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.