Carrera Cup Australia tops both joint battles

O'Keeffe and Lago wins Sydney joint races

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

Joint Pro-Am Race

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

Joint Pro Race

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

Love takes maiden win in thrilling race two

Love and Grove win Sydney race two

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

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

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

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

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

Results: Race 2

O’Keeffe takes maiden victory in race one

O'Keeffe and Flack win opening Sydney battle

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results: Race 1

Wall secures pole, Lago slays qualifying curse

Friday Wrap: Round 5, Sydney Motorsport Park

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results: Qualifying

Former Pro-Am champ returns for Sydney

Shane Smollen returns to Porsche field

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carrera Cups prepare for Sydney showdown

Preview: Round 5, Sydney Motorsport Park

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grove scores Supercup Pro-Am podium

Aussie collects silverware at Hungaroring

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grove completes strong Supercup return in Germany

Stephen Grove fifth in class at Hockenheimring

Reigning TAG Heuer Pro-Am champion Stephen Grove has scored an impressive fifth in class in his second Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup outing at Hockenheimring, Germany.

The strong performance was highlighted by a clean start, which saw him improve four positions in the opening segment of the race.

It came after he was forced to start the 14-lapper from the rear of the field following a technical penalty that was handed down post-qualifying due to the car not being weighed in time at the conclusion of the session.

Clear skies greeted Supercup for the race on Sunday, where the Melbourne-based driver crossed the line an impressive fifth in the Pro-Am class at the chequered flag.

Speaking after the race, Grove said he was extremely happy with the end result of the weekend.

“The race was really good,” exclaimed Grove. “I managed to grab a couple of spots and ended up fifth in class which is pretty good at this level.

“It’s so important to know the tracks over here, it takes a year to work them out, so I’m still learning every step of the way.

“Qualifying, unfortunately was a little bit disappointing – I was running well up the order when everyone was on wet tyres, 14th or 15th I think, which is unbelievable.

“Then everyone came in to put slicks on and the team made an error and put wets back on my car, so I was out on wets, that’s why I struggled.

“At the end of the session there was a bit of confusion while I was talking about that to the team and we didn’t go get weighed in time, so that’s where we got the penalty.

“Overall though, I’m happy with the weekend – I’ve learnt a lot, even outside of the car, technical stuff, setup of the car, I’m learning so much.”

It won’t be long before Grove gets back behind the wheel, with the experienced racer returning to action on July 27-29, once again in Supercup with French outfit Pro GT by Alméras.

This weekend he will tackle yet another new European circuit, with Budapest’s Hungaroring in Hungary playing host to the next round in part two of Grove’s triple header.

“Budapest will be great – now I’ve got used to the team and everything even more, I will be pushing harder next weekend,” added Grove.

“It will be a challenge though, because the Hungaroring is effectively like Monaco, though without the walls so close.

“The heat will be a factor as well, but I’m looking forward to getting out on track again.”

Track action in Budapest kicks off with Free Practice on Friday ahead of Qualifying and the Race with takes place on Sunday.

Grove set for Supercup double-header

Stephen Grove to race at Hockenheim and Hungaroring

Reigning TAG Heuer Pro-Am champion Stephen Grove will continue his international racing campaign this weekend when contesting the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race at Germany’s Hockenheim circuit.

The event will be the first of two Supercup events on consecutive weekends, competing at Hungary’s Hungaroring the following weekend before returning to Australia for round five of the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia championship at Sydney Motorsport Park for his third-straight weekend of Porsche one-make competition.

With Carrera Cup Australia joining Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in Sydney, Grove will look to repeat his 2016 performance of outright race victory in the all-in Joint Pro-Am race, which will be held after the two individual Carrera Cup Australia races.

Carrera Cup drivers set for more Bathurst miles

Current-spec GT3 Cup cars to race in sports car enduro

Drivers in the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia championship will now have the opportunity to race their Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in Australia’s greatest sports car endurance race, the Bathurst 12 Hour.

The move will be the second time in the history of the 12 hour event that a Porsche Cars Australia-imported current-generation Carrera Cup race car is eligible to compete; the 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour allowed the 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991.I) to compete after its Carrera Cup lifespan was extended to a fourth year.

The inclusion of a new Class B contender will no doubt assist in Porsche’s continance as the best represented brand at the New South Wales event, featuring more cars than any other automotive manufacturer across the past six races.

