Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge
In 2023, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia celebrates its 15th season in Australia. The series became a reality in 2008 when a group of enthusiasts took their Porsche race cars to Mallala in South Australia to kick start a four-round mini-series. Now managed by Porsche Cars Australia, the series has developed into one of Australia’s best and most professionally run racing series offering Porsche enthusiasts progressing from state level championships an opportunity to compete in the previous generation 911 GT3 Cup cars in a competitive and welcoming environment.
For young drivers, the series is a launch pad in their pursuit of a professional motor racing career. Several drivers have used Sprint Challenge to gain experience in a high-performance sports car before their journey up the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid. The ultimate example of the success of this pathway is Matt Campbell. After winning the Class B title in 2014, Campbell raced two Carrera Cup seasons, winning the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Pro Championship in 2016 and claiming success at the Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout, which promoted the Queenslander to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup as a Porsche Junior.
Third in the Supercup saw Campbell promoted to a Porsche Young Professional role and an extensive Porsche factory race programme in 2018. In 2019, Campbell was part of the Bathurst 12 Hour Earl Bamber Motorsport winning team and for 2020 was named as full Porsche factory driver, which he remains until today.
Racing at variety of National Championship events in 2023, the series retains Michelin as its Title Partner and official Tyre Supplier. For Pro and Pro-Am competitors alike, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia will continue as one of Australia’s best one-make racing series in 2023.
Broadcast Schedule
2023 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge races will be broadcast LIVE on Stan Sport and SBS with livestream coverage across Motorsport Australia:
| Rd1 Phillip Island | 03-05 March | PIARC – Blendline TV |
| Rd2 Queensland Raceway | 28-30 April | ASBK – Stansport /SBS |
| Rd3 Tasmania SuperSprint | 19-21 May | Supercars – FoxSports |
| Rd4 Sydney SuperNight | 28-30 July | Supercars – FoxSports |
| Rd5 The Bend Motorsport Park | 13-15 October | Motorsport Aus – TBC |
| Rd6 Bathurst International | 09-11 Nov | ARG Superseries - Stansport |
*All rounds are subject to change
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (991 GEN II)
The Production: Resolutely one line. The 911 represents over 50 years of motorsports history. And a major contributor to over 30,000 racing victories. Every Porsche 911 is also the platform for a pure-bred race car – the 911 GT3 Cup. Entirely in keeping with Ferry Porsche’s dream: to create a sports car capable of winning on the race track. The 911 GT3 Cup and the 911 have more in common than the three legendary digits in their name.
They originate from the same production line from Porsche principal production facility in Zuffenhausen. It is only once they are fully assembled that their paths diverge. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup receives its finishing touches in Porsche Motorsport’s headquarters in Weissach so that, ultimately, it lives up to its calling: uncompromising performance on the race track.
Technical Specs
Concept
Engine
Transmission
Bodyshell
Chassis
Wheels/tyres
Weight/dimensions
Highlights
The origins:
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The drive system:
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360° View
Classifications
Pro
Over the seasons, Sprint Challenge is being used as a launch pad for young drivers’ motor racing careers. These drivers, who are racing a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991 Gen II) car, have traditionally formed the Pro class in Sprint Challenge. While both the 2020 and 2021 Sprint Challenge Championships were not concluded due to Covid travel restrictions. The 2022 Pro Champion was Thomas Sargent. Other noteworthy Pro drivers have included Richard Muscat, Jaxon Evans, Harri Jones, Dylan O’Keeffe and Matt Campbell, who won the final round of the 2014 season in the Pro division having already secured the Class B crown.
