Grove Motorsport to take on Mount Panorama with Porsche 911 GT3 R

Grove Porsche 911 GT3 R hoping for another Pro-Am podium in Bathurst

Grove Motorsport will make the trip to Mount Panorama, Bathurst this weekend for the second round of Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS.

Having debuted their Porsche 911 GT3 R at Phillip Island the team will take the newly-acquired car to Bathurst for its first run around the Mountain from April 2-4.

Stephen and Brenton Grove will have the chance to open up the taps of the flat-six on the most famous 6.213km in Australian motorsport for Round 2 of GTWC Australia.

They arrive off the back of an overall podium result in the most recent race and are third in the Pro-Am standings heading into Bathurst.

Meanwhile, Stephen was in action last weekend in Carrera Cup Australia at Sandown and will have to adapt back to the driving style of the GT3 R.

GTWC Australia’s event at Bathurst comes in the absence of this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour which was cancelled due to travel restrictions.

However, the chance to compete at Mount Panorama brings out plenty of smiles within the team

“I’m really looking forward to driving the GT3 R around Bathurst but it’s going to be a completely different feel as a sprint event,” said Stephen.

“We’ll have data that we can take and base some stuff off of that, but it’s different conditions and a different style of weekend to the 12 Hour.

“The biggest challenge for me is to try and get up to speed really quickly in driving the GT3 R because they are completely different, especially in the braking area.

“There’s 200-300psi difference in pressure in the braking and the car turns really quickly, it’s very direct compared to a Cup car where you’ve got to hustle it through a corner.

“That’s going to be the main point for this weekend is getting back up to speed as quickly as possible.

“You need to be really precise across the top of the Mountain and that’s where the difficulty is in adapting to the cars at a point on the circuit where there is no room for error.”

The weekend’s format features a pair of hour-long races, one each on Saturday and Sunday.

Both races will be broadcast live and free on the screens of Seven in Australia.

ExxonMobil and Porsche Test Lower-Carbon Fuel in Race Conditions

Esso Renewable Racing Fuel to be tested in Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup

• Esso Renewable Racing Fuel to be tested in Porsche’s high-performance motorsports engines in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup 2021 and 2022
• Companies to advance eFuel development with potential for greenhouse gas reduction
• eFuels to be produced using hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide
• New agreement builds on 25-year relationship of developing and testing high-performance products

ExxonMobil and Porsche are testing advanced biofuels and renewable, lower-carbon eFuels, as part of a new agreement to find pathways toward potential future consumer adoption. The first iteration of Esso Renewable Racing Fuel is a blend of primarily advanced biofuels and is specially formulated by ExxonMobil’s in-house team of scientists and engineers. Analysis indicates the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a liquid fuel. The fuel will be tested in race conditions with Porsche’s high-performance motorsports engines during the 2021 and 2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race series.

Porsche and ExxonMobil’s collaboration will also focus on eFuels, which are synthetic fuels made from hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide. As early as 2022, the companies plan to test the second iteration of Esso Renewable Racing Fuel, which will contain eFuel components. The eFuel is anticipated to achieve a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of up to 85 percent, when blended to current market fuel standards for today’s passenger vehicles.

“The electrification of our vehicles is of highest priority to us,” says Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board, Research and Development of Porsche. “eFuels are a good complement to our powertrain strategy. They allow our customers to drive cars with conventional combustion engines as well as plug-in hybrids with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions. The collaboration with ExxonMobil enables us to test the eFuels under demanding conditions on the racing track. This is a further step towards making eFuels an affordable and lower greenhouse gas emission substitute to conventional fuels.”

The eFuel will be sourced from the Haru Oni pilot plant based in Chile that generates hydrogen, which is then combined with captured carbon dioxide drawn from the atmosphere to produce methanol. ExxonMobil is providing a license and support for the proprietary technology to convert the methanol to gasoline, which will result in a lower-carbon fuel. In the pilot phase, around 130,000 liters of eFuels will be produced in 2022. As the fuel’s primary user, Porsche will use the eFuels from Chile among others in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup starting in the season of 2022.

“Over the past quarter century, we have worked together with Porsche to develop high-performance products that support Porsche’s vehicle performance on the racetrack and on the road,” said Andy Madden, vice president of strategy and planning for ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants. “Our continued collaboration on renewable and eFuels is a critical step in assessing the technical capability and commercial viability of fuels that can significantly reduce emissions.”

The first on-track testing of Esso Renewable Racing Fuel is scheduled for March 30, 2021 in Zandvoort, Netherlands, and will continue throughout the 2021 and 2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race series. The collaboration with Porsche builds on ExxonMobil’s continuing efforts to develop and deploy lower-emission energy solutions, including high-efficiency fuels and lubricants, advanced plastics and other products that can enable cars and trucks to use less fuel. For example, the two companies have collaborated on a line of specially formulated lubricants for the electric vehicles market, Mobil EV™ range.

In January, ExxonMobil announced the creation of a new business, ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, to commercialize its extensive low-carbon technology portfolio and plans to invest $3 billion on lower emission energy solutions through 2025. Last year, ExxonMobil announced plans to distribute renewable diesel within California and potentially other domestic and international markets as soon as 2022.

Over the past two decades, ExxonMobil has invested more than $10 billion to research, develop and deploy lower-emission energy solutions, resulting in highly efficient operations that have eliminated or avoided approximately 480 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions – the equivalent of taking more than 100 million passenger vehicles off the road for a year.

Porsche is committed to invest 15 billion euros in electromobility and digitalization by 2025. In 2030 the sports car manufacturer will offer more than 80 percent of its vehicles with electric engines. The company seeks carbon neutrality in its products and operations by 2030, investing around 1 billion euros in sustainable mobility.

ExxonMobil, one of the largest publicly traded international energy companies, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is one of the largest refiners and marketers of petroleum products, and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world. To learn more, visit exxonmobil.com and the Energy Factor.

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, with headquarters in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, is one of the most profitable car makers in the world. In 2020, Porsche delivered 272,000 vehicles of the 911, 718 Boxster, 718 Cayman, Cayenne, Macan, Panamera and Taycan models to customers worldwide. That was three per cent less than the year before. Thereby, the sports car manufacturer’s operating profit before special items amounted to 4.2 billion euros. Porsche operates plants in Stuttgart and Leipzig as well as a development centre in Weissach. The sports car manufacturer employs 36,000 people. Porsche is committed to innovation, many of the technologies have their origins in motorsport. Porsche is aware of every aspect of its corporate responsibility: economic, environmental and social.
To learn more, visit https://newsroom.porsche.com/en.html.

Cautionary Statement
Statements of future events, plans or product offerings in this release are forward-looking statements. Actual future results, including product offerings, timing, production capacity, and the impact and results of new technologies on product efficiency and life-cycle emission reductions could vary depending on the outcome of general business conditions; further research and testing; the development and competitiveness of alternative technologies; the ability to scale pilot projects on a cost-effective basis; political and regulatory developments; and other factors discussed in this release and under the heading “Factors Affecting Future Results” on the Investors page of ExxonMobil’s website at exxonmobil.com

Matt Campbell wins 12 Hours of Sebring with Porsche customer team

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Round 2, Sebring (USA)

The Porsche customer teams WeatherTech Racing and Pfaff Motorsports have won both GT classes at the 12 Hours of Sebring. In the hotly contested GTLM category, works drivers Mathieu Jaminet from France and Matt Campbell from Australia joined forces in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with the American Cooper MacNeil and beat the opposition. In the GTD class for vehicle complying with the FIA GT3 regulations, works driver Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium, Porsche’s development driver Lars Kern (Germany) and the Canadian Zacharie Robichon won at the wheel of the No. 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R. The Wrights Motorsport outfit rounded off the triumph for the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart with second place in the GTD division.