“Porsche is excited to provide its Carrera Cup customers the opportunity to race their latest generation 911 GT3 Cup cars at next year’s Bathurst 12 Hour,” said Troy Bundy, Porsche Cars Australia Motorsport Manager.

“In contrast to Carrera Cup’s tradition sprint and endurance formats, this initiative will enable our customers to experience their 911 GT3 Cup race cars in a full endurance setting – including pit stops, co-drivers and providing more racing laps in their 911 race car separate to their Carrera Cup campaigns.

“Porsche has been the best-represented manufacturer in the past six Bathurst 12 Hour events and this announcement will no doubt further boost the brand’s presence at the Mount Panorama sports car enduro.”

Grove expands Supercup campaign

Stephen Grove to race in Germany and Hungary

Stephen Grove will return to the international Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup next month at the iconic Hockenheimring and Hungaroring circuits.

Grove made his Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup debut at Monaco in May before claiming the TAG Heuer Pro-Am round win at round four of the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia series at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway.

The Melbourne-based driver will rejoin French squad Pro GT by Alméras for the back-to-back rounds – starting with the Hockenheimring in Germany on July 20-22 followed by a round at the Hungaroring in Hungary on July 27-29.

“I’m really excited to add all these overseas races to my calendar,” said Grove.

“They are quite unique experiences in that I’m adapting to new environments as such and new race tracks as well – it’s very different to racing back in Australia.

“Hockenheim and Budapest are two tracks I don’t know, but I will have the same engineer for those two rounds, whereas in Monaco I had someone different, so that will help the continuity.

“The risk versus reward is a lot different at those two circuits, they have a lot more run off because they are more traditional tracks so I’ll be able to push a little more.

“I’ve got to learn two different circuits that I haven’t been to in the next few weeks. It’s a good thing I’m doing it with the same team we did Monaco with, it’s in a Cup car, so it will be exciting.”

Following the two Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup rounds, Grove will return to Australia for round five of Carrera Cup Australia where the series is joined by Porsche Carrera Cup Asia at Sydney Motorsport Park on August 03-04.

Matt Campbell wins at Le Mans 24 Hour

Porsche claims double-victory at Circuit de la Sarthe

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia graduate Matt Campbell has taken victory in the world’s toughest long distance race, the Le Mans 24 Hours at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France.

The 2016 Carrera Cup Australia champion took victory in the GTE-Am class aboard the #77 Porsche 911 RSR of Dempsey-Proton Racing, led by high-profile team co-owner Patrick Dempsey.

Putting in an inspired drive, Porsche Young Professional Campbell (Australia), Christian Ried (Germany) and Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (France) notched up the 107th class win for Porsche. At just 18 years of age, Julien Andlauer has become the youngest class winner at Le Mans. Like its factory-entered couterpart, the Dempsey-Proton Racing entry led the GTE-Am field for the majority of the 24 hour distance.

In the GTE-Pro category, the #92 Porsche 911 RSR concluded the 86th edition of the race in first place after 344 laps. The driver trio of Kévin Estre (France), Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) and Michael Christensen (Denmark) held the lead for almost the entire distance and controlled the race on the tradition-steeped 13.626-kilometre racetrack. The sister car (#91) shared by Richard Lietz (Austria), Frédéric Makowiecki (France) and Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) perfectly rounded off the double victory for Porsche in the GTE-Pro class.

The #86 911 RSR campaigned by Gulf Racing, which included Australian Carrera Cup driver Alex Davison, was relegated to the back of the field at the beginning of the race after becoming entangled in an accident caused by another competitor. Pulling out all stops, the team fought their way back up the order to finish on tenth.

Comments on the race

Matt Campbell – Australia (Porsche 911 RSR #77): “Obviously the race went fantastically. We held the lead from about 5:30pm yesterday (Saturday) afternoon, which is really hard to believe. The car was mega all race. It was absolutely perfect. No mistakes, no contact, nothing like that. Julien and Christian did a fantastic job the while race. I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity.

“It’s only my debut here, my second year in Europe and my second year with Porsche, so I’m absolutely over the moon. It’s something crazy.

