Flag to flag win for Cooper Murray in season opener

Dean Cook takes first Pro-Am victory in three seasons at Adelaide 500

COOPER MURRAY has powered from pole position to win the opening race of the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia championship, while Dean Cook scored his first Pro-Am race victory in three years.

Murray, driving his Phase8 / McElrea Racing entry, led from lights to flag in an eventful race to record his fourth career race win and open his 2020 account in style, also snaring honours in the Michelin Junior class and Mobil Professional category.

Having recorded his first outright pole position earlier in the day, Murray made the perfect start and built an early buffer over closest rivals David Wall and Cameron Hill.

He then conserved his tyres for the 15-lap duration to edge Wall by just over 1.5 seconds.

Hill finished third, holding out an aggressive Aaron Love who just missed the top three in just his fourth ever Carrera Cup race.

David Russell was fifth, Michael Almond made several strong moves to charge to sixth position while Dale Wood, Max Vidau, Nick McBride and Duvashen Padayachee completed a racy top-10.

Winner Murray said his plan was to grab an early leave before managing his pace from there.

“It was great. I got the start and was able to control it from there and save the tyres,” he explained.

“I wanted to get a gap at the start while you can, while everyone’s tyres are cold. It was good to get in front, control it and save the tyres.”

The winner survived a hairy moment at turn one, having to negotiate the stranded car of Greg Ward, who at the time was stuck on the racing line at the Senna Chicane.

“That was quite scary, coming to turn one and seeing a car in the middle of the road and making the split-second decision to know whether to go left or right. I saw the gap on the left and went for it and it worked out.”

Wall ran a comfortable second for the entire race, while Hill chased the leaders while at the same time fending off Love’s charging Sonic Porsche.

Russell, meanwhile, headed a freight-train of seven cars in a tight battle for the final spots in the top-10.

After dropping to 10^th on the opening lap, Michael Almond was the biggest mover of the race as he charged to sixth in a storming drive on home turf.

Dean Cook scored his first Pro-Am class victory since Surfers Paradise 2017, in a dramatic race that saw several key contenders strike issues.

Having scored his first ever Pro-Am pole position earlier in the day, Tim Miles’ race lasted no longer than Turn 4 after contact from another car saw him turned around, making contact with the fence and ending his day.

The fast-starting Cook led the entire race under solid pressure from Max Twigg, while Marc Cini finished third on his return to the championship.

“It was an interesting few laps! I got a good launch and jumped Timmy Miles and that was it – I just pushed forward from there,” Cook explained.

“I was fortunate enough to put my head down, look forward and put some good lap times down and pull away from the other guys which is what my objective was.”

Cook’s only issue was the lack of any communication with pit lane.

“After the start there was no radio – the boys could hear me but I couldn’t hear them.. by the end I was looking for that flag at the end – I was ready for a drink!”

Earlier in qualifying, Cooper Murray scored his first outright pole position in a thrilling 20-minute session held on a cool Friday morning.

The Phase 8 / McElrea Racing driver charged to the top on his second new-tyre run, his 1m22.2033 eclipsing former champion Jaxon Evans’ Adelaide street circuit qualifying record in the process.

Murray scored a Mobil Pro class pole in Townsville last year, however was eclipsed to the outright top spot by Pro-Am runner Roger Lago.

David Wall stormed to second place late in the session while a hugely impressive Aaron Love qualified third and fellow Michelin Junior Cameron Hill fourth.

Meanwhile, Tim Miles made it a double pole effort for McElrea Racing as he stormed to his maiden Pro-Am class pole position. The Kiwi, who had twice qualified second in his Pro-Am career, edged out Dean Cook for the class pole position by 0.18 seconds, former champions Max Twigg and Stephen Grove third and fourth, respectively.

The Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia returns for the second of three races this weekend, to be contested over 10-laps at 1:30pm local time.

RESULTS

Cooper Murray announces partnership with Phase 8 at 2020 season opener

Murray to partner with Phase 8 for the 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia season

McElrea Racing driver, Cooper Murray will partner with Phase 8 for the 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia season

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia’s youngest ever race and round winner, Cooper Murray, will partner with the Sydney-based electrical engineering, research, development and training company, Phase 8 for the 2020 season.
Phase 8 first joined Carrera Cup in 2012 supporting McElrea Racing’s Alex Davison who would finish third in the championship. Further podium results in the 2013 and 2014 seasons followed when Phase 8 supported Warren Luff’s No Second Chance entry.

For the 2015/2016 season Phase 8 recognised the potential in future star, Matt Campbell, helping the Queenslander to third in 2015 Championship and latterly supporting him to seal the 2016 Championship for McElrea Racing.
Phase 8 continued to support the best emerging talent in 2017 and 2018, culminating in Jaxon Evans winning the 2018 Championship title.

Like Campbell two years earlier, Evans’ performance would see him go onto compete and win the Porsche Junior Driver scholarship in Europe and set them both up for international racing careers abroad.
In 2020 Phase8 have further increased their involvement in Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup and the McElrea Racing team by securing the naming rights sponsorship on the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of Cooper Murray in his quest to take the 2020 title.

Now in his second season, Murray will be a strong contender for victory this year and look to build upon the pace and strong performances he displayed in the second half of the 2019 season.

Quotes:
John Graham – Phase 8 CEO
“Each car in the Carrera Cup is identical in every way. This celebration of skill and performance combined with the love of engineering is why Phase 8 are so passionate about supporting this fantastic sport. We look forward to watching Cooper follow in the footsteps on of previous Phase 8 drivers Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans.

Cooper Murray – Driver, Phase 8 McElrea Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car
“It’s a privilege to have Phase 8 on board as my naming rights sponsor for 2020, they have sponsored previous McElrea champions, so for them to put their trust in me for my 2020 campaign is awesome!”

Captivating Carrera Cup colours continue for Hill in 2020

Cameron Hill presents eye-catching livery ahead of the 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia season opener

Cameron Hill presents another eye-catching livery ahead of the 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia season opener at the Superloop Adelaide 500 this weekend

Last year, Hill’s captivating colour schemes were the subject of widespread attention from motorsport fans at every Carrera Cup round, earning his CHE Racing Team the coveted Meguiar’s Best-Presented award at season’s end.

Hill said this year’s livery has been designed as a continuation of the fun and unique theme, while also showcasing the team’s new commercial partners.

“Last year’s liveries were always going to be a tough act to follow, but full credit to the crew at Bullrush Rally and Auto Artisan Group – they’ve done another superb job,” Hill said.

“We’ve evolved the comic livery concept used at the start of last season, with spaces to highlight one of our new commercial partners Nautica Global Forwarding, who we met on the 2019 Bullrush Rally.”

Another exciting addition for 2020 is Hill’s helmet, which has been painted in a similar design by Frank at RStar Design.

“I won’t lie… having a helmet that matches the car is pretty cool!” Hill said.

Hill will continue his relationship with Bullrush Rally throughout the year, as a motorsport instructor at the automotive lifestyle brand’s track day events, as well as an entrant in the 5 day Bullrush Rally charity drive from Melbourne to Adelaide.

Hill’s resplendent livery will make its first on-track appearance in Carrera Cup practice at the Superloop Adelaide 500 on Thursday.

Round 1 of Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup gets underway with practice 1 at 10:55am (local time) tomorrow

Murray, Grove lead the way in Thursday practice

Hot pace sets the scene for thrilling competition on the streets of Adelaide

Familiar names have topped the charts during a competitive day of practice as the 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Championship burst into life on the streets of Adelaide today.

Porsche Michelin Junior Cooper Murray topped the combined practice order at the Superloop Adelaide 500 for McElrea Racing, while three-time class champion Stephen Grove was on point in Pro-Am.

Murray, who also topped both the Michelin Juniors and the Mobil Pro class, was third-fastest in the opening 20-minute hit-out of the 2020 championship on Thursday morning but improved later in the afternoon to bank a 1m21.4641s best to claim the fastest time of the day.

His flyer, set late in the second session, was only 0.2 seconds slower than the Adelaide qualifying record and sets the scene for a highly competitive weekend ahead.

The 18-year-old junior star was a standout performer at the end of the 2019 season, scoring back-to-back podiums in the final two rounds of the year before picking up where he left off today.

“It was a good way to start the weekend and a real positive going in to qualifying tomorrow,” Murray said.

“The pace was good all day and we’ve just got to convert it tomorrow and do the same thing.

“Tomorrow morning there’s a real chance to beat the record, the track should be good.”

Defending Adelaide 500 round winner, Nick McBride, was second overall to continue his strong run of form on the streets of Adelaide – having won all three races and the event twelve months ago.

The only driver to win multiple rounds on the Adelaide streets since 2008, McBride finished the day less than 0.4 seconds behind Murray.

Third overall was former champion David Wall, who finished the pair of 20-minute sessions 0.50s behind Murray’s best. Wall, who won the final round of the 2019 championship, scored pole in Adelaide last year.

Reigning Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge champion Harri Jones – making his Adelaide 500 debut this weekend – was an impressive fourth on debut in the second McElrea Racing entry in the top four.