The tradition-steeped endurance race in Florida was marked by nonstop close duels and many caution phases. The decision for victory in all categories hung in the air until the final laps. After the last of eight full-course yellows, the suspense finally reached its climax. In a last dash over 20 minutes, the Porsche customer squads battled for the top places and built on the already impressive record at the 12-hour classic. This marks the fourth straight win for the Porsche 911 RSR and the second in a row for the 911 GT3 R.

In the GTLM class especially, the competition intensified in the last few laps. Jaminet headed into the final sprint running in third place. At the restart, his ca. 510 hp 911 RSR with the starting number 79 duelled wheel-to-wheel with the second-placed BMW, but he had to surrender his position – luckily. Only a few metres later, the two leading cars collided in a direct encounter. Jaminet profited and went on to cross the finish line as the winner. “That was a fantastic success at our Sebring ‘home’”, says Steffen Höllwarth, Head of GTLM Operations. “It was the fourth class win in a row for our Porsche 911 RSR. And it was very special because this was the last time the GTLM class will race at Sebring.” From 2022, the vehicle category, which is also run in the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC under the name GTE-Pro, will no longer be contested in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“Unbelievable! This was only our second race in the IMSA series,” says a delighted Christian Ried, whose Proton Competition team maintains the 911 RSR for WeatherTech Racing. “Our crew and all three drivers did a perfect job. At the end of the day, we kept our cool while the works teams shunted each other out of contention. We were very lucky to score third place, but still, we deserved this win.” WeatherTech Racing founder David MacNeil adds: “Porsche is known for racing cars at a technically perfect level. That’s why we decided to collaborate in the IMSA series. We’ve now harvested the fruits of this at only the second race. I’m very proud!”

Customer teams celebrated an even bigger success with a one-two in the GTD class. Over long stretches during the 12-hour event, the strong squads from Pfaff Motorsports and Wright Motorsports took turns at the front of the field. In the final 20-minute sprint, factory pilots Laurens Vanthoor (No. 9) and Patrick Long were driving. In a tight duel, the Belgian managed to stay ahead and took the flag just 2.112 seconds ahead of his American brand teammate. Long shared the cockpit of the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R with his compatriot Trent Hindman and Belgium’s Jan Heylen. “A weekend couldn’t have ended better than this,” says Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “All teams had the chance to finish on the podium. At the end of the day, there’s a one-two and a strong performance from Hardpoint EBM’s number 88 car.”

Hardpoint EBM, however, experienced bad luck. Katherine Legge from Great Britain, Denmark’s Christina Nielsen and Ana Beatriz from Brazil were maintaining a sensational third place shortly before the finish. However, a drive-through penalty due to a collision after the final restart relegated the No. 88 Porsche 911 GT3 R back to fifth place. The No. 99 sister car had already fallen far behind during the first third of the race. First, amateur driver Rob Ferriol (USA) flew into the barriers about two hours into the race. The team managed to repair most of the damage to the front of the Porsche 911 GT3 R and get it back into the race. Two hours later, the New Zealander Earl Bamber collided with a rival. The repairs cost the team almost 40 laps, with the team ultimately crossing the finish line in tenth place. Bamber and Ferriol shared the cockpit with Trenton Estep from the USA.

“We couldn’t have wished for a greater success for our fantastic customer teams,” states Pascal Zurlinden, Director Factory Motorsport. “All in all, it was a banner weekend for Porsche. In the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, the 718 GT4 Clubsport set pole position and finished the race in second place. At the debut of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, 34 cars lined up on the grid, including 23 brand-new 992-generation 911 GT3 Cup cars. This race gave fans a real treat. In the end, the Sebring class victories number 75 and 76 in the IMSA race are the crowning glory.”

Round three of the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be contested on 16 May at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Drivers’ comments about the race

Cooper MacNeil (Porsche 911 RSR #79): “To have victory decided on the very last lap at a 12-hour race is just crazy! I’m ecstatic! Everyone in the team did a flawless job, and the Porsche 911 RSR was a real dream to drive in the race. I’m overwhelmed by this win.”

Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 911 GT3 R #9): “We made the most of our car’s great potential. We made no mistakes, we had no incidents and a perfect strategy. The caution phases at the end made things a little more exciting than we wanted. Prior to that, we’d eked out a decent advantage. But I stayed calm at the restart and made it to the finish line.”

Patrick Long (Porsche 911 GT3 R #16): “In the close duel for victory, the traffic proved decisive. I had a bit of bad luck, so it wasn’t quite enough. But a one-two for Porsche is still fantastic. I can’t really complain, because we’ve taken over the championship lead with second place.”

Katherine Legge (Porsche 911 GT3 R #88): “I’m disappointed obviously because we had a good chance of scoring a podium result. Unfortunately, there was a penalty at the end. Still, I’m very proud of us women drivers and the team. The project came about at very short notice just before the Sebring race. But we’ve achieved a more than respectable result and given a strong performance.”

Result GTLM class

1. MacNeil/Campbell/Jaminet (USA/AUS/F), Porsche 911 RSR #79, 334 laps
2. Eng/de Phillippi/Spengler (A/USA/CDN), BMW #25, 333 laps
3. Edwards/Krohn/Farfus (USA/FIN/BR), BMW #24, 333 laps

Result GTD class

1. Robichon/Vanthoor/Kern (CDN/B/D), Porsche 911 GT3 R #9, 320 laps
2. Long/Hindman/Heylen (USA/USA/B), Porsche 911 GT3 R #16, 320 laps
3. James/De Angelis/Gunn (USA/CDN/GB), Aston Martin #23, 320 laps
4. Nielsen/Legge/Beatriz (DK/GB/BR), Porsche 911 GT3 R #88, 320 laps
5. Ferriol/Bamber/Estep (USA/NZ/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 R #99, 280 laps

Hill takes remarkable Sandown season opener

Stephen Grove takes competitive Pro-Am fight in Melbourne

Fifty-three weeks after claiming the final victory on offer in a shortened 2020 season, Cameron Hill has swept to a remarkable victory in the opening round of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship at Melbourne’s Sandown Raceway.

Meanwhile, Stephen Grove commenced his hunt for a record fourth Morris Finance Pro-Am class title in style by winning the weekend.

Hill was superb in a day of mixed conditions at Sandown, the Canberran emerging from a race-long battle with fellow Michelin Junior Cooper Murray to win the Enduro Cup season opener held in wet conditions early on Sunday afternoon.

Later in the day he battled with seven-time Bathurst 1000 champion Craig Lowndes for victory in the final race, emerging in front after Lowndes spun off and in increasingly wet conditions.

After finishing second to Sonic’s Michael Almond in race one on Saturday, Hill’s sweep of Sundays races handed his Squadra Bespoke-backed team an early lead in the Mobil Pro and Michelin Junior standings after the first of eight scheduled rounds.

“It was an awesome win for us,” Hill said after securing his second Carrera Cup round victory – but his first in one staged over multiple races.

“To get the round win in really difficult conditions was incredible. The first race was fully wet and it was sprinkling through the second.. through all that I am just stoked to get the win.

“It’s a great result for our little team and everyone who has got behind us for the championship this year.”

Sonic star Aaron Love secured second position overall for the weekend thanks to a consistent series of races, finishing fourth in race two and third in the finale’.

Cooper Murray completed the Mobil Pro podium however was lucky to secure a podium finish after an off in the final race nearly proved costly.

After leading much of the enduro cup race before ultimately finishing second to Hill, Murray again found himself chasing the same car in the finale’ – before slipping up on a wet kerb and impacting the tyres at turn four. The McElrea driver was able to continue, though slipped to the back of the field.

A late race Safety Car helped him regain lost time, racing his way to 11th position by race’s end and doing just enough to grab the final step on the podium.

His cause was helped by Lowndes’, who was in the box seat to score his first Carrera Cup podium before a late spin in race three dropped him down the field.

Running second, Lowndes was putting the pressure on Cameron Hill for the race lead only to be caught out by the slippery exit kerb at turn one. The Paynter Dixon-backed Wall car spun across the circuit, dropping Lowndes to the back of the Mobil Pro field and just off the podium.

