A STRONG field of 25 cars will tackle the opening round of an exciting new season of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia this weekend at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit in Victoria.

Featuring the regular broad mix of Porsche Michelin Juniors, experienced Pro drivers and Pro-Am drivers both experienced and new, the first of six rounds this year will be a highlight of the Phillip Island GT Festival this weekend – an event that kicks off the Shannons SpeedSeries schedule for 2026.

The field includes 14 in the Pro class, 11 in Pro-Am and 9 Porsche Michelin Junior drivers.

Nine drivers, spread across both Pro and Pro-Am, of the 25 are also making their respective one-make Porsche debuts this weekend.

With the top three drivers from the 2025 championship all moving up to Porsche Equity-One Carrera Cup Australia this year, attention turns to the crop of returning Pro drivers, including proven podium finishers Kamal Mrad and Hunter Robb, 2025 Class B Champion Daniel Quimby plus second-year driver, teenager Lincoln Evans.

Brothers Josh and Diesel Thomas, who made their respective debuts at Sandown’s season finale last year, will split their Sprint Challenge campaigns with Carrera Cup championship seasons this year.

Ben Taylor moves to Jones Motorsport this year to continue his learning curve as he continues to raise awareness for those with Autism via his racing program.

Those on debut include a huge mix of impressive rookies, including international open wheel graduates like Jesse Lacey (from US F4) and Xavier Avramides (British F4), current Australian Formula Ford Champion Kobi Williams, 2025 GR Cup runner-up Lincoln Taylor and Radical Cup Australia’s top 2025 rookie, Ruari Avern.

Aussie Racing Cars contender Brandon Madden – who was third in the championship last year – also makes his Porsche debut this year while international interest comes in the form of 21-year-old Malaysian driver, Hayden Haikal; Johor Motor Racing’s first Junior Program member set for his Porsche debut this weekend.

The Pro-Am field has also had an off-season shakeup with the return of former class champion Anthony Gilbertson this year.

The Queenslander, who claimed the 2017 Pro-Am title and went on to win races in Carrera Cup’s Pro-Am class as well, returns with McElrea Racing following six years away.

Gilbertson holds a rare piece of Sprint Challenge history as the first Pro-Am driver to have taken an outright Pole Position in the history of the championship – a feat achieved at Winton in 2017.

He’ll be up against a tough field which includes 2024 champion Lachy Harburg and Pro-Am regulars Eric Constantinidis – who was fifth in the class last year – plus Kent Leicester, Indiran Padayachee, Stephen Moylan, Tim Farrell, John Papantoniou and Mark Darling.

Making their respective local Porsche debuts this weekend include John McInness, who returns to racing following a decade competing in the United States – including in Sprint Challenge USA competition and the Pikes Peak hillclimb.

Meanwhile, former Australian NASCAR and Development Series (now Super2) racer Dean Wanless will make a racing return after an even lengthier break on the sidelines, making a racing comeback more than 20 years following his last competitive start. Both newcomers will be run by reigning Carrera Cup champions, GWR Australia.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series hits the track for a pair of practice sessions on Friday, the first at 9:35am local time and the second at 1:15pm.

Action on Saturday and Sunday will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo Sports, with qualifying (1035am) and Race 1 (3:05pm) on Saturday with the weekend completed with Race 2 (10:20am) and the Jim Richards Enduro Trophy race completing the weekend at 4:00pm.

Now approaching its 17th season, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia has established itself firmly as one of Australia’s premier categories; a long list of drivers successfully progressing their careers after tackling the series.

Former stars of the series include Matt Campbell, recent Sebring 12 Hour podium finisher Thomas Sargent, two-time Carrera Cup Champion Harri Jones, Jordan and Aaron Love, Jaxon Evans and more – including 2025 champion Jake Santalucia who, along with runner-up Ryan Casha and third-placed Tom Bewley, this year stepped up to the Porsche Equity-One Carrera Cup Australia Championship.

Similarly, Pro-Am competitors are a significant factor in Sprint Challenge competition both as a destination category, but also as a pathway to higher levels of Porsche and GT racing.

Using the Generation 2 991 Porsche GT3 Cup Cars, Sprint Challenge will be contested across six rounds this year, four with the Shannons SpeedSeries and two with the Repco Supercars Championship.

ENTRY LIST – Round 1, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia

No	Car #	SPONSOR	C/L	DRIVER	SURNAME	STATE
1	2	TFH Racing / TekworkX Motorsport	Pro	Diesel	Thomas	QLD
2	3	TFH Racing / TekworkX Motorsport	Pro	Josh	Thomas	QLD
3	7	Mrad Racing / McElrea Racing	Pro	Kamal	Mrad	NSW
4	11	TekworkX Motorsport / Aera Cloud	Pro-Am	Eric	Constantinidis	NSW
5	14	KDL Property Group / McElrea Racing	Pro-Am	Kent	Leicester	QLD
6	16	Pinnacle Road & Race Works	Pro	Jesse	Lacey	VIC
7	19	McElrea Racing	Pro-Am	Anthony	Gilbertson	QLD
8	22	Sonic Motor Racing Services / TBC	Pro	Ruairi	Avern	WA
9	24	FCL Transport / McElrea Racing	Pro	Daniel	Quimby	NSW
10	25	auticon / The Door Centre	Pro	Ben	Taylor	VIC
11	29	TekworkX Motorsport	Pro	Lincoln	Evans	QLD
12	35	Willani Investments	Pro-Am	Indiran	Padayachee	NSW
13	47	Effect Building Projects	Pro-Am	Stephen	Moylan	NSW
14	51	Farrell Transport / McElrea Racing	Pro-Am	Tim	Farrell	QLD
15	55	Sonic Motor Racing Services / Ozone Organics / VPG	Pro	Xavier	Avramides	QLD
16	56	GWR Australia	Pro-Am	John	McInnes	NSW
17	57	Harvey’s Towing Services / Major Training	Pro	Brandon	Madden	QLD
18	69	VOMO Island Fiji / Jones Motorsport	Pro	Hunter	Robb	NZ
19	75	Wanless	Pro-Am	Dean	Wanless	NSW
20	78	TekworkX Motorsport	Pro	Lincoln	Taylor	QLD
21	81	Sonic Motor Racing Services / JMR	Pro	Hayden	Haikal	MAS
22	91	Bunya Bush Mechanics / The Cover Shop	Pro-Am	Lachlan	Harburg	QLD
23	94	Brisbane Industrial Supplies / Edge Designer Homes	Pro	Kobi	Williams	VIC
24	96	Entertainment Park	Pro-Am	John	Papantoniou	NSW
25	272	SPM Investment Group	Pro-Am	Mark	Darling	QLD