GWR to enter two Porsche’s into Night-time Endurance Race at Sydney Motorsport Park

Padayachee and Sheargold to enter NSW Production Sports and 4 Hour Endurance Races

Garth Walden Racing will enter two Porsche’s into the combined NSW Production Sports and Super GT Australia 4 Hour Endurance Race at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 6. The race will take place as part of round one of the 2021 Australian Motor Racing Series which sees a variety of National and State level categories competing over the weekend. In the 2018 Porsche 991 GT3 Cup car will be the familiar father and son pairing of Indiran and Duvashen Padayachee while Michael Sheargold will drive with team boss Garth Walden in the 2016 Porsche 991.

The race will begin at twilight and end under the complete cover of darkness, adding a unique night light element to the endurance event which is seen by many as a drawcard and a great use of the new lighting facilities at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Team boss Garth Walden will get behind the wheel once again at Sydney Motorsport Park, driving with Michael Sheargold, Walden sees the event as a great opportunity to keep progressing with Sheargold’s driving development.

“I actually haven’t raced the Porsche since 2016 when I was in Carrera Cup so I’m relishing the opportunity to get back behind the wheel and also coach Michael (Sheargold). Being in the same car on the same weekend really elevates the level of feedback and coaching that I can give him,” said Walden.

“I’m looking forward to the cool temperatures racing at night, it shouldn’t be too steamy in the cockpit. Starting at twilight might be a challenge though, as the sun sets it gets right in your eyeline as you’re coming down to turn one, so I’ll be keeping an eye on that.”

Michael Sheargold continues his rapid learning curve when it comes to motorsport, as he prepares to tackle his biggest event to date.

“This is a race of firsts for me, I’ve never raced at SMP with the new lights which will be a really cool experience. I’ve done a bit of testing, but I think with a group of cars around it’ll be a completely different atmosphere,” said Sheargold.

“Up to this point the longest races I’ve done are one hour long and they were with a co-driver! So really only 30-minute stints. Certainly, it’s been one of the main focus points in testing is making sure I’m able to maintain that level of concentration for long enough and I’ve been finding little things to help me in that area.”

Duvashen and Indiran Padayachee combine once again for a race together, the father and son pairing are upbeat about their prospects.

“I think we have a very good car, obviously we look at the quality of the field and we see some very good names, but the conditions should suit us as well. With the race at night, the temperatures should be a bit cooler, and we’ve found the Porsche tends to generate heat a bit quicker so we’re confident we’ve got the right car,” said Duvashen Padayachee

“The spectacle will be amazing, everything looks better under lights and the crew at Sydney Motorsport Park did a fantastic job as well the whole track is perfectly lit there’s no awkward dark patches which is comforting as a driver. I can’t wait to get out there, it’s going to be great to just get out on track for such a great event,” concluded Padayachee.

Lowndes to partner with Wall Racing in Carrera Cup Australia

Wall Racing announces Bathurst winner in strong driver line-up for Australia’s premier one-make series

Seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner, Craig Lowndes, will team up with 2017 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Champion, David Wall, for the two opening rounds of the 2021 Carrera Cup Australia series.

Last year, the Supercars icon made his first Porsche appearance in the Liqui-Molly Bathurst 12-Hour driving with factory drivers Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor, but his Carrera Cup Australia debut was unfortunately cut short following the sudden cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix.

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, together with Shannons Insurance, Sculptura and Local Pools and Spas.

David Wall said, “We are very pleased to announce that Paynter Dixon will be on my car and that Craig is confirmed for the first two rounds. I have had an association with Paynter Dixon for a number of years from working on their job sites at an early age, to commercial partners on my Supercar when I competed in the series and in recent years in Carrera Cup Australia.”

“They are a massive part of the Wall Racing Team and we look forward to doing our best to repay them throughout 2021. We also welcome back Shannons Insurance to the team after being involved with us over a number of years including our championship year in 2017. For Craig, we look forward to seeing what we can do beyond Sandown and Tailem Bend.”

Wall was equally thrilled to welcome Pro-Am driver, Drew Hall, to the team. Hall will compete at selected 2021 rounds, the first being Tailem Bend, “To have Craig join our team is massive, he needs no introduction to any form of Motorsport and I’m sure he will love being part of Carrera Cup Australia in general. We are planning on this being a long-term relationship and are actively searching for potential commercial partners to ensure that we are both on the grid throughout the year and beyond.”

“Drew has been part of our team for over 12 months now and has made some massive steps in his driving and we feel he is ready to take another step up and join our Carrera Cup campaign for 2021,” Wall enthused.

“Drew will do a great job in #86 and with a few Carrera Cup events under his belt, I see no reason why he can’t mix it with other Pro-Am drivers as the year progresses and we look forward to showing him how enjoyable and competitive Carrera Cup Australia is at every level.”

Wall Racing’s Team Manager and Chief Engineer, David Fyfe, was equally thrilled with the 2021 driver line-up, “It’s great to have Craig join David and Drew within the team. It’s certainly going to be an exciting year ahead and I look forward to welcoming Craig’s experience into the team.”

Craig Lowndes said, “I’m really excited to be joining Wall Racing for the Sandown and Tailem Bend rounds. Teaming up with David, it will be great to get back behind the wheel of the Porsche after our first real taste was abandoned due to the impact of the pandemic at the Grand Prix last year.”

“The 911 GT3 Cup car is obviously a completely different beast to a Supercar, but I aim to be competitive. I also really enjoyed driving the Porsche 911 GT3 R in the Bathurst 12-Hour last year and working with the entire Porsche family,” Lowndes continued.

About Wall Racing:

With over 35 years of experience, Wall Racing is one of Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia’s top championship winning teams. The Sydney based team has never finished a season off the overall Championship podium since 2016.

Their results include:

Wall Racing’s Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia record:

2016 – 3^rd Mobil Pro

2017 – 1^st Mobil Pro Champions

2018 – Runner-up Mobil Pro

2019 – 3^rd Mobil Pro

2019 – Pro-Am Champions

GWR Australia announce Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup driver line-up

Indiran Padayachee will return to the Pro-Am class with GWR Australia in 2021

Indiran Padayachee will return to the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia with GWR Australia in 2021, competing in the Pro-Am Class.

Indiran’s son, Duvashen Padayachee, will also line-up on the grid for selected rounds of the series, while the GWR outfit will provide technical support to Cameron Hill and CHE Racing.

During his last full season of Carrera Cup Australia competition in 2019, Padayachee made huge strides throughout the season, slashing multiple seconds off his personal-best lap times at many of the venues visited by the series. He is aiming for that upward momentum to continue during 2021.

“It will be an interesting start to the year, because a lot of drivers haven’t been on track for over 12 months,” Padayachee said.

“Last year, we were fortunate enough to get some track time in the NSW Production Sports Championship, and we’ve been doing some testing in preparation for the start of this season. I’m feeling comfortable in the car and looking forward to the opening round at Sandown.”

“During 2019, I had some good battles with some of the other Pro-Am competitors, so hopefully that will continue this year.”

Team owner Garth Walden has been impressed by Padayachee’s progress in the Porsche.

“During the 2019 season, we worked on developing Indiran’s driving technique and we gave him target lap times to aim for at each circuit,” Walden said.

“It’s been very satisfying to see him beating those target times pretty much everywhere we go, and thoroughly enjoying himself on the track.”

“Duvashen also had some really good results in 2019 as well, and we’re looking forward to him joining the team for selected rounds this season.”

Walden said the alliance with Cameron Hill delivers benefits to both parties.

“Cameron is a supremely talented driver and his feedback about set-up and how his car is behaving is valuable for our engineering group,” Walden said.

“What Cameron and his small, family-owned CHE Racing team have achieved in Carrera Cup Australia has been very impressive and we’re proud to be able to provide him with some technical assistance to enable his talents to shine through.”

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season is due to get underway at Sandown International Raceway on 19-21 March.

Amadio Wines renews partnership with Porsche Cars Australia for 2021 motorsport season

Amadio Wines named as Official Wine & Champagne Partner for both Porsche one-make series in Australia

Porsche Cars Australia have announced that Amadio Wines have renewed their support of Australia’s premier one-make motorsport series. The South Australian winemaker will again be the Official Wine and Champagne Partner of both the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series for the 2021 season

Amadio’s premium wine and champagnes will again be used for all Carrera Cup Australia and Sprint Challenge podium celebrations throughout the 2021 season, with each Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car displaying Amadio Wines branding on the rear wing end plates and sill on every Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge entry.