Through all that, David Wall found himself in second position and Aaron Love third – Lowndes dropping down the order to finish 20th.

The weekend was full of starring performances – among them Dale Wood, who charged his Timken entry from last place to fourth in the final race and Luke Youlden, who stormed from the back to fifth in the Enduro Cup race earlier in the day.

In Morris Finance Pro-Am the batting was no less serious as Stephen Grove and Adrian Flack split the Sunday victories.

The par finished 1-2 for the weekend, while Sam Shahin completed the round podium amidst a fiercely competitive field.

The Sandown victory marked Grove’s 16th round victory from 59 Carrera Cup Australia rounds.

“It’s always important to start the season strongly and we’ve done that this weekend,” Grove said.

“The conditions were really challenging today and we had some great battles with Adrian. It’s going to be a really competitive season but this was the best way to start.”

Grove led all the way in the Enduro Cup race held in the wet conditions, edging out Flack and Sam Shahin for the victory.

Tim Miles and Geoff Emery were also in the mix, before the former slipped on a kerb at turn four and spun, forcing the latter to do the same in evasive action.

To that point the top five Morris Finance Pro-Am cars had run line-astern in their remarkable battle for the lead.

Flack returned serve on Grove in the finale’, beating him to turn one before taking a narrow victory by less than half a second, with Geoff Emery third in the race.

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia field has six weeks to prepare for the second round of the championship, Round 2 to be held at The Bend Motorsport Park’s OTR SuperSprint event in South Australia on 8-9 May.

Standings – After Round 1

Mobil Pro

1. Cameron Hill 174
2. Aaron Love 132
3. Cooper Murray 120
4. David Wall 112
5. Michael Almond 105
6. Nick McBride 91
7. Dale Wood 89
8. Craig Lowndes 89
9. Christian Pancione 84
10. Harri Jones 63

Morris Finance Pro-Am

1. Stephen Grove 174
2. Adrian Flack 146
3. Sam Shahin 128
4. Marc Cini 97
5. Tim Miles 90
6. Geoff Emery 85
7. Indiran Padayachee 84
8. Ben Stack 84
9. Scott Taylor 68

Almond, Grove strike first in captivating 2021 season opener

Ultra-competitive Sandown battle has experienced hands come out on top

Michael Almond has sensationally won the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season opener at Sandown Raceway, while multiple champion Stephen Grove commenced his quest for title number four with a victory in Morris Finance Pro-Am.

Starting from second, Almond barely managed to keep his Sonic Motor Racing / Bob Jane T-Marts Porsche on the track through the opening corner – as polesitter Harri Jones ran out of grip and sent his Helimods / McElrea racing car off the road and tumbling down the order.

After locking both front Michelins, Jones’ – who had earlier recorded his first Tag Heuer Pole Position award – recovered in 21st position and set about charging through the field to recover lost championship points.

Almond then assumed the lead over Cameron Hill and Dale Wood, while Pro-Am polesitter Geoff Emery was another to strike drama as contact just before Turn 4 on the opening lap saw him spinning down the order to last place.

As the race settled down, Almond built a small margin over Hill, while Wood found himself under serious pressure from former teammate Aaron Love.

The young West Australian made a move at turn six on the sixth lap of the race, the pair of Porsches bashing wheels as they battled for position through turns seven and eight – trading paint and both ending up wide and allowing Cooper Murray to slip past both of them to grab third.

Wood then spent the remainder of the race fending off a long freight-train of cars that included former champion David Wall, Craig Lowndes, Nick McBride and Luke Youlden.

Those positions remained consistent until the final two laps when Youlden struck debris and was forced to retire his car, elevating Christian Pancione to 10th position on his Carrera Cup debut.

With Almond winning the race outright and the Mobil Pro class – his fifth Carrera Cup Australia victory – Cameron Hill won the Michelin Junior class.

“The race was great, the start was pretty hectic going into turn one, Harri was pretty unfortunate and locked brakes – so did I – but just not as bad as him,” Almond explained.

“Cam Hill was nice to me at turn two and I managed to maintain a lead and manage the gap to Cam. I was pushing to stay ahead of him.. I can’t be more thankful to the team for that, it’s the perfect way to start the year.”

Harri Jones recovered to 11th position after slipping as low as 21st position after his opening lap off, while Aaron Love set a new Sandown Carrera Cup lap record (1m10.2899s) on Lap 11 as he chased Cooper Murray in their battle for third.

With polesitter Emery down the order, the Morris Finance Pro-Am fight turned into a fight between Stephen Grove and Sam Shahin, the pair finishing line-astern split by less than one second.

Tim Miles finished third in class with Ben Stack fourth on debut, Marc Cini fifth.

“I was a fair way down the grid so I knew I needed to push on early,” Morris Finance Pro-Am winner Stephen Grove said.

“I got a couple of spots at turn one.. there was some biffing and barging going on so I picked the right line and got through.

“As soon as we got to the front I just pushed as hard as I could. I pushed to lap 10 or 11 and after that just conserved, because I want to make sure our tyres are good for tomorrow.”

Earlier in the day, Harri Jones and Geoff Emery shared the TAG Heuer Pole Position awards in a flat-out qualifying session.

Jones’ stunning 1m09.2626s best was comfortably a Sandown qualifying record for the category, and saw the young Queenslander score his first Carrera Cup pole by almost four-tenths of a second.

Michael Almond qualified his Sonic Motor Racing entry second for the fourth time in his career, while Cameron Hill rebounded from an earlier off to qualify third.

The top 13 cars were covered by less than a second

In Morris Finance Pro-Am, intense competition saw Geoff Emery edge out Stephen Grove and Tim Miles by the tiniest of margins; the top three covered by just 0.08s in a remarkably close session.

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia returns tomorrow for two further races, including the first Enduro Cup race of the season.

Both races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo Sports.

Porsche and Matt Campbell ready for IMSA 12-hour classic

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Round 2, Preview, Sebring/USA

Porsche’s customer teams head into round two of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship with high expectations. This year marks the 69th running of the tradition-steeped twelve-hour race in Florida. In 2020, Porsche racing cars won both GT classes. Now, the teams aim to repeat this achievement. In the GTLM division, WeatherTech Racing fields one ca. 515 hp Porsche 911 RSR. In the GTD category for racing vehicles complying with FIA GT3 regulations, three customer squads campaign a total of four 911 GT3 R.

The race
The Sebring International Raceway throws major challenges at man and machine. About a third of the 6.02-kilometre racetrack consists of concrete slabs, which were previously part of the runway at the former Hendricks Army Airfield. The racetrack is known for its hefty washboards – especially on these sections. Due to this special feature, the racetrack located about 100 kilometres south of Orlando is often mentioned on social media with the hashtag #RespectTheBumps.

“We used the time after the season opener at Daytona to tweak some of the processes within the team,’ explains Steffen Höllwarth, Head of GTLM Operations. “We tested at Sebring and we’ll be well-prepared for the race there.” The focus for the engineers of the customer teams will be on setting up the kinematics of the 911 RSR and the four 911 GT3 R. “The track has character – there is no such thing as smooth and gentle at Sebring,” says Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “For twelve long hours, the bumpy track surface gives drivers and the entire technology a good shakeup. In the race, each of the 911 GT3 R will cover a distance of around 1,900 kilometres, averaging a good 178 km/h. That’s not easy for the driver or car. But when Wright Motorsports won in 2020, we saw that our vehicle is perfectly prepared for such tasks.”

Porsche is by far the most successful manufacturer at this event on the storied circuit, which has regularly hosted the endurance race since 1950. To date, the Stuttgart marque has netted 18 outright wins and 74 class victories at Sebring. In the last three years, the Porsche 911 RSR has won the GTLM class at the twelve-hour race in Florida – an extremely popular event among fans. In 2020, the Wright Motorsports customer team won the hotly contested GTD category. In addition to the 24-hour highlight at Daytona and the races at Road Atlanta and Watkins Glen, round two of the season counts towards the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.