Having won the feeder category to Carrera Cup last year, Jones had a taste-test of the big time on the streets of the Gold Coast last October – but impressed in his first proper outing as a full-timer in the top series today.

He just edged out Cameron Hill, who was fifth overall, and Dale Wood in sixth in the final order.

The unofficial ‘Team South Australia’ crew of Sonic Motor Racing duo of Michael Almond and Max Vidau were seventh and eighth, respectively – both racing in front of their home fans this weekend in the pair of bright yellow Bob Jane T-Marts supported entries.

The returning David Russell was ninth in the Dayco-supported entry he’ll share with Roger Lago this year, while Duvashen Padayachee completed the top-10 in his Hyundai Forklifts entry.

Indicating the competitive potential of the 2020 grid, seven outfits made it into the combined top-10 across both sessions.

A pair of triple Pro-Am class champions led the way in their Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia ‘Race within a Race’, Stephen Grove edging out Max Twigg by just 0.2 seconds today.

Fresh from his fifth class victory in the recent Bathurst 12-Hour, Grove was instantly on the money in his Grove Racing Cup Car today as he looks to win his second Adelaide Pro-Am round this weekend.

“The track was so much better in the second session so we could push a little bit more,” Grove said.

“I’m pretty happy with where we are, it was a pretty good effort.

“Any time in the car is a good time! I’m missing all the extra buttons that I had (At Bathurst in the GT3R)! But seat time is everything and I had a couple of good stints at Bathurst so that should see me in a good place.

“I think if it’s a bit overcast tomorrow we’re going to see times these cars have never done here before.”

Fellow triple champion Twigg’s return started well with second in Pro-Am, while Dean Cook was only fractionally behind the pair in third position. Tim Miles and Marc Cini were next, however the former had to survive a brush with the wall at turn eight to do it.

A slide in practice one saw the right-rear corner of Miles’ McElrea Porsche contact the fence at high speed, necessitating a quick repair effort from the team prior to the second session.

He wasn’t the only one to find the notorious bit of concrete: Michelin Junior Joey Mawson also caught out by the high-speed corner in practice two, his car parked for the remainder of the session.

The Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia championship switches to qualifying mode on Friday morning ahead of the first race of the weekend on Friday afternoon. Both sessions will be shown live on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo Sports, while Saturday and Sunday’s races will be also be broadcast on Channel 10.

RESULTS > Carreracup.com.au/results

Race Schedule – Round 1, Superloop Adelaide 500

FRIDAY FEB 21
11:10 – 11:30             Qualifying   FoxSports / Kayo
15:40 – 16:10             Race 1       FoxSports / Kayo

SATURDAY FEB 22
13:30 – 13:50             Race 2       FoxSports / Kayo / Channel 10

SUNDAY FEB 23
11:10 – 11:30             Race 3       FoxSports / Kayo / Channel 10

Harri Jones reveals Helimods livery ahead of continued ascent up Porsche Pyramid

Harri Jones to make his Superloop Adelaide 500 debut in striking new Helimods Porsche 911 GT3

Harri Jones to make his Superloop Adelaide 500 debut in striking new Helimods Porsche 911 GT3

After taking out the 2019 Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Championship (rebranded to Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge for the 2020 season) young gun Harri Jones is gearing up for his debut in the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia in a striking, new-look HeliMods Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

Jones will again team up with Queensland based team McElrea Racing and is looking forward to the new challenges and competition ahead in the Carrera Cup.
“Winning the Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge certainly gives me a lot of confidence that we will do well in the Carrera Cup,” said Jones.

“You only need to look as far as Mat (Campbell), Jaxon (Evans) and Jordan (Love) to see how well this pathway has worked for them, but there is no room for complacency in this category.”
Jones will also have continued backing this year by major naming rights sponsor and partner, HeliMods, a world-leading aerospace tech company based on the Sunshine Coast where Harri also interns as an Engineer.

“I’m so grateful for the continued support from HeliMods. We formed an excellent partnership last year and have some pretty awesome plans for the future that I’m really excited about,” said Jones.

HeliMods Managing Director, Will Shrapnel, said he could not be prouder of Harri and what he achieved last year throughout his championship season in the GT3 Cup.
“This year, we’ve stepped up along with Harri into the Carrera Cup and are backing him in a big way, not only through sponsorship but also through a partnership that will see us work together on some exciting new endeavours, including race and driver analytics,” said Will.

“We’re big believers in backing young talent to help them reach their ultimate potential and can’t wait to see what this debut season has in store for Harri and the team.”

On top of the support from HeliMods, Harri is also backed by numerous other Sunshine Coast companies.
“Every one of my sponsors is a success story from the Sunshine Coast. I’m so proud to represent not only these amazing businesses but also my hometown,” said Jones.

Round One of the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup begins this Thursday at the Adelaide Superloop 500. The race weekend starts with two practice sessions on Thursday 20 February before a 20min Qualifying and 15 lap race on Friday. Races 2 and 3 enjoy prime viewing slots again this year at midday on Saturday and Sunday.

“I think I’ve watched every single Carrera Cup race from Adelaide over the last few years, needless to say I’m pretty excited to hit the track!”

Every session will be shown live on Fox Sports 506 and streamed on Kayo Sports, while both Saturday and Sunday races will also be shown on Channel 10.

For race information, videos and interviews throughout the weekend, follow the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

Image Credits: Oli Coulthard: www.instagram.com/oli.coulthard/

About HeliMods
HeliMods is an aerospace technology company that combines cutting-edge technologies with world-class talent. From their state-of-the-art facility on the Sunshine Coast, they transform helicopters to take on special missions including medical rescue, firefighting and law enforcement.

VIDEO link: https://youtu.be/df0hK9-p1SM

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia to feature strong 22-car field for season opener

Australia’s premier one-make championship will feature a 22-car strong field for the Superloop Adelaide 500

Australia’s premier one-make championship will feature a 22-car strong field for the Superloop Adelaide 500

The historic city streets of the Adelaide CBD will again play host to the opening round of the 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia season, marking the 123rd round to be held in the history of the series since it began in 2003.

2020 marks the fourteenth time the Carrera Cup Championship has competed on the South Australian street circuit since the series first appeared at the former Grand Prix venue in 2004.

Historically, the Adelaide round winner has gone on to win the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Championship that season six times in total, however, it’s happened only twice since the category was re-introduced in 2011 following a two-year hiatus. The drivers to achieve this in the past are Alex Davison (2004), Fabian Coulthard (2005), Craig Baird (2006, 2008, 2013) and Jaxon Evans (2018).

In 2019, Porsche Centre Melbourne driver Nick McBride took the round win and will again look to open his 2020 campaign at the circuit after finishing fourth in the Pro category last season. McBride will face strong opposition from the Timken/Sonic Porsche 911 GT3 cup entry of 2019 runner-up Dale Wood who lost out to Jordan Love in the final race of the season.

The Gold Coast Round winner on that occasion – who finished in third place overall last season – was David Wall, who will hope to carry his strong end of year form into 2020 as one of the race favourites.
Adelaide local, Michael Almond returns with the Bob Jane T-Marts team under the PSA banner, together with Sonic Motor Racing teammates, Max Vidau (Bob Jane T-Marts/Exedy) and Aaron Love (Barbagallo/Porsche Centre Perth). The two Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge graduates step up to the Pro class this year, together with 2019 series winner Harri Jones in the Helimods / McElrea Racing entry.

Jones will partner with Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup’s youngest ever race and round winner in Cooper Murray in the newly liveried Phase 8 / Porsche Centre Brighton McElrea Racing entry. In addition, the Queensland team will again support the ever-consistent Tim Miles in the Pro-Am category along with David Ryan (Sparesbox).

The Adelaide opener will also mark David Russel’s return to the Pro category, sharing the Lago Cold stores/Dayco Porsche 911 GT3 entry this year with Pro-Am, Roger Lago at selected events.

The runner-up in the 2019 Michelin Junior competition, Cameron Hill returns to the series with new sponsors, Goodwin and Kenyon Group. The Canberra resident is likely to again challenge the established Pros and hope to improve upon his maiden round win from Darwin last season. Duvashen Padayachee (Hyundai forklifts Aus) had a strong second half to his 2019 season and rounds out the Pro field together with the returning Volante Rosso entry of Josh Hunt.

The hotly contested Pro-Am class is wide open this year with the absence of 2019 front runners Adrian Flack and Liam Talbot. Despite a dominant drive in the season finale’ at the end of last year, Sam Shahin, unfortunately, misses the first round, following injuries sustained in a massive crash in the recent Bathurst 12 Hour.
Three-time Pro-Am champions, Max Twigg (2011, 2012, 2013) and Stephen Grove (2014, 2017, 2018) will start among the favourites for victory in Adelaide. While Grove’s Mobil 1 Supercup teammate Marc Cini (Hallmarc) also returns to the series this year too and will do battle with an experienced line-up of Pro-Am class contenders including Scott Taylor, Greg Ward, Dean Cook (BMF racing) and Indiran Padayachee in the Rentcorp Forklifts sponsored entry.

