GT3 Cup Challenge graduate Jaxon Evans has taken victory in the 2018 Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout and will follow in the footsteps of Matt Campbell when competing in the 2019 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup as a Porsche Junior.

The Gold Coast-based New Zealander raced in Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia for two seasons before contesting the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia for two seasons, winning in his second attempt along with taking the Michelin Junior title. Thereafter Evans attended the three-day Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout at Circuit Paul Ricard near Le Castellet, France.

Following an anxious wait for the 22-year-old, Evans was confirmed as the winning Shootout participant from the 11 attending drivers; all standout young talents in their respective Porsche one-make series.

Evans is the second Carrera Cup Australia champion to be selected as a Porsche Junior; at the end of 2016, then-Carrera Cup champion Matt Campbell was the ultimate victor from the Shootout and became a Porsche Junior for the 2017 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, in which he placed third in the standings. Campbell was then promoted to a Porsche Young Professional position and is currently racing in the 2018/2019 World Endurance Championship Super Season in the GTE-Am class.

Evans will now receive 225,000 Euro towards next season’s Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup along with a comprehensive training programme from Porsche Motorsport, which includes on-track coaching, psychological and media relations training and an extensive fitness regime.

“When I received the phone call and they told me that I was their selection from the Shootout it was really special and I didn’t know what to say. It’s exciting and a privilege that they picked me and they put their faith in me after the Shootout. Honestly, it hasn’t sunk in yet, which is the hardest bit,” said Evans.

“To go from GT3 Cup Challenge, Carrera Cup and win the Shootout has always been my main goal in terms of building a career in motorsport and a future with Porsche. I’ve always closely followed the likes of Earl Bamber and, more recently, Matt Campbell. I’m close mates with Matt and seeing how successful he’s been in terms of racing but also being able to move to Germany and build a racing career with Porsche has been so cool to see. So to be rewarded with the first step towards replicating this – becoming a Porsche Junior – is really special and really is a dream come true for me.

“Matt was one of the first people that I told. It’s pretty exciting and we joked about that, from where we were four years ago, we wouldn’t have expected to both be living in Germany in 2019 and racing for Porsche. To see him do it was special, but to follow in his footsteps and make the move Germany and race in Supercup is incredible.”

Porsche Cars Australia Motorsport Manager, Troy Bundy, was thrilled to learn of Evans’ success in the Junior Programme Shootout, which further confirmed Australia’s Porsche Motorsport Pyramid as of the region’s best development pathways for young drivers.

“From the start of the season you could tell that Jaxon was on a mission and that, should he be selected to participate in the Shootout, he would be an unstoppable force. We had one of our most competitive Carrera Cup seasons to date in 2018 and for Jaxon to secure the title with such an impressive performance shows his immense talent behind the wheel of a Porsche race car. Porsche Motorsport obviously noticed this at the Shootout and therefore selected him as their Porsche Junior for next season,” said Bundy.

“This really reaffirms the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid in Australia. We initially had Matt Campbell move from GT3 Cup Challenge through to Carrera Cup and eventually win the Junior Programme Shootout. From there, he has had remarkable success racing for Porsche internationally. Jaxon followed the very same pathway and has been our second driver to be selected as a Porsche Junior in just three seasons. A benefit of this has been the tremendous swell of interest in both GT3 Cup Challenge and Carrera Cup locally by young drivers who want to be the next Matt Campbell and, now, the next Jaxon Evans.”

Evans will now attend the Porsche Motorsport Night of Champions in Germany in early December before relocating to Europe early next year to commence his 2019 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup campaign.