The Porsche drivers and customer teams
The works drivers Mathieu Jaminet from France and Matt Campbell from Australia team up with American amateur driver Cooper MacNeil in the cockpit of the No. 79 Porsche 911 RSR fielded by the WeatherTech Racing customer squad. The outfit is supported by Proton Competition from Germany. This is its second GTLM-class appearance in Sebring and the vehicle is the winning car from the 2020 season finale held at the same venue.

In the GTD class, the Wright Motorsports customer team lines up on the grid with a Porsche 911 GT3 R as last year’s winners. In the No. 16 car, the American factory pilot Patrick Long (USA) joins forces with his compatriot Trent Hindman and Belgium’s Jan Heylen. The Canadian team Pfaff Motorsports runs the number 9 car with works driver Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium, Canadian Zacharie Robichon and Porsche development driver Lars Kern from Germany. Earl Bamber (New Zealand), Americans Rob Ferriol and Trenton Estep as well as Christina Nielsen (Denmark), Katherine Legge (Great Britain) and Ana Beatriz from Brazil share driving duties in the identical 500+hp 911 GT3 R fielded by EBM Hardpoint.

Live streaming of the race
The twelve-hour race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Sebring gets underway on Saturday, 20 March, at 10:10 am local time (3:10 pm CET). The entire race can be viewed live outside the USA and Canada on www.imsa.com. Live timing is available at scoring.imsa.com.

The schedule (local time, CET -6 hours)
Friday, 19 March
11:15 – 11:55 am: Qualifying GT

Saturday, 20 March
8:00 – 8:20 am: Warmup
10:10am – 10:10 pm: Race

Drivers’ comments before the race
Matt Campbell (Porsche 911 RSR #79): “I love the Sebring circuit. I’ve raced there with the WEC and I’ve tested there often. Despite the rough bumps, the track is great fun – especially at the wheel of the Porsche 911 RSR. I’m really looking forward to my first race with WeatherTech Racing. Mathieu and I share the car with Cooper MacNeil at Sebring. For the following shorter races we take turns. I can gain a lot of extra experience and hopefully achieve decent results.”

Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 911 GT3 R #9): “It’s great that the long break after the opening round will be over soon. We put in a strong drive at Daytona, but an incident hampered us from yielding the deserved result. All in all, we gave a strong performance at our first joint outing as a team. We now want to build on that and fight for class victory at Sebring. I think that’s a realistic goal.”

Patrick Long (Porsche 911 GT3 R #16): “Sebring is a racetrack with soul. It’s one of the greatest challenges in motor racing and it really puts man and machine to the test. It’s an event that I always very much look forward to. The fact that we won the GTD class there last year is great, however our focus is on this season. In terms of the championship, it’s important to earn maximum points at every round. That’s our goal for the upcoming race.”

Earl Bamber (Porsche 911 GT3 R #88): “At the Daytona season opener, we had a really fast car, but we couldn’t harvest the just rewards. That should change at Sebring. As a team, we’ve gained a lot of insights and thanks to meticulous analyses, we’ve drawn the appropriate conclusions for the upcoming events. Trenton Estep rounds off our driver lineup at Sebring. He’s a former champion of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge. So, my two teammates come from top-class Porsche Cups. I’m particularly thrilled because it underlines the opportunities for advancement and it’s a great indication for the drivers who are starting the debut season of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America at Sebring.”

Christina Nielsen (Porsche 911 GT3 R #89): “Our car ran really well at round one in Daytona, so I have high expectations for the upcoming race. Within the team, we reshuffled the cockpit crew. That’ll be interesting. Sebring suits me really well. I’ve scored some big successes there in recent years. The bumps are typical for the track. They get worse from year to year, which makes the race extremely exhausting.”

Dutton EMA Motorsport joins Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia

Ben Stack to lead Morris Finance Pro-Am assault for Dutton EMA Motorsport debut

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia series will welcome a new team for the opening round of the 2021 season at Sandown International Raceway on the 20th and 21st March. Dutton EMA Motorsport will compete in the Morris Finance Pro-Am ranks with Ben Stack behind the wheel of the 911 GT3 Cup Gen II vehicle supported by Dutton Garage and EMA Group.

A collaboration between Dutton Garage and EMA Motorsport will see the team based at the prestigious Dutton Garage in Richmond, Melbourne. It will be led by Mathew Nilsson, who brings 20 years of motorsport experience as an Engineer and Manager to the team.

EMA Motorsport is not new to racing competition, having previously campaigned with McLaren vehicles in the Australian GT Championship and GT racing around the globe as 59 Racing / EMA Group. Their most recent success was 2nd place outright / PRO class and 1st place in the Pro-Am class at the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2020.

A recent decision to align with the Porsche brand has culminated in plans for a multi-category program, commencing with Carrera Cup Australia and soon to be announced GT3 as the team take delivery of a 911 GT3 R Gen II vehicle.

“Dutton EMA Motorsport is excited to join the Carrera Cup series,” said Mathew Nilsson. “We have been welcomed with open arms to the Porsche family, and are impressed with the level of professionalism and support provided to the teams. We look forward to developing strong working relationships with the brand through our entry to local and international motor racing competition.”

Ben Stack is no stranger to the premier one-make series, having competed on several occasions in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. “I am grateful for the opportunity provided to me by Dutton EMA Motorsport,” said Stack. “We have started our campaign with two solid test days, I am learning more every time I drive the car and look forward to our first race event.”

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia series will commence at Sandown on Saturday 20th March with two practice sessions, one qualifying and three races across the weekend.

For more Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia news and content follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

About Dutton Garage

Dutton Garage is one of the world’s premium retailers of classic, collectable, exotic and rare cars with our iconic showroom based in Melbourne, Australia. With a global buying power and an extensive international network, we are able to source, purchase and sell vehicles for customers worldwide. Our expert staff provide a fully tailored services for customers looking to purchase their next collectable, classic or exotic car. https://duttongarage.com/

Team Manager:

Mathew Nilsson

Dutton EMA Motorsport

Phone: +61 411 067 245

E-mail: mathew@EMAmotorsport.com.au

Hill welcomes new Carrera Cup sponsors with striking livery

Cameron Hill has revealed his 2021 livery

Cameron Hill has announced his sponsor group for the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season by revealing another striking livery design for his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

Joining the team as naming rights sponsor is Squadra Bespoke, a Sydney-based outfit that provides a range of vinyl wrapping, paint protection, vehicle signage and performance enhancement services.

Squadra Bespoke undertakes all vehicle wraps in-house, with its team of expert technicians executing each project from concept to completion. Additionally, Squadra Bespoke supplies a range of automotive performance enhancements including exhaust systems, supercharger kits, intake systems and brake kits.

Hill’s Canberra-based team has also attracted support from local businesses Supaglass Industries and MFW Trade Warehouse.

Existing commercial partners Seears Workwear, Higgins Property Group, Haynes Cranes, Niulife, G & K and Baxx have continued their relationship with the team for the 2021 season.

Hill said he is delighted to have attracted additional backing for his fourth season in Carrera Cup.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on providing value to our commercial partners, so it’s satisfying to have secured some new sponsors for this season,” Hill said.

“We’re especially excited to have Squadra Bespoke on board as our naming rights sponsor – they provide a range of automotive services and their customer base fits perfectly into the demographic of motorsport fans. There will be some cool promotional activities we’ll be able to do together throughout the season.”

For the 2021 season, Hill’s Porsche will feature a livery mixing the comic designs of the past few seasons with a new colour scheme courtesy of Bullrush Rally. The design is consistent with other cars in Bullrush Rally’s Motorsport Program, which Hill is the lead instructor of. Bullrush Motorsport links professional drivers around Australia with their 3500+ strong community of driving enthusiasts; helping to improve their track driving in either Bullrush Motosport vehicles or their own.