Porsche Cars Australia Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “Without our long standing partners we could not provide the level of support to our drivers and teams that we do. We’re thrilled to continue our relationship with Amadio Wines for the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge seasons. Both series provide a great activation platform for all our partners and reinforce Porsche’s association with these premium brands.”

On the renewal of the partnership, Amadio Wines Managing Director Danniel Amadio said, “We are delighted to continue supporting this high calibre class of motor racing. It is a testament to all the competing teams and the organisation behind Porsche Motorsport in Australia for their continued efforts in producing some of the best young talents this country has to offer. This is evident not just on a national stage, but the results of their drivers on the international stage.“

Round 1 of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge gets underway at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from the 18-20 February, while Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season is due to start on the 19-21 March at the Sandown International Raceway, as the premier support category for Repco Supercars Championship.

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

About Amadio Wines:

Amadio Wines represents Danniel Amadio’s contribution as the third generation to his family’s successful winemaking legacy. Stemming from his grandfather’s success in the early 30’s and his parents success in the 90’s, whose label rose to be acclaimed ‘most awarded boutique label in Australia’, Danniel is now continuing the family legacy. The Amadio family pride themselves on their Italian heritage, which has aided them in sourcing the best quality food from around Australia and creating a top branding wine as Danniel personally selects the best fruit parcels from his family owned Kersbrook Vineyards in the Adelaide Hills.

Michelin and Porsche announce massive prize pool for 2021 Junior Development Programme

French tyre giant renews its support of both Porsche Sprint Challenge and 2021 Junior Development Programme

The continued support and development of the best young drivers from around the Australasian region has been a key priority for both Michelin Australia and Porsche Cars Australia for several years now. The domestic collaboration has seen the initiative grow into benchmark driver development programme in the country and remain a vital feature of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.

For the 2021 season, the French tyre giant has announced that it will again support the Porsche Junior Development Programme offering eligible young drivers from the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series mentorship, support and training from the country’s leading sports professionals and coaches, as well as the opportunity to win their share of the $300,000 prize pool on offer.

The prize pool sees the top three Junior drivers from each series, receive a set of Michelin competition tyres every round, while the top placed Junior driver at each event will also receive a complimentary entry for the round.

The Michelin Junior Champion, crowned at the end of the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season, will receive a trip to Germany to attend the Porsche Motorsport Night of Champions Dinner in December 2021.

The other main incentive for the Michelin Junior drivers in the premier one-make series is an opportunity to attend the global Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout, which

continues to play a crucial role in the development of the best emerging talent from the region and is seen as the most proven pathway for talented drivers to progress to the highest level abroad.

The 2019 Michelin Junior champion, Jordan Love, won the overall Carrera Cup Australia Championship and went onto to win the Porsche Junior Shootout nomination to compete 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.

Last year Love joined the 2018 Carrera Cup Australia Champion and Porsche Junior driver, Jaxon Evans, on the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup grid, the premier support race for FIA Formula One World Championship.

Other drivers that have progressed up the Porsche Motorsport pyramid in recent years via the Australian Junior Programme, include the likes of Matt Campbell, Nick Foster, Andre Heimgartner and Dylan O’Keeffe, who have all gone on to succeed at the highest levels of the sport both locally and internationally.

In a new incentive for 2021, the Australian nominee to attend the global junior shootout will receive an exclusive test drive in the new 992 generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car ahead of its introduction in 2022. The global Porsche Junior Shootout will be utilising the new 992 Cup Car for the first time this year and this prize provides the best opportunity for the Australian Junior nomination to perfect their skills before they head overseas.

On the partnership announcement, Porsche Cars Australia’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy said, “It’s fantastic to have our long term partner in Michelin to come on board once again and provide the crucial support needed for young talented athletes within this country. Both Michelin and Porsche are aligned in our passion for developing young athletes both on and off the track, which we have had great success in the past, and we are looking forward to continuing this support for the next batch of talented athletes coming through.

Michelin Australia’s Marketing Manager Oceania, Swaroop Tulsidas, is excited to continue the French brand’s support of the region’s young racers, “Michelin Australia are committed to supporting local talent through the Michelin Junior Programme. It’s been a difficult year for the drivers and teams alike, not being able to compete as normal in 2020. Fortunately, there is plenty to look forward to in the season ahead with some fantastic events on the race calendar.”

“The global partnership we have with Porsche comes to life locally when juniors from Australia and New Zealand progress in the Porsche Pyramid and make it to the top. We look forward to seeing the development and progression of our juniors in 2021.”

To be eligible as a Michelin Junior in 2021, both Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge and Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup, drivers must be born between 30.11.1997 and 01.03.2004. All Michelin Juniors in each series must carry additional Michelin branding on their racing apparel and Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars.

To learn more about the professional coaching provided by leading experts in the Michelin

Junior Training days, watch the following videos:

Porsche Michelin Junior Training Day 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YXWEjT_ewM

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

For more information on the 2021 Porsche Michelin Junior Programme Australia email motorsport@porsche.com.au

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

Porsche and TAG Heuer enter into strategic partnership

A common history with innovation and motor racing at its core

Porsche and the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer TAG Heuer have joined forces in a strategic brand partnership. Within the framework of the holistic and long-term alliance, the premium manufacturers intend to jointly approach both sports competitions and the development of products. As a first step, the partners unveiled a new watch, the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph.

“The strong friendship of our brand with TAG Heuer exists since decades and I am more than happy that we are now taking the next steps in the frame of a strategic partnership,” says Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “We bring together what our customers love the most about both of us: authentic heritage, thrilling sports events, unique life experiences and the fulfilment of dreams. We both strive to create some unique, magic moments for our communities. We now look forward to doing it together.”

“TAG Heuer and Porsche have common history and values, of course, but more importantly, we share an attitude,” says Frédéric Arnault, CEO of TAG Heuer. “Like Porsche, we are disruptors at heart, always in pursuit of high performance. With this alliance, TAG Heuer and Porsche finally come together officially after decades of close encounters and will create unmatched experiences and products for customers and fans that are passionate about both our brands and what we stand for.”

Two histories – one passion

For over half a century, the stories of the two companies have intersected. Similarities of heritage can be traced all the way back to the entrepreneurs of Porsche and TAG Heuer. Edouard Heuer and Ferdinand Porsche were pioneers whose visions changed their chosen fields forever. Heuer was responsible for the first manufactured chronograph and Porsche constructed a new electric wheel hub motor. Both these accomplishments earned medals at World Fairs held in Paris 11 years apart. Heuer was honoured in 1889, the first Lohner-Porsche Electromobile with this innovation was presented at the Expo in Paris in 1900.

The true cornerstones of today’s partnership, however, are descendants of the brands’ founders. Ferdinand Porsche’s son, Ferdinand Anton Ernst or “Ferry”, joined his father’s engineering office in 1931 at the age of 22 and founded the car brand that bears the family name in 1948. Within a few years, the name of Porsche would be inextricably linked with race track success all around the world – including a class win in the Carrera Panamericana race of 1954. In honour of its successful participation, Porsche calls its most powerful sportscar engine at this time ‘Carrera’.

Edouard Heuer’s great-grandson Jack led his family’s company for decades. In 1963, he created the first Heuer Carrera chronograph, designed to let drivers tell the time at a glance in the heat of action. Jack Heuer was also responsible for the Heuer Monaco, the first square-faced, water-resistant automatic chronograph watch. Its name evoked the Monaco Grand Prix as well as the Principality’s renowned Monte Carlo Rally, which Porsche won in three consecutive years, from 1968 to 1970, with its 911 model.

Steve McQueen and the Heuer logo

Just as the Porsche 911 had done for automobiles, the Heuer Monaco broke with the familiar design codes of traditional watchmaking. Its innovations had come at a significant financial cost and as an alternative to an expensive advertising campaign, Jack Heuer further cemented his brand’s link to the renowned sportscar manufacturer with a creative sponsorship arrangement with Fribourg, Switzerland-based racing driver and Porsche dealer Jo Siffert. In 2005, at the premiere of the film Jo Siffert: “Live Fast, Die Young”, Jack Heuer remembered the terms of their contract: “In exchange for CHF 25,000, he would put our logo on his car and suit. In addition, he could buy our watches at wholesale prices and resell them to his racing friends at a substantial profit. Which he did with great success because half of the paddock was wearing Heuer watches by the end of the 1969 season!” It was this connection that led Steve McQueen to wear the Heuer logo on his racing suit during the filming of Le Mans in 1970, in which he drove a Porsche 917. The American actor said at the time, “I drive the same car as Jo Siffert, and I want to wear the same suit as him.”

TAG-Turbo Engine – made by Porsche for the McLaren team

With its sale to the TAG Group, Heuer became TAG Heuer in the mid-1980s. At this time, the Porsche and TAG Heuer jointly developed and produced the TAG Turbo Engine that enabled the McLaren team to win three consecutive F1 world titles: with Niki Lauda in 1984, followed by Alain Prost in 1985 and 1986. In 1999, the relationship between Porsche and TAG Heuer grew even stronger – from the Porsche Carrera Cup and Supercup competitions, followed by the Endurance World Championship and more was yet to come. Porsche created its own Formula E team with TAG Heuer as title and timing partner in 2019, marking a starting point for an even more powerful and far-reaching collaboration.

New sports partnerships

In its second year, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team will now fight for the World Championship. Behind the wheel of Porsche’s all-electric racecar, the 99X Electric, will be drivers André Lotterer and his new teammate, Pascal Wehrlein. Porsche has long distinguished itself in endurance events and together with TAG Heuer its GT Team is well prepared for the coming FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The milestone year will also include series partnerships in ten editions of the worldwide one-make cup series Porsche Carrera Cup. In addition to physical competitions, TAG Heuer also engages in virtual racing by supporting the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup. In addition, the watch brand is stepping in as global partner in Porsche’s ‘classic’ events and rallies.

Moreover, both brands share their strong passion for tennis and golf. The main tennis event is the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. This was launched in 1978, and the sports car manufacturer has been the organizer since 2002. TAG Heuer will accompany the event, which has repeatedly been named the most popular tournament in its category, as an official partner for watches and chronographs. In golf, Porsche has been the title sponsor of the Porsche European Open, one of the most traditional tournaments on the European Tour, since 2015. This year, TAG Heuer will be present as a partner for the first time here.

Finally, the brands are committed to creating unforgettable moments together in the future through the various Porsche Experiences.

The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph

Carrera as an icon of a name has been associated with Porsche and TAG Heuer for generations – so it was a natural choice for the first creative product collaboration. A tribute to the heritage of two brands, the new chronograph offers a first glimpse at what they can achieve together and is a seamless blend of the Porsche and TAG Heuer universes, reflecting the excellence of both names without diluting the essence of either.

Porsche’s engraved inscription is visible on the bezel and the unmistakable font is also used for the indexes. The Porsche colours of red, black, and grey – which also recall historic Heuer models – are incorporated throughout the watch, and on clear display through the transparent cristal case back is the oscillating mass, which has been redesigned in affectionate tribute to Porsche’s celebrated steering wheel. It is printed with “Porsche” and “TAG Heuer”.

The dial’s asphalt effect, created especially for this watch, expresses a passion for the road, while Arabic numerals suggest the numbers on the dashboard of fine Porsche sportscars. The timepiece is presented either on a soft strap in luxurious calf leather and innovative stitching that echoes the Porsche interior or on an interlocking bracelet reflecting streamlined racing design. At the heart of the timepiece is the in-house Calibre Heuer 02 manufacture movement with an impressive 80-hour power reserve.

Further information and film and photo material in the Porsche Newsroom: newsroom.porsche.com.au

McElrea Racing unveil impressive 2021 Carrera Cup Australia driver line-up

Murray, Jones, Walls and Miles to headline Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup title assault

McElrea Racing is heading into the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup season with its strongest driver line-up in the series’ 17-year history. The formidable Mobil Pro driver line-up is brimming with some of the country’s top, young drivers including the premier one-make series’ youngest-ever race winner and reigning Porsche PAYCE & Michelin Virtual Cup Champion, Cooper Murray.

Murray, along with Cameron Hill, were the only two drivers to record Carrera Cup Australia round victories last year, before the 2020 season was prematurely halted due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joining Murray is 2019 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Champion, Harri Jones, who too, enters the Carrera Cup Australia season with good momentum and confidence following victories in the 2020 Tin Top races and Porsche Michelin and PAYCE Cup event at Sandown Raceway last December.

New to the Queensland outfit for 2021 is Jackson Walls, who made his impressive Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car debut in the same Porsche Michelin and PAYCE Cup event last year, finishing as high as fourth in the final race. The 18-year old makes the move up to Carrera Cup this year after joining Arden Motorsport for the 2020 Formula Renault Eurocup season. Walls previously campaigned open-wheel formulas such as Castrol Toyota Racing Series, Australian Formula 4 Championship and the F3 Asian Championship.

Tim Miles will spearhead McElrea’s Pro-Am class attack. The Sydney businessman will again be a strong contender for class honours in 2021, continuing to grow in belief and confidence every year. This was evident when Miles most recently took pole position in qualifying in the 2020 season opener in Adelaide, among a highly competitive Pro-Am field.

Murray, Jones and Walls will all be looking to emulate the careers of former McElrea Racing graduates, Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans, who have progressed up the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid and gone onto forge top-level international careers with the Porsche factory team and its customer GT teams.

The 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia calendar gets underway on 19-21 March at Sandown Raceway in Victoria, as the premier support category for the Repco Supercars Championship.

2021 McElrea Racing Driver line-up – Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia

#6           Tim Miles                             Miles Advisory

#11          Jackson Walls                     Objective

#12         Harri Jones                          Helimods

#30        Cooper Murray                    Nautica Global Forwarding

Quotes:

Team Owner, Andy McElrea: “We are really looking forward to the 2021 Carrera Cup & Sprint Challenge championships. For the first time in our 13 year history that we have the perfect number of customers for our business model, that is 4 cars in each championship, with businessman Richard Cowen also doing a partial Sprint Challenge championship and (Christian) Pancione doing some selected rounds of the Carrera Cup championship in preparation for 2021. We all realise that we will need to be flexible with plans and logistics for 2021, as some disruptions are inevitable, but we love a challenge and are always prepared to adapt on the run. We’ve already started testing with our Sprint Challenge drivers, while our first Carrera Cup test takes place in February.”

Cooper Murray: I’m really looking forward to working with McElrea team again in 2021 and continuing the form we showed at the start of last year. My goal is to win the overall championship and that ticket to the Porsche Junior Shootout!”

Harri Jones: “Personally, everything has ramped up for 2021. I am fitter, stronger and faster than I have ever been. I am ready to fight for the 2021 championship.”

Jackson Walls: “I’m really excited to be starting my Touring car career with Andy McElrea’s team and all the boys at McElrea Racing, who I have grown-up around. I’ve had an awesome bond with the team for the past few years. This year’s a bit different, because I’m the one driving, not my dad, so it’s great to switch roles… especially with the best team in the business.”

Tim Miles: “2021 will be my eighth consecutive season driving for McElrea and I’ve enjoyed many race wins and a Sprint Challenge Pro-Am championship. I’m really looking forward to getting back on track after a pretty quiet 2020.”

McElrea Racing Achievements:

McElrea are the only Australian team to have won races in every season of Australian Carrera Cup (incl 2020) since it re-started in 2011. They are also able to claim to have been on pole for the first race of each new generation car: 997:2 (Jonny Reid at 2011 AGP), 991:1 (Shae Davies at 2014 Adelaide) and 991:2 (Jaxon Evans at 2018 Adelaide).

Porsche titles captured by the team include: the Carrera Cup Pro class on two occasions; Carrera Cup Pro Am title, Sprint Challenge Pro class title, Sprint Challenge Pro Am (twice), Rennsport Pro Am Enduro (twice), and the coveted Porsche Teams Championship three times.

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

Porsche Cars Australia announces updated 2021 Carrera Cup calendar

Sandown announced as Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season-opener

Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) is pleased to announce that as the premier support category for the Repco Supercars Championship, the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia (PCCA) season-opener will now be held at the historic Sandown International Raceway on the 20th and 21st March.

The Carrera Cup Australia season then follows the Repco Supercar Championship to the fast and flowing curves of The Bend Motorsport Park in May, before heading to the calendar’s first (of four) street circuits in Townsville in July. Rounds four and five feature two back-to-back night races at Sydney Motorsport Park in August and Wanneroo Raceway in Perth in September.

