Porsche field expands with new arrivals

Dave Stevens the first to debut new GT3 Cup arrival

The Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia grid will receive a boost following the arrival of six new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars to Australia, with sports car driver Dave Stevens set to be the first to debut one of the recently imported 911 race cars.

The addition of six new 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991.2) cars will boost the number of eligible race cars for the Carrera Cup championship to 32; most of the recent arrivals are expected to join the one-make series in 2019. Five of the six new 911 GT3 Cup cars, which will be eligible to race in Carrera Cup until the end of the 2021 season, have been sold, with significant interest on the final available car.

This season, Carrera Cup Australia has enjoyed an average field size of 24 cars, with a season-high 26 cars entered for the opening two events at the Adelaide 500 and Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

“We’re excited to take delivery of the six new 911 GT3 Cup cars ahead of the 2019 season. We look forward to welcoming more drivers to Carrera Cup in the near future, starting from next weekend’s Bathurst round,” said Porsche Cars Australia Motorsport Manager Troy Bundy.

“While we couldn’t accommodate all Carrera Cup hopefuls who expressed genuine interest at the start of the 2018 season, this new injection of 911 GT3 Cup cars to the market allows us to welcome more participants to our series for what will be a thrilling conclusion to 2018 and, from all indications, another strong season in 2019.”

Stevens will race his new 911 GT3 Cup car in the final two rounds of the 2018 season – Bathurst and Gold Coast – before a full-season campaign in 2019. Stevens previously raced in the Australian Nations Cup Championship before a lengthy break from the sport, returning to compete in both the Australian GT Trophy Series and LMP3-based China Endurance Series.

“I’ve long admired Carrera Cup as a category however my career took me to open wheelers and GT racing in the past, so I’m delighted to have a crack for the remainder of this season and 2019 also,” said Stevens.

“During the 10 years off I revisited my cycle racing career; I was a young pro rider in Melbourne and felt I had unfinished business with the sport and managed to win four masters world titles and set two world records too. But now it’s back to motor racing as I feel there is unfinished business here too.”

Stevens will run with Sydney-based team Wall Racing, starting at next weekend’s Bathurst 1000, held from October 4-7, 2018.

Groves take Aussie themed 911 to world stage

TAG Heuer Pro-Am front-runner confirmed for FIA GT Nations Cup

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia racer Stephen Grove and his son, GT3 Cup Challenge and Carrera Cup graduate Brenton, will take a Porsche 911 GT3 R to the inaugural FIA GT Nations Cup as the Australian representatives in Bahrain later this year.

It is the first time the international event will be held, requiring a bronze and silver rated driver combination per car representing a particular country at the 5.412km Bahrain International Circuit.

Set to climb behind the wheel of a Herberth Motorsport prepared Porsche 911 GT3 R, the father-son team were attracted to the event due to their acceptable driver ratings.

The Herberth Motorsport are one of the most successful GT3 outfits in the world, having competed in world-renowned events such as the 24 Hours of Spa, as well as the 24H Series in which they experienced a recent victory with Matt Campbell in the 24H Barcelona.

For Brenton, a silver rated driver, the idea of representing Australia on the world stage with his Father was one of the main ambitions for applying.

“To represent Australia at an international event with my father is pretty special,” Grove said.

“We have strong ties to Porsche in Australia and Germany so to be able to do the event in a Porsche GT3 R, representing Australia is a really special thing.

“For us, it’s one of the most exciting racing programs we have embarked on. For everything to line up and fit into our schedule was pretty fortunate and also to both qualify for the required driver ratings.”

While the pair will be going into the event full of confidence after successful campaigns in a Porsche, including a class win at the Bathurst 12 Hour earlier this year, another factor in their decision to partake was the opportunity to make the step up from a Carrera Cup car to GT3 R.

However, Brenton admits there will be some added pressure, not being able to experience the car or circuit before the event, arriving the day before opening practice begins.

“Neither of us have ever driven a GT3 R before and we’ve never been to the circuit, so the preparation will be quite different,” Grove said.

“Because we can’t get there any earlier or drive the car beforehand, there will be a lot of simulator stuff in attempt to adapt to the car as quickly as possible.

“When we arrive, we will catch up with the team at Herberth Motorsport and they will get us up to speed with everything we need to know ahead of the race. They are an extremely experienced team and I’m sure they will accelerate our learning curve.

“It’s one of the main reasons we chose to do the event with Herberth. They are well regarded within the Porsche family and have had tremendous success with the car.”

Despite their short preparation time, Grove believes they will not be attending just to make up the numbers or for a holiday.

“If you ask my dad, he’ll say it’s more for fun but for me, I am going there to do well,” Grove joked.

“We are both pretty competitive people and whilst it is an event that will be a highlight for our careers, we are both wanting to do as well as possible.”

With only a few months to go until the Nations Cup, Grove has been busy bringing all the parties together as well as doing a lot of work behind the scenes.

However, while a lot of time and effort is going into the finer details, Brenton and Stephen Grove remain grateful and committed to making their country proud.

“For CAMS [Confederation of Australian Motor Sport] to give us the opportunity to apply and partake is such a good initiative,” Brenton added.

“The support we have received from everyone is amazing, so we are really wanting to do the country and CAMS justice, as well as try and receive as much exposure for Australian motorsport as possible”

The FIA GT Nations Cup will be held at the Bahrain International Circuit from 30 November – 1 December.

Campbell takes 24H Barcelona win

Former champion continues impressive enduro form

Matt Campbell has taken yet another 24-hour race victory last weekend, this time at the 24H Barcelona at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Partnered with Daniel Allemann, Ralf Bohn and Alfred Renauer in the Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R, Campbell was a late call up to the team, which completed 677 laps of the 4.655km circuit, three minutes ahead of their closest competition.

The performance was Campbell’s third 24-hour win this year following Campbell’s GTE-Am victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June with Dempsey-Proton Racing and his 991-Pro class win in January’s 24h Dubai endurance race.

“It’s great to win this race again, for the second time since 2016. Hopefully one more time next year!” said Campbell’s #911 teammate Alfred Renauer. “It was really hard. In the first half of the race, there was only one lap between us. So that was really tough to overcome, but we’re really happy!”

After winning the 2016 Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia title, Campbell placed third in the 2017 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup series, with the Queenslander’s 2018 calendar filled with FIA WEC commitments in addition to one-off endurance races.

Campbell’s next appearance in his main 2018 racing programme, the FIA World Endurance Championship Super Season, will be at the 6 Hours of Fuji on October 14, 2018, where he will aim to extend the team’s GTE-Am lead in the class standings.

Almond, Gilbertson take home wins at The Bend

SUNDAY WRAP: SA natives claim maiden round honours

Michael Almond and Anthony Gilbertson have reasons to smile as they depart The Bend Motorsport Park, both claiming their maiden Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia round win in their native South Australia.

Almond started Sunday with victory in race two following his success in Saturday’s race one. It was Almond’s third Carrera Cup win, though just the first where he was the first to cross the finish line. His previous two wins came due to post-race penalties.

Dale Wood then won the final race of the weekend, returning to the top position for the first time since his Phillip Island clean sweep. Jaxon Evans placed second in the final race from Almond in third, who secured the round win by 18 points from Evans and Wood.

“I’m absolutely excited to get the win so close to home. It’s been a five-year wait until I have achieved a round win in Carrera Cup, so it’s taken long enough. I can’t ask much more than to do it in front of my family and friends,” said Almond.

“It’s a pretty surreal feeling to have such high calibre drivers in my rear view mirror. I feel like we had a good car and the boys at Sonic did an amazing job. We had our struggles but we regrouped as a team and kept the car at the front all weekend.”

A consistent weekend for series rookie Anthony Gilbertson helped the South Australian to the TAG Heuer Pro-Am win; three third place results was enough to secure his position on the top step of the class podium.

“I can’t believe it,” said Gilbertson. “I didn’t know exactly where I had placed for the round after the final race. I knew I had to finish ahead of Roger Lago but I still didn’t know what the points situation was. The boys got onto the radio on the in-lap and told me that I had won the round and I started crying in the car…it means that much to me. It’s a dream come true and for it to happen in South Australia – my home state – is just awesome.”

Race two winner in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am, Roger Lago, secured second for the round and regained the class points lead while a strong finish to the event in the final race for Max Twigg – second in class – promoted the Victorian to third in class for the round.

A highlight of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am on Sunday was the charge through the field by Adrian Flack. After a heavy impact accident in Saturday’s opening race, Flack was able to repair the damage and return to the circuit for race two, where he placed second in class from the rear of the grid. Flack then followed this with a class-winning performance in the third and final race.

A strong round for Jaxon Evans has seen the Queensland based racer expand his series lead over Dylan O’Keeffe, now sitting 62 and 73 points ahead in the Overall and Pro class standings.

Meanwhile Lago holds a 24-point lead over Stephen Grove in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am standings with Adrian Flack in third.

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia returns to the track for the season’s penultimate round at Mount Panorama, Bathurst, on October 04-07, 2018.

Results: Race 2

Results: Race 3

Local ace Almond takes two from two

Race 2 Wrap: Victory for Michael Almond and Roger Lago

Michael Almond has taken his second victory of round six for Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia’s first ever visit to The Bend Motorsport Park, while Roger Lago was the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am.

Almond started on pole position and lost the lead at the start, only to regain his place at the front soon after. From there, Almond held off David Wall and, in the closing stages Jaxon Evans, to eventually take his third Carrera Cup race win – all of which have been in his native South Australia.

Evans finished second to extend his series points lead from David Wall and Jordan Love.

Roger Lago was the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am, winning the class battle from Adrian Flack, who charged through the field following a heavy race one accident.

Race one Pro-Am winner Sam Shahin was a non-finisher after sustaining race-ending damage due to contact with Tim Miles.

Race three will be held at 12:35pm local time.

Results: Race 2

Grove scores Supercup Pro-Am podium

Aussie collects silverware at Hungaroring

Stephen Grove scored a thrilling Pro-Am class podium on the world-stage at Round 6 of Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at the Hungaroring, Budapest.

The Melbourne-based driver clawed his way to third in Pro-Am after a busy 14-lap race at the 4.3km circuit which saw him start from sixth in class.

It marks the first time an Australian driver has ever finished on the Supercup Pro-Am podium, with the achievement coming in only Grove’s third event in the series.

Speaking after the race, he was still buzzing with excitement from the result.

“I’m so happy with the podium, that was fantastic,” Grove exclaimed.

“To become the first ever Australian to finish on the podium in the Pro-Am division of Supercup is just unbelievable.

“The racing level over here is incredible, so when I’m passing guys like I did in that race at such a high level, it’s absolutely fantastic – I’m so rapt.

“It was an extremely hot race, 34 degrees [celsius] over here and even hotter in the car. We don’t run cool suits, we don’t run drink bottle systems in Supercup, so it was mega hot.

“You’ve got to push, but the tyre and track temperatures were blisteringly warm, so you’ve got to be really smooth in that scenario.

“The team is happy as well with what is for them, second and third in Pro-Am, so everything is really good.

“Of course, I’ve now got to find some space in my suitcase for the third place trophy, which is actually really big and it weighs about six kilos, so it’s quite heavy.”

Grove managed to survive a first corner incident early in the race, before setting his sights up the road and working through the order.

The experienced racer described his charge into the podium place positions as one of his best drives thus far.

“I was a bit conservative into Turn 1, because traditionally there’s always a crash, which there was. I was fairly tentative through there and then I just pushed and put pressure on,” added Grove.

“[Christof] Langer made a mistake, he just overcooked it at one of the corners, so I lined him up and I knew where I was quicker, so doubled back and passed him.

“On the last lap, I knew where I was faster than the English driver, [Mark] Radcliffe, which was through the sweeper at Turn 6, so I pushed through there.

“He would always take a wide line and ‘v’ the corner, so I got on the brakes and took the inside and that’s where I passed him, and that put me up into third.

“We brought it home after that and maintained third, which is just awesome, I’m really happy, that’s got to be one of my better drives.”

Hungary marks the end of part two of Grove’s triple header, which now sees him return to Australia in defence of his domestic Carrera Cup TAG Heuer Pro-Am crown.

Grove will head from Europe to Sydney Motorsport Park for Round 5 of Carrera Cup Australia this weekend at the Sydney SuperNight.

Almond inherits victory, Shahin takes emotional win

Saturday Wrap: Round 6, The Bend Motorsport Park

South Australians Michael Almond and Sam Shahin have taken home victories in Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia’s first ever race at The Bend Motorsport Park in a thrilling – and eventful – opening battle at the new Tailem Bend circuit.

David Wall was the first to cross the chequered flag after an impressive finish to the race, however the reigning series champion received a five-second post-race penalty for failing to leave racing room for Jaxon Evans during a mid-race pass.

The penalty handed Almond his second Carrera Cup race victory; ironically, the Adelaide based driver’s maiden win also came courtesy of a post-race penalty at the 2016 Adelaide 500 event. The win also marked the seventh different race winner from the championship’s past seven races.

“We managed to piece a lap together in qualifying and then had a great start to race one. It’s not the way you want to win but I’m happy for the team to get another win on the board,” said Almond.

“It’s great to win at your home event; my first victory came at the Adelaide 500 and now my second came at The Bend. There’s something about racing in front of your friends and family that pushes you along. I feel for David for the penalty, but I’m stoked with the win and I can’t wait to get out there tomorrow.”

Wall led from the start until the Safety Car was called to the circuit on the opening lap after Adrian Flack speared off the circuit and made heavy impact with Nick McBride at the following corner. Both drivers were uninjured by the impact, however both will be unlikely starters for Sunday’s two races.

On the restart, Wall was passed by local Michael Almond, Dale Wood and Jaxon Evans. Wall then started his charge back through the field, moving past Evans and Wood late in the race before moving by Almond with two laps remaining. The move on Evans, however, would ultimately lead to Wall’s post-race penalty.

Wall was therefore relegated to second place from Wood, Evans, Dylan O’Keeffe and Cameron Hill in sixth.

One of the highlights from the opening race was Shahin’s charge through the TAG Heuer Pro-Am field to claim the class victory in the championship’s first ever race at the venue he founded.

After tireless work behind the scenes creating the venue, Shahin was thrilled to claim success on track in Carrera Cup’s first ever race at The Bend.

“This is surreal. I’m just ecstatic. I’ve been out of the car for a while and completely messed up the start and didn’t have the balls to carry the pace into turn one. It was like swarming bees into turn one; the boys all got in on the act,” said Shahin.

“Those who didn’t pass me into turn one passed me in turn three and by turn five there was no one left behind me. I had to do it the hard way and I’m absolutely thrilled. I really didn’t think I was good enough to do that.”

Shahin’s win came after passing Tim Miles on the final lap to take the class lead, with Miles ultimately placing second in class from Anthony Gilbertson, Stephen Grove, Roger Lago and Dean Cook.

After four races now complete in the six-race Endurance Cup, Dale Wood holds a 26-point lead from Dylan O’Keeffe, with Michael Almond in third. Meanwhile, Stephen Grove leads the TAG Heuer Pro-Am standings for the Endurance Cup by 54 points from Roger Lago and Anthony Gilbertson.

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will hold two eight-lap sprint races on Sunday to conclude round six of the championship. Both Sunday races can be viewed live on Fox Sports 506.

Race Schedule (local time)
Sunday 26 August
9:50am Race 2 (8 laps)
12:35pm Race 3 (8 laps)

Broadcast Schedule
Channel: Fox Sports 506
Race 2 – 9:50am, Sunday 26 August
Race 3 – 12:35pm, Sunday 26 August

Results: Race 1
1. #77 Michael Almond (Pro) 20 laps, 42:13.5277
2. #1 David Wall (Pro) 20 laps, 42:16.3363
3. #100 Dale Wood (Pro) 20 laps, 42:16.7082
4. #7 Jaxon Evans (Pro) 20 laps, 42:16.9036
5. #88 Dylan O’Keeffe (Pro) 20 laps, 42:17.1500
6. #111 Cameron Hill (Pro) 20 laps, 42:19.1029
7. #888 Glenn Wood (Pro) 20 laps, 42:26.1580
8. #777 Jordan Love (Pro) 20 laps, 42:26.4713
9. #18 James Moffat (Pro) 20 laps, 42:31.3831
10. #14 Peter Major (Pro) 20 laps, 42:35.6631
11. #12 Adam Garwood (Pro) 20 laps, 42:42.1925
12. #13 Sam Shahin (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 20 laps, 42:46.3385
13. #6 Tim Miles (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 20 laps, 42:47.3491
14. #19 Anthony Gilbertson (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 20 laps, 42:48.1541
15. #4 Stephen Grove (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 20 laps, 42:51.5015
16. #23 Roger Lago (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 20 laps, 42:53.8719
17. #22 Dean Cook (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 20 laps, 42:54.3843
18. #80 Max Twigg (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 20 laps, 42:54.8039
19. #15 Ben Stack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 20 laps, 43:02.6700
20. #131 Graham Williams (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 20 laps, 44:03.9701
21. #35 Indiran Padayachee (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 20 laps, 44:08.9026
22. #9 Marc Cini (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 19 laps, 42:29.2080
DNF #20 Adrian Flack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am)
DNF #8 Nick McBride (Pro)

Moffat and Flack take maiden pole positions

TAG Heuer Pole Position Wrap

James Moffat has dominated qualifying at The Bend Motorsport Park to claim the TAG Heuer Pole Position by an impressive 0.8387 seconds over his Wall Racing teammate and reigning champion, David Wall.

The pole position performance was Moffat’s first in his 15th outing in the Porsche one-make category.

Dale Wood qualified third from local Michael Almond, Jordan Love, points leader Jaxon Evans, Cameron Hill and Dylan O’Keeffe.

Series rookie Adrian Flack was the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am drivers, claiming his first class pole position from Max Twigg, Sam Shahin, Tim Miles and Roger Lago.

Race 1 will be held at 2:50pm local time.

Results: Qualifying

Drivers anticipate thrilling maiden round at The Bend

James Moffat and Adrian Flack top Friday practice

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia was unleashed on The Bend Motorsport Park to commence round six of the 2018 season, with the field of Porsche racers impressed by Australia’s newest motor racing circuit.

The Bend founder Sam Shahin was among the 24-strong Carrera Cup field for Friday’s two practice sessions, posting the sixth best overall time in the opening session before finishing the day 11th quickest overall and second best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am competitors.

“It’s a spectacular day on all fronts,” said Shahin after Friday’s second practice session. “I’m just exhausted really, but that’s the nature of the beast; you have to be 100 percent committed behind the wheel of the car. The car felt good and the morning session so we’ll work out how to get fast and stay safe tomorrow.

“I’m embarrassed to say the number of times I had to hit myself on the helmet to say ‘eyes forward’. My eyes kept glazing to the left at the stands and to the right at the mounts full of people, full of colour. It’s such a spectacular sight and I’m just so proud to showcase this wonderful venue in its full glory today.”

James Moffat was the best performer throughout Friday, topping both practice sessions and finishing the day with a time of 1:51.2942, a time 0.44secs ahead of Sonic Motor Racing duo Michael Almond and Jordan Love.

“You can’t be too unhappy about that; it’s good to hit the track with a good, fast car,” said Moffat.

“It’s a mega track and we’re definitely working hard out there. Full credit to the Shahin family; it’s just so great to have someone prepared to invest in a facility like this. It’s special to race here and the circuit really suits the Porsche. It’s a mega track to drive; very challenging but also very rewarding, which is what you want as a driver.”

Series leader Jaxon Evans was the fourth fastest driver of the day from reigning champion David Wall, Dylan O’Keeffe, Glen Wood and Nick McBride.

Fresh from his maiden TAG Heuer Pro-Am round win at Sydney Motorsport Park, series rookie Adrian Flack was the Pro-Am pace-setter on Friday from Shahin, Roger Lago, class leader Stephen Grove and Anthony Gilbertson.

“It was really good out there today. The car was balanced nicely and I was happy about how the team performed,” said Flack.

“We had a test day here so I was able to get my head around this circuit. Hopefully we can go out there and be faster tomorrow into qualifying and the opening race one.”

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will commence qualifying at 12:10pm on Saturday afternoon before the 20-lap race one, which will be the fourth race at the six-race Endurance Cup. Sunday will then feature two sprint races. Fox Sports 506 will broadcast qualifying and all races live nationwide.

Race Schedule
Saturday 25 August
12:10pm Qualifying (20 minutes)
2:50pm Race 1 (20 laps)
Sunday 26 August
9:50am Race 2 (8 laps)
12:35pm Race 3 (8 laps)

Broadcast Schedule
Channel: Fox Sports 506
Qualifying – 12:10pm, Saturday 25 August
Race 1 – 2:50pm, Saturday 25 August
Race 2 – 9:50am, Sunday 26 August
Race 3 – 12:35pm, Sunday 26 August

Results: Practice 1 & 2 (combined)
1. #18 James Moffat (Pro) 1:51.2942R
2. #77 Michael Almond (Pro) 1:51.7413r (-0:00.4471)
3. #777 Jordan Love (Pro) 1:51.7539r (-0:00.4597)
4. #7 Jaxon Evans (Pro) 1:51.8851r (-0:00.5909)
5. #1 David Wall (Pro) 1:51.9491r (-0:00.6549)
6. #88 Dylan O’Keeffe (Pro) 1:52.5643 (-0:01.2701)
7. #888 Glen Wood (Pro) 1:52.6457 (-0:01.3515)
8. #8 Nick McBride (Pro) 1:52.9631 (-0:01.6689)
9. #20 Adrian Flack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 1:52.9755 (-0:01.6813)
10. #100 Dale Wood (Pro) 1:53.1547 (-0:01.8605)
11. #13 Sam Shahin (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 1:53.2044 (-0:01.9102)
12. #12 Adam Garwood (Pro) 1:53.5481 (-0:02.2539)
13. #23 Roger Lago (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 1:53.6505 (-0:02.3563)
14. #4 Stephen Grove (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 1:53.7932 (-0:02.4990)
15. #111 Cameron Hill (Pro) 1:53.9293 (-0:02.6351)
16. #19 Anthony Gilbertson (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 1:54.0560 (-0:02.7618)
17. #6 Tim Miles (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 1:54.2224 (-0:02.9282)
18. #14 Peter Major (Pro) 1:54.2339 (-0:02.9397)
19. #22 Dean Cook (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 1:54.6903 (-0:03.3961)
20. #80 Max Twigg (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 1:54.9235 (-0:03.6293)
21. #15 Ben Stack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 1:55.3063 (-0:04.0121)
22. #9 Marc Cini (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 1:57.2831 (-0:05.9889)
23. #35 Indiran Padayachee (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 1:57.5112 (-0:06.2170)
24. #131 Graham Williams (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) 1:58.4258 (-0:07.1316)

Carrera Cup set for The Bend debut

Preview: Round 6, The Bend Motorsport Park

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will this weekend continue its endurance battle as it heads to Australia’s newest motor racing venue, The Bend Motorsport Park.

The sixth round of the 2018 season, the Tailem Bend round comes just three weeks after Carrera Cup Australia was joined at Sydney Motorsport Park by its neighbouring Porsche one-make series, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.

The Sydney event was not only highlighted by two spectacular joint races under lights, but also the intense Carrera Cup Australia racing that ultimately saw both Pro and TAG Heuer Pro-Am championship fights intensify leading into the last nine races of the season.

The battle at the front has seen Dylan O’Keeffe creep to within 13 points of series leader Jaxon Evans in the Outright standings, a margin that was once 109 points after the opening two rounds.

The battle at the front is as intense as ever, with six different drivers winning the past six races this season: Dale Wood (Phillip Island, Race 2), David Wall (Hidden Valley, Race 1), Evans (Hidden Valley, Race 2), James Moffat (Hidden Valley, Race 3), O’Keeffe (Sydney Motorsport Park, Race 1) and Jordan Love (Sydney Motorsport Park, Race 2). In addition, four different drivers have won the last four rounds: Evans (Albert Park), Wood (Phillip Island), O’Keeffe (Hidden Valley) and Moffat (Sydney Motorsport Park).

The TAG Heuer Pro-Am competition will also be one to watch, however one driver stands out with a heightened will to win – Sam Shahin. While missing the past two rounds, Shahin returns for this weekend’s round at ‘The Bend’ at the motorsport precinct which he founded.

Shahin was the class of the Pro-Am field in the 2018 Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia season opener at The Bend in April and will look to carry this pace into Carrera Cup’s first taste of the new venue, which becomes the 17th different circuit at which Carrera Cup has raced since 2003. This weekend also marks the first time the Porsche championship will race twice in the state of South Australia following round one at the Adelaide 500.

Round six will commence with two practice sessions on Friday and qualifying on Saturday morning before the series embarks on the fourth endurance race of the season – a 20-lap, 99km race one battle. The race will act as the fourth in the six-race 2018 Endurance Cup, which is currently led by Dale Wood in the Pro class and Stephen Grove in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am class. Two eight-lap sprint races will then be held on Sunday to conclude the round.

Qualifying and all races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506.

Race Schedule
Friday 24 August
10:00am Practice 1 (30 minutes)
2:20pm Practice 2 (30 minutes)
Saturday 25 August
12:10pm Qualifying (20 minutes)
2:50pm Race 1 (20 laps)
Sunday 26 August
9:50am Race 2 (8 laps)
12:35pm Race 3 (8 laps)

Broadcast Schedule
Channel: Fox Sports 506
Practice 2 – 2:20pm, Friday 24 August
Qualifying – 12:10pm, Saturday 25 August
Race 1 – 2:50pm, Saturday 25 August
Race 2 – 9:50am, Sunday 26 August
Race 3 – 12:35pm, Sunday 26 August

Entry List
1. #1 David Wall (Pro) PAYCE/Wilson Security
2. #4 Stephen Grove (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Grove Group
3. #6 Tim Miles (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Miles Advisory Partners/Garage 1
4. #7 Jaxon Evans (Pro) Morris Finance
5. #8 Nick McBride (Pro) Porsche Centre Melbourne
6. #9 Marc Cini (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmarc
7. #12 Adam Garwood (Pro) Garwood Motorsport
8. #13 Sam Shahin (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) The Bend/htfu
9. #14 Peter Major (Pro) Sonic/Totally 4×4
10. #18 James Moffat (Pro) PAYCE/Wilson Security/JBL
11. #19 Anthony Gilbertson (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmark Homes
12. #20 Adrian Flack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Agas National
13. #22 Dean Cook (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) BMF/Pitman Racing
14. #23 Roger Lago (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) JBS Australia
15. #35 Indiran Padayachee (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hyundai Forklifts Australia
16. #77 Michael Almond (Pro) Bob Jane T Marts/PSA
17. #80 Max Twigg (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) WM Waste Management
18. #88 Dylan O’Keeffe (Pro) APB Group
19. #100 Dale Wood (Pro) Sonic/Polyflor
20. #111 Cameron Hill (Pro) BAXX Australia
21. #131 Graham Williams (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Harcourts Williams
22. #777 Jordan Love (Pro) Bob Jane T Marts
23. #888 Glen Wood (Pro) Porsche Centre Brighton/Porsche Centre Doncaster

Campbell extends class lead with Silverstone victory

Aussie takes GTE-Am class win at 6 Hours of Silverstone

Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell has led his Dempsey Proton Racing #77 Porsche 911 RSR, alongside Christian Ried (Germany) and Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (F), to victory in the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone, Great Britain.

Following the team’s impressive GTE-Am win at the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 2016 Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia champion crossed the finish line after two tremendous stints to take the GTE-Am race win in front of a crowd of 60,240, extending the team’s lead in the class standings.

Starting from pole position, the Project 1 team with Porsche works driver Jörg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Lindsey (USA) and Egidio Perfetti (N) led the GTE-Am field over two-thirds of the race. A stop-and-go penalty as a result of a pit stop error relegated the team back to position five, however the trio manoeuvred their way up the field to third place and celebrated their first podium result in the WEC. Michael Wainwright (GB), Ben Barker (GB) and Australian Alex Davison achieved sixth place for the Gulf Racing customer team.

Under partly cloudy skies and with a temperature of 23-degrees Celsius, British spectators were treated to an inspired race start by Kevin Estre in the No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR. The Frenchman got away well off the line and made the most of a collision amongst the front pack of the 34-strong field to sweep to the front of the GTE-Pro class. When his teammate, Michael Christensen, experienced tyre problems in the second stint, they fell back to position six, however, thanks to a good pit stop strategy, the pair worked their way back up to the front and at times held the lead. Towards the end of the race, however, they had to let vehicles pass.

Estre and Christensen finished in third place at the wheel of the 510 hp Porsche 911 RSR with the number 92. The No. 91 sister car driven by Austria’s Richard Lietz and Gianmaria Bruni from Italy initially scored second, however was subsequently disqualified due to an irregularity in the ride height.

Round four of the FIA World Sports Car Championship WEC is contested on 14 October in Fuji (Japan).

Comments on the race

Matt Campbell (Porsche 911 RSR #77): “I’m absolutely thrilled to have won again. After the first half of the race we thought we couldn’t do much better. But the fact that the number 56 and 90 cars were then handed a time penalty due to pitting under yellow put us back into contention. This was anything but an easy race, but our car was fast and we made the right strategic decisions.”

Pascal Zurlinden (Director GT Factory Motorsport): “Unfortunately we were informed after the race that an irregularity was detected in the ride height. That threw our number 91 car out of the classification and advanced the number 92 car to third place. We’re still leading the manufacturers’ and drivers’ classifications. Now we need to focus on the next tasks.”

Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “Our race started well and I moved into first place after the start and built up a comfortable lead. Unfortunately, Michael was hampered by tyre problems during his stint. We had to call him in earlier than planned and change our strategy. This enabled the Ferrari to overtake us in the pits. At the end, our tyres weren’t fresh enough to attack again. Still, I’m satisfied with our result.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “This race was really exhausting and long. Kévin did a great job at the start. Unfortunately I then had bad luck with the tyres and lost positions and we never managed to really catch up again, even if at times the situation looked promising.”

Julien Andlauer (Porsche 911 RSR #77): “In my first stint I didn’t do such a great job – I stressed the tyres a little too much while pursuing the leader. After talking with the engineers my second stint went much better. We definitely had luck on our side when the penalty was handed to our rivals. Still, we were in the right place when it mattered. In the end we performed strongly as a team and can be proud.”

Jörg Bergmeister (Porsche 911 RSR #56): “That was a race with a lot of highs and lows. We held the lead over long stretches, but then came into the pits under safety car conditions. Unfortunately we received a 75-second stop-and-go penalty, which threw us down to fifth place. Luckily I managed to work my way up to third place in the last lap – a conciliatory result for us.”

Race result
GTE-Pro class
1. Pier Guidi/Calado (I/GB), Ferrari 488 GTE EVO, 172 laps
2. Priaulx/Tincknell (GB/GB), Ford GT, 172 laps
3.. Christensen/Estre (DK/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 172 laps
4. Lynn/Martin (GB/B), Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 171 laps
5. Tomczyk/Catsburg (D/NL), BMW M8 GTE, 171 laps
6. Mücke/Pla (D/F), Ford GT, 170 laps
7. Rigon/Bird (I/GB), Ferrari 488 GTE EVO, 157 laps
8. Sorensen/Thiim (DK/DK), Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 155 laps

GTE-Am class
1. Ried/Andlauer/Campbell (D/F/AUS), Porsche 911 RSR, 168 laps
2. Yoluc/Adam/Eastwood (TR/GB/GB), Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 168 laps
3. Bergmeister/Lindsey/Perfetti (D/USA/N), Porsche 911 RSR, 168 laps
4. Dalla Lana/Lamy/Lauda (CDN/P/A), Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 168 laps
5. Mok/Sawa/Griffin (MAL/J/IRL), Ferrari 488 GTE, 167 laps
6. Wainwright/Barker/Davison (GB/GB/AUS), Porsche 911 RSR, 167 laps
7. Ishikawa/Beretta/Cheever (J/MC/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, 167 laps
8. Roda/Roda/Cairoli (I/I/I), Porsche 911 RSR, 167 laps
9. Flohr/Castellacci/Fisichella (CH/I/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, 158 laps

Carrera Cup Australia tops both joint battles

O'Keeffe and Lago wins Sydney joint races

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia drivers have come out on top in both Joint Races at Sydney Motorsport Park, where all drivers from both the Pro-Am and Pro classes competed against there regional rivals.

Joint Pro-Am Race

Roger Lago lined up on pole position for the Joint Pro-Am Race due to his pace-setting efforts in Carrera Cup Australia qualifying on Friday. Lago was the best off the line and immediately took a commanding lead in the 16-lap race. Meanwhile Adrian Flack was in his own battle for second place, ultimately passing Carrera Cup Asia rival Jinlong Bao for second place. The race was interrupted for two separate safety car periods, however Lago kept a cool head in both to ultimately take the chequered flag from Flack and Jinlong Bao.

Joint Pro Race

Dylan O’Keeffe was untouchable in the Joint Pro Race, claiming the lead at the start from fourth on the grid and pulled away from his Australia and Asia series rivals, managing the gap to the battle behind him to the finish. Will Bamber and Martin Ragginger battled for second before David Wall entered the mix. Bamber held second position for the majority of the race until Wall stole the position with a bold turn one move with one lap remaining. Wall place second from Bamber, Ragginger, Jaxon Evans and Dale Wood.

Love takes maiden win in thrilling race two

Love and Grove win Sydney race two

Jordan Love has secured his maiden victory in race two at the Sydney leg of the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia, with Stephen Grove winning the TAG Heuer Pro-Am race.

Starting fourth on the grid, Love executed a flawless start and moved from third to first in a move around the outside of Sydney’s turn one.

While initially pulling away, Love was ultimately chased down by James Moffat while race one winner Dylan O’Keeffe and David Wall eventually joined the battle.

The quartet bunched up in the closing laps, though the order remained the same, handing Love his first Carrera Cup race win in his debut full-time season.

Grove was the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am drivers, beating Adrian Flack, Anthony Gilbertson and Tim Miles to the chequered flag.

Results: Race 2

O’Keeffe takes maiden victory in race one

O'Keeffe and Flack win opening Sydney battle

Young gun Dylan O’Keeffe has taken his maiden victory in the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia championship in the opening race of the Sydney Motorsport Park round.

O’Keeffe qualified second and charged to the lead after pole-sitter David Wall was slow from the start line.

The Melbourne based driver then continued at the front to ultimately take the chequered flag and, in the process, eclipsing Steven Richards’ 2014 Sydney Motorsport Park lap record.

James Moffat placed second from Jaxon Evans, Jordan Love and Wall in fifth, who limped across the line following last lap contact with Dale Wood, which ended the latter’s race.

Adrian Flack was the TAG Heuer Pro-Am race winner, cruising past Roger Lago mid-race into turn one and pulled away from his class rivals. Lago placed second from Steven Grove, Anthony Gilbertson and Tim Miles.

Race two will be held Saturday afternoon at 2:45pm local time.

Results: Race 1

Wall secures pole, Lago slays qualifying curse

Friday Wrap: Round 5, Sydney Motorsport Park

A perfectly crafted qualifying session has handed reigning Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia champion David Wall the TAG Heuer Pole Position for Saturday’s opening race at Sydney Motorsport Park, while Roger Lago finally secured his maiden Pro-Am pole position following nine second-place qualifying results.

While Darwin round winner Dylan O’Keeffe spent much of the closing stages of qualifying at the top of the timesheets, Wall topped the session by a mere 0.0572secs in the final moments to grab his fifth career pole position. The time of 1:29.0114 also eclipsed the previous qualifying lap record set by Warren Luff in 2014.

“I’m very happy. I haven’t fist-pumped over the line for many years. I really enjoyed that qualifying session; the car was hooked, we made the right decisions and it will be one of those sessions that I remember for years to come,” said Wall. “It was nice and close, which goes to show the quality of the field. And I’m pumped for Wall Racing, which will start first and third on the grid.”

O’Keeffe qualified second from James Moffat in third. Dale Wood qualified fourth from Cameron Hill, who was consistently fast in all three Friday sessions, and series leader Jaxon Evans in sixth.

Roger Lago impressed with his maiden pole position in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am class. The Queenslander held the noteworthy record of nine second placed class results from 14 qualifying sessions, four of which came from the first four events of the 2018 season.

“I knew that I’d been runner-up four times in a row this year and that I had missed out a few times when I previously raced in Carrera Cup,” said Lago.

“I had to dig deep there because the car was nowhere in practice and we made a slight change for qualifying and I also got a tow from Grove at the end there; he was just far enough away that he didn’t slow me down, so I was a bit lucky there.”

Adrian Flack was the second fastest Pro-Am driver in qualifying from Anthony Gilbertson and returning driver Shane Smollen, who hasn’t raced since the Joint Round at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit last season, in fourth.

The two qualifying sessions were made more important by the fact that they also determine the starting positions for Saturday’s two Carrera Cup Asia & Australia Joint Races.

Determined by a coin toss at Thursday’s Welcome Function, Carrera Cup Australia will line up on the non-pole position side of the grid with Wall starting from the second place grid position, while the Australia series’ Pro-Am contenders will start their Joint Race from the pole position side of the grid.

“It’s always good to beat your chest against some of the Carrera Cup Asia drivers,” said Wall. “Chris Van Der Drift got one up on me last year in Sepang. I’ll go into tomorrow focusing on race one and race two and then we’ll shift our concentration to the Joint Race.”

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will hold two individual races on Saturday – both awarding a maximum of 90 points – before the Joint Pro-Am Race and Joint Pro Race to cap off round five in Sydney.

Race Schedule
Saturday August 04
11:45am Race 1 (16 laps)
2:45pm Race 2 (16 laps)
5:15pm Joint Pro Race (16 laps)
5:55pm Joint Pro-Am Race (16 laps)

Broadcast Schedule
Channel: Fox Sports 506
Qualifying – 3:05pm, Friday August 03
Race 1 – 11:45am, Saturday August 04
Race 2 – 2:45pm, Saturday August 04
Joint Pro Race – 5:15pm, Saturday August 04
Joint Pro-Am Race – 5:55pm, Saturday August 04

Results: Qualifying

Former Pro-Am champ returns for Sydney

Shane Smollen returns to Porsche field

Shane Smollen will join the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia grid for this weekend’s Joint Round at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The 2015 TAG Heuer Pro-Am champion will step into the #5 Wall Racing 911 GT3 Cup while Greg Taylor is absent due to business commitments.

Smollen has a wealth of Carrera Cup experience, starting 46 rounds and 127 races ahead of his Sydney return. From his time in the championship, he has claimed eight Pro-Am round wins and 30 Pro-Am race wins.

Smollen is also no stranger to Wall Racing, having partnered with David Wall in the two-driver Pro-Am event last year at Phillip Island, where the duo took overall round victory.

The Sydneysider has also contested both previous Joint Rounds, racing in Sepang last season for a one-off return to the series.

“We are pleased that Shane was able to step in for the weekend to cover Greg.  He is a great person to have around the garage and hopefully can get a great result over the weekend in the Tag Heuer Pro-AM class for Wall Racing”, said Wall Racing Team Manager, David Fyfe.

The Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia championship hits to track this Friday and Saturday for the two-day Sydney SuperNight event, where the Australian series will be joined at the event by sister series Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.

Carrera Cups prepare for Sydney showdown

Preview: Round 5, Sydney Motorsport Park

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia heads to Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend to embark on its third-ever joint round with neighbouring Porsche one-make series, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.

The Western Sydney venue hosted the inaugural Carrera Cup Asia & Australia joint round in 2016 ahead of last year’s second encounter at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit.

Race Formats
The two Porsche championships now return to Eastern Creek in an event that will follow the previous joint round formats: Each Carrera Cup will hold separate practice, qualifying and two races, which award full championship points.

The two series then merge for two Joint Races; both series’ Pro-Am drivers will battle for 16 laps on Saturday evening as the sun sets on Sydney Motorsport Park before all Pro-ranked drivers compete for outright honours for a 16-lap night race. Drivers competing in a Joint Race will receive 10 championship points, while Carrera Cup Australia’s TAG Heuer Pro-Am participants will disable ABS for the Pro-Am battle to technically align with their Asian series counterparts.

Currently, the Joint Race win tally is even on two wins a piece; Carrera Cup Australia’s Matt Campbell and Stephen Grove won the Pro and Pro-Am Sydney races in 2016 while Carrera Cup Asia drivers Chris Van Der Drift and Yuey Tan claimed Joint Race honours at Sepang last year.

Milestones
Two Carrera Cup Australia drivers will reach significant milestones this weekend for the fifth round of the 2018 season. The championship’s most capped racer, Marc Cini, will start his 100^th Carrera Cup Australia round. Following his debut at Winton in 2003, the Melbourne based driver has competed in 99 of a possible 108 Carrera Cup rounds.

Meanwhile, should Nick McBride get through race one unscathed, the young Melbourne lawyer will start his 100^th Carrera Cup Australia race in race two in Sydney, becoming the 19^th driver to achieve the milestone.

Title chase
Jaxon Evans enters the Sydney round with a significant points advantage, leading Darwin round winner Dylan O’Keeffe in the overall standings by 60 points, with Dale Wood dropping to third after a difficult Darwin outing.

Two strong rounds for Stephen Grove have elevated the reigning TAG Heuer Pro-Am class champion back into Pro-Am contention. Grove has raced in the past two Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup rounds across the last two weekends, notably taking to the Pro-Am podium last weekend in Hungary. This weekend Grove will complete a Porsche one-make triple header in Sydney, entering the event just seven points adrift of class leader Roger Lago.

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will hold two practice sessions and qualifying on Friday, with all racing – two Carrera Cup Australia races and two Joint Races – to feature on Saturday. Qualfying and all races will be broadcast live nationwide on Fox Sports 506.

Race Schedule
Friday August 03
11:00am Practice 1 (30 minutes)
1:00pm Practice 2 (30 minutes)
3:05pm Qualifying (30 minutes)
Saturday August 04
11:45am Race 1 (16 Laps or 1 lap after 1213)
2:45pm Race 2 (16 Laps or 1 lap after 1513)
5:15pm Joint Pro Race (16 Laps or 1 lap after 1743)
5:55pm Joint Pro-Am Race (16 Laps or 1 lap after 1823)

Broadcast Schedule
Channel: Fox Sports 506
Qualifying – 3:05pm, Friday August 03
Race 1 – 11:45am, Saturday August 04
Race 2 – 2:45pm, Saturday August 04
Joint Pro Race – 5:15pm, Saturday August 04
Joint Pro-Am Race – 5:55pm, Saturday August 04

Entry List
1. #1 David Wall (Pro) PAYCE/Wilson Security
2. #4 Stephen Grove (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Grove Group
3. #5 Greg Taylor (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Arris/Strongbuild
4. #6 Tim Miles (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Miles Advisory Partners/Garage 1
5. #7 Jaxon Evans (Pro) Morris Finance
6. #8 Nick McBride (Pro) Porsche Centre Melbourne
7. #9 Marc Cini (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmarc
8. #12 Adam Garwood (Pro) Garwood Motorsport
9. #14 Peter Major (Pro) Sonic/Totally 4×4
10. #15 Josh Hunt (Pro) LORY Construction
11. #18 James Moffat (Pro) Payce/Wilson Security/JBL
12. #19 Anthony Gilbertson (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmark Homes
13. #20 Adrian Flack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Agas National
14. #22 Dean Cook (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) BMF/Pitman Racing
15. #23 Roger Lago (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) JBS Australia
16. #35 Indiran Padayachee (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hyundai Forklifts Australia
17. #77 Michael Almond (Pro) Bob Jane T Marts/PSA
18. #80 TBC (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) WM Waste Management
19. #88 Dylan O’Keeffe (Pro) APB Group
20. #100 Dale Wood (Pro) Sonic/Polyflor
21. #111 Cameron Hill (Pro) BAXX Australia
22. #131 Graham Williams (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Harcourts Williams
23. #777 Jordan Love (Pro) Bob Jane T Marts
24. #888 Glen Wood (Pro) Porsche Centre Brighton/Porsche Centre Doncaster

Grove scores Supercup Pro-Am podium

Aussie collects silverware at Hungaroring

Stephen Grove scored a thrilling Pro-Am class podium on the world-stage at Round 6 of Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at the Hungaroring, Budapest.

The Melbourne-based driver clawed his way to third in Pro-Am after a busy 14-lap race at the 4.3km circuit which saw him start from sixth in class.

It marks the first time an Australian driver has ever finished on the Supercup Pro-Am podium, with the achievement coming in only Grove’s third event in the series.

Speaking after the race, he was still buzzing with excitement from the result.

“I’m so happy with the podium, that was fantastic,” Grove exclaimed.

“To become the first ever Australian to finish on the podium in the Pro-Am division of Supercup is just unbelievable.

“The racing level over here is incredible, so when I’m passing guys like I did in that race at such a high level, it’s absolutely fantastic – I’m so rapt.

“It was an extremely hot race, 34 degrees [celsius] over here and even hotter in the car. We don’t run cool suits, we don’t run drink bottle systems in Supercup, so it was mega hot.

“You’ve got to push, but the tyre and track temperatures were blisteringly warm, so you’ve got to be really smooth in that scenario.

“The team is happy as well with what is for them, second and third in Pro-Am, so everything is really good.

“Of course, I’ve now got to find some space in my suitcase for the third place trophy, which is actually really big and it weighs about six kilos, so it’s quite heavy.”

Grove managed to survive a first corner incident early in the race, before setting his sights up the road and working through the order.

The experienced racer described his charge into the podium place positions as one of his best drives thus far.

“I was a bit conservative into Turn 1, because traditionally there’s always a crash, which there was. I was fairly tentative through there and then I just pushed and put pressure on,” added Grove.

“[Christof] Langer made a mistake, he just overcooked it at one of the corners, so I lined him up and I knew where I was quicker, so doubled back and passed him.

“On the last lap, I knew where I was faster than the English driver, [Mark] Radcliffe, which was through the sweeper at Turn 6, so I pushed through there.

“He would always take a wide line and ‘v’ the corner, so I got on the brakes and took the inside and that’s where I passed him, and that put me up into third.

“We brought it home after that and maintained third, which is just awesome, I’m really happy, that’s got to be one of my better drives.”

Hungary marks the end of part two of Grove’s triple header, which now sees him return to Australia in defence of his domestic Carrera Cup TAG Heuer Pro-Am crown.

Grove will head from Europe to Sydney Motorsport Park for Round 5 of Carrera Cup Australia this weekend at the Sydney SuperNight.