“Once you have that lead, you need to manage it, just trying to be as consistent as possible and keep the average lap time up as high as you can. It’s quite difficult for us to manage traffic, not to lose too much time ourselves and not fight too much, because you don’t want to get (tyre) pick-up or anything like that. Ferrari’s pace in the race was matching us all race. We got lucky there at the start of the race with a couple of Safety Cars. We were able to really manage that (lead) throughout the whole race, which was quite surprising because obviously in GTE-Am there is a lot of diversity in the driver line-ups. They were always there, the two Ferraris – I think it was #84 and #85 – for the whole race. There was never less than 30 seconds gap and up to a couple of minutes at times. It went perfectly. I can’t express what it feels like, that’s for sure.”

Patrick Dempsey, co-owner Dempsey-Proton Racing: “These young drivers, their first time here, with so many drivers, they just had a level of class in their driving. Matt was on the radio and he was just really calm and knew what he had to do. He just had this look in his eye and I was like ‘this guy is the real deal’. These are young stars emerging and we are a part of it …

“I’m lost for words. Everyone did a fantastic job, it was a victory for the whole team. The race was incredible, we made no mistakes and our work was rewarded with this great success. I can’t tell you how incredibly proud and happy I am for Porsche, too.”

Race result
GTE-Pro class
1. Christensen/Estre/Vanthoor (DK/F/B), Porsche 911 RSR, 344 laps
2. Lietz/Bruni/Makowiecki (A/I/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 343 laps
3. Hand/Müller/Bourdais (USA/D/F), Ford GT, 343 laps
11. Pilet/Tandy/Bamber (F/GB/NZ), Porsche 911 RSR, 338 laps

GTE-Am class
1. Ried/Andlauer/Campbell (D/F/AUS), Porsche 911 RSR, 335 laps
2. Flohr/Castellacci/Fisichella (CH/I/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, 335 laps
3. Keating/Bleekemolen/Stolz (USA/NL/D), Ferrari 488 GTE, 334 laps
4. Long/Pappas/Pumpelly (USA/USA/USA), Porsche 911 RSR, 334 laps
6. Babini/Nielsen/Maris (I/DK/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 332 laps
7. Bergmeister/Lindsey/Perfetti (D/USA/N), Porsche 911 RSR, 332 laps
10. Wainwright/Barker/Davison (GB/GB/AUS), Porsche 911 RSR, 324 laps

Top End triumph for O’Keeffe and Grove

Darwin round winner now a title contender

Dylan O’Keeffe has his sights firmly set on the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia title following his maiden round win at Hidden Valley Raceway, while race three fortune handed Stephen Grove the TAG Heuer Pro-Am round win.

Sunday morning’s race two began with race one winner David Wall stalling from pole position. Third-placed Dylan O’Keeffe narrowly missed the motionless #1 Porsche, however Dale Wood wasn’t so lucky, contacting the rear of Wall and causing race-ending damage to both entries.

A subsequent turn one incident between John Steffensen and Dean Cook and contact on the restart, which ended Nick McBride’s event, allowed for a one-lap dash to the chequered flag. Jaxon Evans ultimately won race two from O’Keeffe and James Moffat.

After victory eluded O’Keeffe in race two, the final race of the weekend looked to be his, fending off a turn one challenge from Jaxon Evans before establishing a gap to second placed Moffat. Ultimately, however, Moffat charged past O’Keeffe late in the race to claim his first Carrera Cup race win in a decade, while second place for O’Keeffe, assisted by a mishap by Evans with two laps to go, handed the GT3 Cup Challenge graduate O’Keeffe his maiden round win in his third season of Carrera Cup racing.

“That wasn’t too bad. I’m about 95 per cent satisfied after leading the majority of the race. Moffat got me after the safety car as we’d lost all grip and it was so hard to drive. I just had to consolidate and it’s great to get the round win. Hopefully we can keep this going for the rest of the season,” said O’Keeffe.

“We’ve consistently been around second and third, but we still haven’t got that race win yet. It’s cool to tick off the round win and hopefully I can get that race win in the future. We’ve jumped to second in the championship and closed the gap to Evans in points so, all in all, the weekend was pretty good.”

Adrian Flack followed his race one victory on Saturday with a repeat win in the interrupted race two, in which he placed seventh outright after several Pro drivers failed to finish.

Flack was again racing well within the top 10 before a fight with several Pro runners saw the Brisbane racer drop to eighth in class by the finish, while victory to Stephen Grove handed the reigning TAG Heuer Pro-Am champion his second straight round victory.

