First Morris Finance award nominee confirmed

Morris Finance Sportsperson of the Year Award

TAG Heuer Pro-Am racer Adrian Flack is the first driver in the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia series to be nominated for the ‘Morris Finance Sportsperson of the Year Award’.

The new honour will be given to the Carrera Cup driver who best encompasses the values of Porsche and the one-make championship, with the overall winner to receive a Business Class trip to Germany to attend the 2019 Porsche Motorsport Day of Champions and Night of Champions at Weissach, Germany.

Six different drivers will be nominated for the Morris Finance Sportsperson of the Year Award throughout the season, with the ultimate winner to be announced at the 2019 Carrera Cup Awards Night.

Flack endured a difficult start to the 2019 season after a heavy turn eight incident during qualifying at the Adelaide 500 season opener. The Brisbane-based driver maintained a positive attitude and battled to repair his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for the second round of the season at Albert Park, at which he placed seventh in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am class.

The next nomination for the Morris Finance Sportsperson of the Year Award will be announced after the series’ visit to Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway for round four.

Love wins Michelin Super Round, Formula E trip

Porsche Michelin Junior Programme Australia

Leading Michelin Junior Jordan Love will embark on a unique trip to Germany this May as part of his prize of winning the Michelin Super Round last weekend in Albert Park.

The Michelin Super Round concept awarded the leading Michelin Junior driver from the Albert Park round with a trip to the FIA Formula E event in Germany for the Berlin E-Prix.

The all-electric open wheeler series sports a control Michelin tyre and is also the platform for Porsche’s future top-level motor racing programme for the 2019-2020 season.

Love was the dominant Michelin Junior for the Melbourne round, placing third and second in the opening two races before winning race three and race four. Love dominant race four performance saw him take an impressive 8.0744secs victory over his Sonic teammate and eventual round winner Dale Wood, a margin just shy of the record winning margin at the Albert Park circuit of 9.6411secs for Craig Baird’s victory over second-placed Daniel Gaunt during race two of the 2011 season opener.

“Albert Park didn’t begin the way we wanted it to. After not putting a lap together in qualifying we ended up in sixth. I was then pretty happy to come away with third in the first race and then even happier to keep the forward momentum going and end the weekend with two race wins,” said Love.

Soon after the coming Phillip Island round of the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia, Love will travel to Germany for the Formula E experience, a trip he looks forward to.

“With Albert Park being the Michelin Super Round, being the top Michelin Junior for the event was also a massive bonus with the prize of attending the Berlin E-Prix. To be able to come out on top at the end of the weekend is extremely exciting and I’m incredibly thankful to Michelin Australia and Porsche Cars Australia for this opportunity,” added Love, who sits 54 points ahead of Cameron Hill in the Michelin Junior standings.

“I’m a little happier where we are now than where I was going into Albert Park for round two. Of course there is still a few areas that need to be improved on from my side, so I’m very much looking forward to the next few rounds of the Carrera Cup championship.”

The next round of the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia season will be held at Phillip Island on April 12-14, while the FIA Formula E Berlin E-Prix will be held on May 25.

Redemption for Wood, Lago tops Pro-Am at Albert Park

Strong finish to Carrera Cup round two

Last season, Dale Wood entered the fourth race at Albert Park with the round lead and was robbed of a round win after an opening corner crash. This year, the tables turned and second in the final race placed Wood on the top step of the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia podium at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix alongside winning TAG Heuer Pro-Am racer Roger Lago.

While Wood took weekend honours, it was his young teammate Jordan Love who was the dominant driver of Sunday’s final race with an impressive eight-second victory from Wood, while Michael Almond continued his charge through the field to place third.

“I’m super stoked to come away with the win here at Albert Park,” said Wood. “It’s our home round and one of the biggest events of the year. I’ve got all my sponsors here, all my supporters, my little boys and wife. I’m a very happy man.

“I came here thinking we could have a repeat of last year. Once I got through turn one into second, I thought that this is what I’ve got to do to hold to get the round win, so really happy to come away with that one.

“Philip Island was really good for us last year so I’ve got to do that again this year. We will celebrate this one, put it behind us and then put our head down and bum up for the ‘Island’ and hopefully we can catch some penguins.”

Love secured second for the round and was the best placed Michelin Junior for the Michelin Super Round and will now venture to the FIA Formula E Berlin E-Prix as part of the prize for winning the Albert Park round.

Fourth place in race four handed Warren Luff the final position on the Albert Park round podium.

After two rounds, Wood now holds a 39-point lead in the Outright and Pro standings over Michelin Junior Love, with David Wall 10 points further behind in third.

Roger Lago was the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am drivers across the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix weekend. The Brisbane-based racer followed his Saturday race victory with another win on Sunday’s race four to claim the class round win from Stephen Grove, who placed second in race four.

“It’s a pretty good feeling to win the round, especially at the Australian Grand Prix. We were third quickest for the Pro-Ams in qualifying and Thursday’s race was good, but Friday’s race was awful. We then made some changes and the boys tuned the car up beautifully and yesterday’s race and today’s races were absolutely perfect and I’ve had a ball.”

Anthony Gilbertson placed third in the final race from Dean Cook, Adrian Flack and Sam Shahin who, while dropping down the order in the final race to sixth in class, still narrowly secured the final position on the TAG Heuer Pro-Am podium.

While Gilbertson narrowly missed out on a podium position, the round one winner retains the lead of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am standings by 39 points over Stephen Grove, with Liam Talbot sits two points further behind in third.

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia returns to the track for round three at Phillip Island on April 12-14, 2019.

Results: Race 4

Love and Lago take race three honours at Albert Park

Love takes Michelin Super Round stronghold

Michelin Junior Jordan Love has continued his impressive charge up the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia order with race three victory at Albert Park, while Roger Lago capitalised on a rival’s misfortune to take his first TAG Heuer Pro-Am win of the season.

Starting second, Love beat race one and race two winner Dale Wood to the opening corner and maintained his position at the front to the chequered flag.

In an impressive move up the order, over the past six races Love has placed sixth, fifth, fourth, third, second and first. The win also places Love in a strong position to claim the Michelin Super Round, for which the leading Michelin Junior for the round will win a trip to Germany for the FIA Formula E Berlin E-Prix.