Porsche teams then travel to the majestic Mount Panorama in New South Wales for the Bathurst 1000 in October, before returning to Melbourne in November and concluding the series on the streets of the Gold Coast in December.

Quotes:

PCA’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “We are really pleased with the revised calendar for the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup season, which offers our customers a great mix of events and circuits to attend, including four street circuits, two night races as well as the best permanent race tracks within the country. While it’s unfortunate that we will no longer race in New Zealand as originally planned, the revised calendar provides race-starved Melbourne fans an additional event in what is shaping up to be one of the best seasons for our category.”

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

2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Calendar

Rnd        Event               State     Date

1               Sandown            VIC         20-21 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 1000  NSW         7-10 Oct

7              Melbourne         VIC           TBC Nov

8             Gold Coast         QLD          3-5 Dec

Porsche celebrates contributions to Carrera Cup Australia via Hall of Fame Award

Hall of Fame Award recognizes contributions to the premier support category over its 17-year history

Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) has announced the creation of a Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Hall of Fame Award, which seeks to both recognize and celebrate significant contributions that individuals have made to the category over its 17-year history, which has seen it established as the premier support series within the country.

A five person judging panel will induct one winner annually to the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Hall of Fame, which will be announced at the annual Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Awards Night toward the conclusion of each season.

The judging panel will select the winning inductee from a list of three potential candidates, with each candidate distilling the values of the championship while making a significant contribution to the success during their time with the sport. This entitles the award to be bestowed not only upon drivers, but administrators, officials, team managers, engineers, mechanics and volunteers. The first year will see three winners being inducted into the Carrera Cup Hall of Fame, while one winner per year will be inducted every year after that.

On the announcement, Troy Bundy, PCA’s Head of Motorsport said, “We feel it’s important to recognize the people that have made Carrera Cup into what it is today and will be really rewarding to celebrate the contribution people have made to our category on all levels of the sport. “

“The Carrera Cup Hall of Fame Award will also grow the awareness of the steeped history of Porsche Carrera Cup in Australia, via a range of content pieces highlighting the contribution the inductee has made to the Championship over the years.”

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

Porsche announces Paynter Dixon as Title Partner for 2021 Carrera Cup Australia season

Paynter Dixon will replace PAYCE as Title Partner of Australia’s premier one-make series

Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) is pleased to announce Paynter Dixon as Title Partner of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia series in 2021. The country’s premier one-make category will be known as Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia throughout all eight rounds of the national series.

As Title Partner, Paynter Dixon receives naming rights to not only the series, but the Porsche Carrera Cup Teams Lounge and the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Awards Night. Each Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car will display Paynter Dixon branding across the top front windscreen as well as branding on the side panels and interior doors and a range of other brand assets.

In addition to this, Paynter Dixon will receive comprehensive reach through the series broadcast partners the Seven Network, the Ten Network and Fox Sports as well as extensive content the Porsche Motorsport Australia’s digital and social media platforms. A range of bespoke experiences will also be delivered allowing customers of Paynter Dixon to test drive the Porsche product range first hand.

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup season starts at Sandown Raceway in March and will again be the premier support race for the marquee rounds of the Repco Supercars Championship in 2021, concluding at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit on the Gold Coast in early December.

Quotes:

PCA’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “We are thrilled to make this announcement ahead of what will be one of Carrera Cup’s strongest seasons on track. Paynter Dixon’s confirmation as a Title Partner comes at a great time for the series; as Carrera Cup returns to the track for what is expected to be one of its most exciting seasons to date, with the exposure across television, social media and press media better than ever. Carrera Cup will enjoy extensive coverage across both network and free-to-air television in 2021 including the premier Repco Supercars Championship events.”

Paynter Dixon Executive Chairman, James Boyd: “We are thrilled to partner with the Porsche brand as Title Partners of the Carrera Cup series in Australia.  As the premium one-make series in the country, it aligns perfectly with Paynter Dixon’s customers and values around presentation, quality and positioning – key elements of what we look for in every partnership.”

About Paynter Dixon:

Paynter Dixon, was founded in 1914 and is Australian owned and operated with offices across the eastern states of the country. Paynter Dixon delivers property services and solutions in a variety of sectors, including hospitality, health and ageing, education, retirement living, commercial, insurance and remedial.

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

Porsche aims to fight for overall victories with an LMDh prototype

Executive Board at Porsche AG approves development of a hybrid racing car

The Executive Board at Porsche AG has given the green light to the development of an LMDh prototype. After a lengthy evaluation phase, Porsche Motorsport received the order to build a vehicle based on future regulations. From 2023, the LMDh cars will make up a new top class in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Both championships are hugely significant for the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer. Porsche very much welcomed the introduction of the new class for hybrid prototypes when it was jointly announced by the organisers at ACO/WEC and IMSA. The racing cars, which tip the scales at around 1,000 kilograms, are powered by a hybrid system with an output of 500 kW (680 hp).

“The new LMDh category allows us to fight for overall victories with a hybrid system at the Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring classics – without breaking the bank. The project is extremely attractive for Porsche. Endurance racing is part of our brand’s DNA,” explains Oliver Blume, CEO at Porsche AG.

For the first time in more than 20 years, it will be possible to fight for overall victories with identical vehicles at endurance races around the world. Moreover, the new LMDh category focuses on high cost-efficiency. The cars are based on an upgraded LMP2 chassis, and the spec for the hybrid system including the control electronics is standardised. Chassis from four different manufacturers are available. Each brand is free to select the concept for the combustion engine and the body design within the framework of the regulations.

Michael Steiner, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG, adds: “In the medium term, Porsche focuses on three different drive concepts: fully electric vehicles, efficient plug-in hybrids and emotional combustion engines. We want to represent this trilogy in both the development of our cutting-edge road cars and in motorsport. We use the all-electric drive to contest the FIA Formula E as part of our works commitment, and the highly efficient and emotional combustion unit in GT racing. Now, the LMDh class closes the gap for us. There, powerful hybrid drives – like the ones that are mounted in many of our brand’s models – go up against each other. If the regulations eventually allowed the use of synthetic fuels, then that would be an even greater incentive for me in terms of sustainability.”

“I’d like to thank our board of directors for the immense confidence they have in the motorsport strategy we’ve developed,” explains Fritz Enzinger, Vice President Motorsport. “We hold a record with our 19 outright wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and we’ve climbed to the top podium step many times at major races in the USA. We can continue this tradition with an LMDh vehicle while at the same time keeping costs reasonable. There has been huge interest from other manufacturers. I hope we can pick up where we left off with the famous clashes against many other marques in the eighties and nineties. That would give the entire motor racing scene a huge boost.”

High-performance hybrid drives have enjoyed a long and extremely successful tradition at Porsche Motorsport. In 2010 and 2011, the revolutionary Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid set new benchmarks at races on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. At that time, there was no other comparable vehicle with a hybrid drive.

Between 2014 and 2017, the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart underlined its expertise in the field of highly efficient, high-performance hybrid drives with the 919 Hybrid. In the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the LMP1 class prototype achieved a hat trick, winning three times in a row at the Le Mans 24-hour classic. Porsche also clinched the manufacturers’ and drivers’ championship titles three times straight.

Almond wins enduro thriller as Jones takes Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Cup

Stephen Grove, Ryan Suhle and Andrew Goldie share the silverware at Sandown

MICHAEL ALMOND made it three winners from three races in a thrilling conclusion to the Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Cup at Sandown Raceway, while Harri Jones sealed the Carrera Cup Mobil Pro class by a single point. 

Almond’s stunning victory came by less than a car length as he and Jones battled for the race and round honours, the latter claiming the weekend overall thanks to the single bonus point he scored by grabbing pole position on Saturday.

Arron Love was third: Each driver scored a first, second and third across the three races contested to see them tied on points for the overall round result – the Pole Position result the deciding factor.

“What an awesome weekend,” Jones said.

“All three of us on the podium had equal points for the weekend except I had the bonus point for pole position. Super glad with the weekend: I can’t thank the McElrea team for the weekend, they’ve provided me with an awesome car.”

Stephen Grove swept the weekend to take the Carrera Cup Pro-Am Class, beating home Tim Miles and Marc Cini in the final standings.