Every session will be shown live on Fox Sports 506 and streamed on Kayo Sports, while both Saturday and Sunday races will also be shown on Channel 10. The race weekend starts with two practice sessions on Thursday 20 February before a 20min Qualifying and 15 lap race on Friday. Races 2 and 3 enjoy prime viewing slots again this year at midday on Saturday and Sunday.

Porsche announces partnership with Mobil as Official Fuel Partner

Porsche has announced that Mobil will be the Official Fuel Partner

Porsche Cars Australia has announced that Mobil will be the Official Fuel Partner for both Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia and the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series this season

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

This extends the long term partnership for Porsche with Mobil 1 (lubricants) to extend to fuel supply which ensures both products will be delivered in all race cars moving forward. As the “Official Partner” of Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup and the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series, Mobil have also secured naming rights to its premier class within both championships to be the ‘Mobil Pro Class’ and will be referred to as such in all official communications, including Porsche press releases, websites and social media accounts.

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.

In addition, a range of money can’t buy experiences will be delivered throughout the year that will provide the chance for race fans and Mobil fuel customers to enjoy the Porsche road cars at a range of exclusive events.
On the announcement, Porsche Cars Australia Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy said, “We are thrilled to partner with a quality fuel supplier such as Mobil and provide them with the platform to showcase their product to our drivers, teams and customers. The association allows both premium brands to amplify this partnership to Porsche customers both on and off the racetrack as well as providing key brand assets to our Pro Class which will deliver exciting racing for all involved. The announcement also further reinforces our existing partnership with Mobil1, our Official Lubricant Partner.”

According to Australia Retail Sale Manager, Frank Tudic, from Mobil, “This fuel partnership is another demonstration of Mobil’s commitment to continue delivering premium quality fuels. We believe our fuels are amongst the best in the world, and what better way to showcase this than on a world stage in front of millions of race fans. The Porsche race series provides this opportunity, and we look forward to working alongside Porsche Cars Australia in 2020”.

Round 1 of the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia season takes place from the 21-23 February at the Superloop Adelaide 500, while Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge gets underway at Sydney Motorsport Park from the 27-29 March.

Porsche finishes fourth at Bathurst, victory in the Pro-Am class

Race, Intercontinental GT Challenge, round 1, Bathurst 12 Hour

Absolute Racing has finished in fourth place as the best Porsche customer team in the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour at Mount Panorama in Australia, also the season-opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

The three Porsche works drivers Matt Campbell (Australia), Mathieu Jaminet (France) and Patrick Pilet (France) shared driving duties in the 500+hp #911 Porsche 911 GT3 R. Three more identical nine-eleven racers finished the 12-hour race in Australia in the top ten on Sunday. Porsche achieved a one-two in the Pro-Am class, with Grove Racing winning ahead of the NED Racing Team.

This year’s edition of the long-distance classic was a turbulent race, with the interruptions causing the field to bunch up several times. Last year’s winner Campbell took up the race on home turf from pole position. Over long stretches, the Porsche 911 GT3 R ran amongst the leading pack. However, tyre damage in lap 117 relegated the #911 entry down a lap. Thanks to a clever pit stop strategy, the team was able to make up lost ground during a safety car phase. In the end, the gap to the podium was just 1.529 seconds after 314 laps.

The second 911 GT3 R run by Absolute Racing took the chequered flag in seventh. The driver of the final stint in the #912 entry was Porsche Young Professional Thomas Preining (Australia), who shared the vehicle with Porsche works driver Dirk Werner (Germany) and Matteo Cairoli (Italy).

Porsche works driver Laurens Vanthoor crossed the finish line two positions behind them. The Belgian was joined in the cockpit of the #1 Meguiar’s-backed car fielded by EBM (Earl Bamber Motorsport) by his works driver teammate Earl Bamber (New Zealand) and the Australian motor racing legend Craig Lowndes. At the start of the race, the squad fought for the front spots on the 6.213-kilometre racetrack, however, a time-consuming change of the brake pads prevented them from achieving a top result.

Grove Racing claimed first place in the Pro-Am class with drivers Stephen Grove (Australia), Brenton Grove (Australia) and Ben Barker (Great Britain). The class win for the Australian squad (No. 4) represented tenth overall. The NED Racing Team secured second in the Pro-Am category and position eleven overall. Porsche works driver Romain Dumas (France), Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans (New Zealand) and David Calvert-Jones (Australia) shared the cockpit of the No. 12 vehicle.

Round two of the Intercontinental GT Challenge is the Spa 24 Hours, held in Belgium from 23 to 26 July in Belgium’s Ardennes region.

Comments on the race
Fritz Enzinger (Vice President Porsche Motorsport and Group Motorsport Volkswagen AG): “Grove Racing’s victory in the Pro-Am class is really great. All five of our Porsche 911 GT3 R finished in the top eleven. After claiming pole position, we thought we could possibly win. But the field was very evenly matched. As the group representative for Volkswagen Motorsport, I’m of course delighted with Bentley’s win.”

Pascal Zurlinden (Director Factory Motorsport): “It wasn’t a great race in the pro-category. We had problems with the tyres and brakes. But the drivers and teams fought their way through and made the best of the situation. As such, everyone can go home with their heads held high. For our long-standing customer team Grove Racing, I’m absolutely thrilled about their huge success in the Pro-Am class.”

Sebastian Golz (Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R): “We have five cars in the top eleven, a class win and a second place in the Pro-Am category. All in all, that result doesn’t sound too bad, but we just didn’t quite pull it all together against the competition today. Because of the punctures, brake problems and penalties we couldn’t make the most of the potential that was available to us.”

Mathieu Jaminet (#911 Porsche 911 GT3 R): “All things considered, it was a tough race for us. We had two punctures that threw us back. We lost a lap but we battled hard to get back up into the action. Towards the end, we hoped for the predicted rain, but unfortunately, it arrived only after the chequered flag came out.”

Earl Bamber (#1 Porsche 911 GT3 R): “We had a good car with an ideal setup, but unfortunately there was a problem with the brake pads in the middle of the race. We had to pit and that cost us two laps. We couldn’t recover from that. Afterwards, we had one of the fastest cars, which showed our potential, but after our win here last year we had simply expected more.”

Dirk Werner (#912 Porsche 911 GT3 R): “Starting in the night at Bathurst is something special. However, starting from twelfth on the grid surrounded by so many vehicles makes it difficult to gain any positions at the start. We managed to work our way up the field and were in the top group for the last two hours. At the end we hoped for rain, perhaps then we might have achieved an even better result.”

Stephen Grove (#4 Porsche 911 GT3 R): “First place in the Pro-Am class is fantastic. Ben’s first stint was very important because it put us in a good position. We then fought our way through the field bit by bit. The secret here is that you have to be able to read the traffic on the track correctly. We tried to stay out of trouble and are grateful for a perfect car.”

Jaxon Evans (#12 Porsche 911 GT3 R): “We started from a little further down the grid than we’d originally planned. The name of the game early on was to get through the dark hours of the race without any damage. After that we were able to manoeuvre ourselves further up the order. I’m really pleased with second place and eleventh overall in the Pro-Am class for the NED Racing Team.”

Race result
1. Gounon/Soulet/Pepper (F/B/ZA), Bentley Continental GT3, 314 laps
2. Parente/Barnicoat/Blomqvist (P/GB/GB), McLaren 720S GT3, 314 laps
3. Van Gisbergen/Whincup/Götz (NZ/AUS/D), Mercedes AMG GT3, 314 laps
4. Jaminet/Pilet/Campbell (F/F/AUS), Porsche 911 GT3 R, 314 laps
7. Werner/Preining/Cairoli (D/A/I), Porsche 911 GT3 R, 314 laps
9. Bamber/Vanthoor/Lowndes (NZ/B/AUS), Porsche 911 GT3 R, 312 laps
10. S. Grove/B. Grove/Barker (AUS/AUS/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 R, 312 laps
11. Calvert-Jones/Dumas/Evans (USA/F/NZ), Porsche 911 GT3 R, 311 laps

Full results at: http://www.intercontinentalgtchallenge.com/

Matt Campbell secures first pole position for Porsche at Bathurst

Qualifying, Intercontinental GT Challenge, round 1, Bathurst 12 Hour

Australian ace Matt Campbell has earned Porsche its first major pole position at Mount Panorama with a stunning lap in the Top 10 Shootout for the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour.

It was the ideal qualifying for the Porsche customer team Absolute Racing at the opening round of this year’s Intercontinental GT Challenge.

Porsche works driver Campbell turned the fastest lap of the day (2:03.554 minutes) in qualifying. In the identical, 500+hp Porsche 911 GT3 R, Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) secured the fifth grid spot for Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM).

On the 6.213-kilometre racetrack, both Porsche drivers made it into the decisive pole shootout. Last year’s winner Campbell kept his cool in temperatures of 39 degrees Celsius and underlined his intentions of claiming another home victory. The 24-year-old shares the vehicle with his two French works driver teammates Mathieu Jaminet and Patrick Pilet. The two IMSA champions Vanthoor and Porsche works driver Earl Bamber (New Zealand) share driving duties with the Australian motor racing legend Craig Lowndes.

Matteo Cairoli narrowly missed out on taking part in the top 10 pole shootout by a mere 0.238 seconds. The driver from Como in Italy planted the Porsche 911 GT3 R, which is based on the high-performance Porsche 911 GT3 RS road-legal sports car, in twelfth. He shares the cockpit of the No. 912 vehicle with Porsche works driver Dirk Werner (Germany) and Porsche Young Professional Thomas Preining (Austria).

The Grove Racing squad claimed the second grid spot in the Pro-Am class (16th overall). In the No. 4 car, Ben Barker (Great Britain) was only 0.088-seconds shy of the class leader. Stephen Grove (Australia) and his son Brenton Grove round off the driver trio.

The qualifying for the NED Racing Team (No. 12) and Porsche works driver Romain Dumas (France) did not turn out quite as well. During his flying lap, the seasoned specialist encountered a red flag and was forced to stop. In the end, Dumas finished on fifth in the Pro-Am class (25th overall). For the race, Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans (New Zealand) and David Calvert-Jones (Australia) join the Frenchman at the wheel of NED Racing’s 911.

A total of 38 vehicles from eleven manufacturers take up the 12-hour event at Bathurst. The first round of the most important championship for GT3 sports cars gets underway on Sunday at 5:45am local time (7:45pm CET). Overseas fans can follow the event Down Under live on https://www.bathurst12hour.com.au – viewers in Australia can watch the entire race live on 7mate and FOX Sports.

Qualifying quotes
Fritz Enzinger (Vice President Motorsport): “I wanted nothing more than pole position for my first visit to Bathurst. And Matt did that very well. He is a fantastic driver, particularly here in Australia. Bathurst is an incredible track with many passages that are blind. The race will be really interesting. I’m looking forward to it.”

Sebastian Golz (Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R): “We’re happy with pole position. To set a perfect lap here you need to fit a sheet of paper between the wing mirror and the wall – and Matt had scratches on his wing mirror. Laurens also performed really well, and Cairoli did a super job too. As a newcomer, qualifying on 12th is a great achievement. We’ll take a look at why the other two vehicles didn’t place further up the field. We’re confident that the performance is there – we’ve already underlined that.”

Matt Campbell (Porsche 911 GT3 R #911): “Pole is, of course, a fantastic result. Luckily, I clocked a similar time in the first qualifying session. In the pole shootout, I had a pretty good idea what I had to do. Still, I got nervous when everyone else went out to turn their lap and I was the last to be allowed on the track. But it worked out well.”

Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 911 GT3 R #1): “In the first two corners I made two minor mistakes. After that my run went well, but the perfect lap was gone. It’s perfect for Porsche with P1 and P5. In the race, the weather may well play a role. Rain is predicted for the last hours of the race. That can make things really exciting.”

Matteo Cairoli (Porsche 911 GT3 R #912): “The standard in the series is really high. I managed to get a good lap in, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the top ten. It’s my first time here at Bathurst and my goal is to improve from session to session. The qualifying setup was 95 percent right. We’ll work on the rest. The race runs over twelve hours and during that time we aim to get to the front.”

Ben Barker (Porsche 911 GT3 R #4): “Unfortunately, our qualifying was a little disappointing. We were much better in the free practice sessions. Our car wasn’t perfectly balanced so I lost a bit of confidence in some of the difficult passages. We’ll now adjust the setup for the race. Generally, our strategy is to keep out of any trouble and drive a good race.”

Romain Dumas (Porsche 911 GT3 R #12): “There was a crash in qualifying and then the session was red-flagged. That put a stop to my attempt at a fast lap. The team then decided to save the second set of tyres for the race. That was a strategic decision. Our qualifying result is not so great but the race is long. A lot can happen.”

Qualifying result
1. Jaminet/Pilet/Campbell (F/F/AUS), Porsche 911 GT3 R
2. Parente/Barnicoat/Blomqvist (P/GB/GB), McLaren 720S GT3
3. Fraga/Buhk/Marciello (BR/D/CH), Mercedes AMG GT3
4. De Oliveira/Liberati/Imperatori (BR/I/CH), Nissan GTR Nismo GT3
5. Bamber/Vanthoor/Lowndes (NZ/B/AUS), Porsche 911 GT3 R
12. Werner/Preining/Cairoli (D/A/I), Porsche 911 GT3 R
16. S. Grove/B. Grove/Barker (AUS/AUS/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 R
25. Calvert-Jones/Dumas/Evans (USA/F/NZ), Porsche 911 GT3 R

Five Porsche 911 GT3 R aim to defend Bathurst 12 Hour crown for Porsche

Preview, Intercontinental GT Challenge, round 1, Bathurst 12 Hour/Australia

Porsche launches its title defence for both the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) and the Bathurst 12 Hour at Mount Panorama in Australia this weekend.

In 2019, the sports car manufacturer claimed the IGTC titles in the manufacturers’ and drivers’ classifications. The gruelling twelve-hour race (January 31 to February 2) traditionally marks the start of the IGTC, the most important championship for GT3 sports cars. In the race at Mount Panorama, five Porsche 911 GT3 R face strong opposition from vehicles from ten other manufacturers.

Last year, Porsche won the long-distance event at Mount Panorama, Bathurst for the first time in its history thanks to the customer squad EBM (Earl Bamber Motorsport), including a stunning performance from local hero Matt Campbell. Campbell has been elevated to full Porsche works driver status for 2020.

The race
This year marks the 18th running of the 12-hour race at Mount Panorama in the Australian state of New South Wales. The 6.213-kilometre circuit 200 kilometres west of Sydney consists of public roads with 23 curves. Per lap, vehicles have to cope with an elevation difference of 174 metres. The track layout poses a great challenge to drivers and engineers. The tight corner combinations to the south demand utmost concentration at the wheel. The fastest passages are the two long sections, Conrod Straight (1.916 km) and Mountain Straight (1.111 km). Around 40 vehicles will line up on the grid this year, 33 of which are GT3 cars – a Bathurst 12-Hour record.

The Porsche teams and drivers
At the event Down Under, four Porsche customer teams compete with a total of five Porsche 911 GT3 R. As last year’s winners, EBM, the team of Porsche works driver Earl Bamber, tackles the race with the starting number one. Sharing the wheel of the 911 are the two reigning champions of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Earl Bamber (New Zealand) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) as well as the Australian motorsport legend Craig Lowndes. In the sister No. 12 NED Racing Team entry are Porsche works driver Romain Dumas (France), Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans (New Zealand) and David Calvert-Jones (Australia).

Absolute Racing will campaign two 911 GT3 R: Porsche works driver Matt Campbell (Australia) shares driving duties in the No. 911 car with the two Frenchmen, Mathieu Jaminet and Patrick Pilet. Porsche works driver Dirk Werner (Germany) and Porsche Young Professional Thomas Preining (Austria) team up with Matteo Cairoli (Italy) in the No. 912 contender. Grove Racing tackles the event with Stephen Grove (Australia), his son Brenton Grove, and Ben Barker (Great Britain).

The Porsche 911 GT3 R
In the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the latest Porsche 911 GT3 R made its first appearance at Laguna Seca (USA) last year. It is based on the high-performance 911 GT3 RS road-legal sports car. The flat-six engine in the rear puts out over 368 kW (500 hp). This coming weekend, the current version of the Porsche 911 GT3 R makes its debut at the Mount Panorama circuit.

The schedule
The event at Bathurst begins with the free practice this coming Friday. In the qualifying session on Saturday, drivers will battle for the best grid spots. Traditionally, the race takes off on Sunday, 2 February, before dawn at 5.45am local time (Saturday, 7:45pm CET). The entire race can be watched live globally on https://www.bathurst12hour.com.au/. Australian viewers can watch the race live via FOX Sports and the Seven Network.

Comments before the race
Sebastian Golz (Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R): “This year is the first time we race the new Porsche 911 GT3 R at Bathurst, but we’ll be calling on all the experiences we gained during the 2019 season. Combined with our teams, this gives us a very strong overall package. The track is one of the fastest on the racing calendar with an average speed exceeding 180 km/h. On the long straight, it’s even possible to reach a top speed of more than 270 km/h. Drivers also have to wind their way through rock walls and barriers – always at the limit. This means that our drivers must perform consistently at their peak and with total concentration over the entire race distance.”

Earl Bamber (#1 Meguiar’s EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R): “We’re absolutely thrilled to take part in this event as a team. Our victory last year was unbelievable, of course. To return as last year’s winners for Porsche is something special. As a driver, as always, it’ll be great to work alongside Laurens. We had a lot of success in America last year. We’re both really excited to have a legendary guy like Craig join us in the team. He’s one of the most successful Bathurst drivers on the grid.”

Laurens Vanthoor (#1 Meguiar’s EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R): “I’m proud to be able to drive in Earl’s team. As his teammate, I’ve followed the development of EBM very closely. It’s a great opportunity to be part of the squad and work with a Bathurst ace-like Craig. Of course, I dream of winning Bathurst. I hope we’re successful this year. On top of that, I’m curious to see how Earl will drive parallel to managing his own team.”