“It doesn’t get much better than that. Obviously we were strong in qualifying so to come back and get third and second and then keep moving forward and get the win is awesome,” said Love. “Going into the race I knew that Woody is tough to pass and you know obviously being your teammate you don’t want to push too hard together, so the focus then was the start and we managed to get a good one and lead into turn one. After that I just concentrated and tried not make too many mistakes.”

Love now holds a 31-point lead in the Michelin Junior round standings for the Michelin Super Round from Cameron Hill.

“Of course the Michelin Super Round is on my mind. It’s a pretty cool prize to be able to head over and watch the Formula E race. However it’s a long year ahead and you’ve got to think about the championship. It’s good to be on the top of that so far and, with one race to go, anything can change.”

Despite race long pressure on Love, Wood was unable to get by his teammate and ultimately finished second, while Warren Luff placed third despite applying continuous pressure to the top-two teammates. David Wall finished fourth from Michelin Junior trio Cameron Hill, Cooper Murray and Thomas Maxwell.

While Liam Talbot was the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am across the opening two races, it was Roger Lago who was the best-placed Pro-Am racer from race three.

Talbot started the race in the lead but a tyre puncture forced the series newcomer to pit lane. Lago then capitalised to claim his first class race win since race two at last season’s The Bend Motorsport Park event during the sixth round of the championship.

“I’ve had a few tough races throughout the season so far so it’s great to have one go our way,” said Lago. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race and finish off the round on a high.”

Second in class was Tim Miles’ season best results from Stephen Grove, Anthony Gilbertson and Adrian Flack in fifth, while Sam Shahin sustained steering damage on the opening lap and slowly dropped down the order to eventually finish sixth in class by the finish.

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia has one race remaining for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, held at 12:55pm on Sunday, which can be viewed live on TEN, Fox Sports 506 and streaming service Kayo.

Race Schedule
Sunday March 17, 2019
12:55pm Race 4 (10 laps)

Broadcast & Streaming Schedule
Race 4 – 12:55pm, Sunday March 17 (TEN, Fox Sports 506 & Kayo)

Results: Race 3

Back-to-back Albert Park wins for Wood and Talbot

Repeat wins for Thursday front-runners

Dale Wood has continued his perfect start to the second round of the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia championship at Albert Park by taking a dominant race two win, while Liam Talbot was again the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am drivers.

Following his narrow race one win over Dylan O’Keeffe, Wood’s race two performance was more dominant. The Melbourne racer again led into the opening corner, though this time was followed by his teammate Jordan Love. O’Keeffe was third after the start though soon pulled off the circuit after sustaining damage to the front bodywork and radiator of his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

Wood pulled away from the field to claim victory by just under two seconds from Love, who was the leading Michelin Junior for the second race in a row. Importantly, Love is leading the Michelin Junior points for the Michelin Super Round, which will see the leading Junior driver for the round be sent to the FIA Formula E Berlin E-Prix in May.

“That’s two from two – a pole and two race wins,” said Wood. “I’m not happy with my starts at the moment, they’re probably the one thing that need a bit of tuning up. I’ve got to go home and work on those and come back and get a good start so we can do the same thing tomorrow.

“You’ve really got to break that tow in the race; while they’re close enough to be in that slipstream it keeps them in the game and as soon as I felt like I could break that, then I thought I was safe. We had a really good car, so we were able to race away and put down some good laps. I’m very happy with that one.”

Warren Luff placed third in what was his best result this season after closing in on Love in the final laps. Cameron Hill was the second best of the Michelin Junior drivers in fourth from young rookie Thomas Maxwell, who placed a season-high of fifth in the 10-lap race from David Wall, Duvashen Padayachee, Cooper Murray, Josh Hunt and Nick McBride in 10th.

The fight at the front of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am saw Talbot compete with Sam Shahin for class honours. While Shahin remained within striking distance for the majority of the race, Talbot capitalised on Pro drivers charging through the field to establish a substantial margin in the closing laps to ultimately take a comfortable race win.

“I’m really happy with the result and I obviously had to work hard for it. I had a bit of contact early on in the race and had to really attack to get my position back. The team have given me a good car and really exciting to be here at Albert Park,” said Talbot.

Shahin finished second from Tim Miles and Anthony Gilbertson, who claiming fourth position from Stephen Grove after a bold outside move at turn three on the second-to-last lap. Grove placed fifth from Roger Lago and Adrian Flack.

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia will return on Saturday for race three at 3:20pm, while the final race of the round will be held on Sunday. Both remaining race will be broadcast live across TEN, Fox Sports 506 and Kayo.

Race Schedule
Saturday March 16, 2019
3:20pm Race 3 (10 laps)
Sunday March 17, 2019
12:55pm Race 4 (10 laps)

Broadcast & Streaming Schedule
Race 3 – 3:20pm, Saturday March 16 (TEN, Fox Sports 506 & Kayo)
Race 4 – 12:55pm, Sunday March 17 (TEN, Fox Sports 506 & Kayo)

Results: Race 2

Porsche and Morris Finance create ‘Sportsperson’ award

Morris Finance Sportsperson of the Year Award

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia has partnered with Australian finance, leasing and risk management specialist Morris Finance for the creation of the ‘Morris Finance Sportsperson of the Year Award’.

The new honour will be awarded to the Carrera Cup driver who best encompasses the values of Porsche and the one-make championship, as judged by a panel at the end of the season.

The winner will be recognised at the Carrera Cup Awards Night and also receive a Business Class trip to Germany to attend the 2019 Porsche Motorsport Day of Champions and Night of Champions at Weissach, Germany, while also receiving a tour of the Stuttgart-based Porsche Factory and Porsche Museum.

“It’s great to welcome Morris Finance to the Carrera Cup championship and also introduce such a great new award to the series,” said Porsche Cars Australia Motorsport Manager Troy Bundy.

“We constantly award the front-running drivers at the end of each season, however with the creation of the Morris Finance Sportsperson of the Year Award, we are also able to recognise the achievement of a driver who best represents the championship and its values. We have also coupled this award with a tremendous prize – a Business Class trip to Germany for Porsche Motorsport’s global awards presentations, joining our 2019 Pro, TAG Heuer Pro-Am and Michelin Junior champions.”

Morris Finance Managing Director Nathan Murray is thrilled to join the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia series as an Official Partner after backing title-winning driver Jaxon Evans last season.

“After being involved with Jaxon Evans’ incredible title-winning season in 2018, we definitely wanted to maintain involvement in the Carrera Cup championship into the 2019 season. This new award is a great way to begin our partnership with Porsche as an Official Partner,” said Murray.

“The Sportsperson of the Year Award provides both Porsche and Morris Finance the opportunity to recognise someone in the Carrera Cup championship who best represents the values of both Porsche and Morris Finance”

Wood and Talbot take opening Albert Park wins

Wood returns to the top in Melbourne

Dale Wood has taken his first Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia race win of the season in the opening Albert Park battle on Thursday while series newcomer Liam Talbot continued his Adelaide form with TAG Heuer Pro-Am race victory.

Wood was the star driver of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix round last season, winning the opening three races before getting turned around at the start of the fourth race.

The Melbourne driver started this season’s Albert Park round in similar fashion, taking a lights-to-flag victory in the eight-lap race one.

The win wasn’t made easy by returning racer Dylan O’Keeffe, who pressured Wood throughout the race. Following three full-time Carrera Cup seasons, O’Keeffe made the move to the Super2 Series over the off-season however showed that he had lost none of his Porsche pace upon his one-off return, taking second place.

“Dylan has come back and was putting a heap of pressure on,” said Wood. “It’s good battling out there; I felt like I could get a little bit of clean air and then he’d reel me back in. It’s a good game and I’m loving it at the moment and to get the first race win of the year is bloody nice.”

While Wood was thrilled with the win, he hopes this round doesn’t have a similar ending to his 2018 Albert Park campaign.

“It’s all a bit scary; we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in race four. We’ve got another three races to get through yet.”

Michelin Juniors Cameron Hill and Jordan Love were fighting for third on track – and much more. As part of the Michelin Super Round, the leading Michelin Junior driver for the Albert Park round will receive a trip to the FIA Formula E Berlin E-Prix in May. While Hill gained the advantage from the start, moving to third, Love eventually moved by in the closing laps to take third and the all-important advantage in the Michelin Junior round points.

Hill placed fourth from Adelaide round winner Nick McBride, Warren Luff and David Wall in seventh.

The TAG Heuer Pro-Am honours were shared across Thursday; Sam Shahin was the best in the earlier qualifying session, however a strong start allowed Liam Talbot to move into the class lead and claim his second straight TAG Heuer Pro-Am race win after success in the final Adelaide race.

“I’m really stoked with the class win here at Albert Park after the race three win on debut a couple of weeks ago in Adelaide. I got a really good start which set me up for the race. It was an interesting race, the Pro drivers were all going pretty hard in front of me and were slowing themselves up so it was good to trail them and take the class win,” said Talbot.

Shahin placed second in class for race one from Roger Lago, Stephen Grove and round one class winner Anthony Gilbertson in fifth.

The opening race at Albert Park had one safety car intervention following a three-car accident between Steven Richards, Josh Hunt and Joey Mawson. While Mawson was the only driver of the trio to continue, ultimately finishing 17^th, his 911 GT3 Cup sustained damage that will prevent him from returning to the track this weekend.

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia will return on Friday for race two at 2:55pm, while race three and race four will be held on Saturday and Sunday. All three of the remaining races will be broadcast live across Network Ten, Fox Sports and Kayo (see below Broadcast & Streaming Schedule).

Race Schedule
Friday March 15, 2019
2:55pm Race 2 (10 laps)
Saturday March 16, 2019
3:20pm Race 3 (10 laps)
Sunday March 17, 2019
12:55pm Race 4 (10 laps)

Broadcast & Streaming Schedule
Race 2 – 2:55pm, Friday March 15 (10 Bold, Fox Sports 506 & Kayo)
Race 3 – 3:20pm, Saturday March 16 (TEN, Fox Sports 506 & Kayo)
Race 4 – 12:55pm, Sunday March 17 (TEN, Fox Sports 506 & Kayo)

Results: Race 1

Wood and Shahin claim Albert Park pole

TAG Heuer Pole Position Award

Dale Wood has ended Wall Racing’s stronghold of Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia qualifying  sessions after claiming the TAG Heuer Pole Position Award at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Between drivers David Wall and James Moffat, the Sydney based Wall Racing team had claimed six straight pole positions since the 2018 round at The Bend Motorsport Park.

Wood beat his Sonic teammate Michael Almond to the top qualifying position from former regular Dylan O’Keeffe in third, who is racing in a one-off drive in line with his Super2 Series commitments.

Sam Shahin was the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am drivers, taking his first pole position since the Sandown round in 2017. Shahin will start ahead of fellow TAG Heuer Pro-Am runners Anthony Gilbertson, Roger Lago and Liam Talbot.

Race Schedule
Thursday March 14, 2019
7:05pm Race 1 (11 laps)
Friday March 15, 2019
2:55pm Race 2 (10 laps)
Saturday March 16, 2019
3:20pm Race 3 (10 laps)
Sunday March 17, 2019
12:55pm Race 4 (10 laps)

Broadcast & Streaming Schedule
Race 2 – 2:55pm, Friday March 15 (10 Bold, Fox Sports 506 & Kayo)
Race 3 – 3:20pm, Saturday March 16 (TEN, Fox Sports 506 & Kayo)
Race 4 – 12:55pm, Sunday March 17 (TEN, Fox Sports 506 & Kayo)

Results: Qualifying times

All-Australian team to contest Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup

Three-car Team Australia confirmed

This season, three Australians will compete in the international Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup series as part of a newly created outfit, Team Australia.

Run by German operation Herberth Motorsport, the team will be led by Australian racing sensation Joey Mawson, who will make the transition from open wheel racing to sports car competition in the world’s most competitive one-make sports car series.

Mawson will be joined in the three-car squad by two drivers with significant experience in the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia championship – three-time TAG Heuer Pro-Am champion Stephen Grove and the series’ most experience racer, Marc Cini.

The creation of Team Australia will mark Australia’s best ever representation for a season in the international sports car championship. While the series has featured several Australian full-time drivers since its 1993 inception – including the likes of Alex Davison, Sam Power, Spike Goddard and Matt Campbell – it has never before had three Australians contested an entire individual season.

The local trio will join New Zealander Jaxon Evans on the grid, who received a position as a Porsche Junior upon winning both the 2018 Carrera Cup Australia title and the 2018 Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout.

For Mawson, the move sees a transition from the GP3 Series, in which he raced throughout the 2018 season. Before that, the Sydneysider won the 2016 ADAC Formula 4 Championship before stints in both the British Formula 3 and European Formula 3 series ahead of his eventually move to the GP3 Series and, ultimately, Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

“It’s surreal to think that I’ll be racing at many of the same events at which I competed last season, though this time in very different surroundings – and a roof over my head,” said Mawson.

“The move to Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup definitely marks a different tact in my career, moving from open wheelers to sports car racing. It’s an ultra-competitive racing series and I look forward to lining up for the 2019 season alongside my Team Australia teammates Marc and Stephen. My maiden Supercup season will no doubt include some unique challenges so it’s great to have a couple of Australians in my corner throughout the season.”

Stephen Grove is one of Carrera Cup Australia’s most successful TAG Heuer Pro-Am drivers having three class crowns to his name from title successes in 2014, 2017 and 2018. Grove also has international one-make experience having raced in several one-off appearances at Spa-Francorchamps (Carrera Cup France), Sepang International Circuit and Fuji Speedway (Carrera Cup Asia) along with three Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup races in 2018 at Monaco, Hockenheim (Germany) and Hungaroring (Hungary).

“Having had my first taste of Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup last season, I’m thrilled to now be part of this new Team Australia outfit for the entire 2019 season,” said Grove.

“The Supercup series limits the number of Pro-Am entries for each season, so it’s an honour for both myself and Marc to be accepted for 2019. After what I experienced last season at Monaco, Hockenheim and Hungaroring, I can’t wait to expand on that and compete in the entire Supercup series in 2019 and see how we go against the other experienced Pro-Am drivers in the series.”

Meanwhile, vastly experienced Pro-Am driver Marc Cini, who starts his 300th Carrera Cup Australia race this weekend at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, will complete the three-car team.

“This is truly a bucket list thing for me. I have great admiration for Porsche one-make series – I’ve raced in Carrera Cup Australia since its debut series – so when this opportunity to compete in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup came up, I had to jump at it,” said Cini.

“I’m still pinching myself by the fact that I’ll be racing at iconic tracks like Monaco and Monza – truly world-class circuits – and share this experience with Joey and Stephen. It’s an incredible opportunity and one made possible by the incredible Porsche Motorsport Pyramid – it not only allows young drivers to further their careers, but it also enables Pro-Am drivers like myself and Stephen who look for unique motor racing experiences. This certainly ticks that box.”

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Project Manager Oliver Schwab is pleased to have Team Australia add to the international flavour of the pinnacle of Porsche one-make racing.

“Our ambition is to be involved in global customer sport of the highest standard. With this in mind, it is obviously great that we have been able to inspire an Australian team to enter the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup this year. The successful history of drivers from Down Under in the Supercup shows just how passionate Australians are about motorsport. As such, we are delighted that Joey Mawson, Stephen Grove and Marc Cini will take their place in our international field this season. The trio can look forward to exciting motorsport on the same bill as the Formula 1 World Championship,” said Schwab.

Team Australia’s Mawson, Cini and Grove, who will all race as part of the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia series at Albert Park this weekend, will begin their 2019 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season campaigns at the season-opening Spanish round at Circuit de Catalunya on May 10-12, 2019.

Star additions for Carrera Cup’s 15th Albert Park visit

Event Preview: Round 2, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia will welcome several new and returning drivers for round two of its 2019 season at Albert Park, including young Australian open wheel sensation Joey Mawson.

Mawson will be part of the 25-car strong all-Porsche grid for a one-off appearance, partnering Marc Cini and round one winner Nick McBride in the Porsche Centre Melbourne outfit. Mawson joins the series having contested the 2018 GP3 Series in Europe following two seasons of both Formula 4 and Formula 3 competition.

Fellow young racer Dylan O’Keeffe returns to the series at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix event for a single-round campaign. The Melbourne based driver placed third in the 2018 standings before moving to the Super2 Series, in which he debuted at the Superloop Adelaide 500. O’Keeffe now steps into the Porsche Centre Brighton entry last season campaigned by Glen Wood.

In addition to the two new Pro-ranked drivers, two TAG Heuer Pro-Am racers have entered Carrera Cup’s Albert Park round.

Former Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia driver David Ryan will make his first solo appearance in Carrera Cup; the Sydneysider contested both the 2015 and 2016 two-driver Pro-Am events alongside Fraser Ross. Meanwhile Australian GT regular Rio Nugara will replace Josh Hunt in the Volante Rosso-run 911 GT3 Cup.

The Albert Park round will host several milestones – both for the series and for two experienced drivers. As the series enters its 15th season, this weekend also marks Carrera Cup’s 15th visit to the Formula 1 event at Albert Park, the last 10 of which have been a point-scoring championship round.

Drivers Marc Cini and David Wall also celebrate significant milestones this weekend; Cini will start his 300th Carrera Cup Australia race in race one on Thursday while Friday will see 2017 champion Wall begin his 150th race in the championship.

This weekend’s Albert Park event follows a thrilling opening round of the Porsche championship in Adelaide earlier this month, in which young Melbourne lawyer McBride scored a clean sweep of race wins. In contrast to McBride’s perfect point-scoring weekend, former champion Steven Richards sustained event-ending damage to his new 911 GT3 Cup in opening practice and hopes Albert Park will mark his competition return since departing the series at the end of the 2016 season.

Leading the TAG Heuer Pro-Am standings into Albert Park is round one winner Anthony Gilbertson, who beat newcomer Liam Talbot and reigning class champion Stephen Grove to the Adelaide round win. Grove will look to continue his strong Albert Park form; the Melbourne businessman has taken eight class race victories from the past 11 races at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia will hold four races across the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix weekend – one on each day of the event. The final three races of the event will be broadcast live on Network Ten, Fox Sports and streaming service Kayo. Race two on Friday will be televised on 10 Bold and Fox Sports 506 while race three and race four on Saturday and Sunday will be shown on TEN and Fox Sports 506.

Race Schedule
Thursday March 14, 2019
12:20pm Practice (20 minutes)
4:10pm Qualifying (20 minutes)
7:05pm Race 1 (11 laps)
Friday March 15, 2019
2:55pm Race 2 (10 laps)
Saturday March 16, 2019
3:20pm Race 3 (10 laps)
Sunday March 17, 2019
12:55pm Race 4 (10 laps)

Broadcast & Streaming Schedule
Race 2 – 2:55pm, Friday March 15 (10 Bold, Fox Sports 506 & Kayo)
Race 3 – 3:20pm, Saturday March 16 (TEN, Fox Sports 506 & Kayo)
Race 4 – 12:55pm, Sunday March 17 (TEN, Fox Sports 506 & Kayo)

Entry List
#4 Stephen Grove (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Grove Group
#5 Thomas Maxwell (Pro) Sonic/Hosepower
#6 Tim Miles (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Garage 1
#7 Warren Luff (Pro) MEGA/No Second Chance
#8 Nick McBride (Pro) Porsche Centre Melbourne
#9 Marc Cini (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmarc
#10 Joey Mawson (Pro) Hallmarc/Porsche Centre Melbourne
#12 Steve Richards (Pro) O’Brien Electrical & Plumbing
#13 Sam Shahin (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) The Bend Motorsport Park/HTFU
#19 Anthony Gilbertson (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmark Homes
#20 Adrian Flack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Agas National
#22 Dean Cook (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) BMF
#23 Roger Lago (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Lago Racing
#27 Liam Talbot (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Wash It
#30 David Ryan (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) DRM Motorsport
#34 Duvashen Padayachee (Pro) Hyundai Forklifts Australia
#35 Indiran Padayachee (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hyundai Forklifts Australia
#36 Cooper Murray (Pro) Lodge Brothers
#38 David Wall (Pro) PAYCE
#77 Michael Almond (Pro) Sonic/Bob Jane T-Marts/PSA Australia
#88 Dylan O’Keeffe (Pro) Porsche Centre Brighton
#100 Dale Wood (Pro) Sonic/Polyflor
#111 Cameron Hill (Pro) Seears Workwear
#666 Rio Nugara (TAG Heuer Pro-Am)
#777 Jordan Love (Pro) Sonic/Bob Jane T-Marts/SRG

Clean sweep highlights Carrera Cup opener in Adelaide

McBride and Gilbertson take Adelaide round win

Nick McBride has completed a spectacular clean sweep of race wins at the opening round of the 2019 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia season in Adelaide while Anthony Gilbertson claimed the TAG Heuer Pro-Am round victory despite an impressive final race from newcomer Liam Talbot.

McBride replicated his impressive form from the opening two races in Sunday’s final race. In a carbon copy of race one and race two, McBride held the lead into the opening corner and maintained his position at the front to the finish.

The round win was McBride’s second on the streets of Adelaide, though in contrast this weekend’s performance, his first Adelaide event victory in 2016 came without scoring a single race win.

“This round couldn’t have gone any better. Porsche Centre Melbourne has given me a car that allowed me to carry on from where I left off in the Gold Coast last year and it’s just been a perfect race weekend. We’ve been fast all weekend from practice; I felt really comfortable in the car and it showed in the results,” said McBride.

“The Australian Grand Prix is my home event so I’ve got a lot of family and friends coming out for that one. I’ve had some good results there in the past; though leading and spraying it off the track on the safety car restart last year wasn’t ideal, but I really enjoy the track.”

Three second-place finishes handed David Wall second for the weekend, while Dale Wood was equally as consistent with three third-place finishes, holding off Jordan Love in the final race to claim his third top-three result for the weekend.

Warren Luff placed fourth for the round from Jordan Love, who was the winning Michelin Junior for the opening event of the season.

The battle for the TAG Heuer Pro-Am was closer than the action at the front, with Liam Talbot taking the race three class win to conclude his first event in the championship in style. However second place in class for Anthony Gilbertson in race three was enough to secure the South Australian an emotional home race win.

“This is a dream come true. I grew up just down the road and I used to come here for Formula 1 all the time. Unfortunately I moved up to Queensland but I still call this place home, so to get a round win here, I can’t imagine topping that apart from winning the Pro-Am championship,” said Gilbertson.

Talbot secured second on the TAG Heuer Pro-Am podium, while Stephen Grove recovered from a difficult start to the round to secure third in class.

McBride’s Adelaide dominance sees him lead the outright standings by 18 points from Wall, with Wood a further 18 points further adrift.

Gilbertson now enters round two with an 18-point lead in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am standings with Grove 36 points further adrift in third.

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia will return in just two weeks for round two of the 2019 championship at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Results: Race 3

McBride and Gilbertson take repeat Adelaide wins

Back-to-back winners in scorching Adelaide heat

Nick McBride has continued his impressive start to the 2019 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia season with race two victory in Adelaide, while Anthony Gilbertson also maintained his TAG Heuer Pro-Am dominance with his second win in as many races.

The Porsche field lined up for the 10-lap sprint race in scorching 39 degree conditions. McBride made the most of the conditions to lead through the opening chicane complex – despite entering turn one side-by-side with David Wall – following a self-confessed sluggish race start. From there, McBride managed to build a small margin to Wall, which he maintained to the chequered flag.

McBride’s win follows his impressive race one victory, which was his first on the streets of Adelaide despite winning the season-opening South Australian round in 2016.

“I absolutely stuffed up the start so I was lucky to get away with that. I managed to stay in front at turn one and from there it was a real sprint race, so head down and bum up. Again, the team gave me a rocketship carrying on from last year. Let’s see what happens tomorrow,” said McBride.

Despite a late charge for the lead, Wall secured second from Dale Wood and Warren Luff – the same top four result as Friday’s opening race.

After a difficult race one, Jordan Love placed fifth to be the best placed of the Michelin Juniors in race two, while sixth place for Josh Hunt was the best race result for both the Perth based racer and his Sydney based Volante Rosso race team. Michelin Juniors Cameron Hill and Thomas Maxwell placed seventh and eighth while Cooper Murray, who placed fifth in race one, struggled to get off the start line and dropped down the order on the run to turn one. Murray recovered to place ninth, one position ahead of Michael Almond, who made his own charge through the field after a race one DNF saw the South Australian start race two from the rear of the grid.

Anthony Gilbertson was the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am drivers from the start of the race, managing to take the race win despite struggling in the final laps. Newcomer Liam Talbot was on a late-race charge and was almost in a position to challenge for the class lead, though Gilbertson was able to continue his wins streak and establish a 24-point class lead just two races into the season.

“Pole position, race one win and race two win; it’s almost the perfect weekend so far. I’m as happy as Larry and can’t wait for tomorrow,” said Gilbertson.

“I was struggling with my rear tyres from about half way and I made a couple of errors from turn eight, on one occasion I accidently hit the down-shift from fifth to fourth mid-corner and it snapped the rear and the wall was looking really close at one point. From then I really buttoned off through that corner. I was letting Liam catch me to ensure I could finish and take the win.”

Talbot placed second in class in his second Carrera Cup race from South Australian Sam Shahin, Stephen Grove, Roger Lago and Tim Miles.

One race remains for the first round of the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia on the streets of Adelaide, which can be viewed live at 1:30pm ACDT on Sunday March 03 on both TEN and Fox Sports 506 and will also be streamed live on Kayo.

Event Schedule (local time)
Sunday March 03
1:30pm – Race 3 (10 laps)

Broadcast Schedule
Race 3 – 1:30pm, Sunday March 03 (TEN, Fox Sports 506, Kayo)

Results: Race 2

McBride and Gilbertson take opening Adelaide wins

Nick McBride and Anthony Gilbertson win race one

Nick McBride has started his 2019 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia campaign with race one victory at the Adelaide 500, holding off a hard-charging David Wall in the 15-lap battle. Meanwhile, Anthony Gilbertson was the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am drivers, taking his first class race win on the streets of his home town.

Young Melbourne lawyer McBride started alongside pole-sitter Wall on the front row and quickly moved to the lead ahead of the opening corner. From there, McBride maintained the lead despite challenges from Wall.

The field was compacted after the safety car was called to the circuit to recover the stranded Tim Miles from the turn 11 gravel trap, though McBride was able to retain his position at the front to ultimately win and start the season in similar fashion to which he finished the last – taking round victory with two race wins from the 2018 Gold Coast finale.

“It was a perfect start to the season. Qualifying went pretty well this morning but I missed out on pole by a tenth to Wall. I got a decent start and managed to keep up a decent pace to stay in front of Wall. It certainly beats my race one last year here,” said McBride, who was taken out of contention of race one in Carrera Cup’s opening 2018 race.

“This just confirms that we’ve started 2019 where we left off in the Gold Coast last year. We always thoughts that we were quick enough to win races and be on the front row but as soon as a driver’s confidence goes, the results just don’t come. Hopefully we can continue this form tomorrow.”

Pole-sitter Wall placed second from Dale Wood, who raced well to keep returning racer Warren Luff in his rear view mirror to the chequered flag. Luff placed fourth in his Carrera Cup return, holding off young gun Cooper Murray who, after passing Jordan Love early in the race, was the best placed of the four Michelin Juniors. Love placed sixth from Cameron Hill and Josh Hunt in eighth.

Ninth place outright was an impressive result for TAG Heuer Pro-Am winner Anthony Gilbertson, who claimed the first class win of his Carrera Cup career at the beginning of his second season in the championship.

“It’s my first win of the season and my first Pro-Am win in Carrera Cup. Towards the end I was hanging on; it was getting pretty hot and slippery out there. To win in Adelaide, which is basically my home town, is incredible and I hope it continues over the next few days.” said Gilbertson.

Former class champion Max Twigg placed second in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am from local driver Sam Shahin in third and debutant Liam Talbot in fourth.

Two 10-lap races remain for Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia for the Adelaide season opener – one race on Saturday and one race on Sunday – both of which will be broadcast live across TEN, Fox Sports 506 and streaming service Kayo.

Event Schedule (local time)
Saturday March 02
3:00pm – Race 2 (10 laps)
Sunday March 03
1:30pm – Race 3 (10 laps)

Broadcast Schedule
Race 2 – 3:00pm, Saturday March 02 (TEN, Fox Sports 506, Kayo)
Race 3 – 1:30pm, Sunday March 03 (TEN, Fox Sports 506, Kayo)

Results: Race 1

Wall, Gilbertson top shortened Adelaide qualifying

Wall Racing secured sixth straight pole

David Wall has secured Wall Racing’s sixth-straight TAG Heuer Pole Position at the opening Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia event of the 2019 season in Adelaide, while Anthony Gilbertson started his season in the same fashion as 2018.

The 2017 Carrera Cup champion Wall posted his best lap later in the session just before the red flag was waved following a heavy turn eight incident involving Adrian Flack, who emerged from his Porsche unscathed.

The pole position effort continued Wall Racing’s impressive qualifying run that has seen the team top the session at every event since Darwin in 2018.

Anthony Gilbertson was the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am drivers. The Adelaide-raised racer claimed TAG Heuer Pole Position at his Carrera Cup debut last season on the Adelaide streets and has replicated the feat to kick off his 2019 campaign.

Qualifying times

Luff and Gilbertson top eventful Adelaide practice

Carrera Cup commences milestone 15th season

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia has officially kicked off its milestone 15th season at the Adelaide 500 with an eventful day of opening practice.

While the scorching Adelaide heat reached a high of 37 degrees, Thursday morning’s opening practice session lasted only three laps before a three-car accident between Dave Stevens, Steven Richards and Duvashen Padayachee ended the session early. The significant turn eight incident caused event-ending damage to the race cars of Stevens and Richards, while Padayachee will return for Friday qualifying.

In contrast to Richards’ horrid opening day, fellow returning racer Warren Luff posted the best lap time of the day from last year’s Gold Coast finale round winner Nick McBride and local racer Michael Almond in third.

“The car feels really good; obviously we don’t know what tyres everyone was running out there and we were running on a pretty good set of tyres. It’s good to be back in the car and feeling comfortable,” said Luff, who steps into the #7 McElrea Racing entry formerly occupied by eventual Carrera Cup champions Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans.

“I have some pretty big shoes to fill with Matt Campbell and then Jaxon Evans from last year. I’m just going out there to have some fun and hopefully be at the front of the field. I know I have the right team of guys around me so fingers crossed come Sunday afternoon.”

Queensland-based Adelaide-raised racer Anthony Gilbertson was the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am drivers, posting the eighth best outright lap time and beating the next best Pro-Am driver by over three-tenths of a second.

“I didn’t expect to be the fastest Pro-Am driver of the day; I did it on the last lap of the day and I‘m really happy with my pace. It’s bloody warm in the car; I’m sweating pretty hard now that I’m out of the car. I’ll get in the ice bath and recover in time for qualifying tomorrow morning,” said Gilbertson.

Max Twigg was the next best TAG Heuer Pro-Am driver from Thursday’s two practice sessions from Roger Lago, Adrian Flack and Tim Miles.

The Porsche championship will next be on track for Friday morning’s qualifying session at 10:30am, followed by the opening race of the season at 4:20pm. Race two will then be held on Saturday and race three on Sunday.

All remaining Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia sessions from the Adelaide 500 will be broadcast live across both Fox Sports 506 and Kayo, while all races, starting from tomorrow’s Race 1, will be aired live across Network Ten channels 10 Bold and TEN.

Event Schedule (local time)
Friday March 01
10:30am – Qualifying (20mins)
4:20pm – Race 1 (15 laps)
Saturday March 02
3:00pm – Race 2 (10 laps)
Sunday March 03
1:30pm – Race 3 (10 laps)

Broadcast Schedule
Qualifying – 10:30am, Friday March 01 (Fox Sports 506, Kayo)
Race 1 – 4:20pm, Friday March 01 (10 Bold, Fox Sports 506, Kayo)
Race 2 – 3:00pm, Saturday March 02 (TEN, Fox Sports 506, Kayo)
Race 3 – 1:30pm, Sunday March 03 (TEN, Fox Sports 506, Kayo)

Results: Practice 1

Results: Practice 2

TAG Heuer expands Porsche partnership

Swiss watchmaker continues as Official Watch

Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer has increased its support of Porsche racing in Australia, expanding its on-track involvement across both the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia championships in 2019.

TAG Heuer is now the Official Watch of both Carrera Cup and GT3 Cup Challenge along with the naming rights partner of the Pro-Am class across both series. TAG Heuer will also retain naming rights of the Fastest Lap Award and Pole Position Award in Carrera Cup for the coming season.

The 2019 season will mark the 12th year of Carrera Cup’s partnership with TAG Heuer. Carrera Cup first partnered with the Swiss watchmaker from the 2004 season through to 2007. Thereafter, the two brands again collaborated from 2012 through to the coming 2019 season.

The expanded partnership will now see TAG Heuer race car branding added to all GT3 Cup Challenge entries and offering significant prizes at the end of the 2019 GT3 Cup Challenge season.

“It’s rare to have a relationship between two brands that is as strong and meaningful as what Porsche enjoys with TAG Heuer in Australia,” said Toni Andreevski, Porsche Cars Australia Director of Marketing & Motorsport.

“Both Porsche and TAG Heuer have a strong heritage in motor racing and both continue their motor racing involvement to this day. To have TAG Heuer not only continue with Carrera Cup but also expand the partnership into the GT3 Cup Challenge series, which has gone from strength to strength in the past few seasons, is tremendous for the Porsche motor racing programme in Australia.”

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia will begin this week at the Adelaide 500 on February 28-March 03, while Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia will start its 2019 season at the Tasmania SuperSprint on April 5-7.

Carrera Cup celebrates 15th season with impressive driver line-up

Event Preview - Round 1, Adelaide

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia this weekend embarks on its 15th year in Australia and is equipped with a 25-strong Porsche field to help celebrate the milestone season.

Since the 2018 Gold Coast finale, Porsche confirmed property development and investment company PAYCE as Carrera Cup’s new Title Partner for 2019 – the series’ second major partner in as many years.

This period also saw reigning Carrera Cup champion Jaxon Evans pack his bags and begin his European adventure as an official Porsche Junior driver, opening the door for other young racers looking to climb the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid in the search for an international racing career with the German sports car brand.

Over the break several high-profile names have confirmed their Carrera Cup comeback, including 2015 series champion and five-time Bathurst 1000 winner Steven Richards and 2014 Carrera Cup runner-up Warren Luff, who steps into the title-winning #7 McElrea Racing entry.

Other Pro-ranked newcomers include 2018 Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia runner-up Cooper Murray and Darwin native Thomas Maxwell, who returns to Australia after a three-year stint in European open wheel racing. Murray and Maxwell will be joined by returning young racers Jordan Love and Cameron Hill in the battle for the Michelin Junior title and the chance to following in the footsteps of Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans to compete against the best young international Carrera Cup drivers in the 2019 Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout.

Also continuing is a group of former front-runners who will be looking to capture the title, including 2018 runner-up David Wall, Dale Wood, who won the most races last season, and Nick McBride, who finished last season with a commanding Gold Coast round victory. Adelaide racer Michael Almond will also look to continue his success in South Australia after claiming round victory in Carrera Cup’s inaugural visit to The Bend Motorsport Park. Perth-based racer Josh Hunt also returns with the aim to steer Volante Rosso up the Carrera Cup order in his, and the team’s, second Porsche season.

The ‘Padayachee’ name will have twice the presence in the 2019 field with the return of Duvashen Padayachee. With 32 round starts to his name, Padayachee will race alongside his TAG Heuer Pro-Am ranked father, Indiran Padayachee, in the GWR Australia stable, becoming the first father-son combination to race in Carrera Cup since Stephen and Brenton Grove both contested the final round of the 2017 season in Gold Coast.

Fresh from his third Class B win in the 2019 Bathurst 12 Hour, Stephen Grove returns to Carrera Cup in pursuit of his fourth, and third-straight, TAG Heuer Pro-Am title. However, Grove is faced with arguably the most-competitive TAG Heuer Pro-Am field in Carrera Cup history.

Triple TAG Heuer Pro-Am class champion Max Twigg is back for 2019 in the search for his first Pro-Am title since 2013, while Adrian Flack and Tim Miles, who placed second and third respectively in last season’s TAG Heuer Pro-Am standings, will look to capitalise on experience gained in their first full Carrera Cup season to fight for the 2019 Pro-Am title.

Roger Lago will look to replicate his season-opening form from last year following a clean sweep on the Adelaide streets in 2018, while Adelaide drivers Sam Shahin and Anthony Gilbertson enter their home event with significantly more racing laps than at their maiden Adelaide 500 campaigns last season.

Just two drivers enter the 15th Carrera Cup season having also competed in the inaugural 2003 season: Marc Cini is set to embark on his 297th Carrera Cup race start for the opening Adelaide race while Dean Cook enters his 23rd Carrera Cup round after placing sixth in the 2018 Pro-Am standings.

Graham Williams and Dave Stevens have also committed to the 2019 season, as has former GT racer Liam Talbot, who transitions from a Porsche 911 GT3 R to the one-make 911 GT3 Cup model.

The 15th season of Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia will commence with opening practice on Thursday. Qualifying and race one will feature on Friday, with race two and race three to be held on Saturday and Sunday.

Carrera Cup will again feature a comprehensive broadcast package in 2019; all Adelaide sessions from practice two will be televised on Fox Sports 506 and streamed live on new streaming service, Kayo. All races will be broadcast on free-to-air television; race one will be shown live on 10 Bold with the following two races to be aired on TEN.

Event Schedule
Thursday February 28
10:50am – Practice 1 (20 minutes)
3:00pm – Practice 2 (20 minutes)
Friday March 01
10:30am – Qualifying (20mins)
4:20pm – Race 1 (15 laps)
Saturday March 02
3:00pm – Race 2 (10 laps)
Sunday March 03
1:30pm – Race 3 (10 laps)

Broadcast Schedule
Practice 2 – 3:00pm, Thursday February 28 (Fox Sports 506, Kayo)
Qualifying – 10:30am, Friday March 01 (Fox Sports 506, Kayo)
Race 1 – 4:20pm, Friday March 01 (10 Bold, Fox Sports 506, Kayo)
Race 2 – 3:00pm, Saturday March 02 (TEN, Fox Sports 506, Kayo)
Race 3 – 1:30pm, Sunday March 03 (TEN, Fox Sports 506, Kayo)

Entry List
#4 Stephen Grove (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Grove Group
#5 Thomas Maxwell (Pro) Sonic/Hose Power
#6 Tim Miles (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Garage1
#7 Warren Luff (Pro) Mega/No Second Chance
#8 Nick McBride (Pro) PCM/Marshalls+Dent+Wilmoth
#9 Marc Cini (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmarc
#12 Steve Richards (Pro) O’Brien Electrical & Plumbing/BP Ultimate
#13 Sam Shahin (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) The Bend Motorsport Park/HTFU
#15 Josh Hunt (Pro) Volante Rosso Workshop
#19 Anthony Gilbertson (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmark Homes
#20 Adrian Flack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Agas National
#22 Dean Cook (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) BMF
#23 Roger Lago (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Lago Racing
#27 Liam Talbot (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Wash It
#34 Duvashen Padayachee (Pro) Hyundai Forklifts Australia
#35 Indiran Padayachee (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hyundai Forklifts Australia
#36 Cooper Murray (Pro)
#38 David Wall (Pro) PAYCE
#50 David Stevens (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Brennan IT
#77 Michael Almond (Pro) Sonic/Bob Jane T-Marts/PSA Australia
#80 Max Twigg (TAG Heuer Pro-Am)
#100 Dale Wood (Pro) Sonic/Polyflor
#111 Cameron Hill (Pro) Seears Workwear
#131 Graham Williams (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Williams Harcourts
#777 Jordan Love (Pro) Sonic/Bob Jane T-Marts/SRG

Porsche celebrates with Amadio in 2019

Amadio Wines partners two Porsche series

Porsche racers will have added incentive for success in 2019 following the announcement of Amadio Wines as the Official Wine and Champagne Partner for both the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia championships.

As part of the new partnership, Amadio Wines’ Amadio GR Reserve Brut will be used for Carrera Cup and GT3 Cup Challenge podium celebrations throughout the 2019 season, while Amadio Wines will also hold the presenting rights to Carrera Cup’s 2019 Welcome Function, to be held at the Adelaide-based Amadio Wines Cellar Door.

Amadio Wines logos will also feature on every Carrera Cup and GT3 Cup Challenge entry throughout 2019.

“We’re certainly excited to have Amadio Wines on board for the 2019 Carrera Cup and GT3 Cup Challenge seasons. Carrera Cup has traditionally started its season by spraying Amadio on the Adelaide 500 podium, however it’s great to now have a direct partnership with Amadio Wines not only with Carrera Cup but also with the GT3 Cup Challenge series,” said Porsche Cars Australia Motorsport Manager, Troy Bundy.

“We will also hold our 2019 Carrera Cup Welcome Function at Amadio Wines’ Adelaide Cellar Door, which will provide a perfect setting to host our Porsche teams and drivers ahead of what is expected to be a sensational season on track.”

Amadio Wines Managing Director Danniel Amadio is pleased to join in the celebrations of two of Australia’s top sports car racing series.

“It’s great for Amadio Wines to partner with Porsche through its two motor racing series, Carrera Cup and GT3 Cup Challenge in 2019. The partnership is a great fit for both brands and fittingly, it’s great that we can help launch the start of the 2019 Carrera Cup season ahead of its opening round – and Amadio’s home event – the Adelaide 500,” said Amadio.

The 2019 season will feature a total of 14 podium presentations across both the Carrera Cup and GT3 Cup Challenge series, from which there will be 102 bottles of Amadio GR Reserve Brut presented and subsequently sprayed.