“It’s really good – it’s a good hit out, 45 minutes is a long way!” Stephen Grove said.

“The boys were chasing and chasing and they were all over me! It’s good to be back – it really caps a tough year off.”

Ryan Suhle won the Mobil Pro class in the Sprint Challenge competitors, the Porsche Michelin Junior pleased to be back in the car and with his strong weekend.

“It was awesome to get back on the track and race. These events are always run so well so it was great to get one done this year. Thanks to everyone who has supported me and enabled me to get here.”

Andrew Goldie’s Sprint Challenge Pro-Am victory came against the largest class of the entire weekend; winning the round ahead of Matthew Belford and Michael Loccisano.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it – it’s a nice way to end the year, get a race meeting in in a very competitive field of cars,” Goldie – who traveled from Western Australia to race this weekend – said.

“It was always a question about ‘how would we fare’ moving up from Class B to a Pro-Am car but this is a nice way to start; a nice confidence boost.”

The 45-minute race was a pulsating, tense affair that saw three different race leaders and tight competition right through to the checkered flag.

Starting from the front row, Love led Jones and Almond on the opening lap – however an off at turn seven on the second lap saw him drop to fifth and saw Jones assume the lead over Almond and Nick McBride.

The Queenslander led the next 17 laps before Almond slipped past to start the second half of the race in front.

Love gradually worked his way back to the front, setting the fastest lap en route to snaring third position on the 26th lap – though the two leaders remained inseparable as they diced for the lead.

The intensity grew as the race charged towards the 45-minute timed conclusion, Jones launching an attack on Almond on the 260km/hr run to turn six – on what would be the penultimate lap of the race. After several wild moments, the Sonic Motor Racing car was able to remain in front as they exited Dandenong Road.

Almond held on to take a narrow race win – to make it three winners from three races – with Jones securing the overall result in second. Love finished third, with Nick McBride and Carrera Cup rookie Jackson Walls completing the top five.

Stephen Grove’s biggest trouble on his path to victory was battling with Sprint Challenge Mobil Pro contenders Christian Pancione and Ryan Suhle, who both battled hard to take their class honors.

Grove won the weekend ahead of Tim Miles and Marc Cini.

Pancione won in Sprint Challenge, though Suhle survived an eventful race to take the weekend overall – leading the class early before an off dropped him back to third in class. A late pass on Courtney Prince to grab second position was enough to secure him the round result ahead of race winner Pancione and the impressive rookie Prince.

Andrew Goldie’s first round aboard Pro-Am Machinery was a success, completing a clean sweep of the weekend to claim the winners trophy; Matthew Belford and Michael Loccisano completing the podium.

The successful Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Cup concluded an abbreviated year for Porsche Motorsport Australia in style, the three races run without Safety Car interruption or delay.

The 2021 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Championship is scheduled to commence in Melbourne in March 2021.

The 2021 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia will commence at the Shannons ‘All Wheels’ festival at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit in February.

RESULTS – Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Cup

Carrera Cup Mobil Pro

1. Harri Jones 163
2. Michael Almond 162
3. Aaron Live 162

Carrera Cup Pro-Am

1. Stephen Grove 181
2. Tim Miles 162
3. Marc Cini 144

Michelin Sprint Challenge Mobil Pro

1. Ryan Suhle 175
2. Christian Pancione 168
3. Courtney Prince 144

Michelin Sprint Challenge Pro-Am

1. Andrew Goldie 181
2. Matthew Belford 162
3. Michael Loccisano 132

Matt Campbell to continue in Porsche works driver squad for 2021

Porsche Motorsport 2021: Commitment to Formula E and the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Two major works projects and enticing customer sport at Porsche

Porsche will be well represented on major international stages of the motor racing scene in the 2021 season. The management announced the plans for the coming year on the occasion of the first virtual Night of Champions.

In 2020, the traditional event, which in recent years has been held at Weissach in the first half of December, was held in digital form for the first time due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In this year’s motorsport season, Porsche yielded many exclamation marks, for example victory at the Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours as well as major successes in the final rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

In his online welcome address, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Porsche AG, Dr Wolfgang Porsche, underlined the tremendous sporting spirit within the company and the “pulling together when things get difficult”. This has been particularly evident in the 2020 crisis year.

TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team takes the next step
“We’re very pleased that today we can make a clear statement about our continued participation in the ABB FIA Formula E,” says Fritz Enzinger, Vice President Motorsport. “We are completely won over by the outstanding stage and the unique concept. We use the fully-electric single-seater series for the systematic development work and expansion of our skills in the field of battery-electric drive. We want to move the championship forward together with the FIA/FEO and the teams in the years ahead.”

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E-Team heads into the upcoming season with big goals. After a successful debut year, the experienced engineers in Weissach have extensively upgraded the drivetrain and worked out new ways to define the operating strategy. The drivers of the Porsche 99X Electric racers for the season are works drivers André Lotterer (Germany, No. 36) and Pascal Wehrlein (Germany, No. 99). The two Swiss drivers Simona de Silvestro and Neel Jani are available to step in if required. The new season kicks off in mid-January with two races in the Chilean capital Santiago.

FIA World Endurance Championship WEC: two factory-run Porsche 911 RSR
In the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), Porsche will continue to field two works-entered Porsche 911 RSR in the 2021 season. The two ca. 515 hp vehicles will tackle all six races under the operations team Manthey-Racing and with a slightly different crew. Gianmaria Bruni from Italy and the Austrian Richard Lietz again share the No. 91 car. Joining Frenchman Kévin Estre in the No. 92 sister car is the 2016 WEC champion Neel Jani. The first race of the new season takes place in March at Sebring (USA). On 12/13 June 2021, the two Porsche 911 RSR then will tackle the season highlight at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (France).

Despite coronavirus pandemic, only minor changes to the driver line-up
The pulling together of the Porsche family in times of crisis quoted by Dr Wolfgang Porsche underlines the driver line-up for the 2021 motorsport season. Porsche heads into the new year with a squad of 14 works drivers, one young professional and a Porsche junior. In addition to the Formula E driver Pascal Wehrlein, Austria’s Thomas Preining joins the works driver contingent of the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer. The New Zealander Earl Bamber, Nick Tandy from Great Britain, Patrick Pilet from France, Michael Christensen (Denmark) and the two Germans Sven Müller and Dirk Werner are leaving the official works driver squad. However, they still also have the opportunity to represent Porsche at races as drivers – including in the Porsche 911 GT3 R. The Frenchman Julien Andlauer continues as the Porsche Young Professional with Ayhancan Güven from Turkey completing his second season as a Porsche Junior.

Jaxon Evans from New Zealand has finished his junior programme and will race for customer teams in the 911 RSR, among others. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 travel restrictions, Porsche was unable to run its traditional junior selection process in late autumn of this year. Consequently, there is no second Porsche Junior for 2021.

Customer racing programmes: customer campaigns around the world
Most of the ten new Porsche 911 RSR that were delivered to customers a few weeks ago will be fielded in the GTE-Am class of the FIA WEC and in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) for the 2021 season. Hollywood actor Michael Fassbender will once again stand in the limelight. For the German-Irishman, 2021 marks the second season in the long-distance series at the wheel of a 911 RSR run by Dempsey Proton Racing. His aim is to systematically prepare for a potential start at the Le Mans 24-hour race.

Porsche also supports a number of customer teams who campaign the 500+hp 911 GT3 R on the world stage. Earl Bamber and the works drivers Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) and Patrick Long from the USA will compete for customer teams in the GTD class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In the GT World Challenge Europe, several Porsche 911 GT3 R take on the competition with vehicles from twelve other manufacturers. Earl Bamber, the Dane Michael Christensen and Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki have been designated as drivers in the spectacular GT3 series. Almost all drivers in the entire squad will contest the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. A large contingent of 911 GT3 R will tackle the Eifel classic on the first weekend of June, 2021. Customers will also take on the German ADAC GT Masters. It has not yet been determined whether customer teams will field the popular and successful Porsche 911 GT3 R in the DTM.

New 911 GT3 Cup: Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and five national series
Porsche presents the new 911 GT3 Cup for the 2021 season. The vehicle is based on the 992 generation of the iconic 911 sports car. Porsche takes a new approach with the distribution of the 510 hp model: for the first time, a brand-new Cup car will not only be debuted in the international Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup run as support to Formula 1. The most recent version of the world’s best-selling racing vehicle will at the same time also be entered by customer teams in the national Carrera Cups in Germany, France, Asia and Benelux and for the first time in North America. The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is already designed for the perspective use of environmentally friendly synthetic fuels.

