QUEENSLAND RACEWAY marks the start of the second half of the 2024 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Season so it’s worthwhile catching up with the way the season has gone so far.
It’s been a rollercoaster ride, from a three-way tie for the round win at Phillip Island, to plenty of dramatic moments at The Bend and an awesome street circuit debut for the category on the streets of Townsville just one month ago.
The season has delivered five different race winners across the nine races held to date and there remains less than 100 points between the top seven contenders in the championship standings – meaning every result is on the table on what is a busy run home to the final round in Sydney this October.
But with things so tight, this weekend’s event at the Shannons SpeedSeries ‘Race Queensland’ event could prove critical to making or breaking championship hopefuls in all three classes – and the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy as well.
Here’s how things have played out so far.
ROUND 1 – PHILLIP ISLAND GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT
WEST AUSTRALIAN junior star Caleb Sumich claimed a dramatic opening round of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Series in a sensational conclusion to the first round of the new season.
The Perth-based teenager had run fourth in the final race of the weekend at Phillip Island before a remarkable turn of events saw him claim not only his maiden race victory – but the overall round win as well.
Sumich, who is in his second Porsche season, took advantage of a collision between the drivers in third and second – and then a post-race penalty to the leader – to claim the big trophy in a dramatic conclusion to an incredible Sprint Challenge season opener.
Sumich won on a countback by virtue of claiming the final race of the weekend, while Team Porsche New Zealand’s Brock Gilchrist was second.
Race one winner Oscar Targett finished third overall after a post-race penalty in the final race dropped him from the top step of the podium.
Danny Stutterd won the Pro-Am class for the round over Ramu Farrell and Lachlan Harburg, while Jacque Jarjo claimed the Class B trophy.
Read the full Round 1 recap here.
ROUND 2 – SHELL V-POWER MOTORSPORT PARK, The Bend
OSCAR TARGETT has survived one of the most unpredictable Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia rounds in history to claim Round 2 of the championship at The Bend.
The Grove Racing / EBM driver claimed a dramatic race three victory to win the round overall over Brock Gilchrist and Aron Shields – but the story was in no way as simple as the results indicate.
Home-town hero Pan Boyaci claimed the win in Pro-Am over Danny Stutterd and Lachy Harburg, while Jacque Jarjo won the Class B battle at the South Australian venue.
Targett’s pathway to victory was far from easy after he was penalised 10 seconds following race two earlier on Sunday morning.
That result dropped him from second on the road to 14th position which is where he started race three later in the afternoon.
Brock Gilchrist won the Enduro race on Sunday morning with Jake Santalucia and Hamish Fitzsimmons – who charged from 24th on the grid following his challenging race one on Saturday – to third position.
Read the full Round 2 recap here.
ROUND 3 – NTI TOWNSVILLE 500
OSCAR TARGETT claimed Round 3 of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia championship with a fighting second position in Townsville’s finale – while Hamish Fitzsimmons powered to his second race win of the season in style.
It was a crushing performance from the TekworkX driver who launched from the second row of the grid and raced his way to the lead early in the final 20-minute sprint.
The win, his second of the season, completed a remarkable comeback that saw the TekworkX driver qualify on pole only to be relegated to a pit lane start for Race 1 following a start line infringement.
He then worked his way through the field to finish 14th in race one and 4th in the second to put himself at the pointy-end f0r the finale’.
That progression, coupled with a fresh set of Michelins saved for the final sprint race, saw him able to race to the lead and win by almost ten seconds.
It was double delight in Townsville for the Gold Coast-based TekworkX team with Danny Stutterd claiming the Pro-Am race and round victory as well.