Matt Campbell (#911 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R): “I’m really looking forward to racing again at Bathurst, particularly after our victory there last year. It’s my only home race and the Mount Panorama circuit is one of my favourite racetracks in the world. We gained a lot of valuable experience with the new GT3 R last season, which will definitely benefit us now at Bathurst. We’ll do everything to start the new season successfully and defend our title.”

Mathieu Jaminet (#911 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R): “It’s fantastic to be able to drive again at Bathurst. Porsche won there for the first time last year, which was a great result. For me personally, it wasn’t so successful. We were in the lead until shortly before the end of the race but didn’t manage to bring home victory. Hopefully, that’ll be different this year. I’m pleased to drive with Patrick and Matt for Absolute Racing. We’re a strong team and I think we have very good chances. Our goal is to score as many points as possible at the season-opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, preferably by winning.”

Patrick Pilet (#911 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R): “Bathurst is a great challenge for me. I’ve never driven on this track before, but I’ve always dreamed of getting the chance one day. Now I can contest the Bathurst 12 Hour with Absolute Racing and I hope we can achieve a good result. A win would be fantastic.”

Dirk Werner (#912 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R): “Bathurst is always a special experience. It’ll be great to return as last year’s winners. I’m looking forward to sharing the cockpit of the car with my two young team-mates, Thomas and Matteo. With Absolute Racing we have a top team supporting us, so we’re in a perfect position for the first outing of the new Porsche 911 GT3 R at Bathurst.”

Thomas Preining (#912 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R): “This is my first time travelling to Australia, so it’s really exciting. The fact that I get the chance to contest the 12-hour race on this storied track makes it very special for me. We’re well-positioned with our Absolute Racing squad and we have a good chance of racing with the frontrunners. Plus, I work really well with my teammates Dirk and Matteo. It’s important that you get along well with each other. We’ll use the free practice to prepare ourselves as best as we can and we’ll do our best to bring home as many points as possible.”

Romain Dumas (#12 NED Racing EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R): “I’m very pleased to go racing again at Bathurst. In my opinion, the Mount Panorama circuit is one of the best tracks in the world. The combination of slow and fast corners as well as driving between the walls is a huge challenge. The Porsche 911 GT3 R has been fast there over the last three years, so hopefully, we’ll get a strong result.”

Jaxon Evans (#12 NED Racing EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R): “For me, a home race is a perfect way to start the 2020 season – and especially in the latest Porsche 911 GT3 R. Every lap at Bathurst is special. The feeling of snaking your way between the walls at the absolute limit is simply cool. You can’t compare it to any other racetrack – it’s a real rollercoaster. We have a very experienced driver with Romain in the team. I look forward to driving with him and David Calvert-Jones.”

Grove Racing open 2020 racing season at Bathurst 12 Hour

2020 Bathurst 12 Hour (Round 1, Intercontinental GT Challenge)

2020 Bathurst 12 Hour (Round 1, Intercontinental GT Challenge)
Grove Motorsport’s 2020 racing season kicks off at this weekend’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour as the team makes the leap into the outright class for the Intercontinental GT Challenge season opener.
The Melbourne-based outfit, a four-time winner of the race in Class B, is gearing up to tackle the Mount Panorama endurance race for the first time in Class A for GT3 machinery.
Drivers Stephen Grove, Brenton Grove, and Ben Barker will steer a Porsche 911 GT3 R under the Grove Racing banner with support from close partners Herberth Motorsport.
Track action begins on Friday with FP1 for bronze and silver-rated drivers at 08:40 local time immediately followed by FP2 at 09:15.
Four practice sessions take place across Friday in total, with FP3 at 12:20 and FP4 to close out the day 15:05.
Saturday’s running features a fifth practice session at 08:45 ahead of a pair of qualifying hit-outs, the first of which begins at 12:40.
There will be a Top 10 Shootout on Saturday evening to decide the pointy end of the grid for Sunday’s 12-hour race which will see the green flag at 05:45.

QUOTES:
STEPHEN GROVE
“It’s massively exciting to step up into the GT3 class this year at Bathurst; operationally and logistically it’s been no different to any other year. This year will be more about fine-tuning our processes and making sure we don’t make any little mistakes. The competition will be tighter than ever so we need to ensure we’re on the top of our game.
I think it’s a massive benefit that the driver line-up is consistent. We all understand our role within the team and get on really well so it’s exciting to take our crew and have a crack outright. Obviously we are wanting to ensure we do a good job. From strategy to the pit stops to the drivers, we are all trying to maximise ourselves and from there the results will sort themselves.”
BRENTON GROVE
“For us, this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour is quite similar to previous years in terms of planning and preparations, the difference being the extra gear needed to run a Class A car. We have a strong technical partnership with Herberth Motorsport which will see us utilise their car, their fuel rig, tyre ovens, etc. Those are the smaller things that are different to what we’ve needed before. Beyond that it’s also about the presentation as obviously there will be a lot more eyes on us. Trying to ensure all the I’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed. It’s really a culmination of 5 or 6 year’s work. We’ve always entered the event but you’d be lying if you said there wasn’t a desire to go to Class A. So to be there now with a familiar team in a familiar car with a strong driver line-up is really exciting.
“I think the car specific support Herberth bring will be invaluable for the weekend but the Grove Motorsport crew we have assembled from engineers to mechanics are also extremely experienced. I strongly believe every team member provides some unique bit of experience that makes it quite a strong crew for the weekend. As Stephen said the only goal is to maximise. From P1 to pit stop practice to race start to race finish if we are all able to maximise what we’re doing, I think we will be there or thereabouts come the end of the race.”
BEN BARKER
“It’s really exciting and a really good opportunity to have a proper crack at a good overall result. In previous years we’ve been in the Cup car which was really fun because that car suits that track but obviously the competition is in GT3 really, that’s where it’s really hard to cut the butter. Giving it a go this year is really exciting.
“We’re all ready for it, we’ve had enough knowledge of the track over the years together as a team. As a team Stephen, Brenton and I are very strong and a very familiar lineup, also with the team, mechanics, engineers, all very familiar people so that really helps to get a race performance to be honest. With all our experience together we can definitely take the pressure of a GT3 car and really have a good go and I think expectation for result is going to be eyes on the Pro-Am win, but also try and get a decent top 10 overall result, top 8 would be even better; it all depends on the race itself and how many safety cars there are. The idea and the ideal situation is to stay on the lead lap. Overall we’ve got a very strong package and we all know the track very well, so using all of that I think we stand ourselves a great chance.”

Jaxon Evans joins Calvert-Jones and Dumas in the NED Racing EBM Porsche for Bathurst 12 Hour

2020 Bathurst 12 Hour (Round 1, Intercontinental GT Challenge)

Following the announcement that Craig Lowndes will team up with Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor for the 2020 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) has announced a second entry backed by Australian whiskey NED that will see 2018 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Champion, Jaxon Evans team up with former Le Mans 24 hour winner Romain Dumas and Bathurst stalwart David Calvert-Jones.

Calvert-Jones returns as the NED Racing team’s resident amateur driver joining Porsche factory driver, Dumas and the Porsche Junior driver, Evans, to make for a strong driver line-up in the hunt for a Bathurst 12 Hour Pro-Am podium.

Evans’ rise through the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid in Australia has followed that of Porsche factory driver Matt Campbell, who last year crossed the line first in an outstanding debut in the Intercontinental GT Challenge for the Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) team. That historic performance also handed Porsche its first Bathurst 12-hour outright victory in one of the last race appearances for the previous generation 911 GT3 R.

For 2020, the NED Racing team will use the latest generation Porsche 911 GT3 R and welcome a new naming rights partner in NED together with key partners Virgin Australia and UMS (Urban Management Systems) for the event.

The EBM team will also be bolstered by key staff members from the hugely successful Queensland-based outfit McElrea Racing, who supported both Campbell and Evans to their Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Championship titles in 2016 and 2018 respectively.

The 2020 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour begins on 2 February followed by qualifying on Saturday. The race begins on Sunday at 5:45 am local time and will be broadcast in Australia on the Seven Network and FOX Sports, as well as streamed globally via https://www.bathurst12hour.com.au/.

QUOTES

David Calvert-Jones (#12 NED Racing EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R):
“Great to be heading to Mount Panorama with Earl Bamber Motorsport alongside some key staff from McElrea Racing. We think this is a proven and successful combination and the Bamber crew certainly know what it takes to win at The Mountain. Great to have Jaxon back with us and a proven racer like Romain just rounds things out perfectly. After a great test in Kuala Lumpur recently, we can’t wait to jump in the car for first practice at the 2020 12 Hour and see what we can do.”

Jaxon Evans (#12 NED Racing EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R):
“Very excited to not only re-join David Calvert-Jones but to team up with the experienced Romain Dumas and the Earl Bamber Motorsport crew for this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour. It’s the perfect way to kick off 2020 in the new 911 GT3 R. A mixture of new and familiar faces with some of the McElrea Racing crew joining the team will hopefully put us near the pointy end come Sunday. A big thank you to David, EBM and Porsche Motorsport for the opportunity!”