“Another round win is great. It’s been a hard weekend and it’s really tough; you had to work really hard at it this weekend as it had a mixture of everything. I’m rapt for Adrian Flack as he did a great job with two class wins and to be up on the podium. It’s been a good weekend,” said Grove.

Flack placed second for the round from Australian Grand Prix round winner Tim Miles, who secured fourth, third and second in class across the three Darwin races.

Following a horror event for Dale Wood and David Wall, with Evans dropping to 16th by the finish of race three, O’Keeffe has moved to second in the standings and now sits 59 points from Evans in the overall standings and 68 points in the Pro points tally.

“This is my third season in Carrera Cup,” said O’Keeffe. “Last year was more of a learning year with a few good results. This season, we have the new car and the team is really starting to gel. I couldn’t be happier with how we’re going and we’re only getting better. We’re finding new things in the car and I’d say I’m driving the car pretty consistently without doing anything silly, and that’s how you win the championship. We’ll keep the same approach and see where we end up at the end of the season.”

With TAG Heuer Pro-Am round victory, Grove moves to just seven points off class leader Roger Lago, while Flack sits 98 points further behind in third.

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia returns to start the second half of the 2018 season at Sydney Motorsport Park on August 03-04 for a two-day joint round with its sister one-make series Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.

Wall and Flack claim race one honours in Darwin

Porsche records tumble at Hidden Valley

Reigning Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia champion David Wall has secured his first victory of 2018 in race one at Hidden Valley Raceway, while an impressive performance by Adrian Flack saw the series rookie claim his maiden TAG Heuer Pro-Am win.

Wall secured TAG Heuer Pole Position earlier on Saturday with a new qualifying lap record before leading into the opening corner of race one. Wall was unchallenged thereafter to eventually claim a one-second victory over series leader Jaxon Evans, while also posting a new race lap record.

While Wall has placing inside the top four in seven of the season’s nine races, the Darwin win was the Sydneysider’s first since race one at Bathurst last season.

“It’s good to get our first race win in the new car, which is slightly different to set up and drive to the previous version GT3 Cup car. I’m finally getting my head around it a little bit,” said Wall.

“Overall we’ve ticked a lot of boxes and I’m really happy with the weekend so far. Today was good; we’ll now see what tomorrow brings.”

Dylan O’Keeffe survived opening lap attacks to work his way back to third place by the chequered flag from James Moffat, who progressed to fourth from seventh on the grid following a four-place grid penalty for a qualifying infringement.

Dale Wood dropped several positions as the race progressed after an inspired opening segment of the race. Cameron Hill qualified a career-high third place though dropped to sixth by the finish, while Nick McBride started second but struggled with locked tyres under braking to ultimately finished seventh.

TAG Heuer Pro-Am reigning champion Stephen Grove was the quickest Pro-Am driver in qualifying, while Adrian Flack joined Grove at the front of the class in race one.

Grove led the class until lap 13, when Flack moved to the lead and eventually took his maiden Pro-Am victory in his rookie Carrera Cup season.

“It’s really the first time this year that we’ve had a good car underneath us. We did some testing a week ago and went through the processes. We’ve got our heads around it now and the boys did a great job to get the car to where it is now, which is just a beautiful race car,” said Flack.

“I started racing in Porsches years ago in GTs with my younger brother. It’s just a matter of getting back into it and learning about this car and how it works. I think we’re starting to get there now so hopefully we’ll be a lot more competitive for the rest of the year.”

Grove placed second in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am ahead of class points leader Roger Lago, Tim Miles and Anthony Gilbertson, who recovered after a qualifying accident which saw him crash moments after setting the quickest time in the opening sector late in the session.

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia has two races remaining for round four in Darwin. The 18-lap race two will be held at 8:45am (local time) on Sunday morning before the third Endurance Cup race of the season is held at midday. Both of the remaining Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia races from Darwin can be viewed live nationwide on Fox Sports 506.

Race Schedule (local time)
Sunday June 17, 2018
8:45am Race 2 (18 laps)
12:00pm Race 3 (35 laps)

Broadcast Schedule (local time)
Race 2 – 8:45am, Sunday June 17
Race 3 – 12:00pm, Sunday June 17

Results: Race 1

Wall and Grove top Darwin qualifying

Pole-sitter eclipses Hidden Valley lap record

David Wall has continued at the front of the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia series in Darwin with record setting pace.

After topping both Friday practice sessions, Wall exchanged top times with many of the Carrera Cup front-runners, though eventually came out with a new lap record and the best lap of the qualifying session.

Nick McBride will start alongside Wall on the front row ahead of second row starters James Moffat and Cameron Hill in his best qualifying performance of the season. Dylan O’Keeffe will start in fifth alongside 2017 Darwin round winner Jaxon Evans.

The battle of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am was just as entertaining as the fight for outright pole position. All eyes were on Anthony Gilbertson, who had recorded the best first sector of any driver late in the session until he crashed into the tyre barrier in the second sector to cause a session-ending red flag.

This left Stephen Grove to claim the class pole position and an impressive ninth outright, just over half a second from Wall’s pole lap. Roger Lago qualified second in class from Adrian Flack and Gilbertson.

At the conclusion of the 21-minute qualifying session, the top 15 cars were covered by less than one second.

Race one will be held at 3:05pm on Saturday.

Results: Qualifying times

Carrera Cup sets record pace in Darwin practice

Wall and Gilbertson set Friday pace at Hidden Valley

David Wall has posted the fastest ever Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia lap of the 2.87km Hidden Valley Raceway after Friday’s two practice sessions, while Anthony Gilbertson was quick to acclimatise to the Darwin conditions with the best time in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am.

While Wall topped both practice sessions, the reigning champion’s best time came from the cooler morning session; his lap of 1:07.3779 was two-tenths better than the previous best of Matt Campbell set during Darwin qualifying in 2016 in the previous generation 911 GT3 Cup.

“Topping both sessions is all we can ask for. I was especially happy with the first session; I was a bit quicker there but conditions favoured the early session, but to back it up in the second session was great,” said Wall.

“The 2016 round was a turning point for us in Darwin, then 2017 was a very strong round for us so I felt like we could come here and be reasonably fast, but to come away first for the day is a credit to all at Wall Racing.”

Following his clean sweep in Darwin last year, leading Michelin Junior Jaxon Evans was the next best in both sessions finishing the day 0.28secs behind Wall, while former Supercars driver Dale Wood was third quickest on Friday.

Despite having never driven the Hidden Valley circuit, series rookie Anthony Gilbertson was the TAG Heuer Pro-Am pacesetter on Friday.

Adrian Flack was the best in the class in practice one however Gilbertson improved his pace by over half a second in practice two to record the best time in class.

“Our cars today are just working for this circuit. There is no doubt that the reason I’m up there and that Jaxon is at the pointy end is because the team has given us a great set-up,” said Gilbertson.

“I’m loving this circuit and it’s my first time here so it’s great to be able to get up to pace and top the Pro-Am class straight away.”

Class points leader Roger Lago and reigning class champion Stephen Grove both improved their times in the second session to place second and third in the combined class times ahead of Saturday’s qualifying session.

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will return on Saturday for qualifying at 12:30pm (local time) to determine the starting grid for the 18-lap race one at 3:05pm later in the day. The 18-lap race two will be held at 8:45am on Sunday morning before the 35-lap third race of the Endurance Cup is held at midday on Sunday.

Qualifying and all three Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia races can be viewed nationwide live on Fox Sports 506.

Race Schedule (local time)
Saturday June 16, 2018
12:30pm Qualifying (20 minutes)
3:05pm Race 1 (18 laps)
Sunday June 17, 2018
8:45am Race 2 (18 laps)
12:00pm Race 3 (35 laps)

Broadcast Schedule (local time)
Qualifying – 12:30pm, Saturday June 16
Race 1 – 3:05pm, Saturday June 16
Race 2 – 8:45am, Sunday June 17
Race 3 – 12:00pm, Sunday June 17

Results: Practice 1 & 2 (combined)
1. #1 David Wall (Pro) PAYCE/Wilson Security – 1:07.3779
2. #7 Jaxon Evans (Pro) Morris Finance – 1:07.6632 (0:00.2853)
3. #100 Dale Wood (Pro) Sonic/Polyflor – 1:07.7029 (0:00.3250)
4. #18 James Moffat (Pro) Payce/Wilson Security/JBL – 1:07.8306 (0:00.4527)
5. #777 Jordan Love (Pro) Bob Jane T Marts – 1:07.8599 (0:00.4820)
6. #77 Michael Almond (Pro) Bob Jane T Marts/PSA – 1:07.8664 (0:00.4885)
7. 388 Dylan O’Keeffe (Pro) APB Group – 1:08.0373 (0:00.6594)
8. #19 Anthony Gilbertson (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmark Homes – 1:08.1530 (0:00.7751)
9. #111 Cameron Hill (Pro) Southern Star Truck Centre – 1:08.1542 (0:00.7763)
10. #23 Roger Lago (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) JBS Australia – 1:08.1766 (0:00.7987)
11. #8 Nick McBride (Pro) Porsche Centre Melbourne – 1:08.1777 (0:00.7998)
12. #4 Stephen Grove (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Grove Group – 1:08.3364 (0:00.9585)
13. #15 Josh Hunt (Pro) LORY Construction – 1:08.5030 (0:01.1251)
14. #20 Adrian Flack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Agas National – 1:08.5412 (0:01.1633)
15. #808 John Steffensen (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Crown/Timken/Porsche Melbourne – 1:08.5948 (0:01.2169)
16. #6 Tim Miles (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Miles Advisory Partners/Garage – 1:08.6735 (0:01.2956)
17. #888 Glen Wood (Pro) Porsche Cent Brighton/Doncaster – 1:08.6824 (0:01.3045)
18. #5 Greg Taylor (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Arris/Strongbuild – 1:08.7016 (0:01.3237)
19. #14 Peter Major (Pro) Sonic/Totally 4×4 – 1:08.8390 (0:01.4611)
20. #22 Dean Cook (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) BMF/Pitman Racing – 1:09.0777 (0:01.6998)
21. #12 Adam Garwood (Pro) Garwood Motorsport – 1:09.1889 (0:01.8110)
22. #9 Marc Cini (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmarc – 1:10.2371 (0:02.8592)
23. #131 Graham Williams (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Harcourts Williams – 1:12.7302 (0:05.3523)

Endurance battle continues in the Top End

Preview: Round 4, Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia has embarked on the longest road trip of the 2018 season ahead of this weekend’s round four, venturing almost 4,000km from its previous destination, Phillip Island, to the championship’s northern-most round at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway.

Following Phillip Island’s two 45-minute Endurance Cup races, Darwin will host two sprint races before the event concludes with a 100km, 35-lap race three, which will feature as the third race of the six-race 2018 Endurance Cup battle.

A noteworthy change to Carrera Cup in Darwin is the inclusion of Glen Wood, the brother of Endurance Cup points leader Dale Wood. Wood replaces Alex Davison in the #888 Porsche entry as the 2004 Carrera Cup champion contests the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend in the Gulf Racing Porsche 911 RSR.

Davison’s Darwin absence will provide relief for series leader Jaxon Evans, who claimed an impressive clean sweep in Darwin last season, with Davison finishing second for the round. While unbeaten in Darwin, Evans’ will likely see challenges from Phillip Island podium finishers Dale Wood and Dylan O’Keeffe, the latter entering Darwin after a recent test with Supercars squad Erebus Motorsport.

“Hidden Valley is one of my favourite tracks – as well as being a rewarding driver’s track, it also has a very friendly atmosphere. All the local fans turn out in force and the hairpin section has almost a sports stadium atmosphere,” said O’Keeffe.

“Some of this year’s Carrera Cup rounds have longer races, and I thought the format worked well at Phillip Island. This weekend’s long race will be a tough one – both car setup and driver fitness will be critical due to the high temperature and humidity.”

The TAG Heuer Pro-Am battle will see a new winner for the Darwin round. With the absence of 2017 round winner Sam Shahin who, along with Max Twigg and Indiran Padayachee, is unavailable for round four, all other Pro-Am drivers are yet to taste round success in the Top End. Tim Miles is the only Pro-Am driver attending Darwin to have claimed a class race win at Hidden Valley Raceway.

“My first Carrera Cup round as a sole driver was in Darwin last year and I really enjoyed it; I love the track, I love being up in the north and Stephen Grove and I had a fantastic battle in all three races… and relative to the Pro drivers we were only eight-tenths off,” said Miles.

“It’s also a track where braking is extremely important so with our cars having ABS and the Pros having no ABS, it will be a tight field for sure.”

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will first hit the track with two 20-minute practice sessions on Friday, followed by qualifying and race one on Saturday and conclude with two races on Sunday.

All sessions from practice two will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506 throughout the Darwin event.

Race Schedule (local time)
Friday June 15, 2018
11:20am Practice 1 (25 minutes)
2:30pm Practice 2 (25 minutes)
Saturday June 16, 2018
12:30pm Qualifying (20 minutes)
3:05pm Race 1 (18 laps)
Sunday June 17, 2018
8:45am Race 2 (18 laps)
12:00pm Race 3 (35 laps)

Broadcast Schedule (local time)
Practice 2 – 2:30pm, Friday June 15
Qualifying – 12:30pm, Saturday June 16
Race 1 – 3:05pm, Saturday June 16
Race 2 – 8:45am, Sunday June 17
Race 3 – 12:00pm, Sunday June 17

Entry List: Round 4, Darwin
1. #1 David Wall (Pro) PAYCE/Wilson Security
2. #4 Stephen Grove (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Grove Group
3. #5 Greg Taylor (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Arris/Strongbuild
4. #6 Tim Miles (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Miles Advisory Partners/Garage 1
5. #7 Jaxon Evans (Pro) Morris Finance
6. #8 Nick McBride (Pro) Porsche Centre Melbourne
7. #9 Marc Cini (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmarc
8. #12 Adam Garwood (Pro) Garwood Motorsport
9. #14 Peter Major (Pro) Sonic/Totally 4×5
10. #15 Josh Hunt (Pro) LORY Construction
11. #18 James Moffat (Pro) PAYCE/Wilson Security/JBL
12. #19 Anthony Gilbertson (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmark Homes
13. #20 Adrian Flack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Agas National
14. #22 Dean Cook (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) BMF/Pitman Racing
15. #23 Roger Lago (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) JBS Australia
16. #77 Michael Almond (Pro) Bob Jane T Marts/PSA
17. #88 Dylan O’Keeffe (Pro) APB Group
18. #100 Dale Wood (Pro) Sonic/Polyflor
19. #111 Cameron Hill (Pro) Southern Star Truck Centre/Anytime Fitness
20. #131 Graham Williams (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Harcourts Williams
21. #777 Jordan Love (Pro) Bob Jane T Marts
22. #808 John Steffensen (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Crown/Timken/Porsche Melbourne
23. #888 Glen Wood (Pro) Porsche Centre Brighton/Porsche Centre Doncaster

Wood brothers set for Top End tussle

Glen Wood joins Carrera Cup in Darwin

Dale Wood has faced numerous challenges in his successful Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia rookie campaign, though one challenge he did not expect has surfaced – his brother.

Wood will be joined at Hidden Valley Raceway by his brother, Glen Wood, who replaces Le Mans-bound Alex Davison at round four of the Carrera Cup championship.

Glen himself has significant racing experience, most recently racing in the Australian GT Championship where the 29-year-old has campaigned a Lamborghini and KTM X-Bow over the past three seasons.

Glen now joins Ashley Seward Motorsport in the #888 Porsche entry, substituting Davison as the 2004 Carrera Cup champion competes in the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Gulf Racing Porsche 911 RSR.

“I’m a little nervous going to a track that I’ve never driven… in a car that I’ve never raced… in what currently is the most competitive support category, though I’m super excited about the Darwin round and extremely grateful for this opportunity,” said Glen.

“While I’ve never raced at Darwin, I’ve done ample track walks from years of data engineering and I’ll further prepare myself by reviewing footage and spending time on the simulator, along with plenty of discussions with Dale.”

In addition to his maiden Carrera Cup appearance, Glen also looks forward to the rare chance to race against his front-running brother.

“I’ve rarely raced against Dale on track, however life seems to be a race against Dale; everything we generally do is a competition, whether its motorbikes, wake boarding or a simple game of golf, but to be in an identical car at the same track in the same series is an unreal feeling.

“There was never any doubt the bloke could steer and it’s been unreal to watch him succeed. He is gifted in his ability to race under so much pressure and has clearly shown his speed from the moment he left the gates in Adelaide this year.”

Meanwhile, Dale is also keen to begin the battle with his brother at Darwin.

“Of all the people you want to race against, you want to race against your brother,” said Dale.

“It’s great to get him in Carrera Cup and all will be fine with Glen coming to the series, as long as I’m ahead of him.”

Dale and Glen Wood will be the first brothers to compete in the same Carrera Cup Australia race since James and Theo Koundouris contested the inaugural two-driver Carrera Cup Pro-Am event in 2013 at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will feature three races across the Darwin round, including two sprint races and an endurance-style 35-lap race three.