Morris Finance Pro-Am
Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia is just as much about the Pro-Am racer as it is of the drivers competing for outright victory. The Pro-Am class is exclusively for semi-professional drivers racing the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991.II) car. These drivers do not seek to make a profession from motor racing nor do they seek to earn an income from racing duties. Instead, the Pro-Am racer consists of business leaders with a willingness to race sports cars. Or more specifically, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
Class B
Past Champions
2008 - 4 round series
Sven Burchartz
Champion
2009 - 6 round series
Matt Kingsley
Champion
2010 - 6 round series
Roger Lago
Champion
2011 - 6 round series
Roger Lago
Champion
2012 - 6 round series
Kane Rose
Champion
2013 - 6 round series (Pro)
Richard Muscat (Pro)
Champion
2013 - 6 round series (Elite)
John Goodacre (Elite)
Champion
2014 - 6 round series (Class A)
Fraser Ross (Class A)
Champion
2014 - 6 round series (Class B)
Matt Campbell (Class B)
Champion
2015 - 6 round series (Pro)
Ryan Simpson (Pro)
Champion
2015 - 6 round series (Elite)
Geoff Emery (Elite)
Champion
2015 - 6 round series (Class B)
Aaron Seton (Class B)
Champion
2016 - 6 round series (Pro)
Hamish Hardeman (Pro)
Champion
2016 - 6 round series (Elite)
Tim Miles (Elite)
Champion
2016 - 6 round series (Class B)
Shane Barwood (Class B)
Champion
2017 - 6 round series (Pro)
Jordan Love (Pro)
Champion
2017 - 6 round series (Elite)
Anthony Gilbertson (Elite)
Champion
2017 - 6 round series (Class B)
David Greig (Class B)
Champion
2018 - 6 round series (Pro)
Simon Fallon (Pro)
Champion
2018 - 6 round series (Pro-Am)
Danny Stutterd (Pro-Am)
Champion
2018 - 6 round series (Class B)
Christian Pancione (Class B)
Champion
2019 - 6 round series (Pro)
Harri Jones (Pro)
Champion
2019 - 6 round series (Pro-Am)
Sam Shahin (Pro-Am)
Champion
2019 - 6 round series (Class B)
David Greig (Class B)
Champion
2020
No champion recognised due to Covid-19 Pandemic
Champion
2021
No champion recognised due to Covid-19 Pandemic
Champion
2022 - 6 round series (Pro)
Thomas Sargent (Pro)
Champion
2022 - 6 round series (Pro-Am)
Brett Boulton (Pro-Am)
Champion
2008
Jeff Bobik
Runner-up
2009
Sven Burchartz
Runner-up
2010
Matt Kingsley
Runner-up
2011
Jeff Bobik
Runner-up
2012
Jeff Bobik
Runner-up
2013
John Goodacre
Runner-up
2014
Jon McCorkindale
Runner-up
2015
Dylan O’Keeffe
Runner-up
2016
Jaxon Evans
Runner-up
2017
Brenton Grove
Runner-up
2018
Cooper Murray
Runner-up
2019
Aaron Love
Runner-up
2020
No runner-up recognised due to Covid-19 Pandemic
Runner-up
2021
No runner-up recognised due to Covid-19 Pandemic
Runner-up
2022
Ryan Wood
Runner-up
Jim Richards Endurance Championship
About Jim Richards Endurance Championship
Porsche Sprint Challenge is a series based around sprint races, though its long-distance ‘series within a series’ has proven to be a popular element.
The Jim Richards Endurance Trophy debuted in 2011, traditionally featuring one long distance race per round. The highest outright point scorer form these longer format races will then become the Endurance Champion and receive the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy at the end of the season.
Jim Richards Endurance Trophy Champions
Roger Lago
2011
Kane Rose
2012
Richard Muscat
2013
Fraser Ross
2014
James Abela
2015
Jaxon Evans
2016
Jordan Love
2017
Cooper Murray
2018
Harri Jones
2019
Not awarded
2020
Not awarded
2021
Thomas Sargent
2022
Junior Programme
About Junior Programme
Porsche Cars Australia and Michelin Australia have joined forces to launch one of Australian motorsport’s most extensive driver development programmes, providing total benefits of up to $300,000. The Porsche Michelin Junior Programme Australia supports seven young drivers across Australia’s two Porsche one-make series – Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia and Carrera Cup Australia – providing all Michelin Juniors financial support by way of entry fee support and an allocation of Michelin race tyres, along with access to training, mentorship and education throughout the racing season.
The Porsche Michelin Junior Programme Australia will consist of two teams – the GT3 Cup Challenge Junior Team, consisting of three drivers, and the four-driver Carrera Cup Junior Team.
2018 Junior Drivers
Driver Bio
A young rising star based in Queensland – but with Kiwi heritage – Jaxon Evans continues to step up the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid having finished a narrow second in the 2016 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia Series.
After two years learning the ropes of one-make Porsche competition, Evans stepped into Carrera Cup in 2017 behind the wheel of the car Matt Campbell took to the outright championship in season 2016.
Evans was well-prepared for his step into the big league, having won the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy in 2016 – the GT3 Cup Challenge’s ‘series within a series’ for longer distance races.
Following the same career progression as his friend Campbell, Evans made a successful transition to Carrera Cup, finishing fifth in the standings with two convincing round wins at Darwin and Gold Coast.
Driver Bio
Adam Garwood moved to the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia series after a stint in Touring Cars Masters.
The Tasmanian replaced his race-winning Holden Torana SL/R 5000, equiped with 600hp from a Chevrolet V8 engine, for one of the series’ new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars with a 485hp rear-mounted flat six.
Driver Bio
Canberra racing driver Cameron Hill chose Porsche power for the next phase of his career, announcing he would undertake a full-time campaign in the 2018 Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia series following a stint in the Toyota 86 Racing Series.
The 21-year-old demonstrated his talent ahead of his Carrera Cup debut, winning the coveted Australian Formula Ford Series in 2015 and scoring more race victories than anyone else in the Toyota 86 Racing Series during 2016 and 2017.
Driver Bio
Jordan Love made his Carrera Cup debut at Sandown in 2017 just one week after securing the outright GT3 Cup Challenge title at Phillip Island. Following the title win, Love announced a three-round initiation into Carrera Cup and an eventual full-time series entry in 2018.
Love was also named as an official Porsche Junior driver at the start of the 2017 GT3 Cup Challenge season, becoming only the second driver to be the recipient of the Jamey Blaikie Scholarship.