Porsche Cup 2020: Robert Renauer wins for the second time
The revered Porsche Cup has been presented annually to the most successful private driver since 1970. In 2020, the trophy goes to Germany’s Robert Renauer. On the occasion of the digital Night of Champions, Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board, Porsche AG, acknowledged the success of the 35-year-old from Dachau at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 R in the ADAC GT Masters and the Creventic Series. This is the second time Renauer has been awarded the coveted trophy after 2016. The Bavarian will also receive a new Porsche 911. The award for successful amateur drivers, which celebrates its 51st anniversary this year, is based on an idea of Ferry Porsche.

Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup: Champion Sebastian Job honoured
Britain’s Sebastian Job was honoured for the winning the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup. The 20-year-old from the Red Bull Racing Esports Team beat last year’s champion Joshua Rogers (Australia) in an exciting and spectacular online racing season. Job, who has now turned his hobby sim racing into a profession, now tackles his third season of the racing series held on the iRacing platform as the defending champion. The 2021 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup takes off on 9 January on the virtual version of the Brazilian Formula 1 circuit in Interlagos.

Driver squad Porsche Motorsport 2021

Porsche works drivers (age/nationality)
Gianmaria Bruni (39/Italy)
Matt Campbell (25/Australia)
Romain Dumas (42/France)
Kévin Estre (32/France)
Mathieu Jaminet (26/France)
Neel Jani (36/Switzerland)
Richard Lietz (36/Austria)
Patrick Long (39/USA)
André Lotterer (39/Germany)
Frédéric Makowiecki (40/France)
Thomas Preining (22/Austria)
Simona de Silvestro (32/Switzerland)
Laurens Vanthoor (29/Belgium)
Pascal Wehrlein (26/Germany)

Porsche Young Professional
Julien Andlauer (21/France)

Porsche Junior
Ayhancan Güven (22/Turkey)

Overview of factory campaigns

ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Season 7
99X Electric #36 – André Lotterer
99X Electric #99 – Pascal Wehrlein

FIA World Endurance Championship 2021
911 RSR #91 – Gianmaria Bruni / Richard Lietz
911 RSR #92 – Kévin Estre / Neel Jani

Stronger, faster, more spectacular: the new 911 GT3 Cup

Porsche has unveiled the latest generation of the world’s top-selling racing car: the new 911 GT3 Cup.

New racing car for the Porsche one-make cups

Porsche has unveiled the latest generation of the world’s top-selling racing car: the new 911 GT3 Cup. From the start of the 2021 season, 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 new 992 will make its Australian debut in Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup in 2022.

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. Delivery to teams will begin in February 2021. The new 911 GT3 Cup is available with immediate effect at a price of 225,000 Euros plus country-specific taxes.

Porsche presented the very first 911 Cup car in 1990. It was based on the 964 generation and headed into its debut season in the German Porsche Carrera Cup with 260 hp. From 1993, it was also raced in the newly established Porsche Supercup, which ran as part of the Formula 1 support programme. Over the next years, five more generations of this exceptionally successful racing vehicle followed – of which to date a record number of 4,251 units have been produced.

“The 911 made history as the baseline model for the Carrera Cups and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup – no other racing car has found as many satisfied customers since 1990 as the 911,” states Michael Dreiser, Director Sales Porsche Motorsport. “The new 911 GT3 Cup now starts a new chapter. Our goal is to pass the 5,000 mark in production over the coming years. Like its ancestral lineage, this model will also assist a whole new generation of talented racing drivers on their path to professional motorsport and shape the face of our customer sport commitment around the world.”

The groundwork for the latest model was laid in 2018. Concrete development began in early 2019. The main development goals of the team led by project manager Jan Feldmann were to further improve performance, achieve a more aggressive design, easier handling and greater durability with less outlay in terms of time and maintenance. The result is reflected in many aspects of the new racing vehicle, which, like its predecessor, rolls off the production line in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen alongside the 911 production models.

“We wanted to position the new 911 GT3 Cup even more as a professional racing car, while also making it more cost-effective for the teams to run,” explains Feldmann. “We were particularly successful in achieving this thanks to its striking appearance, the improved suspension and intelligent solutions for electrical details. The handling of the new 911 GT3 Cup is noticeably more precise and even more fun. With its improved performance and the optimised cockpit, it’s the best Cup car that Porsche has ever built.”

One of the most striking features of the new 911 GT3 Cup is its optimised aerodynamics and the overall more muscular appearance – it looks even more impressive at first glance. This is partly thanks to the wide turbo-spec lightweight body that is being used for the first time in the Cup car. Measuring a total of 1,902 millimetres in width, it exceeds the rear width of the previous model by 28 millimetres and is distinguished by its additional cooling air inlets in front of the wheels. Furthermore, the front axle of the 992 generation of the 911 is also significantly broader. Thanks to additional flared fenders, the new 911 GT3 Cup now measures as much as 1,920 millimetres at the front axle. This opens the door for a harmonious wheel-tyre combination with 12-inch wide rims on the front and 13-inch wheels at the rear axle. This is typical for GT racing and has a positive effect on the handling and driveability of the racing car.

At the same time, the seventh generation of the Cup racer generates noticeably more aerodynamic downforce. This is thanks to the combination of the rear spoiler with the larger rear wing and front apron, which was specifically adapted to racing by means of a front lip spoiler and strategically-positioned separation edges. The eleven-stage adjustable rear wing with a ‘swan neck’ mounting ensures uninterrupted under-wing airflow. This improved aerodynamic efficiency also ensures more stable handling, especially in fast corners.

The body of the 991.2 generation Cup car consisted of 70 per cent steel and 30 per cent aluminium. The ratio in the successor has been switched. The fact that the vehicle still weighs around 35 kilograms more with a dry weight of 1,260 kilograms is due, for example, to extra struts being added to the steel safety cell. The removable escape hatch in the roof complies with the latest FIA standards. All windows in the GT3 Cup are made of lightweight polycarbonate and have scratch-resistant hard-coat glazing. The doors, engine hood and rear wing are made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic. In contrast, the front hood with its distinctive exit-air duct and central air intake is a prime example of the intelligent use of materials: Like in the 911 Carrera, it is made of aluminium – which lowers repair costs in the case of an accident.

The designers put a lot of thought into the ergonomics specifically for the drivers. In addition to the incline, the new racing seat can now be adjusted in two height settings. In conjunction with the adjustable steering column, this ensures an ideal fit for every driver stature. A range of padding thicknesses allows the seats to be adapted to the needs of individual drivers. The redesigned, open-top, motorsport multifunction steering wheel made of carbon-fibre is yet another development adopted from the 911 GT3 R. Following drivers’ feedback, its illuminated buttons have been rearranged. The so-called Rubber Switch Panel (RSP) with its ten large buttons on the right is reminiscent of a control element in the Porsche 919 Hybrid. These buttons are easy to use, even in the heat of the race and are given designated central functions such as lighting and ventilation or to change tyre settings from dry to wet tyres. One example of a clever enhancement to details is the adjustment of brake balance: Now, it can be intuitively controlled via a rotary knob switch on the outside right of the RSP in or against the direction of travel – depending on whether the front axle needs more or less brake pressure.

The designers have revamped the centrally-positioned, 10.3-inch colour monitor. The screen prioritises the display of key data and information for the driver while racing. Displayed alongside the engine revs are water and oil temperatures, the gear currently engaged and error messages or information on important baseline settings, such as “wet” for racing in rain. After the readout of the data, the design of both the display and the computer monitors are aligned so that the driver and race engineer see the same information. This helps with analyses after each session.

The electronics are designed to be user-friendly for easier error analyses and specific help in problem-solving. Around 700 diagnostic options are available. Specific software summarises all information more clearly and comprehensibly. Optional vehicle functions such as ABS or traction control are already stored in the system. They can be activated via a digital code. In the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and in most national Carrera Cups, these driving aids are switched off: in these championships, the talent of the drivers alone is what counts.

Another example of subtle, sophisticated solutions in the new 911 GT3 Cup can be seen in the arrangement of the electronic components: Motorsport control units and data loggers have been relocated from the passenger footwell to the right rear compartment. As a result, they no longer hinder the installation of a second seat, for instance when ‘racing taxi drives’ are required.