“Over the last couple of seasons, our car has really stood out on and off the track – when we revealed our original Bullrush Rally livery at the beginning of 2019, it certainly turned heads,” Hill said.

“We had a lot of fun with those livery designs and once again, we’ve been able to come up with a scheme that is eye-catching, while also providing prominent branding for our major commercial partners.”

The Carrera Cup season commences at Sandown Raceway this weekend, with Hill aiming to continue his winning form from 2020.

“It’s hard to believe it has been over a year since the last Carrera Cup race in Australia and I can’t wait to get back into it,” Hill said.

“As always, the quality of competition in Carrera Cup will be extremely high this season and we’re going to need to bring our A-game if we want to win races and contend for the title.

“This weekend at Sandown, the challenge will be the condensed schedule – it’s only a two-day race meeting so our sessions are tightly packed together, especially on Saturday. There won’t be a lot of time to analyze data or make setup adjustments, so we’ll need to make sure we have a car that is in the ballpark as soon as we roll out for the opening session.”

Strong 24 car grid for Carrera Cup Australia season opener

Carrera Cup Australia to host the strongest field in 17-year history

Competitive drivers in equal machinery doing battle always results in some intense and unpredictable motorsport that takes place at a high level of competition and performance. And then there’s the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia, which could elevate the cause even further.

When the field rolls out at Sandown International Raceway in South East Melbourne for the first round of the new season, it will have been 53 weeks, almost to the day, that Australia’s pinnacle of one-make racing series last went into battle at the ill-fated Australian Grand Prix.

Since that time, teams have plotted, planned and prepared for a racing return and have subsequently delivered what is – and you’ll struggle to argue against this point – perhaps the strongest field in the 17-year history of Carrera Cup Australia.

At least on paper, no season between Australian motorsport legend Jim Richards claiming the inaugural crown in 2003 to Jordan Love dramatically outplaying his then-teammate Dale Wood on the Gold Coast in 2019, has delivered this kind of potential.

It’s not just the twelve months away from the track: The strongest ever Mobil Pro class is matched with a feisty, deep Morris Finance Pro-Am battle and a bumper grid of 24 cars – that could grow as the year goes on – that leaves us with an enormous amount of anticipation for the year ahead.

It’s set to be a suitable farewell from the premier class to the Gen-II 991 GT3 Cup Car, which has served the championship so well for the last four years.

Mobil Pro – the incredible outright battle

This year 14 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars make-up the Mobil Pro Class of the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia series, which is larger than entire field of some other categories.

It’s not just the number that makes the class so good, either – it’s the broad spectrum of drivers hailing from diverse backgrounds and with broad levels of experience and prior success that make it so tantalizing.

Sure, there’s 16 round victories, 51 race wins and 25 Carrera Cup pole positions between the lot – but there’s also eight Bathurst 1000s, more than 120 Supercars victories, 12-hour victories and that’s before you get to the Michelin Junior fleet.

We’ll start with the rookies: 2021 Toyota Racing Series champion Matthew Payne fronts as the recipient of the Porsche New Zealand scholarship, and will race for Team Porsche New Zealand under the guidance of the Earl Bamber Motorsport team this year.

In the rookie class, he’s joined by Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge graduate Christian Pancione, who will dovetail a title tilt in the second-tier series with a five-round Carrera Cup Australia campaign this year.

He’ll be joined by another PMSC graduate in former champion Simon Fallon; who makes a racing return after two years on the sidelines following his 2018 championship triumph in that series. The man he beat that year was Cooper Murray.

Fallon is back in one of the Bob Jane T-Marts entries run by the championship-winning Sonic Motor Racing team.

Queensland teen Jackson Walls joins the fray this year, switching from open-wheel racing to tin-tops and returning the Objective Racing brand to the series – his dad, Tony, was a Morris Finance Pro-Am class contender for several seasons.

The next group of drivers will consider themselves title contenders: Harri Jones (McElrea) and Aaron Love (Sonic) both stepped up from Sprint Challenge in 2020 but instantly proved themselves competitive. Cooper Murray is well proven as a winner across 2019 and the shortened 2020 campaign and though it’s hard to pick a title favourite, he and the McElrea team are arguably the form outfit.

Cameron Hill, meanwhile, has elevated his Canberra-based privateer squad into regular contenders across the last two seasons and won the most recent Carrera Cup points race contested, last year in Melbourne.

Both with 50 rounds of experience in their backgrounds, Nick McBride (Porsche Centre Melbourne) and Michael Almond (Sonic Motor Racing) are always at or very near the pointy-end of the field, while a change of scenery for Dale Wood – who shifts from Sonic to Ashley Seward Motorsport this year – might see fortunes changing for the Victorian; who in two seasons has always been a title contender but has been denied on both occasions.

David Russell is a proven winner and returns to share the Lago Racing #23 entry with Roger Lago this year, while Luke Youlden is an experienced and fascinating addition to the grid on a full-time basis as part of the brand-new TekworX Motorsport squad he’s helped established with Sprint Challenge racer, Rob Woods.

David Wall is the only former champion on the grid, however the Sydneysiders ability to continue to contend year in, year out remains one of the great Carrera Cup stories.

Wall’s Paynter Dixon teammate is none other than multiple Bathurst 1000 winner, Craig Lowndes, who will drive a second Wall Racing entry in at least the first two rounds of the 2021 series. Lowndes made his Carrera Cup Australia debut at the Grand Prix last year and was keen to return for a more expansive tilt and if it goes even half as well as his remarkable track record suggests it could, do not bet on there being more rounds added to the program as the season goes on.

Within the Mobil Pro class fight, watch for the Michelin Juniors to have their own inter-series battle: Walls, Jones, Payne, Murray, Pancione, Love, Hill and Fallon will all be battling for the Junior trophy, which comes with significant support from series tyre partner and long-time supporter, Michelin.

Morris Finance Pro-Am – class war with outright designs

Two very fast newcomers with proven track records could upset the establishment as the Morris Finance Pro-Am class battle steps up another notch in 2021.

The addition of Geoff Emery and Ben Stack to the grid add even more depth to an already competitive fight brewing between a group of ultra-competitive drivers who as well as fighting for their own trophies, love nothing more than mixing it up with the Mobil Pro competitors and, on more than one occasion, beating them as well.

Emery is perhaps the most qualified Pro-Am ‘Rookie’ in series history; a five-time Commodore Cup champion, he’s also been at the front in Michelin Sprint Challenge races, has won Australian GT Championships and, simply, been fast in everything he’s raced.

Emery will line up in a Force Accessories-backed car run by Ashley Seward’s Melbourne team.

Ben Stack, another second-generation driver, originally from Adelaide, is another to have proved his performance potential in other categories in the past. He’ll line up aboard a GT3 Cup Car entered by Duttons EMA Motorsport this year.

Beyond the rookies, the remaining contenders are all battle-hardened in the art of winning Morris Finance Pro-Am races. Three-time class champion Stephen Grove will be out to make it a record-breaking fourth this year, as he splits Carrera Cup duties with GT World Challenge Astralia hopes aboard the brand-new Grove Racing 911 GT3R. The Grove Group driver won’t be short on seat time in 2021.

Tim Miles returns for another tilt with McElrea Racing with three round and eight race victories to his credit, while Adrian Flack and Sam Shahin are both multiple race and round winners; between them they split the last two rounds of the 2019 season, while Shahin recently grabbed a podium in the opening round of Michelin Sprint Challenge as he embarks on duel campaigns this year.

Porsche Carrera Cup Australia’s most experienced driver, Marc Cini, returns aboard the Hallmarc / Porsche Centre Melbourne #9 car, the Victorian now well into his second century of round starts. Scott Taylor (STM) and Rentcorp Racing’s Indiran Padayachee will also continue to show their improvement as they each return for another year.

Broadcast schedule  – Where to watch

Every race of the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo sports this year, with selected races on the free-to- air Seven Network.

For more Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia news and content follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

ENTRY LIST: Round 1, Sandown 

BROADCAST SCHEDULE: Round 1, Sandown 

Saturday 20th March 2021

Practice 1 08:50-9:10 20mins

Practice 2 10:30-10:50 20mins

Qualifying 12:40-13:00 20mins

Race 1 15:35-16:00 18 laps

Sunday 21st March 2021

Race 2 12:10-12:55 30 laps

Race 3 15:20-15:45 18 laps

2021 CALENDAR: Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia

Round Event                    State    Date

1             Sandown            VIC         19-21 March

2             The Bend            SA          8-9 May

3             Townsville          QLD       9-11 July

4             Sydney Night    NSW     20-22 Aug

5             Perth Night        WA        11-12 Sept

6             Bathurst              NSW     7-10 Oct

7             Melbourne          VIC        TBC

8             Gold Coast         QLD       3-5 Dec

Simon Fallon joins Sonic driver line-up for 2021 Carrera Cup season

Fallon partners with Almond and Love for three-car Sonic Carrera Cup effort

Sonic Motor Racing Services has confirmed a three-driver line-up for the opening round of Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, with a new face locked into one of its Bob Jane T-Marts entries.

Former Porsche Sprint Challenge champion Simon Fallon will join Michael Almond in the Team Sonic-prepared Bob Jane T-Marts Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, aiming to repeat the past success of the famous yellow and blue entries.

Fallon, 21, is a rising star in the motorsport world, but after winning the 2018 Porsche Sprint Challenge with Sonic, was forced onto the sidelines when a budget shortfall kept him out of the driver’s seat.

Also joining Fallon and Almond will be Aaron Love, who is back for his third year with the squad, aiming to replicate the success of his older brother Jordan who won the Carrera Cup title with Sonic in 2019 before embarking on a drive in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

The three drivers have enjoyed a successful lead up to the opening round at Sandown this weekend, completing two test days at Winton and Phillip Island, ensuring they are ready to hit the ground in the best shape possible.

This year also marks the 17th straight season of partnership between Bob Jane T-Marts and Sonic Motor Racing Services.

The relationship has seen many young stars of the sport get their big opportunities in motorsport, helping to launch the careers of the likes of David Reynolds, Andre Heimgartner, Nick Foster, Garry Jacobson and more.

The opening round of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia will be held at Sandown Raceway on March 20-21.

QUOTES

Simon Fallon

Sonic Carrera Cup driver

“It’s very exciting, especially to join such a formidable team with Bob Jane T-Marts support,” said Fallon.

“Bob Jane T-Marts has a massive history in Carrera Cup racing, and motorsport in general, so can’t wait to get in the car and be in one of those cars.

“It almost adds that bit more pressure, but it will be doing everything I can to make it work and hopefully we can get some good results.

“Motorsport is expensive, but I used the time away to get my builders’ license sorted and work on other aspects of my career,” he said.

“Of course, I missed the racing, and I feel I’m up for the challenge against the best Porsche drivers in Australia.”

Michael Almond

Sonic Carrera Cup driver

“It’s exciting to be a part of the Bob Jane T-Marts team, and I’m excited to have another crack at Carrera Cup before the new model Porsche comes in next year,” said Almond.

“I’m more eager than ever to come back to the driver’s seat. I don’t think I’ve been out of the seat this long before, so I’m really looking forward to having a proper assault at the championship.

“We’ve done a few test days this year, and I’m feeling fit and fast, and I feel I’m doing it more naturally than I ever have.”

“Having Simon in the team is a bonus. He is a proven race winner in Porsches. The only problem is that of the three team-mates I’ve had, they always seem to be younger than me!” he joked.

“As a whole, the Sonic team is a great place to be. We all get along well and it’s a very cohesive environment which is only going to push us forward which is really exciting.”

Aaron Love

Sonic Carrera Cup driver

“We had quite a successful couple of days testing and we made some ground, getting back and ready for the year,” said Love.

“It was a good way to get my head back into the right mentality to get ready for the season.

“We had good pace in the rounds that we did complete last year, so we will take in some confidence from that, but the expectation needs to be considered. I need to keep in mind that I’m still fresh at Carrera Cup and I’m still learning.

“For sure, I would like to be within the top six by the end of the year, but there are a few extra new faces in the field who have a lot of experience. It’s a bit of an unknown at the moment, so I’ll take it as it comes, but we want to be close to the pace and build as the year goes on.”

Michael Ritter

Sonic team owner

“Having Simon come back into our team is a positive, and we’re looking forward to seeing how he progresses during the year,” said Ritter.

“He has been out of the seat for almost two years, so we are expecting him to ease into it, but we’ve helped to give him this opportunity because we know what he can do and we know what his capabilities are.

“Michael Almond is now a very senior member of our driving team and again, we will be looking to him to lead our young drivers with his experience and speed.

“Aaron Love was one of the stand-outs in the short amount of running we did in 2020. Like his older brother, he has a tremendous future in the sport, and our job will be to harness that speed and help him turn it into results.”

SP Tools to support Matthew Payne and partner with Porsche as Official Tool Partner for 2021

SP Tools Mechanic of the Year Award to provide recognition to unsung heroes of Carrera Cup Australia

Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) is pleased announce that it will partner with SP Tools as the ‘Official Tool Partner’ for the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series.

In addition, SP Tools will also be the naming rights partner for the ‘Mechanic of the Year Award’, which provides recognition and support of the mechanics among the local Porsche Motorsport teams competing in the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia series.

PCA’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “Carrera Cup Australia mechanics are the unsung heroes of our series and often don’t get the recognition they deserve, working tirelessly throughout the season, ensuring that all the cars stay on track and perform at their optimum. While their work is vital in the success of every driver’s performance, their efforts are often unnoticed behind the scenes. So we are delighted to announce our partnership with SP Tools for the Mechanic of the Year Award, as it will provide recognition to the great work these mechanics do to ensure both the drivers, and the series, remain a success.”

The SP Tools Mechanic of the Year will be awarded to the number 1 mechanic of the outright championship winning car for the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia at the series’ Annual Awards Night on the Gold Coast at the conclusion of the 2021 season.

In addition to the partnership with Porsche Cars Australia, SP Tools will also continue to support the best emerging talent from across the Australasian region having recently extended their partnership with Karting Australia earlier this year. The SP Tools brand will as a result adorn the bonnet and side flanks of the Team Porsche New Zealand entry of Matthew Payne in Carrera Cup Australia this year.

Payne is one of a host of talented Michelin Junior drivers contesting the Mobil Pro championship after recently clinching the 2021 Toyota Racing Series. The talented, young New Zealander will spearhead the Earl Bamber Motorsport team’s efforts when the 2021 season opener gets underway on the 19-21 March at Sandown International Raceway.

Quotes:

CEO Austech Industries Pty Ltd, Kevin Davis: “After 3 decades in the Supercars pit lane SP Tools are looking forward to working with Porsche Cars Australia and Earl Bamber Motorsport to both recognise the series best mechanic for 2021 and support a young talent like Matthew Payne. We think Matthews car looks amazing and we can’t wait to see it on track.”

Team Porsche New Zealand Team Manager, Earl Bamber: “It’s a real honour for Matthew to partner with such a prestigious brand for Team Porsche New Zealand’s first season in Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia. After our unforeseen break in 2020, the PCA team has done an amazing job with the 2021 calendar and we are looking forward to getting back to the track.”

About SP Tools:

SP Tools and SP Air is represented by over 40 International agents in 30 countries including a number of company owned and operated offices. The range covers Air Tools, Power Tools, Hand Tools, Auto Specialty Tools, Garage Equipment, Air Compressors and other associated products. For almost 40 years SP has been at the forefront of design and manufacturing. As a proudly Australian owned company we have maintained our position statement of “Manufactured for the Professional”. Research, development and innovation continues to drive us to produce a better product whilst listening to and satisfying the demands of professional tradesman in the global market. SP Tools…Manufactured for the Professional.

Strong interest in new 992 sees PCA import a record number of 911 GT3 Cup cars to Australia

Thirty 992 generation 911 GT3 Cup cars earmarked for Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia in 2022

Following the international launch of the new 992 generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in late December 2020, interest in the latest generation of the world’s top-selling racing car has been very strong in Australia – ahead of its domestic arrival in the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup series in 2022.

As a result, Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) have announced that an initial batch of thirty (30) 992 generation 911 GT3 Cup cars will brought into the country for Porsche drivers and teams. The record number of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup units is the largest of any generation in the premier one-make series’ 17-year history.

In 2021, the 992 generation racer will be campaigned in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and several other Carrera Cup Championships around the globe, including North America for the first time.  The spectacularly styled Cup car is the first racing version based on the current 992 generation and the first makes-cup racer of the sports car manufacturer to feature a wide turbo-spec body.

Producing around 375 kW (510 hp), it exceeds the output of its immediate predecessor by 25 horsepower. Moreover, the new GT3 Cup can run on synthetic fuels, which significantly lowers CO2 emissions under racing conditions. The lap times of the completely new Cup 911 should be slashed by a good one per cent, depending on the track layout.

PCA Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “Since the car was revealed in Germany in December the interest shown in the new 992 GT3 Cup car locally has been very strong. With a huge field set to line-up in Carrera Cup Australia this year, this has provided us the opportunity to import a record number of cars into Australia, with priority given to our current drivers and teams. We also welcome expressions of interest from motorsport customers across Australia and New Zealand.”

992 Customers can register their expressions of interest via the following email: motorsport@porsche.com.au

For more Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia news and content follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

Coffex Coffee Roasters renews partnership with Porsche Cars Australia for 2021 season

Coffex to keep the Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Sprint Challenge teams energized for 2021

An integral part of the service Porsche provides to its teams and drivers at each event would only be possible with the support of partners Coffex Coffee Roasters, who have renewed their support of Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series for the 2021 season.

Coffex has been closely aligned with the Carrera Cup Australia series since the start of the 2015 season when it began as the Official Coffee Supplier of Australia’s premier one-make series, providing coffee, tea and associated products to all involved in each series.

The Coffex Coffee bar is traditionally the most popular feature within the Carrera Cup Australia hospitality lounge at each event and provides a place for teams, partners and drivers to relax and enjoy premium, locally roasted – and, above all, the freshest – coffee from professional baristas.

For 2021, the proudly Melbourne brand will again receive integrated Coffex branding in the Porsche hospitality area, on every vehicle, and communications across Porsche’s websites and social media channels. Coffex also continues as the naming rights partner to an exclusive behind-the-scenes video series, dubbed the Coffex Backstage Pass.

The series will be shot by Porsche at each Carrera Cup event and give fans an insight into the Porsche life at every circuit, by showcasing profiles on leading teams, drivers and personnel as well as highlighting aspects of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Championship that set it apart from other categories in Australia.

Quotes:

Porsche Cars Australia Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “We are thrilled to continue our strong partnership with Coffex Coffee Roasters into the 2021 season. The benefits Coffex provide at each event play a crucial role in the overall racing experience for our drivers, teams, sponsors and this is evident from the tremendous feedback we receive. The 2021 partnership is vital in allowing us to continue to enhance and innovate the on- and off-track experiences for our motorsport customers.”

Coffex Coffee Roasters, Managing Director, Fong Loong: “We are once again, very proud to be the Official Coffee Supplier of Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series. With the Coffex Backstage Pass, we would like to give audiences a glimpse into the role that Coffex Coffee Roasters plays behind the scenes at every race. The event is truly a highlight in the Australian events calendar for us and we look forward to supporting Porsche Cars Australia for many more years.”

Round 1 of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season takes place from the 19-21 March in Sandown International Raceway, while Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge gets underway at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from the 12-14 March.

For more race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU  / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

About Coffex Coffee Roasters:

Born in 1959, Coffex Coffee Roasters has a rich and diverse heritage in Melbourne. Our founding goal was to deliver premium, locally roasted and, above all, the freshest coffee to baristas and coffee lovers – and we have been doing so, ever since. Locally roasted in Brunswick, Victoria; Coffex Coffee Roasters is now one of the largest coffee roasters in the southern hemisphere. As part of its partnership with Porsche, Coffex’s perennial crowd favorite and multiple award winner – Superbar blend is served in the Porsche Lounge at every Carrera Cup Australia event.

Coffex Coffee Roasters – https://www.coffex.com.au/
For more coffee information and videos, follow the Coffex Coffee Roasters social pages: Instagram – @CoffexCoffeeRoasters  / Twitter – @CoffexCoffee / Facebook.com/CoffexCoffee

Coffex Backstage Pass

VIDEO: Episode 1 – Richard Crail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UysKeK7Ykk

VIDEO: Episode 2 – Michael Ritter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fx-UwwgJcE

Mobil renews Naming Rights partnership of Porsche’s Mobil Pro Category

Mobil to continue as the Official Fuel Partner for both Porsche one-make series

Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) is pleased to announce that Mobil will continue as the Official Fuel Partner for both Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series this season.

As the “Official Partner” of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series, Mobil also continue as naming rights to its premier class within both series and will be referred to the ‘Mobil Pro Class’ in all official communications, including Porsche press releases, websites and social media accounts.

The partnership with Mobil provides a range of benefits to both parties ensuring that all cars competing in both series will run on Mobil’s Synergy Supreme+ 98 octane fuel product moving forward.

This enhances Porsche’s long term partnership with Mobil 1 ensuring that both Mobil Synergy fuels and Mobil 1 lubricants will be delivered in all Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars in each series.

In addition to the naming rights, Mobil receives extensive branding on all Pro Class cars on the front windscreen together with the side mirrors, rear windscreen, side panels, inside drivers panels and in-car cameras. The Mobil logo will also be present on the podium backdrop and team garages for each Pro Car competing in the Carrera Cup championship this year.

Further to these benefits, a range of money can’t buy experiences will be delivered throughout the year that will provide the chance for race fans and Mobil customers to enjoy the Porsche road cars at a range of exclusive events.

Porsche Cars Australia Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “We are pleased to renew our partnership with a quality fuel supplier for both series and continue to have Mobil as the Naming Rights partner to our Pro class this season. Our premier one-make series provides Mobil a prime platform to showcase their product to our drivers, teams and customers, as well as amplify their product attributes to Porsche customers both on and off the racetrack. The partnership further enhances our existing long term partnership with Mobil1, our Official Lubricant Partner to both series.”

Mobil Australia Retail Sales Manager, Charles Ewart: “Mobil is committed to supporting Australian drivers and the Porsche race series and is very proud to announce our partnership with premium car manufacture Porsche. This partnership provides us with the opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of our world renowned engine protecting Mobil Synergy Fuel Technology to Australians”.

Round 1 of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season takes place from the 19-21 March in Sandown International Raceway, while Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge gets underway at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from the 12-14 March.

For more race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU  / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

About Mobil Synergy Fuels:

At Mobil, it’s all about the details and bringing quality fuels to every driver, all across Australia. That’s why we’re committed to getting performance enhancing additives that protect your engine from the very first fill, clean your engine and improve engine performance into every Mobil branded service station across Australia. You can trust that Mobil has your fuelling needs sorted with Mobil Synergy Fuel Technology. This is one more way our fuels work harder for you every day, and one more reason to refuel at Mobil. Because every drive matters.

Morris Finance partners with Porsche Motorsport series in Australia

Morris Finance secures Naming Rights to Pro-Am Championships for Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia

National Commercial Finance and Leasing leaders Morris Finance have secured the naming rights to the hotly contested Pro-Am Championships across both Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series for the 2021 season.

As part of the agreement, Morris Finance will gain significant visibility with both Australia’s premier one-make series, with extensive branding across Pro-Am Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars competing in both series. They will also feature across both podium and media backdrops at every event, as well as Pro-Am team garages and various event related branding around the Carrera Cup Australia drivers lounge and pit garages.