Will Bamber, Co-Team Principal EBM:
“We are really delighted to be adding a second car, with the #12 NED Racing Porsche 911GT3 R, for our assault at the mountain. Not only will be pushing for the Pro-AM victory but the line-up of David, Jaxon and Romain, will hold their own in the overall standings too. It is a tough race as we all know and we expect another tight year of competition, so to have the support of Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific and joining forces with McElrea Racing for this entry is fantastic.”

Adem Karafili, Top Shelf International Chairman:
“NED Whisky’s partnership with the NED RACING TEAM serves as a fantastic way to continue the development and growth of the brand through an Australian-owned team led by David Calvert-Jones. This partnership with EBM is a great fit for NED given the team’s professionalism, achievements and hunger for success. I know that our Managing Director Drew Fairchild, staff, investors and supporters are as excited as I am by this partnership.”

Lowndes teams up with Bamber & Vanthoor for Bathurst 12 Hour assault in a Meguiar’s backed Porsche 911 GT3 R

2020 Bathurst 12 Hour (Round 1, Intercontinental GT Challenge)

Multiple Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes will line up with Porsche factory team-mates Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor in a Meguiar’s liveried 911 GT3 R for the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour event.

As one of the most successful drivers in history on the famed Mount Panorama circuit, Lowndes’ Bathurst resume includes seven Bathurst 1000 wins and two Bathurst 12 Hour victories. In 2019, Lowndes finished fourth after starting from 19th on the grid in an action-packed race, which saw Matt Campbell cross the line first in an outstanding debut in the Intercontinental GT Challenge for the Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) team.

As team principal of the winning entry on that occasion, Bamber’s EBM team handed Porsche its Bathurst 12-hour victory in one of the last race appearances for the previous generation 911 GT3 R. The New Zealander gets back behind the wheel for the 2020 assault in the new 911 GT3 R and will again resume his successful partnership with Vanthoor. The Porsche factory duo enjoyed great success as a driver pairing in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship (IWSC) in the US last year, winning the GTLM championship sharing a factory 911 RSR.

With two of the most accomplished Porsche factory drivers teaming up with the most successful Bathurst driver on the 2020 grid in Lowndes – in the reigning Bathurst 12 Hour-winning team – the combination promises to be one of the strongest teams among this year’s 40 car grid, which features representation from 11 different GT3 manufacturers.

As a result of this dynamic union, premium car care brand Meguiar’s Australia has thrown its support behind the star-studded #1 Earl Bamber Motorsport entry, with the 911 GT3 R sporting a dynamic black and yellow livery for the Endurance race.

As part of their renewed partnership with the Porsche brand, Meguiar’s Australia will also provide a car care package to each of the Porsche 911 GT3 R teams competing in the 2020 event.

The 2020 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour event takes place from 31 January to 2 February, reverting to a three-day format this year. Practice begins on Friday followed by qualifying on Saturday. The race beginning before sunrise on Sunday at 5:45am local time. The race will be broadcast in Australia on the Seven Network and FOX Sports, as well as streamed globally via https://www.bathurst12hour.com.au/.

QUOTES

Craig Lowndes (#1 Meguiar’s EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R):
“I’m really excited to be joining the Porsche family for the Bathurst 12 Hour, teaming up with factory drivers Earl and Laurens. Earl Bamber Motorsport is the reigning race-winning team so it’s exciting to help them defend their title. Earl and I have been team-mates in the past and get on extremely well, so with a Belgian in the mix, it should also be a bit of fun too. It’s my first time racing in a Porsche and the new evolution 911 GT3 R looks like a weapon, I can’t wait.”

Earl Bamber (#1 Meguiar’s EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R):
”As a team we really very excited to go to the event. Obviously last year was amazing to win the race so to be able to return as defending champions for Porsche will be something special. As a driver, it will be awesome to team up with Laurens as we had a lot of success in America last year and follow each other all around the world racing. We are both really excited to have a legend in Craig Lowndes join the team and drive our car. He is the most successful Bathurst driver on the grid, so hopefully, he can bring us some of that Lowndesy magic during the Bathurst 12 Hour weekend. The prospect of taking the new generation 911 GT3 R to Bathurst is also going to be something incredible too and we are genuinely excited to have Meguiar’s come on board as they are such an iconic brand. I would like to thank Meguiar’s and everyone behind the scenes at Porsche who has made this opportunity happen.”

Laurens Vanthoor (#1 Meguiar’s EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R):
“I’m very excited to drive for Earl’s team. As his team-mate, I have been following EBM closely the last couple of years and this is a great opportunity to be part of, teaming up with a Bathurst legend such as Craig. Winning Bathurst is still a dream of mine and I have come close to date, but hope to succeed this year. I’m also curious to see how Earl is going to drive, while managing his own team.”

Bruce Morrison, Managing Director, Meguiar’s Australia and MotorActive:
“We are delighted to extend our association with Porsche Motorsport to include sponsorship of the Bathurst 12 Hour title defending team. Having Craig Lowndes team up with Bamber and Vanthoor in the new 911 GT3 R is a stunning combination. There is no other car brand that inspires a passion for performance quite like Porsche does and we feel honoured to have our Meguiar’s brand be part of that driving experience.”

Victories and championship titles for Porsche Motorsport in 2019

A successful year for the history books

A successful year for the history books

With many major wins in 2019, Porsche has added another chapter to its tradition-steeped history. The world champion title in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the title in the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, victory in the overall classification of the fiercely-contested Intercontinental GT Challenge and, last but not least, the successful debut of the factory squad in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship have made the 2019 motor racing season one of the most successful in the company’s history. The titles and triumphs of the past year once again underline that Porsche’s extensive commitment to motorsport upholds the brand’s tradition as consequently as it sets the standards of modern sports car development.

Porsche has always given top priority to the close relationship between motorsport and series production. “Motor racing is still a vector for development as it expedites further development. The extreme stresses of the races quickly reveal any weak points and as such motivate engineers to look for new and better ways. The greatest advances were always made in times of pressure and tension,” was the maxim of Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche, who developed the legendary 356 No. 1 Roadster in 1948 and thus laid the foundation stone for the Porsche brand.

Motorsport is and will remain an integral part of Porsche. The spectacular performances and successes against tough competition on the racetracks have shaped the image and positioning of the brand since the late 1940s – and continues to do so today. “With our iconic Porsche 911, we have won all titles in the world’s most important GT racing series. This is a clear indication of the quality of our sports cars and the competence of our engineers,” declares Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Board. “Right from the outset, we’ve also proven that we’re competitive in Formula E and hence demonstrate our innovative ability in the field of electric mobility. Motorsport is part of Porsche’s DNA.”

Second place for works driver André Lotterer at the debut race with the new Porsche 99X Electric has opened the door to a new category of motorsport for Porsche. The Stuttgart sports car manufacturer tackles the “Electric Formula 1” against experienced works teams from eight brands. An intensive exchange between product development and the motorsport department is the key to success. Since 2010, insights from the racing department have flowed into the development of hybrid and electric sports cars. Racing and road models have always been closely linked to sports cars powered by classic combustion engines.

“Using the Porsche 911 GT3 RS* as the baseline, we’ve developed two racings cars, the 911 RSR and the 911 GT3 R, which have set the benchmark worldwide. Our works teams have held their own against the toughest competition in the FIA WEC and the IMSA SportsCar Championship. Porsche’s customer teams around the world have worked closely with us in the Intercontinental GT Challenge and have come out on top against ten other automobile manufacturers. In Formula E, we’ve celebrated a sensational debut with second place at our race premiere. It doesn’t get much better than that,” claims Michael Steiner, R&D Board Member, outlining the most important milestones of the 2019 motorsport year.

In addition to winning the titles in the top series of global GT racing with major victories, for instance, at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), the Bathurst 12 Hour event in Australia and the GTE-Am class victory for the Porsche 911 RSR at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the customer-run racing vehicles from Stuttgart were amongst the frontrunners in almost all series. Porsche’s success story in motor racing will be continued in 2020.

In line with its product portfolio, Porsche Motorsport will again contest the world’s most important GT racing series with combustion-engine vehicles as well as Formula E with 100% battery-powered racing cars. The new Porsche 911 RSR celebrates its debut in 2020 in North America at the 24 Hours of Daytona. After winning all titles this year, the aim is to further improve on the IMSA SportsCar Championship results with the new GT flagship from Stuttgart. From the first four rounds of the FIA WEC, the new 911 RSR has already notched up two one-two finishes as well as three pole positions and podium results from three races. In June 2020, Porsche will again combine the factory squads from the WEC and IMSA to take on the world’s greatest endurance event at Le Mans with four vehicles.

Michelin to sponsor 2020 Porsche Junior Development Programme in Australia

Michelin Australia have reaffirmed their support of the Porsche Junior Development Programme for 2020

Michelin Australia have reaffirmed their support of the Porsche Junior Development Programme for 2020

Porsche Cars Australia and Michelin Australia have again partnered to deliver the most proven and successful driver development programme in the country. The programme remains an integral part of the Porsche Motorsport pyramid spanning across both the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Championship and the newly rebranded Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series.

To be eligible as a Michelin Junior in 2020, Michelin Sprint Challenge drivers must be aged under 23 as of January 01, 2020, while Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup drivers must be aged under 25 as of January 01, 2020.
All Michelin Juniors in each series must commit to a full season and carry additional Michelin Junior branding on their racing apparel and Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. All eligible young drivers across both Michelin Sprint Challenge and Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup will enjoy a massive prize pool for the 2020 season, valued at approximately AUD$300,000.

All Michelin Juniors will also be invited to attend the Michelin Junior Training day program which will take place in Melbourne in the first half of next year. The 2019 Michelin Junior Training days saw Australia’s top junior drivers receive professional coaching on sports psychology, social media, media training, branding, sponsorship and more from Australia’s leading experts.

The drivers also received nutrition and dietary advice after completing a thorough physical assessment. At the end of the comprehensive two-day programme, drivers were able to compare their physical condition against that of their rivals and gain knowledge of a range of aspects including their body fat percentage, resting metabolic rates and body mass index to name but a few.

The 2020 Michelin Junior programme will again feature a Michelin Super Round, to be held at the Australian Grand Prix, from which the round-winning Michelin Junior will receive a trip to France to attend the 2020 Le Mans 24-Hour Endurance race.

The main goal for the Michelin Junior drivers is an opportunity to attend the Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout which continues to play a crucial role in the development of the best emerging talent globally and is seen as the benchmark pathway for talented drivers to progress to the highest level.

The driver who wins the Michelin Junior competition in the premier Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Championship will be nominated to attend the Porsche Junior Shootout at the end of the 2020 season.

This year, Michelin Junior champion, Jordan Love competed against Carrera Cup Champions from the leading one-make Porsche championships around the world in three-day, all expenses paid driving evaluation at the Portimao circuit.
In addition to this, the 2020 Michelin Junior winner will also receive a trip to Germany in December to attend the 2020 Porsche Motorsport Night of Champions in Weissach.

On the announcement, Porsche Cars Australia’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy said, “The Porsche Michelin Junior Programme is an important element of our local motor racing programme and the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid continues to cement a pathway for the best young talent to reach the highest levels of the sport. Our 2016 and 2018 Carrera Cup champions, Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans are the best examples of this and have both gone onto established professional racing careers in Europe, with Matt recently elevated to a full factory works drive and Jaxon conducting his second year as a Porsche Junior.”

“Locally, we’re immensely proud to have had these two incredible talents rise through our system and we hope that this programme gives the 2020 cast of Michelin Juniors the best possible chance to follow in Matt’s and Jaxon’s footsteps.”

“Such a comprehensive driver development programme wouldn’t be possible without the support of Michelin Australia, who sees the potential in current Australian-based Porsche drivers and the importance to providing a programme through which young drivers can realise their racing dreams.”

Michelin Australia’s Marketing Manager Oceania, Swaroop Tulsidas, is excited to continue the French brand’s support of the region’s young racers.

“The Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Series and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge categories are like no other in Australia; highly competitive, showcasing door-to-door racing from an incredible group of talented drivers. We are proud to continue our support of the next generation of motorsport stars through the Porsche Junior program.”

“The young drivers receive unprecedented support from both the Porsche and Michelin team to develop their skills through a one-of-a-kind training program; providing them with the tools they need to succeed both on and off the track.

To see the likes of Jaxon Evans, Matt Campbell and newly crowned Porsche Carrera Cup champion Jordan Love progress through this program is simply brilliant. Michelin is excited to be a part of their journey and look forward to seeing who will add their name to the winners’ list for next season.”

VIDEO LINK: Porsche Michelin Junior Programme 2019 review: https://youtu.be/CB1OHplS3jI

VIDEO LINK: Porsche Michelin Junior Training Days 2019: https://youtu.be/cquPduF6iqw

For more information on the 2020 Porsche Michelin Junior Programme Australia email motorsport@porsche.com.au

Matt Campbell elevated to full works driver status at 2019 Night of Champions

2020 Motorsport Programme: Firm commitment to GT sport and Formula E

2020 Motorsport Programme: Firm commitment to GT sport and Formula E

Australian Matt Campbell has been elevated to full Porsche works driver status for the 2020 season.

The news was confirmed at the Porsche Night of Champions motorsport gala at Weissach in Stuttgart, Germany, where Porsche reflected on its 2019 motor racing year.

The past season was one of the most successful in the history of the company, with titles in three of the world’s most important GT racing series, as well as many other victories in championships and individual events, including the 2019 Bathurst 12 Hour, where Campbell drove to victory in the Porsche 911 GT3 R of Earl Bamber Motorsport. Porsche also made a successful debut in Formula E.

Members of the Executive Board at Porsche, as well as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, honoured the achievements of drivers and racing teams from all over the world. At the same time, the continuation of the extensive worldwide motorsport programmes as well as a number of new developments were announced.

Porsche relies on its upcoming drivers
For the 2020 season, the Porsche Motorsport squad for GT racing and Formula E is made up of 18 works drivers, two Young Professionals and two Porsche Juniors.

The Australian Matt Campbell (24) and Frenchman Mathieu Jaminet (25) from Porsche’s own youth development programme have been signed on as works drivers. Both have received extensive training initially as Porsche Juniors and then as Young Professionals in the Porsche one-make cups and in international GT racing.

The Frenchman Julien Andlauer (20), who claimed the 2019 Carrera Cup Deutschland title, advances into the next phase of his racing career as a Young Professional. Two Porsche Juniors tackle the 2020 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup: Jaxon Evans from New Zealand (23) contests his second season as a junior. In November 2019, Ayhancan Güven beat the most talented drivers from the worldwide one-make cups at a comprehensive shootout and joins the junior programme of Porsche Motorsport for the coming season.

Both Campbell and Evans are former Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia champions.

Four works cars at Le Mans in 2020
Porsche will continue its GT offensive again in 2020. At the 88th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Porsche again campaigns four works cars. The two championship-winning teams from the FIA WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech Championship again join forces and will each field two of the 515hp 911 RSR (2019 model year). A one-two victory in Le Mans, in race two of the 2018-2019 Super Season, laid the foundation for Porsche’s title win. At the final round of the season in June 2019, a double podium result sealed the manufacturer’s title as well as positions one and two in the team and drivers’ classification.

New 911 RSR celebrates North America debut at Daytona
After a sensational start into the FIA WEC season with two one-two victories and two pole positions from three races, the new Porsche 911 RSR celebrates its US debut on 25 January at the 24-hour race at Daytona. For the 2020 season, the 515 hp #911 GT racer will be driven by Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Frédéric Makowiecki (France). The regular drivers will be supported at the longest races of the season at Daytona, Sebring and Petit Le Mans by Matt Campbell (Australia). Sharing driving duties in the #912 car are the two champions Earl Bamber (New Zealand) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium). Mathieu Jaminet (France) joins the team at the endurance events.

GT programme for Formula E development drivers
Parallel to their job as test and development drivers in Formula E, Porsche works driver Simona de Silvestro (31) and Porsche Young Professional Thomas Preining (21) will also compete in GT racing. De Silvestro joins forces with the former Porsche Junior Klaus Bachler to contest the ADAC GT Masters for the Team 75 Bernhard. Preining receives a regular seat in the Intercontinental GT Challenge and the Blancpain Endurance Series. In the FIA WEC, he supports the customer squad Dempsey Proton Racing.

Porsche’s winning drivers take on new roles
At the Night of Champions, Porsche Motorsport Vice President Fritz Enzinger farewelled three particularly successful and exemplary works drivers: the two Le Mans overall winners and two-time world champions Timo Bernhard (38) and Brendon Hartley (30) as well as “Mister 911” Jörg Bergmeister (43). The longest-serving Porsche works drivers, Bergmeister and Bernhard, who are among the most successful sports car drivers of all time and won the championship titles in the Carrera Cup and Supercup twenty years ago, remain loyal to Porsche AG as brand ambassadors. Brendon Hartley, who was on loan to Formula 1 and various prototype teams for the last three years, now dedicates himself totally to commitments independent of Porsche. Until recently, Hartley was involved in the development of the Porsche 99X Electric and in the preparation for Porsche’s maiden Formula E season. The two Young Professionals Matteo Cairoli and Dennis Olsen have successfully concluded their training from juniors to professional racers and will contest selected championships for Porsche customer teams next season.

Intensive customer team support
Porsche continues its customer sport strategy in international GT racing. Instead of fielding factory squads in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the Blancpain GT Series, the GTD category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as well as regional GT championships, Porsche will support various customer teams by supplying drivers, engineers and consulting services at the racetracks.

2019 Porsche Cup winner: Alan Brynjolfsson in the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport
The Porsche Cup, a trophy presented to the most successful Porsche private driver in the world, was awarded for the 50th time this year. The Porsche Cup is based on an idea of Ferry Porsche and has been presented annually since 1970. All national and international drivers who yielded race results in a vehicle manufactured or recognised by Porsche are eligible. Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Porsche, presented the awards on the occasion of the Night of Champions. The Porsche Cup trophy and a Porsche valued at over 140,000 Euros went to Alan Brynjolfsson (USA, 51), who earned points in the USA in the Pirelli GT4 America and the Michelin Pilot Challenge. This is the first time a 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport driver has claimed the trophy. Last year’s winner Christian Ried received 30,000 Euros in prize money for second place, with Trent Hindman from America taking home 25,000 Euros for third.

Prize for Porsche Esports Supercup winner
For the first time, Porsche has honoured the winner of the Porsche Esports Supercup as part of the Night of Champions. After ten races, Joshua Rogers from Australia became the first champion of the virtual racing series. Run for the first time this year, the contest was conducted in collaboration with iRacing, a leading provider of realistic online racing simulations. After its successful launch, the Porsche Esports Supercup will be continued in 2020.

Porsche Motorsport driver squad 2020 (age/nationality)

Porsche works drivers
Earl Bamber (29/New Zealand)
Gianmaria Bruni (38/Italy)
Matt Campbell (24/Australia)
Michael Christensen (29/Denmark)
Romain Dumas (41/France)
Kévin Estre (31/France)
Mathieu Jaminet (25/France)
Neel Jani (35/Switzerland)
Richard Lietz (35/Austria)
Patrick Long (38/USA)
André Lotterer (38/Germany)
Frédéric Makowiecki (39/France)
Sven Müller (27/Germany)
Patrick Pilet (38/France)
Simona de Silvestro (31/Switzerland)
Nick Tandy (35/Great Britain)
Laurens Vanthoor (28/Belgium)
Dirk Werner (38/Germany)

Porsche Young Professionals
Thomas Preining (21/Austria)
Julien Andlauer (20/France)

Porsche Juniors
Jaxon Evans (23/New Zealand)
Ayhancan Güven (21/Turkey)

Overview of racing series

ABB FIA Formula E Championship Season 6
99X Electric – Neel Jani / André Lotterer

FIA World Endurance Championship 2019/20
911 RSR #91 – Gianmaria Bruni / Richard Lietz
911 RSR #92 – Michael Christensen / Kévin Estre

IMSA WeatherTech Championship 2020
911 RSR #911 – Frédéric Makowiecki / Nick Tandy / Matt Campbell (only North American Endurance Cup)
911 RSR #912 – Earl Bamber / Laurens Vanthoor / Mathieu Jaminet (only North American Endurance Cup)

Intercontinental GT Challenge
911 GT3 R
Matt Campbell
Mathieu Jaminet
Patrick Pilet
Dirk Werner
Thomas Preining
Matteo Cairoti

Jaxon Evans to contest 2020 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup as Porsche Junior driver

Evans to contest 2020 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at eight Formula 1 rounds

Evans to contest 2020 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at eight Formula 1 rounds

2018 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia champion Jaxon Evans, has again been selected as one of only two Porsche Junior supported drivers to contend the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Championship next year.

The New Zealander comes from a motor racing family and began his career in karting at the age of twelve. After finishing as runner-up in the Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge (to be known as Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge from next year) he advanced to the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia where he dominated the 2018 championship.

During the 2019 Evans won the Rookie title in Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland and completed his maiden season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, where he finished on the podium in Spa-Francorchamps and Mexico City.
After impressing all in his debut season, Evans returns as a Porsche Junior in 2020 alongside Ayhancan Güven from Turkey, who was recently announced as the winner of the Porsche Junior Shootout in Portimao.
As Porsche Juniors, the two receive a sponsorship package that includes 225,000 euros for a season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

For 2020 they will contest eight rounds at the wheel of a 485 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
Oliver Schwab, project manager of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, is looking forward to the new junior line-up: “Jaxon steadily improved over the last season and Ayhancan Güven at times even gave the seasoned Supercup regulars a run for their money. In 2020, the title fight amongst the world’s best one-make cup drivers will be more thrilling than ever.”

Both juniors receive support at all race weekends from the former Porsche works driver Sascha Maassen as a driver coach. Like the Porsche works drivers, the sponsored youngsters are provided with sports medicine and sports training-related mentoring from the University of Potsdam.

Media seminars and mental fitness training are also part of the instruction content on the path to becoming a professional racing driver. Moreover, the Porsche Juniors will be involved in marketing activities and PR events.

For the 2020 season, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup will again support the premier class of motorsport contesting eight rounds of the Formula One support programme for the upcoming season. The Supercup will also visit Zandvoort. The seaside resort town near Amsterdam is the venue for the Dutch Grand Prix and hosts a Formula 1 race for the first time in 2020.

The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has been part of the F1 support programme since its 1993 debut season. With the extension of the Formula 1 contract up to and including 2022, the decision was made to focus on the eight European rounds in the future. After the official tests in Barcelona (Spain), the 28th season takes off with the first F1 European round at the Circuit Zandvoort.

The 2020 Supercup calendar also includes championship rounds on the legendary street circuit in Monte Carlo (Monaco) and at Hungary’s Hungaroring – two events that have been a permanent fixture on the series’ race calendar since the debut season.

The Supercup teams will also line up to compete at Barcelona, Spielberg (Austria), Silverstone (Great Britain) and Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium). Italy’s Autodromo Nazionale Monza hosts the final round of the season. Each of the eight events includes a 30-minute sprint race.

“The fact that the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup events take place as part of the Formula 1 programme is a key factor for the success of this racing series,” said Oliver Schwab, project manager of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
At the end of the 2019 season, Michael Ammermüller (D/BWT Lechner Racing) took home the championship crown for the third time in a row, while BWT Lechner Racing won the team championship.
The winners will be presented with their trophies at the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Championship Dinner on Friday, 29 November 2019.

2020 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race calendar
26.03-27.03.2020, Barcelona (Spain), official test
01.05-03.05.2020, Zandvoort (Netherlands), race 1
08.05-10.05.2020, Barcelona (Spain), race 2
21.05-24.05.2020, Monte Carlo (Monaco), race 3
03.07-05.07.2020, Spielberg (Austria), race 4
17.07-19.07.2020, Silverstone (Great Britain), race 5
31.07-02.08.2020, Budapest (Hungary), race 6
28.08-30.08.2020, Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), race 7
04.09-06.09.2020, Monza (Italy), race 8

Jordan Love impresses on debut while Güven wins Porsche Junior Shootout

Porsche Motorsport will support another talented young driver in the 2020 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup

Porsche Motorsport will support another talented young driver in the 2020 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup

Ayhancan Güven from Turkey will contest the international Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in 2020 as a Porsche Junior. At the three-day selection process in Portimão in Portugal, the 21-year-old beat eleven other candidates from Carrera Cup series around the world, including Australia’s Jordan Love.

Love has impressed throughout his ascent up the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid, earning his debut nomination in the Porsche Junior global shootout – after winning both the 2019 Michelin Junior title and clinching the 2019 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Championship on the Gold Coast recently.

He now carries huge momentum into next year with strong opportunities abroad on the horizon.
This year’s Porsche Junior Shootout fielded the strongest field on record, with champions and drivers nominated by their respective national Porsche one-make cups from around the world.

This year was Güven’s second nomination for the shootout earning his nomination as the reigning champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup France. Guven lost out to 2018 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia champion and Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans in 2018, but went onto compete in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup championship this year, claiming both race victories and podiums this season.

Porsche has supported talented young racing drivers since 1997 and helps them on their way up the motorsport career ladder. “For Porsche, it is important to recognise the talents and abilities of drivers and to assist them. The competition in the national one-make cup series is extremely high. This was evident in the shootout this year and underlines how strongly we are positioned in motorsport,” says Fritz Enzinger, Vice President Porsche Motorsport.

“During the shootout at Portimão, the participants were literally checked out from top to toe. We got a comprehensive picture of their physical and mental fitness and also tested their driving skills,” explains Jasmin Steidle-Faas, project manager of the Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme.

Güven climbed into a kart at the age of five and was supported by his father, who is also an amateur racer in Turkey. At the age of twelve, the youngster from Istanbul switched to SimRacing and competed for the world’s largest team with today’s Formula 1 drivers Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
At 17, he returned to real motorsport and won several races in Turkey. In 2016, Güven climbed the ladder into international GT racing. The following year he went on to contest the Porsche Carrera Cup France and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux, concluding the latter series as the rookie champion.

In 2018, Güven climbed another rung of the Porsche Motorsport ladder: He took home the championship crown from both the Carrera Cup France and the Carrera Cup Benelux. The following year he contested his maiden season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, run as part of the Formula 1 support programme.
This year, he again won the Carrera Cup France and concluded his debut Supercup season as runner-up and rookie champion. “That was a strong season and a truly great success for me and Philippe Almeras’s team,” declares Güven.

“It was a great honour to take part in the selection process. When I received the news that I was chosen as the new Porsche Junior I was absolutely thrilled. Being a Porsche Junior is a dream come true. From a very young age I’ve always wanted to win. Coming out on top at the shootout is the greatest victory of my life. I’d like to thank Porsche for the confidence they’ve placed in me,” said Güven.

Porsche traditionally supports two young drivers at the same time: the second driver alongside Güven is Jaxon Evans, who will return as a Porsche Junior in 2020.
As Porsche Juniors, the two receive a sponsorship package that includes 225,000 euros for a season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. For 2020 they will contest eight rounds at the wheel of a 485 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.