OSCAR TARGETT has added his name to the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia winners roster, charging from pole position to a pair of commanding race victories today at the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park in South Australia.
The Grove Racing driver was in stunning form on Saturday as he swept to back-to-back wins in The Bend’s sprint races, leading home series leader Marco Giltrap and Marcos Flack in both races today.
A further 45-minute enduro race completes the penultimate round of the series tomorrow.
In the Pro-Am class, home-town hero Sam Shahin won both races today, while Lachlan Harburg and Brad Carr split the honours in Class B.
Race one commenced with Targett making a strong start from pole position, while Giltrap was slower away from the outside of the front row, allowing Flack to gain an early advantage.
However, the race was quickly slowed behind the Safety Car following a significant impact on the left-hand side of the circuit for Zak Stichbury.
The Team Porsche NZ / Earl Bamber Motorsport Whittaker’s driver was in a three-wide battle as the field charged up the hill to turn one, contact sending the young Kiwi spearing across the circuit in front of the field and into the concrete wall.
Stichbury emerged unscathed from the incident however will take no further part in the weekend.
Following a two-lap Safety Car period, Targett led the field to green, while Giltrap was able to slice past Flack to secure second position.
Further back, newcomer Clay Osborne passed Ronan Murphy for seventh position in a strong debut Porsche performance.
Targett ultimately drove a measured race to beat Giltrap by just over one second, with Flack completing the top three.
Hamish Fitzsimmons finished fourth on the road, however was penalized five seconds for weaving under safety car and relegated to seventh.
Lachlan Bloxsom therefore climbed to fourth and Aron Shields fifth in a side-by-side battle for the spot with Bloxsom.
Behind Fitzsimmons, Osborne, Murphy, Nash Morris – who started 17th – and Tom McLennan completed the top-10.
Sam Shahin had a clean run to claim the Pro-Am win over Brett Boulton and Matt Slavin, while Lachy Harburg took the Class B win over Brad Carr.
A straightforward second race saw Targett again lead Giltrap from pole position, with Flack settling in third position.
He, Lachlan Bloxsom and Aron Shields spent much of the race dicing for third before finishing in that order, with Clay Osborne improving further to finish sixth.
Hamish Fitzsimmons was seventh, Ronan Murphy eighth and Nash Morris continued his recovery in ninth – Tom McLennan completing the 10.
Harrison Goodman started race two from last position having missed race one due to illness, charging his way through the field from 28th to 12 position in the eight-lap duration.
In Pro-Am, Sam Shahin won the class after Brett Boulton spun down the order on the opening lap.
That saw the South Australian clearly in front of Matt Slavin and fellow Adelaidean Pan Boyaci, with Boulton recovering to fourth.
In Class B, Brad Carr turned the tables on rival Harburg, taking the class B win over his fellow Queenslander, with Jacque Jarjo third on debut.
Round 5 of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge concludes on Sunday at The Bend with the 40-minute Jim Richards Endurance Trophy race.
In the penultimate round of the PMSC ‘series within a series’. Marco Giltrap leads the series of the longer-distance races, with Hamish Fitzsimmons in second and Ronan Murphy third.
Four different winners have won the Enduro Cup races so far this season.
Sunday’s race will be broadcast live on 7+ tomorrow.