The suspension of the Cup 911 offers the finest in racing technology. While the rear axle essentially remains unchanged compared to the production model, the front wheels are now controlled by double wishbones and Uniball bearings – like in the 911 RSR, Porsche’s current top racing model. Through this, the dampers are no longer exposed to lateral forces, only axial forces. This ensures more precise turn-in behaviour and gives a better feeling for the front axle. The shock absorbers have also inherited the cutting-edge valve technology from the 919 Hybrid and 911 RSR. Fully electro-mechanical power steering has been introduced into the 911 GT3 Cup for the first time. This means that the hydraulic pump and associated hydraulic lines are no longer needed.

In terms of the engine, the 911 GT3 Cup remains true to the naturally aspirated principle. In the racing version, the four-litre, water-cooled flat-six engine develops 375 kW (510 hp). Its high-revving unit with dry-sump lubrication reaches top performance at 8,400 rpm – up from the previous 7,500 rpm. It redlines at 8,750 rpm with maximum torque of 470 Newton metres at 6,150 rpm. A single throttle butterfly system with two resonance flaps ensures an even more spontaneous response, and in conjunction with the catalytic converter racing exhaust system, produces an awe-inspiring sound. Three different exhaust systems are available to choose from – depending on the racing series, the regulations and the racetrack. Bosch supplies the MS 6.6 electronic engine management system.

Like with its immediate predecessor, the six-cylinder only needs a maintenance check after 100 hours of track time. The engine is connected to the sequential, 72-kilogram six-speed dog-type gearbox via a single-mass flywheel and a three-plate sintered metal racing clutch. Gear changes are made via a paddle shift on the steering wheel, with a “minor inspection” of the gearbox needed after 60 hours of racing – which corresponds to roughly two years in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. A major overhaul is due after 120 hours of racing. The shift barrel actuator is operated by an electric servo-motor, replacing the previous pneumatic unit. The advantage: even faster gear changes, the option of live diagnoses and a lowered risk of damage, for example in the event of gearshift errors.

The special attention given to detailed improvements is reflected in the 911 GT3 Cup in many other optimisations:

• Every Cup car from Porsche Motorsport is now delivered with a complete accessory kit, which includes, for example, all special tools and wishbone spacers required for track adjustment. Hence, the ex-works 911 GT3 Cup is ready to race without customer teams having to order these parts individually.
• In the new model generation, the water radiators remain directly behind the front apron. This positioning was deliberately retained: the risk of damaging the radiators prevents an overly aggressive driving style. At the same time, the placing of a strut ensures that minor nudges go unpunished.
• Special brake callipers now enable the brake pads to be changed faster.
• The drive shafts of the rear axle now have a special, more durable motor racing design.
• Textile loops have been reintroduced as attachment points for tow ropes. These replace the previously used steel swivel tow hooks.
• A new central nozzle for the fire extinguishing system improves the distribution of the extinguishing agent inside the cockpit.
• The new positioning of the release unit makes it easier for scrutineers to check from the outside whether the fire extinguisher is working correctly.
• Adapted safety quick releases for the inside door openers improve the ergonomics when exiting the cockpit as well as safety in the event of an emergency.
• The onboard electrical system functions without actual plug fuses. This reduces the amount of materials used in the wiring harness and saves weight. The redesign is easier to access thanks to its central positioning.
• Should the engine stall at the start of the race, the hazard warning lights switch on automatically to warn other competitors of the danger.

Technical specifications Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) model year 2021

Concept
• Single-seater customer racing car

Weight / Dimensions
• Total weight: ca. 1,260 kg
• Length: 4,585 mm
• Width: 1,920 mm (front axle) / 1,902 mm (rear axle)
• Wheelbase: 2,459 mm

Engine
• Water-cooled six-cylinder boxer rear engine; displacement 3,996 cm3; stroke 81.5 mm; bore 102 mm; ca. 375 kW (510 hp) at 8,400 rpm; max. torque 470 Nm at 6,150 rpm; max. rpm 8,750; four-valve technology; single throttle butterfly system; intake manifold with two resonance flaps; engine control unit Bosch MS 6.6; dry-sump lubrication; single-mass flywheel; race exhaust system with DMSB certified catalytic converter; fuel quality: Superplus unleaded, to E20 (min. 98 octane).

Transmission
• Porsche six-speed sequential dog-type gearbox; paddle shift with electronic shift barrel actuator; mechanical limited slip differential; three-plate sintered metal racing clutch.

Body
• Lightweight body featuring intelligent aluminium-steel composite design; mounting points for lifting device; removable rescue hatch in roof; welded-in roll-cage, approved for co-driver use on circuits; seat in accordance with FIA Standard 8862/2009, infinite longitudinal adjustment, two positions for height and inclination; six-point racing safety harness, for use with HANS®, adjustable steering column with steering angle sensor; front cover with integrated quick-release fasteners, cooler exit-air duct and central air intake for cockpit ventilation; widened front bumper with spoiler lip; fenders with extensions; rear bodywork with integrated rain light in accordance with FIA regulations; doors, rear cover and rear wing of CFRP; rear wing with ‘swan neck’ mounting, adjustable in 11 positions; polycarbonate windows with hard coating; air-jack system with three jacks; valve mounting points on either side of the car; 110-litre FT3 safety fuel cell in the front.

• CFRP interior trim panels, multifunctional CFRP motorsport steering wheel with quick-release coupling, shift paddles and illuminated push buttons; ergonomic digital touch panel with multi-colour backlight; safety nets (centre and driver’s side) in accordance with latest FIA safety regulations; preparation for seat ventilation; fire extinguisher system with electronic release unit.

Suspension
• Forged aluminium control arms & top mounts, stiffness optimised; heavy-duty spherical bearings with dust protection; wheel hubs with centre-lock wheel nut; shock absorbers with motorsport-specific valve characteristic; double-blade-type adjustable anti-roll bars; tyre pressure monitoring system.

Front axle
• Double wishbone front suspension, adjustable ride-height, camber and toe;
• Electro-mechanical power steering with manoeuvring function.

Rear axle
• Multi-link rear suspension, adjustable in ride-height, camber and toe;
• Motor racing drive shafts optimised for reliability and durability.

Brake system
• Two independent brake circuits incorporating front and rear axle brake pressure sensors, driver adjustable brake force distribution via brake balance system; racing brake pads; optimised brake ducts; ergonomic brake pedal positioning.
• Front axle: Six-piston aluminium monobloc racing brake callipers with ‘anti knock-back’ piston springs; ventilated 380 mm x 32 mm steel brake discs mounted on aluminium disc bells; aluminium brake disc chamber.
• Rear axle: Four-piston aluminium monobloc racing brake callipers with ‘anti knock-back’ piston springs; ventilated 380 mm x 32 mm steel brake discs mounted on aluminium disc bells; aluminium brake disc chamber.

Wheels / Tyres
• Front axle: Single-piece centre-lock alloy wheels conforming to Porsche specification and design, 12J x 18; tyre dimension 30/65-18
• Rear axle: Single-piece centre-lock alloy wheels conforming to Porsche specification and design, 13J x 18; tyre dimension 31/71-18.

Electrical system
• Porsche Logger Unit; Porsche Power Box, 10.3 inch Porsche colour display; lightweight, leak-proof LiFePO4 battery 12V, 60 Ah in passenger footwell; 175 A alternator; digital touch panel with multi-colour backlight; single-arm windscreen wiper with direct drive (intermittent and continuous operation); three additional centre console switches for additional power consumers; data connection (data logger, video system).

• LED main headlights and daytime running lights; taillights and rain light in LED technology.

Jones, Love split competitive Sandown sprints

Young guns star as Grove, Suhle and Goldie grab Sandown sprint race victories

TITLE RIVALS Harri Jones and Aaron Love have continued their ongoing Porsche one-make racing rivalry, trading race wins in today’s opening pair of sprint races at the Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Cup at Sandown. 

The pair of young Porsche Michelin Junior drivers battled for the Sprint Challenge title last year before stepping up to the Mobil Pro class of the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia this season.

That battle has continued this weekend, locking out the front row in qualifying before dueling for the lead in both races.

Jones narrowly won the opening race over Love and Michael Almond, while Love returned serve in the second to even the score at one all heading into Sunday’s 45-minute mini-enduro decider. Porsche Centre Melbourne driver Nick McBride was fourth in each race.

Stephen Grove swept the Carrera Cup Pro-Am class in both races, beating home Tim Miles and Marc Cini in each sprint.

Ryan Suhle won the Sprint Challenge Mobil Pro class in both races with Christian Pancione and impressive rookie Courtney Prince third, while the Pro-Am class went to Andrew Goldie in each race; Matt Belford and David Grieg on the podium in race one, while Belford and Michael Loccisano filled the top three in the second race.

“It was classic Porsche Racing,” Jones said after winning race one outright aboard his Helimods McElrea Racing Porsche.

“Aaron put on a lot of pressure when we caught traffic half way through. I’m stoked to come away with the win.”

The two sprint race results set up a thrilling Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Cup feature race tomorrow, to be contested over 45-minutes in predicted warm conditions at the Victorian circuit.

“It was really hard racing and we banged doors a couple of times,” Love enthused of his race two battle with Jones for Mobil Pro class honors.

“Full credit to the Sonic team who gave me a really good car. It was a great battle and we’re really pleased to get that one.”

Jones led from start to finish in a competitive opening race, resisting late pressure from Aaron Love to take the first sprint of the weekend.

Starting from pole, Jones edged out a two-second margin early in the race before his Sonic Motor Racing rival closed as the field negotiated lapped traffic – the pair crossing the line separated by a car length. Love banked the fastest lap of the race, his 1m09.86s best sitting beneath the existing Carrera Cup lap record at Sandown.

Michael Almond was third, having earlier passed Nick McBride after an early scrap before setting out in pursuit of the leaders.

Old rivals Stephen Grove and Tim Miles were just as closely matched in the battle for the Carrera Cup Pro-Am class, the pair nose-to-tail throughout most of the 22-lap duration. Grove won by less than a second, with Marc Cini in third.

Ryan Suhle won the Michelin Sprint Challenge Mobil Pro class over Christian Pancione and Courtney Prince, giving McElrea victories in both Pro categories in the opening race.

Andrew Goldie, having stepped up from contesting Class B in Sprint Challenge, won the Pro-Am class ahead of Matt Belford and David Grieg.

The intensity stepped up in the second race later in the afternoon: Jones and Love dueling for the lead and exchanging positions three times before the Sonic racer established himself as the clear leader.

Holding third early, Almond then closed on the leaders before he too slipped past Jones at turn one to make it a Sonic 1-2 result. The top three crossed the line nose-to-tail in a compelling battle that included three lead changes.

Suhle had a clear path to victory in Sprint Challenge Mobil Pro category, nipping at the heels of the Carrera Cup cars before settling into the groove for a comfortable victory. Pancione and Prince completed the top three.

Pressured all the way in the opening race, Grove had a more comfortable run to victory in race two – Miles and Cini again completing the podium.

West Aussie Andrew Goldie went two-for-two in Sprint Challenge Pro-Am, taking the race two win after early pressure from Ross McGregor. A mistake dropped the experienced Sprint Challenge regular back behind Belford and Michael Loccisano by the end of the race.

Both sprint races were run without Safety Car interruption and with competitive racing throughout the field.

The final race of the Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Cup will see the 18-strong grid tackle a 45-minute feature race to conclude the weekend – appropriately to be run nine months to the day following the premature end of the 2020 Carrera Cup season in March this year.

STANDINGS
Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Cup – After 2 of 3 races. 

PAYCE Carrera Cup – Mobil Pro

1. Aaron Love 114
2. Harri Jones 108
3. Michael Almond 102

PAYCE Carrera Cup – Pro-Am

1. Stephen Grove 120
2. Tim Miles 108
3. Marc Cini 96

Michelin Sprint Challenge – Mobil Pro

1. Ryan Suhle 120
2. Christian Pancione 108
3. Courtney Prince 96

Michelin Sprint Challenge – Pro-Am 

1. Andrew Goldie 120
2. Matthew Belford 108
3. Michael Loccisano 90

For results, news and content across the weekend follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

Bathurst 1000 winner enters Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia for 2021 season

Luke Youlden announces his return to Australia’s premier one-make series

Luke Youlden has announced that he will be back behind the wheel of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in 2021. Youlden, the 2018 Bathurst 1000 winner, returns to the hotly contested Mobil Pro class next year after 15 year break from the premier one-make category, having last campaigned in the Porsche series in the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

Youlden headlines the newly formed Tekworkx Motorsport team which will the based on the Gold-Coast, “This Tekworkx program is a great way for me to combine my experience on two fronts. I’ll be in charge of the coaching and preparation leading up to rounds of the 86 series,” said Youlden.

As a Porsche Experience Deputy Chief Instructor, Youlden offers more than 15 years of instructor experience, often overseeing a team of top-level racers.

Youlden, is looking forward to his role as mentor and chief driving coach for the team’s young drivers, “This is the best of both worlds for me. I will be giving something back, passing on my experience, and also getting back to racing,”

“Being honest, I get just as much satisfaction these days from helping a youngster getting a result as I do when I finish on the podium myself. I’ve been doing more and more driver coaching in recent years and it’s very rewarding.”

The driving force at the Tekworkx team is Rob Woods, who will also campaign his own first-generation 911 GT3 Cup car in Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge next year. Woods and Youlden will be joined by Tim Brook, the 2018 Toyota 86 champion.

“We’re had a lot of interest in what we’re doing and I think Tim is a big drawcard. He knows what it takes to win in 86s,” said Youlden.

Youlden will be in action at the opening round of the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia series in Melbourne in March, while the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series gets underway in late February at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

Harri Jones breaks Sandown lap record in Porsche PAYCE & Michelin Cup qualifying

Porsche PAYCE & Michelin Cup Qualifying

Jones and Grove dominate Carrera Cup, while Suhle and Goldie set the pace in Sprint Challenge

The inaugural Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Cup saw Sandown International Raceway host the return of Porsche 911 GT3 Gen 1 and Gen 2 Cup cars to a Victorian race track after a 10 month forced season break.

Sonic Motor Racing’s Michael Almond and Porsche Centre Melbourne’s Nick McBride set the early pace in Friday’s first practice session. Before Harri Jones and Aaron Love spoiled their party late in the session, dropping down into the low 1min10s.

The pair of Michelin Juniors, topped the timesheets again both in practice 2 and in qualifying for the Carrera Cup Mobil Pro class, with Almond and McBride maintaining positions three and four in both sessions. The Helimods driver’s impressive qualifying time at the top of the timesheets of 1m09.6704 broke the long-standing Carrera Cup Mobil Pro qualifying lap record previously held by Matt Campbell in 2016 (1m09.6782).

“The track was fast today and it’s the first time the Gen II cars have been here as well. But qualifying was great and a bit different to what we are used to, but I’m just thrilled to be here and back racing again,” said Jones after qualifying.

Stephen Grove was the quickest in the Carrera Cup Pro-Am class throughout the Friday’s three sessions and will line up tomorrow just ahead of rival Tim Miles.

“It was good to go out with the pros and follow them, they gave me a good tow and I knew that I just needed to stay with them, and that obviously brought my time down, “Grove remarked after qualifying.

Jones’ McElrea Racing teammate, Ryan Suhle, dominated the Sprint Challenge Mobil Pro class, hounded throughout the day by Christian Pancione.

The Queensland driver, who impressed in the Tin Top races earlier this year said, “It’s certainly a case of trying to get as close as we can to the Gen II cars as possible. I didn’t get the most out of the first set and with the shorter 15 minute qualifying session, it was a bit tricky to put another set on to go quicker. So we persevered on the same set and times gradually dropped off.”

“I know there is a bit more there, so I’m excited for tomorrow” Suhle enthused.

With seven entrants, the Sprint Challenge Pro-Am battle will be one of the most fiercely contested of the weekend. Matthew Belford set a commanding pace in the first session, only to be bettered in both the second session and in qualifying by West Australian, Andrew Goldie.

After qualifying Goldie said, “I’m really thrilled with that and it’s just so great to be back in a race car cutting some laps and see some friendly faces in the pits. I’m really happy I came across for the event.”

Tomorrow sees two 25-minute sprint races starting at 11:10 and 14:40 (AEST Melbourne time) respectively and with clear, sunny weather forecast, the stage looks set for some great racing across all four classes.

For results, news and content across the weekend follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU