar
Round 1 Sydney Motorsport Park                27-29 March 2020
Round 2 Winton Raceway                              1-3 May 2020
Round 3 The Bend Motorsport Park            12-14 June 2020
Round 4 Morgan Park                                     3-5 July 2020
Round 5 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit  21-23 August 2020
Round 6 Sandown Raceway                           11 – 12 September 2020

Michelin renew as Title Partner of the rebranded Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia

GT3 Cup Challenge to be renamed Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia from 2020

GT3 Cup Challenge to be renamed Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia from

2020 

Porsche have announced that their popular GT3 Cup Challenge national series will be renamed to Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia from 2020 onwards. The decision to rename the series is to align to the global rebranding of the category by Porsche AG ensuring the product is consistent in every market it is conducted.

Porsche Cars Australia’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy made the announcement to drivers, teams and partners at the 2019 Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Awards dinner at the final round at The Bend Motorsport Park.

“The Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge is an integral part of our motorsport program in Australia, which is the first step in our Porsche Motorsport pyramid, and is fortunate to currently enjoy its strongest ever levels of support from its competitor’s teams  and it’s commercial partners.”

“2019 has been a break out year for the category in all measures but the exciting news is that the 2020 season is looking just as strong with an exciting calendar, extensive broadcast package, great prizes and support package and of course a comprehensive junior programme for the best young talent wanting to develop their career.”

“Aesthetically, all fans will notice is the change in the series logo and the corporate identity of the new Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia name.”

The second big announcement of the night was that French tyre giant, Michelin have again resigned as the title partner for 2020.

On the announcement, Bundy said, “We have had a fantastic group of partners on board this year and we would look to continue that in 2020 with discussions well underway and positive interest from all partners. It gives me great pleasure to announce that Michelin have secured the title partner rights for Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia for 2020.

“Michelin has been a key strategic partner globally for Porsche for many years now. They extended that partnership last year in Australia by securing the title partnership rights to the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge. This partnership has been a great success for both parties this year and it’s great to be able to continue the relationship into 2020, cementing the partnership between Porsche and Michelin.”

“Partners like Michelin are incredibly important to us and share our vision in this development pathway, we just couldn’t deliver the level of programme we do without their support,” he continued.

Swaroop Tulsidas, Marketing Manager for Michelin Australia said, “Michelin has a strong relationship with the team at Porsche, both here in Australia and across the globe, and to continue our series support in 2020 with the Michelin Sprint Challenge is really exciting news for us.”

“It’s fantastic that we are able to announce the renaming of the series at the culmination of another extremely competitive race season. We have no doubt that the Michelin Sprint Challenge will continue to provide highly-contested fields, door to door racing, and importantly a pathway for the junior drivers to develop their skills through the elite Porsche Motorsport pyramid.”

Jones, Shahin & Greig clinch Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge titles

Harri Jones, Sam Shahin and David Grieg are the Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Champions for 2019

Harri Jones, Sam Shahin and David Grieg are the Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Champions for 2019

As the Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge teams lined up on the sun-soaked Bend Motorsport Park for the last time in the 2019 season, just three races remained and all three titles were still up for grabs.

At the sharp end of the Pro field, it was again an age-old battle between Sonic Motor Racing (Aaron Love and Max Vidau) and McElrea Racing (Harri Jones and Ryan Suhle).

Sonic has dominated the Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge’s top class in recent years with champions such as Simon Fallon and Jordan Love among that list. An outright Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge victory had always alluded McElrea Racing by contrast and the Queensland team were hoping that Jones could get the job done at The Bend.

With only a 92 point margin between Love and Jones, the Helimod backed driver, needed to just stay clear of trouble and show that finish among the leading Michelin Juniors in each race to win the overall title.

But it wasn’t going to be easy as Love and Vidau jumped passed pole-sitter Ryan Suhle into turn 1, with Jones opting to follow behind his teammate in fourth.

Further back disaster struck The Bend Motorsport Park owner Sam Shahin when his clutch pedal stuck off the line. The TAG Heuer Pro-Am series leader must have seen his fairy tale finish to his championship slipping away, but managed to get his HTFU Porsche 911 GT3 Cup started and pulled away just before the recovery vehicle looked to remove him. Shahin was now almost 15sec behind the last car in the field though, setting the stage for a mammoth recovery drive from far behind the entire field.

TAG Heuer Pro-Am Pole sitter Brett Boulton meanwhile had pulled out a strong lead at the front of the class, while Andrew Goldie again found himself embroiled in a massive fight with David Greig in Class B.  Goldie would depart the track on lap 5 though, handing Greig the advantage and the class lead to the finish line.

The high level of competition and raw pace shown by the Michelin Juniors at the front of the field this year, was again shown in the Friday qualifying when the pole time of Suhle would have put him fifth in recent Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup field. An incredible performance when you consider the GT3 Cup Challenge Cars cater for the previous-gen 2 Porsche 911 Cup cars that last raced in the premier class three years ago.

Love and Vidau soon proved to be the fastest on the track in Race 1, with South Australian overtaking his Sonic Racing teammate on lap 4. Vidau would also set a new lap record of 1:51:4875 in the process. Love fought him to the last corner and crossed the line only a tenth behind Vidau, with Suhle, Jones and Christian Pancione completing the all Michelin Junior top 5.

It was Vidau’s ninth win of the season, in what has been an impressive year despite the sporadic mechanical issues he suffered at crucial stages of the season.

Boulton was followed home by Ross McGregor and Michael Loccisano in the Pro-Am battle, with Sam Shahin recovering incredibly to ninth overall and fourth in class. Heading into Race 2, Shahin’s  Buick Motorworks team did an amazing job to replace slave cylinder between sessions and by the end of lap one, he had already repaid them, passing both McGregor and Boulton for the TAG Heuer Pro-Am lead.

At the front end, Harri Jones put all the Porsche’s 460hp to good use off the line, but opted to stay well clear following the front trio of Vidau, Love and Suhle through turn one.

The first five cars were covered by less than a second as the race progressed before Vidau ran wide and understeered off on lap 5. He would recover to third behind Suhle and eventual race winner Love.

Jones would finish fourth, giving him a 62 point buffer into the overall standings. With only 60 pints on offer Jones was now the outright Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge champion for 2019, handing McElrea Racing their first outright trophy.

Shahin would finish just behind the Pro leaders in sixth, clinching TAG Heuer Pro-Am title at his home track from Brett Boulton. Andrew Goldie did what he could to take the Class B, but the ever consistent David Greig’s second place ensured he would take the Class B title.

With all three championships wrapped up, teams lined up for the final race of the season. Although the track temperatures had risen to 37 degrees, 11 degrees warmer than Race 2 at midday, the racing remained fierce and Sam Shahin now found himself dicing amongst the leading Juniors at the front of the field.

By the end of the shortened 8 lap race, Aaron Love took the final race win and with it the round victory followed by Max Vidau. Ryan Suhle would take his third podium of the weekend and occupy the last step of the podium.

Brett Boulton’s consistency saw him take the round win in TAG Heuer Pro-Am ahead of round (and series) winner Shahin, while Graham Williams put in one of his best performances of the year to finish the round and year in third.