Morris Finance will also offer a range of finance solutions to Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series customers delivering financial solutions for a range of their needs, including race cars, transporters, equipment and more.

The deal follows Morris Finance’s continued commitment to its long-term relationship with Walkinshaw Andretti United in Supercars, Motorsport Australia, The Bend Motorsport Park, and their community program which involves drivers Nick Percat and Jaxon Evans.

Porsche Cars Australia will also provide several bespoke experiences for Morris Finance VIP customers at premier Carrera Cup Australia events throughout the year.

To support these VIP Customer experiences, Morris Finance will run a promotion that provides the opportunity for customers to win an ultimate giveaway to the final Carrera Cup Australia round on the Gold Coast.

This increased partnership builds upon the support Morris Finance has given to both categories to date – having previously supported the Sports Person of the Year Award – as well as their long term support of 2018 Carrera Cup Champion, Jaxon Evans, who continues to forge his international motorsport career abroad.

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia series will get underway at Sandown International Raceway in mid-March, with the series concluding alongside Supercars on the streets of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in early December.

Quotes:

PCA’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Morris Finance, which delivers value to them across numerous key partnership pillars including branding; digital and social media; events; promotions; hospitality; experiences and business development. Morris Finance has been a strong supporter of both series, either in a category level or driver perspective, and it’s great to have them on board as our naming rights partner of the Pro-Am Championships of both categories.

Morris Finance Marketing Manager, Tiffany Hunt: “As a proud Australian business operating on a national level, we take great pride in partnering with such a strong global brand and are delighted to be partnering with Porsche Motorsport Australia as the Official Finance Partner. With this alliance, we are looking forward to creating unmatched experiences for our national broker, client, investor and referrer markets”.

About Morris Finance:

Based in Geelong, Victoria, Morris Finance is Australian owned and one of Australia’s leading finance companies, providing asset finance, investment, leasing and insurance services to ABN Holders; Registered Companies; Individuals and Sole Traders.

For more Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia news and content follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

Jaxon Evans to drive for Team Martinet by Almeras in 2021

Jaxon Evans to race for French team in his third Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season

Jaxon Evans will race for French-based, Team Martinet by Almeras in his third season of the International ‘one-make cup’, which runs as a support category across the European Formula 1 events.

With the debut of the all-new 992 generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car the 2021 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season is shaping up to be more competitive than ever before.

Coming off the back of a strong 2020 season, the 2018 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Champion is ready to use his experience to help the French-based team, launch an assault on the premier one-make cup.

On the announcement, Jaxon Evans said, “I can’t wait to get 2021 underway, the addition of a brand-new generation Cup Car (Porsche 992 GT3 Cup) essentially brings everyone back to a completely level playing field. I’m very excited to work with Team Martinet by Almeras, I’ve raced against them for the past two years in both Supercup and Carrera Cup France, so I’m now excited to join forces. Together, I’m confident we will have a successful year.”

2020 was a strong showing for the New Zealander, claiming pole position and the race win at the opening Supercup round last year. He followed this up with another two podiums and ultimately finished fourth in the Championship standings.

He then backed that up by winning the highly regarded French Carrera Cup Championship, finishing ten out of twelve races on the podium, securing his second Carrera Cup title, and first in Europe. 2020 was no doubt, his most successful international campaign to date.

Evans will announce additional plans for the 2021 racing season in the coming weeks, which is shaping up to be an exciting season after a disrupted 2020.  Adjacent to this, he will make appearances in selected VLN races in order to gain experience on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.

All eight rounds of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup Championship will again be broadcast live in Australia on FOX Sports with replays throughout the season.

To follow Jaxon on his in 2021 follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU 

2021 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup calendar*                                            

*subject to changes

Lowndes and Wall reveal striking Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia livery

Wall Racing teammates unveil Porsche 911 GT3 Cup liveries ahead of Sandown season opener

Wall Racing has revealed the racing liveries to be used by seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner, Craig Lowndes, and 2017 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Champion, David Wall, for the two opening rounds of Carrera Cup Australia this season.

The #38 and #338 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Wall Racing entries will be adorned with the team’s long-time partners Paynter Dixon for the opening rounds. The striking red, black and white colour scheme is inspired by the corporate colours of the main sponsor. Both Wall Racing entries will also feature the Sculptura and Shannons Insurance brands on its front and rear flanks, while Local Pools and Spas will feature on the #38’s rear wing.

David Wall #38:  “We are very pleased with result and worked through a few concepts, before we were happy with the design. This year we have opted for a matte red over the gloss red of previous years. This should look awesome under lights when we head to Sydney and Perth for the two night races this season.”

Craig Lowndes #338: “It’s great for me to have Shannons, Sculptura and Paynter Dixon come onboard. The expectation is to be up the front, but I obviously would have liked more experience driving the category. That’s where I’ll be leaning on Dave, as he has driven and campaigned the cars for several years in the category and knows how to set them up.”

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season kicks off at the Sandown International Raceway on the 19-21 March, as the premier support category for the Repco Supercars Championship.

VIDEO LINK: Craig Lowndes and Wall Racing – Announcement

For more Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia news and content follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

Bayley Hall joins McElrea Racing for 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season

McElrea Racing have announced that Bayley Hall will join the team for 2021

McElrea Racing has announced that Bayley Hall, will join the Championship-winning Carrera Cup team for the 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season.

As a Grade 12 student at Coomera Anglican College in Queensland, the talented GT racer sees 2021 as an opportunity to get acquainted with the first generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, before he starts his ascent up the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.

“I’m very excited for this new chapter in my racing career. It’s all a bit surreal, but it’s a dream come true to announce that I will be with the McElrea team in a Porsche next year,” Hall said.

Hall has already amassed a large amount of experience despite his young age, having competed a number of different racing series and cars. His natural speed and adaptability was apparent from early in his career, having finished second overall in both the 2019 Gold Coast round of the Australia GT Championship and the 2020 Bathurst combined sedans series. Hall also became the youngest ever podium finisher at the Bathurst 12 Hour earlier this year, finishing third in class in a Marc Cars Mustang V8.

Andy McElrea said, “We’ve been watching Bayley’s progress for a couple of years and for such a young guy, he already has vast mileage and experience in a variety of cars. A year ago we chatted about a potential future with MR and having a shot at the Porsche Pyramid, following in the footsteps of Matt and Jaxon in Europe. We did an evaluation test with him a couple of weeks ago and we were very impressed with his first run in a cup car, needless to say, he has a very exciting few years ahead of him!”

Hall partnered with McElrea Racing’s Warren Luff for the Bathurst event, “I’m excited that Luffy will be one of my mentors at McElrea as he has known me since I was a toddler playing Mario kart. We get on very well and it was a huge experience to drive with him at one of the biggest races in Australia earlier this year.”

Hall will also be part of the Porsche Michelin Junior Programme in 2021, which in the past has seen drivers like Nick Foster, Dylan O’Keeffe, Andre Heimgartner, Jaxon Evans, Jordan Love and Matt Campbell go onto to compete at the highest level of the sport both locally and internationally.

Campbell and Evans both started their Porsche careers with McElrea Racing in Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge (formerly known as GT3 Cup Challenge) before going onto win the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup titles in 2016 and 2018 respectively.

On the prospect of joining Australia’s benchmark junior development programme Hall said, “I’m looking forward to learning as much as I can in the Porsche Michelin Junior Programme and my goal is to ultimately win the Sprint Challenge series, before I make the step into the main game in Carrera Cup.”

“The opportunity to drive the GT3 Cup car in the test session for around 100 laps was incredible. Working with the likes of race engineer, Leigh Geyer and the rest of the McElrea team was also an amazing opportunity,“ Hall enthused.

“After seeing the success the team have had in the past with the likes of Matt and Jaxon, I’m really looking forward to stepping up to the Porsche one-make series next year, as the cars are identical and the national competition is at the highest level,” Hall concluded.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series gets underway at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in February.

For more race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU  / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU