Grove in Monaco: The car, team, track & television

The must-know info on Grove's Supercup debut

Reigning TAG Heuer Pro-Am champion Stephen Grove will this weekend race in one of international motorsport’s most exclusive motor racing events – the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix – in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

Here is what you need to know ahead of the Pro-Am racer’s Monaco mission.

The Schedule
The Supercup race weekend in Monaco begins with a sole practice session on Thursday ahead of Qualifying on Friday and finally, a 16-lap race on Sunday.

“I’m excited to get over there and really take the challenge on,” said Grove.

“There’s only 40 minutes of practice, so I’ve got to be on it pretty quick to get up to speed.

“Most of the guys on the Supercup grid have been there before and I haven’t, but that’s a part of learning, a part of racing in a different country, a different series and with a different team.

“For me I just like the evolution of continually challenging myself and trying to get better in a cup car.”

Race Schedule (local time)
Round 2, Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup – Monaco
Thursday May 24, 2018
5:15pm – Practice
Friday May 25, 2018
10:00am – Qualifying
Sunday May 27, 2018
10:30am – Race (16 laps)

The Car
Grove will race an identical race car with which he contests the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia championship – the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (991.II).

“I’ve been in a GT3 Cup car for so long now because I just don’t think that I’ve quite mastered it yet – I want to keep going in a Cup car and the best way to do that is to keep challenging myself on tracks overseas in different environments.

“Heading into the weekend now, my mindset is just on doing the best job I can and trying to learn as fast as I can and to be there or thereabouts.

“So, we’ll try and get a balance between both. We only have really a limited time to set the car up; it’s really going to be more about learning the track.”

The Team
The weekend marks Grove’s second outing with the Pro GT by Alméras squad after he took part in a Carrera Cup France event at Spa-Francorchamps in 2017 with the French outfit.

“I ran with the Pro GT by Alméras crew at Spa, when I raced there in 2017,” explained Grove.

“The language barrier is pretty difficult – even though they speak English, it’s not fluent English, so it’s pretty difficult when trying to get the set-up right.

“We’ve got a couple good pro-drivers in the team; take Julien Andlauer for example, who won the French Carrera Cup championship last year.

“I’ll be following their direction pretty closely and just trying to have the set-up of the car the way I like it to react.”

The Track
A jewel in the crown of international motor racing: the Monaco Grand Prix circuit is 3.33 kilometres of beloved tarmac. The harbour-side clockwise-run Monaco track will by home to the second round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and, for Grove, one of the biggest challenges of his motor racing career.

“It’s a massive challenge and I’m just really looking forward to getting over there,” said Grove.

“We’ve got no on-board video to look at, but we’ve been lucky enough to acquire heaps of valuable car data and also my simulator work has been pretty extensive over the last month and a half.”

How to watch it
Eurosport (Channel 511) is set to broadcast the full race live in Australia at 6:15pm AEST on Sunday May 27, which takes place before the prestigious Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.

Carrera Cup drivers help raise FA awareness

Porsche racers lend some muscle

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia drivers have thrown their support behind the Friedreich Ataxia Research Association’s #LendUsSomeMuscle campaign to raise awareness for the debilitating, degenerative neuro-muscular disorder Friedreich Ataxia.

Several of the Porsche drivers sported #LendUsSomeMuscle tattoos as part of the awareness campaign.

What is FA?
Friedreich Ataxia exactly? Well, FA is a debilitating, life shortening degenerative neuro-muscular disorder, which affects about 1 in 30,000 people in Australia and New Zealand.

It is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 18 years and robs children and young adults of their mobility.

FA leads to loss of muscle co-ordination, fatigue, vision impairment, hearing loss and slurred speech, scolosis (curvature of the spine), diabetes and serious heart conditions.

It is caused by an inherited genetic mutation that limits the production of a protein called frataxin. This protein is needed by the mitochondria, which are the energy producing organelles in our cells. Without it the cells do not function properly resulting in debilitating medical problems, particularly neurological and cardiac.

Although there has been significant progress towards treatments, today there is no cure.

For more information, click here to visit the FARA website.

Porsche wins Nurburgring 24 Hour

Manthey Racing wins, Campbell 11th in greulling 24h

After an enthralling final phase, Porsche has won the Nürburgring 24 Hours race in the Eifel. In pouring rain, the #912 Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by the Manthey-Racing team took the lead 70 minutes before the end of the race and held onto it to the flag. This marks Porsche’s first victory since 2011 on the legendary long-distance racetrack and hands the brand its 12th victory.

The #912 entry took up the race on Saturday at 15:30 hrs in bright sunshine from sixth on the grid, but fell far behind with a puncture. During the night, the driver line-up of Richard Lietz (AUT), Patrick Pilet (FRA), Frédéric Makowiecki (FRA) and Nick Tandy (GBR) caught up to the frontrunners and moved into second place despite a time penalty. When the race was restarted on Sunday after fog halted the race at 13.45 hours, Makowiecki snatched the lead with a masterful overtaking manoeuvre and crossed the finish line in first place after 135 laps.

The Falken Motorsports squad concluded the 24-hour race in Germany’s Eifel region in ninth place. After starting from second on the grid, the #44 Porsche 911 GT3 R managed to remain in the top five for a long time. As rain set in during the night, Klaus Bachler (GER), Sven Müller (GER), Martin Ragginger (AUT) and Dirk Werner (GER) lost contact to the front pack and were unable to close the gap.

Australian driver and Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell showed strong pace in his Nürburgring 24 Hours debut, finishing in 11th place overall. His #30 Frikadelli Racing Team Porsche 911 GT3 R ran in the top 10 for much of the race, sitting in eighth when the race was red flagged around lunchtime on Sunday. After the restart, the entry of Campbell (AUS), Wolf Henzler (GER), Alexander Müller (GER) and Lance David Arnold (GER), dropped to 11th, finishing three laps behind the winners.

The Nürburgring 24-hour race is one of the largest motorsport events in the world and this year attracted 210,000 spectators. At the Eifel classic, more than 500 drivers in 148 cars competed. With 43 vehicles, Porsche was the most strongly represented marque at the Eifel marathon.

Comments on the race:

Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser (Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars): “That was truly a race of the century, simply indescribable under the circumstances: with the rain, the red flag and that incredible final spurt. At no other endurance race in the world do you get two drivers sprinting against each other for one and a half hours. Fred secured this triumph with his sensational overtaking manoeuvre. We hope that Dr. Wolfgang Porsche is pleased with this belated present for his 75th birthday.”

Sebastian Golz (Project Manager 911 GT3 R): “I’m simply speechless. That was 24 hours of highs and lows. There were problems, we had to fight our way through the field, but we never stopped believing we could do it. This attitude paid off in the end.”

Patrick Pilet (Porsche 911 GT3 R #912), Manthey-Racing: “It’s unbelievable what we’ve achieved today. We started off with a puncture, fell far behind, but always believed in ourselves. Everyone pulled their weight. Only then is such a victory possible.”

Nick Tandy (Porsche 911 GT3 R #912), Manthey-Racing: “That was one of the most eventful races in my career. We experienced setbacks, but we knew that we had a winning car, a top team and top drivers. The restart towards the end played into our hands and Fred’s final stint was indicative of the entire race. Whenever we needed to, the team, drivers and car delivered a perfect performance.”

Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 GT3 R #912), Manthey-Racing: “What a race. Everyone worked perfectly and it was a well-deserved victory for the Manthey team and Porsche. And when you think about the bad luck we had, you can say it was also a well-deserved win for us drivers. This victory is also a win for Mr Porsche, who, as a huge motorsport fan, made it all possible.”

Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 911 GT3 R #912), Manthey-Racing: “That was a tough but completely fair fight for the lead and I’m very happy with this win. Our start with the puncture wasn’t good, but we improved from lap to lap. The car was perfectly setup for dry and wet conditions, so we could push hard to the very end.”

Sven Müller (Porsche 911 GT3 R #44), Falken Motorsports: “That was once again a typical Eifel race. We started in sun and warm temperatures and finished in rain and fog. Unfortunately we couldn’t keep up with the best teams in the rain, and we couldn’t do better than ninth under these conditions. For me personally, I’ll never forget my fast qualifying lap here. It was the best I’ve ever experienced by now in my motor racing career.”

Dirk Werner (Porsche 911 GT3 R #44), Falken Motorsports: “It’s always a great feeling to race in the Green Hell. Anything can happen here and it usually does. In sunny conditions we could match the pace of the frontrunners, but we didn’t do as well in the rain. The race was incredibly fast and the competition was very high. That’s why ninth place is a good result for us.”

Campbell ready for ‘dream’ enduro at Green Hell

Nurburgring 24 Hour Preview

Australian Porsche racer Matt Campbell will compete in a ‘dream’ endurance event this weekend when joining a 43-strong Porsche line-up for the 2018 Nurburgring 24 Hour at the 24.38km Nürburgring-Nordschleife.

In a year where it celebrates “70 Years of Porsche Sports Cars”, Porsche will have the greatest representation among the 150-car field with 43 911 and Cayman models competing at the German circuit, nicknamed the ‘Green Hell’.

Campbell will one of 13 Porsche works drivers and four Porsche Young Professionals joining customers teams across eight 911 GT3 R entries in the outright SP9 class in pursuit of overall victory.

Just one week after commencing his 2018/19 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign with GTE-Am team Dempsey Proton Racing, with which the 23-year-old gained pole position and placed fourth in class, Campbell will now join Frikadelli Racing for his maiden Nurburgring 24 Hour race.

“After racing at Spa last weekend for the first WEC round, this weekend sees me at Nurburgring for what is probably the most challenging race event in the world – the Nurburgring 24 Hour,” said Campbell.

“I’ve raced at the Nurburgring-Nordschleife several times now, most recently with the Frikadelli Racing Team in the VLN qualifying races leading into the 24 Hour race. Here you get a taste of what to expect for the 24-hour race so I feel we’re well prepared.

“The Nurburgring 24 Hour is one of those events you dream of doing and to be racing among the eight-strong 911 GT3 R line-up is unbelievable. The GT3 R is an awesome race car on any track, but to drive it at Nordschleife at one of the most gruelling races of the season is absolutely a career highlight.”

Campbell, the 2016 Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia champion, will join Lance David Arnold, Alexander Müller and fellow Porsche factory racer Wolf Henzler in the Frikadelli Racing 911 GT3 R. Other Porsche works drivers include: Kévin Estre (France), Romain Dumas (France), Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) and Earl Bamber (New Zealand) share the cockpit of the 911 GT3 R (#911) fielded by Manthey-Racing. Richard Lietz (Austria), Patrick Pilet (France), Frédéric Makowiecki (France) and Nick Tandy (Great Britain) pilot the #912 sister car. Michael Christensen (Denmark), André Lotterer (Germany), Jörg Bergmeister (Germany) and Young Professional Matteo Cairoli (Italy) form a formidable quartet at the Nürburgring debut of the KÜS Team75 Bernhard. Sven Müller and Dirk Werner from Germany reinforce the Falken Motorsports crew. Porsche Young Professional Dennis Olsen (Norway) and Porsche test driver and former Carrera Cup Australia racer Lars Kern (Germany) drive the third 911 GT3 R campaigned by Manthey-Racing. Mathieu Jaminet (France) will team with Campbell in Frikadelli Racing’s second 911 GT3 R.

“We’re delighted with our customers’ extraordinary trust. This year, there will be more Porsche race cars contesting the Nürburgring 24-hour race than at most other editions of the race,” says Sebastian Golz, Project Manager 911 GT3 R.

“Preparations have been completed in close cooperation with the teams and everything has gone to plan so far. The VLN 1 win and double pole at VLN 2 have underlined that the 911 GT3 R is well ironed out. We’re very interested to see how we’ll perform in close collaboration with our customers against strong opposition from other manufacturers.”

For the 2018 season, the Porsche 911 GT3 R received an update: The parts kit includes a new front lid for the optimisation of thermal management plus side flicks to improve the aero balance.

On Friday, 11 May, Porsche fans can catch a glimpse of the future in the Ring Boulevard: The spectacular next-in-line to the successful 911 GT3 R, which will compete from 2019, will be unveiled at a public press conference. The race will commence on Saturday May 12 at 3:30pm local time (11:30pm AEST) and conclude on Sunday May 13 at 3:30pm local time (11:30pm AEST). The race can be viewed in Australia via live stream, available at www.nuerburgring.de/en/.

The Porsche customer teams in the SP9 class at the Nürburgring 24 Hours

Manthey-Racing (Porsche 911 GT3 R #911)
Kévin Estre, Romain Dumas, Laurens Vanthoor, Earl Bamber
Manthey-Racing (Porsche 911 GT3 R #912)
Richard Lietz, Patrick Pilet, Frédéric Makowiecki, Nick Tandy
Manthey-Racing (Porsche 911 GT3 R #12)
Otto Klohs, Lars Kern, Dennis Olsen, Philipp Frommenwiler
Frikadelli Racing Team (Porsche 911 GT3 R #30)
Lance David Arnold, Alexander Müller, Wolf Henzler, Matt Campbell
Frikadelli Racing Team (Porsche 911 GT3 R #31)
Norbert Siedler, Marco Seefried, Felipe Fernández Laser, Mathieu Jaminet
KÜS Team75 Bernhard (Porsche 911 GT3 R #17)
Michael Christensen, Matteo Cairoli, André Lotterer, Jörg Bergmeister
Falken Motorsports (Porsche 911 GT3 R #44)
Klaus Bachler, Sven Müller, Martin Ragginger, Dirk Werner
Gigaspeed Team GetSpeed Performance (Porsche 911 GT3 R #2)
Steve Jahns, Marek Böckmann, Lucas Luhr, Jan-Erik Slooten

Dream team at Nürburgring-Nordschleife

Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, Porsche 956 C and the 'Green Hell'

Just before the Nürburgring 24 Hour race is green flagged on May 12, Porsche presents a legendary couple to the crowd of 200,000 expected spectators: Timo Bernhard and Hans-Joachim Stuck will take the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo and the Porsche 956 C respectively on a show run around the famous Nordschleife (literally ‘Northern Loop’). The 919 Hybrid – the Le Mans and FIA World Endurance Championship winning car of 2015, 2016 and 2017 – meets the prototype that won all titles in the World Sportscar Championship from 1982 to 1984 and still holds the outright Nordschleife track record.

The lap on the Nordschleife is the 919 Evo’s first public appearance. With the car that has been liberated from the restrictions that came from the championship regulations, Porsche recently established a new track record at Spa-Francorchamps. On April 9 2018, Porsche works driver Neel Jani (CH) lapped the 7.004 kilometre long Belgian circuit in 1:41.770 minutes. He was faster than any Formula One car ever, beating the previous record by 0.783 seconds set by Lewis Hamilton (GB) at the wheel of a Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid, securing him pole position for last year’s Grand Prix. At the Nordschleife, the second stop of the ‘919 Tribute Tour’, however, no stopwatches are required as the two racing cars will be driving behind a safety car and bypass the start-and-finish section because of the grid formation for the 24-hour race.

Porsche, Timo Bernhard, Hans-Joachim Stuck as well as both the racing cars are connected closely to the Nürburgring and the Nordschleife.

37-year old Timo Bernhard from Germany is the reigning FIA World Endurance Champion. On the way to the 2017 title, he has won the Le Mans 24-Hours and took his third consecutive win of the six-hour race at the Nüburgring, repeating his achievements from 2015 and 2016 at the wheel of the Porsche 919 Hybrid. Also on his tally: Five overall victories at the Nürburgring 24-Hours with Porsche, which makes him a record winner. In 2018 he now looks after his own team, Team75 Bernhard, entering a Porsche 911 GT3 R.

The Porsche works driver, who is racing himself this year in the GT Masters as well as in the GTE class at Le Mans, points out: “The Nordschleife is home for me. When I was a kid I used to accompany my father to the Eifel mountains. The complexity of this over 20 kilometre long track doesn’t compare to anything.” Timo Bernhard is a passionate admirer of Stefan Bellof who died at Spa in 1985. “I’m not only impressed by Stefan Bellof’s great performances”, he explains, “he must have been a really great guy. Whoever knew him seems to have adored him. His 1983 unbeaten lap record at the Nordschleife is terrific. I feel honoured to accompany a historic Porsche 956 C with the 919 Evo.”

On May 28 in 1983, during practice for the 1000-kilometre race, Bellof lapped the Nordschleife in a storming 6:11.13 minutes. Due to construction work, the exact track length was 20.835 kilometres at the time, which resulted in an average speed of more than 200 km/h. The 2,649 cc six-cylinder, twin turbocharged, flat engine in the 956 C produced 620 hp. Bellof’s car was chassis number 007. He was leading the race when he retired in a massive accident in the area called ‘Pflanzgarten’ but walked away unharmed. One year later, in 1984, he won the 1000-kilometre race at the Nürburgring, sharing a Rothmans Porsche 956 C with British driver Derek Bell.

On his way to his 1984 Driver’s World Endurance Championship title, Stefan Bellof once shared a 956 with German Hans-Joachim Stuck. Despite an incident by Stuck that required repairs, the couple won the Imola 1000-kilometre race.

“This race in Italy was of very high importance for me”, 67 year-old Stuck recalls. “The 956 was new to me and Stefan taught me how to drive this ground effect car. I learnt an awful lot from him. When I joined Porsche, I understood why those cars were unbeatable. You had no gearbox issues, the brakes were excellent and thanks to this tremendous downforce, you could enter the corners at very high speed. Literally, the car stuck to the ground. For me it is a world-class opportunity to take the 956 once again around the Nordschleife. Emotionally, this is something hard to top.”

Among Stuck’s many successes belong two Le Mans overall victories in 1986 and 1987, driving the successor to the 956, the 962 C. The Nürburgring 24-Hours he won three times when driving for BMW.

The 956 C that Stuck now takes for a lap around the Nürburgring carries chassis number 005. It is the car Jacky Ickx (BE) and Jochen Mass (DE) shared during the entire 1984 world championship season. For commercial rights reasons the name of tobacco sponsor Rothmans frequently had to be replaced by the word ‘Racing’. This was the case on Bellof’s record lap chassis 007 and is the same at the car that Stuck drives on May 12.

Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo

Just like the 956, the Porsche 919 Hybrid was the most innovative racing car of its time. The class 1 Le Mans Prototype, successfully entered in the FIA WEC from 2014 until the end of 2017, is powered by a compact two-litre turbocharged V4-cylinder engine and two different energy recovery systems. One transforms brake energy from the front axle into electricity. The second system generates electric energy from the exhaust where the gases accelerate a turbine up to 130,000 revs per minute. The electrical energy is temporarily stored in a liquid-cooled lithium ion battery. The combustion engine drives the rear axle while the electro motor boosts the front axle to accelerate the car with four-wheel drive while recuperating again energy from the exhaust system.

To prepare the 919 Evo record car, the base was the 2017 world championship winning car. Its entire hardware of the power train remained untouched. On top came developments that were prepared for the 2018 WEC but never raced after the end of 2017 withdrawal. Additionally, several aerodynamic modifications were made.

Campbell optimistic after promising Spa opener

Campbell fourth, Davison seventh at round one of WEC

After a gripping race at Spa-Francorchamps, the Porsche GT Team has started the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season with second and fourth place, while Matt Campbell and Alex Davison finished fourth and seventh in the GTE-Am class at the Belgian circuit.

Frenchman Kévin Estre and Michael Christensen from Denmark scored second in the #92 car and narrowly missed out on clinching the maiden WEC victory for the new Porsche 911 RSR. Their team colleagues, the two former WEC champions Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) and Richard Lietz (Austria), concluded the race in fourth with the #91 Porsche 911 RSR. Over six hours and 148 laps, ten vehicles from five manufacturers battled it out in the GTE-Pro class. Under a cloudless sky and temperatures of 23 degrees Celsius, 63,000 spectators witnessed round one of the 15-month 2018/2019 Super Season.

At the season-opener on the tradition-steeped racetrack in the Ardennes, fans were treated to gripping battles for positions, overtaking manoeuvres and several safety car phases. Taking up the race from third on the grid, Bruni and Lietz moved into the lead of the GTE-Pro class with the Porsche 911 RSR after less than two hours, and only relinquished it shortly before the flag. In the sister car, Estre and Christensen made the most of the turbulent start to advance from fourth into third. After the last pit stop, Christensen as the final driver swept into second place with the Porsche 911 RSR.

Four other Porsche 911 RSR race cars lined up to contest the GTE-Am class. For the Dempsey Proton Racing customer team, Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell (Australia), Christian Ried (Germany) and Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (France) secured fourth place with the #77 car after dropping two laps with technical issues. Sixth at the opening round in Spa went to the #88 sister car driven by Khaled Al Qubaisi (United Arab Emirates), Porsche Young Professional Matteo Cairoli (Italy) and Giorgio Roda (Italy). Directly behind them, Davison (Australia), Ben Barker (Great Britain) and Michael Wainwright (Great Britain) took the flag in the 911 RSR of the Gulf Racing customer squad in seventh in the GTE-Am class after crashing early in the race. The newcomer team Project 1 scored ninth place with pilots Patrick Lindsey (USA) and Egidio Perfetti (Norway) as well as Porsche’s works driver Jörg Bergmeister from Germany.

Round two of the FIA Sports Car World Endurance Championship (WEC) will be contested on 16/17 June at Le Mans/France. Prior to the legendary 24-hour classic, a test day will be held on the 13.6-kilometre racetrack on 3 June.

Comments on the race
Matt Campbell (Porsche 911 RSR #77): “Everything actually ran very well for the first race and we were amongst the leaders. Unfortunately a fuel pump problem forced us to make an extra pit stop, which of course cost us precious time. We’re heading to Le Mans feeling optimistic and we’re looking forward to our next task.”

Pascal Zurlinden (Director GT Factory Motorsport): “That was a very difficult race for us. The performance of the cars and the team was very good. In fact, everything looked good for us to win the race. But unfortunately Lady Luck wasn’t with us towards the end of the race, because the last safety car phase didn’t fit in with our strategy. Now we’re heading to Le Mans where we’ll go all-out.”

Race result
GTE-Pro class
1. Mücke/Pla/Johnson (D/F/USA), Ford GT, 148 laps
2. Christensen/Estre (DK/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 148 laps
3. Rigon/Bird (I/GB), Ferrari 488 GTE EVO, 147 laps
4. Lietz/Bruni (A/I), Porsche 911 RSR, 147 laps
5. Blomqvist/da Costa (GB/P), BMW M8 GTE, 146 laps
6. Lynn/Martin/Adam (GB/B/GB), Aston Martin Vantage AMR, 146 laps
7. Soerensen/Thiim/Turner (DK/DK/GB), Aston Martin Vantage AMR, 146 laps
8. Tomczyk/Catsburg (D/NL), BMW M8 GTE, 145 laps
9. Pier Guidi/Calado (I/GB), Ferrari 488 GTE EVO, 139 laps
Not classified: Priaulx/Tincknell/Kanaan (GB/GB/BR), Ford GT

GTE-Am class
1. Dalla Lana/Lamy/Lauda (CDN/P/A), Aston Martin Vantage, 144 laps
2. Yoluc/Alers-Hankey/Eastwood (TR/GB/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, 144 laps
3. Sun Mok/Sawa/Griffin (MAL/J/IRL), Ferrari 488 GTE, 143 laps
4. Ried/Andlauer/Campbell (D/F/AUS), Porsche 911 RSR, 142 laps
5. Ishikawa/Beretta/Cheever (J/MC/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, 142 laps
6. Al Qubaisi/Roda/Cairoli (UAE/I/I), Porsche 911 RSR, 141 laps
7. Wainwright/Barker/Davison (GB/GB/AUS), Porsche 911 RSR, 137 laps
8. Flohr/Castellacci/Fisichella (Ch/I/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, 136 laps
9. Bergmeister/Lindsey/Perfetti (D/USA/N), Porsche 911 RSR, 131 laps

#Flashback: Campbell’s rise through Porsche ranks

Take a look at Aussie champion's one-make journey

This weekend marks the start of a new chapter in the career of young Australian racer, Matt Campbell: After five seasons in Porsche one-make series, the Warwick-raised 23-year-old graduates to the pinnacle of sports car racing – the 2018/19 FIA World Endurance Championship ‘Super Season’.

The significance of this step is not lost on the other side of the world in Australia; Campbell’s continued ascent of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid from its base tier – GT3 Cup Challenge – validates the very pathway used by numerous young Australian-based drivers to reach the pinnacle of sports car racing.

Campbell will race alongside German Christian Ried and Frenchman Julien Andlauer in the Dempsey Proton Racing 911 RSR – the now-fastest factory-built competition race car from the German sports car brand.

As Campbell embarks on this new challenge, we look back at his past five seasons where Campbell has transitioned from being an the shy kid from rural Queensland to a factory-backed sports car star.

2014
Champion (Class B), 4th Outright – Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia
–           Consistently competing amongst the newer Class A cars
–           Contested the final round in a Class A car, winning all three races by a combined margin of 27 seconds
–           New Lap Record: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

The 2014 season marked the start of Campbell’s ascent of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid – a key step in his short racing career. Campbell raced in the 2014 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia season, quickly turning heads for his speed in the 2005-spec Class B entry against a field mostly consisting of the 2011-spec Porsche. Campbell wrapped up the Class B title with one round remaining and was handed the opportunity to race a Class A Porsche for the season finale. Campbell claimed pole position and dominated all three races (with a total winning margin of 27 seconds).

2015
3rd – Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
–           Best Rookie
–           Finished either 1st or 2nd in the final 11 races of the season
–           Six race wins
–           New Race Lap Record: Mount Panorama Circuit (Bathurst)
–           New Qualifying Lap Record: Mount Panorama Circuit (Bathurst)
–           New Qualifying Lap Record: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
–           New Qualifying Lap Record: Sandown Raceway

Campbell continued his ascent of the Motorsport Pyramid in 2015, moving to the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia championship. Again, he quickly gained attention by qualifying second at Albert Park – his second ever Carrera Cup event. His true ability was then demonstrated at the tail end of the season. Campbell finished in the top two positions in the final 11 races of the season, including six race wins.

2016
Champion – Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
–           Won 13 out of 23 races, in addition to the outright joint Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Asia & Australia race
–           New record: Most consecutive pole positions (seven)
–           New record: Most pole positions gained in a season (seven)
–           New Qualifying Lap Record: Hidden Valley Raceway
–           New Qualifying Lap Record: Sandown Raceway

Campbell clinched the 2016 Carrera Cup title in just his second attempt. Campbell won 13 of the season’s 23 races, scored seven out of a possible eight pole positions and also claimed victory in the outright Porsche Carrera Cup Asia & Australia joint race at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Such was Campbell’s talent, renowned Supercars Championship team, Nissan Motorsport, recruited the 21-year-old to co-drive in the touring car series’ three endurance events at Sandown, Bathurst and Gold Coast. True to form, Campbell impressed in all three events.

Campbell was also Carrera Cup Australia’s nominee for the Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout, which he ultimately won and therefore secured a position as a 2017 Porsche Junior driver and a seat on the grid of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup grid for the following season.

2017
3rd – Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup
– 2nd, Rookie Classification
– Four race wins

Campbell contested his debut season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in 2017, his first year of European motorsport. Campbell lined up for the Fach Auto Tech team and finished runner-up in the rookie competition. After eleven races, he ended the season in third place in the overall standings. The then-Porsche Junior won four races, in Spielberg (Austria), Monza (Italy) and the double-header in Mexico City. Promotion to a Porsche Young Professional meant Campbell would ultimately claim his spot on the FIA World Endurance Championship grid as part of Porsche GT customer programme in 2018.

Campbell, Davison start WEC Super Season at Spa

Australian duo part of six-strong Porsche line-up

Australians Matt Campbell and Alex Davison will this weekend begin their 2018/19 FIA World Endurance Championship campaigns as part of the six-strong Porsche 911 RSR line-up at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on May 5, 2018.

Both former champions of Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia, the duo will be part of the FIA WEC Super Season, which spans eight events across 15 months, starting this weekend at the 7.004km Belgian circuit.

Davison, the 2004 Carrera Cup Australia champion and current driver of the #808 Porsche Centre Brighton entry in the Carrera Cup Australia series, will race alongside British drivers Michael Wainwright and Ben Barker in the Gulf Racing GTE-Am-entered 911 RSR.

Meanwhile Campbell, the 2016 Carrera Cup Australia champion and current Porsche Young Professional, will race in the Dempsey Proton Racing 911 RSR, also in GTE-Am, with German Christian Ried and French Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer.

The 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on May 5, 2018, kicks off the Super Season of the FIA World Endurance Championship. On the time-honoured racetrack in the Ardennes region of Belgium, six 510 hp Porsche 911 RSR go up against strong opposition from Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari and Ford in the GTE-Pro and GTE-Am classes.

The race
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which is approximately 20km from the German border, sets motorsport fans’ hearts racing: The 7.004km circuit is an electrifying mix of high-speed passages such as the famous Eau Rouge and slower sections. An altitude difference of around 100 metres makes the season-opening round into a rollercoaster ride. One unpredictable factor in the Ardennes is the weather: The sun can be shining in the Bus Stop chicane, while in Le Combes it’s raining.

The Porsche GT Team drivers
Sharing the cockpit of the #91 car, the new driver pairing of Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) and Richard Lietz (Austria) tackles a world sports car championship race for the first time together. Bruni, as the two-time champion, has contested the second half of the 2017 IMSA Weathertech Championship in the USA and is thus well acquainted with the 911 RSR. Like last year, Kévin Estre (France) and Michael Christensen (Denmark) share the # 92 Porsche 911 RSR.

The customer teams
In the GTE-Am class, three Porsche customer teams run a total of four 911 RSR racers. The British pilots Wainwright and Barker join forces with Australian Davison to compete for Gulf Racing. Dempsey Proton Racing competes with two GT racers from Weissach. Sharing the wheel of the #77 car for the Super Season are the Porsche Young Professional Campbell (Australia), Ried (Germany) and Andlauer (France). Porsche Young Professional Matteo Cairoli (Italy), Khaled Al Qubaisi (United Arab Emirates) and Giorgio Roda (Italy) pilot the second 911 RSR of the squad supported by the Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey. The Porsche works driver Jörg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Lindsey (USA) and Norwegian Egidio Perfetti drive for the Project 1 team.

The Porsche 911 RSR
After securing runner-up in the driver’s championship thanks to Richard Lietz and Fréderic Makowiecki in 2017, the Porsche GT Team has now set its sights on the driver’s and manufacturer’s title in the world sports car championship. The Porsche 911 RSR celebrated its premiere in international long-distance racing in 2017 and is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car. Depending on the restrictor, the water-cooled four-litre flat-six engine puts out around 510 hp.

The schedule
The six-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps begins on Saturday, May 5, 2018, at 22:30 hrs AEST (14:30 hrs local time).

The race on TV and the internet
The final stages of the Spa-Francorchamps race can be viewed in Australia on Eurosport (Channel 511) from 01:15 to 03:45 AEST on Sunday May 06. For a fee, the FIA WEC app offers a live stream of the entire race plus live timing.

Pre-race quotes
Matt Campbell (Porsche 911 RSR #77): “For me, the six-hour race at Spa is the second most important event after the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Kicking off the season with such a highlight is a big challenge. The sports car world championship is a big step in my career. I still need to gain experience in the 911 RSR, however the official tests were very promising. Our car offers a lot of downforce and that gives us drivers a great deal of confidence.”

Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser (Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars): “Our Porsche GT Team is facing a long and exciting season. The Prologue in Le Castellet underlined that we’re ready for this task. Together with the three customer teams, the fans can look forward to seeing six Porsche 911 RSR in action at the first race in the Ardennes. For all the drivers and motorsport enthusiasts, the racetrack is a very special place. This huge interest motivates us even more to fight for victory in both categories and to show them what potential our 911 RSR has. It’s important for us to make a good start into the Super Season before we tackle Le Mans with ten of our 911 RSR.”

Pascal Zurlinden (Director GT Factory Motorsport): “The Spa circuit stands for top-league motor racing and throws very special challenges at drivers and the 911 RSR. You can only fight for victory on this diverse racetrack with the right setup. The entire team knows the importance of the season-opener and is perfectly prepared.”

Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “I can hardly wait to return to the WEC after a year’s break. The Spa racetrack is one of the most beautiful in the world. We’d like to hit the ground running at the first race and start with a good performance. The competition we want to win against is fierce.”

Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “A new driver pairing always takes a bit of getting used to. But this went really quickly with Gianmaria at the test. Our work together has been very promising so far and we complement each other excellently. 2017 wasn’t so great for us with fifth and sixth place. This year we have our sights set on the podium. For the new season, we’ve put a great deal of emphasis on developing and choosing the tyre compounds in conjunction with Michelin so that we’re well prepared for the changing weather conditions. The weather and the temperatures are known to change very quickly in Spa.”

Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “The weather always plays a major role at Spa. Plus, it’s the only race before the 24 Hours of Le Mans. So it’s even more important to start the season successfully. I like the racetrack very much and I’m looking forward to the adrenalin rush in Eau Rouge.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “The last few years didn’t go so well for us at Spa, so we’re keen to change that this year. We’re well prepared and we can’t wait for the season to begin. In 2017, Kévin and I were in great shape at the last races but we were plagued by a lot of bad luck. We’re well prepared and we want to attack.”

Jörg Bergmeister (Porsche 911 RSR #56): “Spa is my home track, which always makes the race something very special. It’s really exciting for Project 1 because it’s the first WEC race for my team. I’m in daily contact with the decision-makers and I try to support the crew with my experience. We’ve worked meticulously on preparing for this challenge. I’m looking forward to the new season.”

Julien Andlauer (Porsche 911 RSR #77): “Spa is a great racetrack that demands a great deal of skill from drivers. I’m really looking forward to my debut in the WEC. At the Prologue we managed to do a lot of testing and work on the setup. First, I had to get used to the Porsche 911 RSR, and the team gave me huge support with this.”

Matteo Cairoli (Porsche 911 RSR #88): “I’m pleased to be back working with Dempsey Proton Racing in the WEC. We’re one big family and we work together very professionally. In 2017 we had a chance at the title, and we’d like to go for it again in the Super Season. Spa is one of my favourite racetracks, and Eau Rouge is an impressive and very emotional corner.”

The Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC
In the Sports Car World Endurance Championship (WEC), which has been held since 2012, sports prototypes and GT vehicles contest four classes: LMP1, LMP2, GTE-Pro and GTE-Am. They all compete together in one race but are classified separately. The Porsche GT Team contests the GTE-Pro class, while the customer teams Dempsey Proton Racing, Project 1 and Gulf Racing fight for honours in the GTE-Am class.

Grove set for ‘bucket list’ Porsche race

Stephen Grove joins Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Monaco

Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps, Fuji Speedway, Sepang International Circuit … Monte Carlo: Porsche driver Stephen Grove continues to use international Porsche one-make series to race at motorsport’s most iconic and exclusive events, including this month’s Formula 1 2018 Monaco Grand Prix.

Using an identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car which is raced in Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia, Grove will compete in the second round of the 2018 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at the Monaco Grand Prix with French team, Pro GT by Alméras, on May 24-27, 2018.

Grove has capitalised on Porsche’s global one-make formula to compete in Carrera Cup championships around the world. The Victorian started his international one-make campaign in 2014 when he travelled to France’s Circuit de la Sarthe for a joint Carrera Cup Great Britain & France event as a curtain raiser to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Then, in 2017, Grove competed at Japan’s Fuji Speedway (Carrera Cup Asia & Japan), Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps (Carrera Cup France) and at Sepang International Circuit on two separate occasions, once with Carrera Cup Australia at its maiden international round, and again later in the season with Carrera Cup Asia.

As the sole tip-top series at the exclusive Monaco event, Grove is thankful for the rare opportunity for a Pro-Am driver to compete on the streets of Monte Carlo.

“For me, just to be at the Formula 1 event in Monaco is an amazing thing, so to actually get into a current 911 GT3 Cup car and race around that track is a real bucket list thing for me,” said Grove. “It’s really hard to get the opportunity to race at the Monaco Grand Prix and I’ve been lucky through Porsche to get that opportunity.

“The only tin-tops that race around there on the Monaco Grand Prix weekend is the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, so it’s great to have the opportunity to go and do something so special and rare.”

Grove is no stranger to street circuits; the Carrera Cup Australia series traditionally book-ends its season with the Adelaide 500 and Gold Coast 600 circuits, though the reigning TAG Heuer Pro-Am champion believes the 3.3km Monaco circuit will present its own unique challenges.

“Because it’s such a unique circuit, the only way to prepare for it really is on the simulator, so I’ve been doing a couple of hours on the sim each week to get acquainted with it all.

“It’s a pretty technical track and a pretty rough track from what I’ve found on the sim so far – there’s no run off and no room for error. The entire layout is so iconic and, given the characteristic of the track, the way you approach and take a corner and some of the key corners there are different to anywhere else.

“Monaco has a little bit of Gold Coast mixed in it. The concrete walls, small track, not very wide, you need to be precise and there’s a lot of stop and go where you need to stop, pitch the car in and go. There’s also quite a bit of free-flowing, especially in the back part of the circuit after the tunnel where you’ve got to carry momentum, so it’s got a good mixture.”

The last Australian to race in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix was now-Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell, who placed fifth in the sole 16-lap race in 2017.

Grove will enter the event on a high having recently claimed the TAG Heuer Pro-Am round win at the latest Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia event at Phillip Island.

Wood, Grove triumph in enduro thriller

Breakthrough round victory for Sonic driver after epic battle

DALE Wood withstood 25-laps of sustained pressure at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit to seal his maiden Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia round victory, while Stephen Grove became the third winner from three rounds in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am class.

Starting from pole thanks to his victory in race one, Wood erupted into an early lead in today’s second race in his Sonic Motor Racing prepared entry.

He and Alex Davison then engaged in a thrilling race-long battle for the lead that saw the pair separated by a car length for the duration, in a captivating battle.

Davison, who needed to win the race to take the round victory, made several attempts at snatching away from Wood however all proved futile.

The double Phillip Island victory helped Wood clinch his maiden Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia round victory, closed him to within just 17 points of Jaxon Evans in the championship standings and also saw him take an early lead in the Enduro Cup standings in the process.

Pole and two victories delivered a perfect weekend for the former Supercars full-timer, who is contesting his first full Carrera Cup season in 2018.

“That is one of the most rewarding weekends I think I’ve ever had,” Wood said, having clinched his sixth race win of the season.

“To get pole was good. Yesterday’s race was tough because the car wasn’t that good but today, I thought the car was really good – and so was Alex (Davison). We were battling hard but we both had pretty good cars.

“The pressure was massive. I think it helped bringing Supercars experience where you’re often doing that for 70 laps with someone on your bumper. It was a bloody fun race!”

Davison finished second overall, while his Ash Seward Motorsport teammate Dylan O’Keeffe finished third for the second time in two races – scoring the final spot on the round podium and also maintaining his third position in the standings.

Championship leader Jaxon Evans was fourth for the second time in two races, while James Moffat charged from 13th position to fifth in a storming drive aboard his Wall Racing entry.

An ill Michael Almond preserved to finish sixth with David Wall seventh, Josh Hunt eighth, Peter Major ninth and Nick McBride tenth.

Almond’s teammate Jordan Love had ran strongly in the early stages however ultimately failed to finish after his Sonic entry suffered damage.

Evans now leads the championship by just 17 points ahead of the next round at Hidden Valley Raceway in Darwin. Wood is second, while Dylan O’Keeffe holds third. Defending champion David Wall remains fourth, 109 points from leader Evans.

Grove’s path to victory in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am class was not easy, after a series of dramas removed the contenders who locked out the podium in race one.

Race 1 winner Max Twigg was knocked to the back of the field in an incident at turn four, while Anthony Gilbertson – who had finished a season-best second in the Phillip Island opener – was also caught up in another incident and had to pit for repairs.

With the early contenders out of the way, Grove and Adrian Flack battled for the class victory, ultimately finishing just 0.3 seconds apart.

Grove became the third winner from as many TAG Heuer Pro-Am rounds this year, while Lago built on his title lead by finishing second.

“I wasn’t quite happy with qualy but third yesterday was good, solid,” Grove said.

“To come and win a race that is worth 90 points, rather than 60, was pretty special. This is a pretty daunting track – you’ve got to be on it so it’s a great result.”

John Steffensen posted his best class result of the season with third in race two, while Roger Lago was another contender to strike issues after being pushed off the road earlier in the race. He recovered to fourth, which gave him enough points to secure second for the weekend. Adrian Flack finished third in class – his first podium finish of the season.

Lago continues to lead the TAG Heuer Pro-Am standings after three rounds, holding a 43-point margin over Grove ahead of the next round in Darwin.

Max Twigg sits third in the standings with Flack fourth and Dean Cook fifth.

Following a busy start to the season, the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia Championship teams and drivers will now enjoy an eight-week break before the next round, to be held at the Hidden Valley circuit in Darwin on 15-17 June.

Race 2 Results:

Standings – Outright

1. Jaxon Evans 468
2. Dale Wood 451
3. Dylan O’Keeffe 377
4. David Wall 359
5. Jordan Love 275
6. Michael Almond 266
7. James Moffat 265
8. Alex Davison 233
9. Nick McBride 192
10. Pete Major 166

Standings – TAG Heuer Pro-Am

1. Roger Lago 446
2. Stephen Grove 403
3. Adrian Flack 339
4. Max Twigg 328
5. Dean Cook 286
6. Tim Miles 274
7. Anthony Gilbertson 229
8. Indiran Padayachee 213
9. Sam Shahin 200
10. Marc Cini 199

Wood, Twigg take thrilling Enduro Cup opener

Fifth win for Sonic driver in longest ever single-driver race in series history

DALE Wood has won a thrilling opener to the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia Enduro Cup at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit, while a late-race pass saw Max Twigg take the TAG Heuer Pro-Am class victory. 

Wood won the longest ever Carrera Cup Australia single-driver race contested, having held out a quartet of close rivals for much of the 25-lap duration.

The Sonic Motor racing driver started from pole position however spent the entire race fending off young gun Dylan O’Keeffe in a battle for the lead.

In an intense battle, O’Keeffe made several, ultimately unsuccessful, attempts to wrestle the lead away from Wood, including a run around the outside of turn one and a similar move several laps later at the fearsome ‘Hayshed’ corner.

He ran second until the final lap, when Alex Davison charged past at turn 10 to edge his young teammate to the line.

Victory at Phillip Island marked Wood’s fifth of the season and saw his 71-point defect to leader Jaxon Evans reduced to just 44 points at the top of the Carrera Cup standings, ahead of tomorrow’s second race.

“It was a very high pressure race – I’m not sure if I enjoyed it or not!” Wood said.

“It was a really good battle. Dylan put an enormous amount of pressure on and I saw Alex coming as well.

“I wasn’t happy with how the car was working there and getting around some of the lapped cars was like playing a drunk game of chess but I’m really glad to have got that first win here, It’s just what we wanted.”

Championship leader Jaxon Evans, defending champion David Wall and Alex Davison were also locked together with the leaders for the first half of the race.

Davison was the first driver to make key moves, passing first Wall and then Evans to climb into podium contention as the race progressed.

As O’Keeffe attacked Wood for the lead on the closing lap, Davison also battled with his younger teammate and slipped by in turn 10 to grab second on the final lap.

With O’Keeffe third, Evans withheld a concerted attack from Wall, Jordan Love and Michael Almond to retain fourth place and the championship lead.

In a testament to the Michelin tyres used by the entire Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia field, lap times remained consistent throughout the 25-lap duration, with some drivers setting personal-best times late in the race.

Twigg’s victory in the ultra-competitive TAG Heuer Pro-Am class came despite having qualified only sixth in class earlier in the day.

He marched his way up the order throughout the race and had closed to second by the closing stages, chasing Anthony Gilbertson who had convincingly led from pole position to that point.

Twigg attacked at turn four on the 23rd lap, slipping past to take his first victory in the class this season.

The Victorian, a former three-time class champion, is the fourth driver to win a TAG Heuer Pro-Am race this year.

“It was just great to get the race one win out of the way – we can go out and enjoy race two now,” Twigg said.

“Qualifying was very ordinary, I think we started 18th and raced up to 10th so it just goes to show we need to put more effort into qualy.

“The car was really strong and it came on about 10 laps in and from there we just raced our way forward and we were passing at a rapid rate.

“I’m thrilled. Thrilled for the car and the team.”

With Gilbertson second, Stephen Grove was third and Roger Lago fourth – the pair having battled for much of the race.

Twigg moves to third in the Pro-Am class standings ahead of tomorrow’s second, 25-lap race with Lago continuing to enjoy a healthy lead over Stephen Grove.

Wood and Twigg, respectively, will also be the early leaders of the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Enduro Cup, with a second 25-lap race to follow tomorrow.

Race Schedule (local time)
Sunday April 22, 2018
12:20pm Race 2 (25 laps)

Broadcast Schedule (local time)
Race 2 – 12:20pm, Sunday April 22

Standings – Following race 1

Outright:

1. Jaxon Evans 405
2. Dale Wood 361
3. Davis Wall 316
4. Dylan O’Keeffe 305
5. Jordan Love 275
6. Michael Almond 218
7. James Moffat 211
8. Nick McBride 162
9. Alex Davison 152
10. Peter Majors 132

TAG Heuer Pro-Am:

1. Roger Lago 320
2. Stephen Grove 241
3. Max Twigg 238
4. Tim Miles 231
5. Dean Cook 211
6. Adrian Flack 203
7. Greg Taylor 164
8. Sam Shahin 152
9. Indiran Padayachee 125
10. Marc Cini 117

Wood, Gilbertson top Phillip Island Qualifying

Wood scores maiden TAG Heuer Pole Award in tight session

DALE Wood has scored his first TAG Heuer pole award in qualifying for the third round of the 2018 Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia, while Anthony Gilbertson topped the TAG Heuer Pro-Am class for the second time this year. 

Wood’s stunning 1m30.64s best came on his ninth and final lap of the session and saw him edge out Dylan O’Keeffe by just 0.27s in a tight session, and makes him the third different pole position winner this year.

Championship leader Jaxon Evans and defending champion David Wall make up the second row, while James Moffat and Alex Davison were fifth and sixth, respectively. Nick McBride, Jordan Love, Cameron Hill and Michael Almond completed the top-10.

Gilbertson and TAG Heuer Pro-Am class leader Roger Lago traded fastest laps in their battle for the class pole, the McElrea Racing driver coming out on top by just 0.3 seconds to back up his pole scored in Adelaide earlier this year.

Lago edged out Stephen Grove and Tim Miles for second, while Adrian Flack and Max Twigg were fifth and sixth in class, respectively.

The first of two, 25-lap races commences at 2:15pm AEST at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit, and will be shown live on FOX Sports 506.

Race Schedule (local time)
Saturday April 21, 2018
2:15pm Race 1 (25 laps)
Sunday April 22, 2018
12:20pm Race 2 (25 laps)

Broadcast Schedule (local time)
Race 1 – 2:15pm, Saturday April 21
Race 2 – 12:20pm, Sunday April 22

Carrera Cup field readies for enduro battle

Davison and Gilbertson fastest in Phillip Island practice

The Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia field has completed its final preparations ahead of the series’ two longest single-driver races, with Alex Davison and Anthony Gilbertson finishing the eventful Friday practice sessions at Phillip Island quickest in their respective classes.

Davison was the best of the Pro ranked drivers ahead of his stablemate Dylan O’Keeffe, James Moffat and Dale Wood. The fastest three drivers from Friday posted their best times in the morning session, while Wood’s best lap came from the slower afternoon practice session, in which the former Supercars driver was the pacesetter.

After his impressive Friday form, Davison will now look to begin his Endurance Cup title defence in Saturday’s race one in style.

“I didn’t do a test day like many others had done, so it was good to arrive and be on the pace from the start of the day. With longer races this weekend, we focussed our efforts in the second session on a race set-up for a long run. I feel well prepared for tomorrow,” said Davison.

Jordan Love was the fifth best across Friday’s two sessions from Jaxon Evans, David Wall, Nick McBride, Peter Major and Michael Almond in tenth.

Gilbertson was the best of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am racers in the morning session, ultimately placing 11th outright for the day and ahead of Pro-Am rivals Max Twigg and Roger Lago. Having long-distance race experience in Carrera Cup’s feeder series, Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia, Gilbertson feels well prepared for the two 25-lap races.

“I posted my best lap in the morning session when the track was a little bit faster and the sun wasn’t out. The car felt great straight out of the truck and it’s just as good at the end of today,” said Gilbertson.

“Having driven the longer races in GT3 Cup Challenge will really help me this weekend at Phillip Island. We’ve also done some longer runs in testing to find out how to conserve these rear tyres. This new car has more power so rear grip is everything, so if we can look after the tyres early in the race it will pay dividends towards the finish.”

While the morning session was uninterrupted, although delayed due to morning fog, the afternoon session was cut short after Dean Cook made heavy contact with the Hayshed tyre wall, handing the Ashley Seward Motorsport crew the large task of repairing the #22 TAG Heuer Pro-Am entry overnight.

Qualifying for the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia championship will be held at 11:35am on Saturday before the series’ kicks off the first of six Endurance Cup races for the 2018 season.

Race Schedule (local time)
Saturday April 21, 2018
11:35am Qualifying (20 minutes)
2:15pm Race 1 (25 laps)
Sunday April 22, 2018
12:20pm Race 2 (25 laps)

Broadcast Schedule (local time)
Qualifying – 11:35am, Saturday April 21
Race 1 – 2:15pm, Saturday April 21
Race 2 – 12:20pm, Sunday April 22

Results: Practice 1

Results: Practice 2

O’Keeffe: Tyre management key to ‘Island success

Young Victorian eager for strong round three showing

Dylan O’Keeffe is expecting tyre management to be a decisive factor in this weekend’s third round of the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia championship at Phillip Island.

The race format for the weekend will see the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars competing in a pair of 25 lap, 50-minute races – the longest single-driver races in the category’s history.

“Because this year’s cars are more powerful that last year, tyre management is already more of an issue, and Phillip Island is a track that is punishing on tyres,” O’Keeffe said.

“It’s going to be critical to be smooth, and to avoid sliding the car or locking brakes.

“I definitely think we’ll see a situation where people will push too hard too early, run out of tyres at the end and fall backwards through the field.”

O’Keeffe is currently fourth in the Carrera Cup standings after a strong start to the season, highlighted by a second-place finish in his most recent race. But the 20-year-old is not feeling over-confident.

“We’ve tested at Phillip Island, but it’s not really an advantage because so have most others, he said.

“We were comfortable with the package we had on the test day but it could mean nothing, because Phillip Island is a track where the conditions change very quickly.”

Fast Facts: Round 3, Phillip Island

All the facts and stats for Carrera Cup's third round

As the 2018 Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia season enters round three at Phillip Island – and kick starts the 2018 Endurance Cup – here are the best facts and stats from Australia’s fastest one-make series.

EVENT HISTORY
The third round of the 2018 Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will be the 109th round held in the history of the series since it began in 2003. Phillip Island hosted the first-ever round of the series in that year, won by Jim Richards.

Last year Phillip Island hosted the 300th Carrera Cup championship race.

The Phillip Island round this year will feature races number 322 and 323 in series history.

Each race is scheduled to be held over 25 laps (111.125-kilometres), making them the longest single driver races ever seen in Carrera Cup history. Should they be affected by a time certain finish, at least 21 laps (93.345-kilometres) will need to be completed to break the record given the previous longest single driver race was Race 1 at Bathurst last year over 15 laps (93.195-kilometres).

This year is the 10th time the Carrera Cup has competed at Phillip Island and the first single driver round held there since 2012, won by Craig Baird.

The circuit has featured on the Carrera Cup calendar in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011-2012, 2014-2015 and 2017.

In 2005 and 2006 the circuit hosted the final round of the Carrera Cup and in 2014, 2015 and 2017 it hosted the Pro- Am round of the series with two drivers in each car.

David Wall and Stephen Grove are the only drivers in the 2018 field to have won a Carrera Cup round overall at Phillip Island. Grove teamed with Scott McLaughlin to win the 2014 Pro-Am round, while Wall teamed with Shane Smollen to win the 2017 Pro-Am round last year.

Grove and Scott McLaughlin made history at Phillip Island in 2014 – they won the round having qualified 15th – it’s the lowest qualifying position for a round winner in championship history.

Phillip Island is the only circuit in Carrera Cup history where there have been multiple occasions that drivers have won the round without winning a race that weekend. Jim Richards did it in 2005, Stephen Grove/Scott McLaughlin did it in 2014 and last year David Wall/Shane Smollen won the round without winning a race.

Jim Richards Racing remains the only team to ever win multiple Phillip Island Carrera Cup rounds. Team owner/driver Jim Richards won the 2003 and 2005 rounds while the remaining round wins have since been split between Sonic Motor Racing, Fitzgerald Racing Services, Melbourne Performance Centre, Alliance Group Racing, Grove Racing, McElrea Racing and Wall Racing.

Reigning TAG Heuer Pro-Am Champion Stephen Grove has finished on the podium in the category in the last three Phillip Island rounds in a row. He was Pro-Am (and overall) round winner in 2014 and runner-up in 2015 and 2017.

GAPS AND MARGINS
Phillip Island is the site of the biggest race-winning margin in Carrera Cup history. Jonny Reid led home Alex Davison by 13.7760s to win Race 3 in 2012.

The closest race-winning margin at Phillip Island in Carrera Cup is 0.1234s with Craig Baird holding off Daniel Gaunt in Race 2 in 2011. It remains the fourth-closest race finish in the category’s history.

The closest pole position margin at Phillip Island in Carrera Cup is 0.0194s between Nick Foster and Jonny Reid in 2012.

The biggest pole margin at Phillip Island in Carrera Cup is 1.5672s (on combined times) between Nick Foster/Ryan Simpson and Shae Davies/Adam Gowans in 2014’s Pro-Am round. It is the biggest pole-winning margin in PWSCCA history.

DRIVER MILESTONES
Alex Davison will make his 54th Carrera Cup round start at Phillip Island, tying him with Rodney Jane for third on the list of most rounds started in series history. Only Marc Cini (97) and Craig Baird (66) have started more.

Stephen Grove makes his 46th Carrera Cup round start at Phillip Island, tying him with Steve Richards and Shane Smollen in series record books for eighth on the list of most rounds started.

STREAKS
Jaxon Evans is aiming for his fourth straight Carrera Cup round victory having won the last round in 2017 on the Gold Coast and first two rounds of 2018 at Adelaide and Albert Park. The last driver to win four rounds in a row in Carrera Cup was Craig Baird in 2008 – he won at Barbagallo, Sandown, Queensland Raceway and Phillip Island.

In fact, Alex Davison (six in a row across 2003/04), Jim Richards (four in a row in 2003) and Baird are the only drivers in PWSCCA history to ever win four rounds of the series in a row.

Evans’ team McElrea Racing has won the last three rounds of Carrera Cup with Evans driving and is aiming for four – Fitzgerald Racing Services (with Baird in 2008) is the last team to win four rounds of the series in a row.

PHILLIP ISLAND LAP RECORDS
Qualifying Matt Campbell McElrea Racing 1m30.0141s 2015
Race Scott Mclaughlin Grove Motorsport 1m31.1343s 2015

PHILLIP ISLAND ROUND WINNERS
2003 Jim Richards
2005 Jim Richards
2006 David Reynolds
2008 Craig Baird
2011 Daniel Gaunt
2012 Craig Baird
2014 Stephen Grove/Scott McLaughlin
2015 Shane Smollen/Nick Percat
2017 David Wall/Shane Smollen
2 – Jim Richards, Craig Baird, Shane Smollen
1 – David Reynolds, Daniel Gaunt, Stephen Grove, Scott McLaughlin, Nick Percat, David Wall

PHILLIP ISLAND RACE WINNERS
2003 Jim Richards Jim Richards Jim Richards
2005 David Reynolds Fabian Coulthard Fabian Coulthard
2006 David Reynolds David Reynolds David Reynolds
2008 Craig Baird Aaron Caratti David Russell
2011 Daniel Gaunt Craig Baird Daniel Gaunt
2012 Daniel Gaunt Craig Baird Jonny Reid
2014 Craig Baird/Max Twigg Shane Smollen/Nick Percat
2015 Shane Smollen/Nick Percat Nick Foster/Dylan Thomas
2017 Nick McBride/Dylan Thomas Dean Grant/Lee Holdsworth
4 – David Reynolds, Craig Baird
3 – Jim Richards, Daniel Gaunt
2 – Fabian Coulthard, Shane Smollen, Nick Percat, Dylan Thomas
1 – Aaron Caratti, David Russell, Jonny Reid, Max Twigg, Nick Foster, Nick McBride, Dean Grant, Lee Holdsworth

PHILLIP ISLAND PODIUM FINISHERS
2003 Jim Richards Peter Fitzgerald Marcus Marshall
2005 Jim Richards Fabian Coulthard Jonathon Webb
2006 David Reynolds Alex Davison David Wall
2008 Craig Baird Aaron Caratti Bryce Washington
2011 Daniel Gaunt Jonny Reid Craig Baird
2012 Craig Baird Daniel Gaunt Steve Richards
2014 Stephen Grove/Scott McLaughlin Craig Baird/Max Twigg James Bergmuller/Dale Wood
2015 Shane Smollen/Nick Percat Nick Foster/Dylan Thomas Stephen Grove/Scott McLaughlin
2017 David Wall/Shane Smollen Dean Grant/Lee Holdsworth Andre Heimgartner/Aaron Ireland
4 – Craig Baird
2 – Jim Richards, Daniel Gaunt, Stephen Grove, Scott McLaughlin, David Wall, Shane Smollen
1 – Peter Fitzgerald, Marcus Marshall, Fabian Coulthard, Jonathon Webb, David Reynolds, Alex Davison, Aaron Caratti, Bryce Washington, Jonny Reid, Steve Richards, Max Twigg, James Bergmuller, Dale Wood, Nick Percat, Nick Foster, Dylan Thomas, Dean Grant, Lee Holdsworth, Andre Heimgartner, Aaron Ireland

PHILLIP ISLAND POLE POSITIONS
2003 Jim Richards
2005 Jim Richards
2006 David Reynolds
2008 Aaron Caratti
2011 Jonny Reid
2012 Nick Foster
2014 Nick Foster/Ryan Simpson
2015 Shane Smollen/Nick Percat
2017 Stephen Grove/Tim Slade
2 – Jim Richards, Nick Foster
1 – David Reynolds, Aaron Caratti, Jonny Reid, Ryan Simpson, Shane Smollen, Nick Percat, Stephen Grove, Tim Slade

PHILLIP ISLAND TAG HEUER PRO-AM ROUND WINNERS
2005 Andrew Luxton
2006 Dean Grant
2008 James Koundouris
2011 Max Twigg
2012 Max Twigg
2014 Stephen Grove
2015 Shane Smollen
2017 Dean Grant
2 – Max Twigg, Dean Grant
1 – Andrew Luxton, James Koundouris, Stephen Grove, Shane Smollen

PHILLIP ISLAND TAG HEUER PRO-AM RACE WINS
2005 James Koundouris Andrew Luxton Andrew Luxton
2006 Tony Quinn Dean Grant Rodney Jane
2008 James Koundouris Max Twigg James Koundouris
2011 Max Twigg Damien Flack Max Twigg
2012 Max Twigg Max Twigg Max Twigg
2014 Stephen Grove Shane Smollen
2015 Shane Smollen Shane Smollen
2017 Sam Shahin Dean Grant
6 – Max Twigg
3 – James Koundouris, Shane Smollen
2 – Andrew Luxton, Dean Grant
1 – Tony Quinn, Rodney Jane, Damien Flack, Stephen Grove, Sam Shahin

PHILLIP ISLAND TAG HEUER PRO-AM POLE POSITIONS
2005 James Koundouris
2006 Tony Quinn
2008 Peter Hill
2011 James Koundouris
2012 James Koundouris
2014 Tony Bates
2015 Shane Smollen
2017 Stephen Grove
3 – James Koundouris
1 – Tony Quinn, Peter Hill, Tony Bates, Shane Smollen, Stephen Grove

PHILLIP ISLAND TAG HEUER PRO-AM PODIUM FINISHERS
2005 Andrew Luxton Theo Koundouris Tony Quinn
2006 Dean Grant Tony Quinn Shaun Juniper
2008 James Koundouris Theo Koundouris Shaun Juniper
2011 Max Twigg Damien Flack James Koundouris
2012 Max Twigg Shane Smollen Tony Bates
2014 Stephen Grove James Bergmuller Ash Samadi
2015 Shane Smollen Stephen Grove Adrian Mastronardo
2017 Dean Grant Stephen Grove Sam Shahin
3 – Stephen Grove
2 – Theo Koundouris, Tony Quinn, Dean Grant, Shaun Juniper, James Koundouris, Max Twigg, Shane Smollen
1 – Andrew Luxton, Damien Flack, Tony Bates, James Bergmuller, Ash Samadi, Adrian Mastronardo, Sam Shahin

Porsche racers face record endurance test

The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is no stranger to Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia endurance races, a trend that will continue in 2018… with a difference.

In its 10th visit to the Phillip Island circuit, the all-Porsche championship will hold two long distance races at the 4.4km circuit, much like the two-driver Pro-Am events held at the circuit in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Though instead of sharing the racing duties, Carrera Cup’s drivers will be faced with the longest single-driver races in the series’ history.

Carrera Cup will feature two 25-lap (111.13km) races across Saturday and Sunday, both of which eclipse the record of the series’ previous test of single-driver endurance: At 93km, the opening Carrera Cup race at Bathurst last year stands as the longest Carrera Cup test for a single driver. Completing only 21 of the scheduled 25 laps this weekend will still eclipse the record. The round will also be the first single-driver event at the Victorian venue since 2012, which was won by Craig Baird.

Following a successful Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Carrera Cup will bring an unchanged driver line-up to Phillip Island. This weekend marks the start of the six-race Endurance Cup, a concept that began last season ultimately won by Alex Davison and Marc Cini.

One of the Phillip Island favourites will no doubt be Jaxon Evans, who is aiming for his fourth straight Carrera Cup round victory having won the last event of 2017 on the Gold Coast and the first two rounds of 2018 at Adelaide and Albert Park. The last driver to win four Carrera Cup rounds in a row was Baird in 2008 – the fellow New Zealander won at Barbagallo, Sandown, Queensland Raceway and Phillip Island.

“It will be an interesting event. Having had a test day at Phillip Island before the round, hopefully that brings us level with the local teams. I love the circuit, it’s similar to Albert Park, and the level of competition will step up again so hopefully we can step up with it,” said Evans.

Evans’ teammate and fellow Albert Park round winner, Pro-Am driver Tim Miles, is also looking forward to the Phillip Island event.

“With the extra power and front grip, these new cars will suit the Phillip Island circuit perfectly. The Pro-Am class is hugely competitive this season so I’m looking forward to getting out there and seeing how we go,” said Miles.

Having not yet placed outside the top two positions in 2018, Evans sits 69 points ahead of his closest Pro-ranked rival Dale Wood, with reigning champion David Wall in third.

Meanwhile, round one Pro-Am winner Roger Lago takes a 79-point class lead into Phillip Island over reigning and former class champions Stephen Grove and Max Twigg.

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will begin its third round on Friday with two practice sessions, followed by qualifying and race one on Saturday, and race two on Sunday. All sessions from practice two onwards can be viewed live on Fox Sports 506.

Race Schedule
Friday April 20, 2018
10:40am Practice 1 (30 minutes)
1:50pm Practice 2 (30 minutes)
Saturday April 21, 2018
11:35am Qualifying (20 minutes)
2:15pm Race 1 (25 laps)
Sunday April 22, 2018
12:20pm Race 2 (25 laps)

Broadcast Schedule
Practice 2 – 1:50pm, Friday April 20
Qualifying – 11:35am, Saturday April 21
Race 1 – 2:15pm, Saturday April 21
Race 2 – 12:20pm, Sunday April 22

Entry list: Round 3, Phillip Island
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. #13 Sam Shahin (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) The Bend/htfu
10. #14 Peter Major (Pro) Sonic/Totally 4×4
11. #15 Josh Hunt (Pro) LORY Construction
12. #18 James Moffat (Pro) PAYCE/Wilson Security/JBL
13. #19 Anthony Gilbertson (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmark Homes
14. #20 Adrian Flack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Agas National
15. #22 Dean Cook (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) BMF/Pitman Racing
16. #23 Roger Lago (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) JBS Australia
17. #35 Indiran Padayachee (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hyundai Forklifts Australia
18. #77 Michael Almond (Pro) Sonic/Bob Jane T Marts/PSA
19. #80 Max Twigg (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) WM Waste Management
20. #88 Dylan O’Keeffe (Pro) APB Group
21. #100 Dale Wood (Pro) Sonic/Polyflor
22. #111 Cameron Hill (Pro) Southern Star Truck Centre/Anytime Fitness
23. #131 Graham Williams (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Harcourts Williams
24. #777 Jordan Love (Pro) Bob Jane T Marts
25. #808 John Steffensen (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Crown/Timken/Porsche Melbourne
26. #888 Alex Davison (Pro) Porsche Centre Brighton

Unbound 919 Hybrid smashes Spa record

Posche 919 Hybrid Evo faster than Formula 1

No rules or regulations: the ultimate evolution of the Le Mans-winning Porsche 919 Hybrid is faster than Formula 1.

An evo version of the Porsche 919 Hybrid established a new track record at Spa-Francorchamps. Porsche works driver Neel Jani lapped the 7.004 kilometre long Belgian Grand Prix Circuit in the Ardennes mountains in 1:41.770 minutes.

The 34-year-old Swiss has beaten the previous record by 0.783 seconds that was set by Lewis Hamilton (GB) at the wheel of a Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid. Hamilton’s lap of 1:42.553 minutes dates back to August 26 in 2017 and secured him pole position for last year’s F1 race. Jani achieved a top speed of 359 km/h and an average speed of 245.61 km/h on his record lap that he started at 10:23 hrs. Ambient temperature was 11° Celsius, track temperature was 13° Celsius.

Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1: “This was an absolute fantastic lap – an outstanding drivers’ performance from Neel and the result of great engineering. Today’s track record impressively proves the ultimate performance of the most innovative race car of its time. Our target was to show what the Porsche 919 Hybrid is able to do when we loosen the restrictions that normally come from the regulations.”

Team Principal Andreas Seidl: “This additional success is the result of the LMP team’s hard work and a proud day for the engineers. One can only congratulate Neel and the entire crew for achieving it. All six 2017 LMP1 drivers contributed to the project. It was our target to show the Porsche 919 Hybrid’s abilities when we ease the restrictions that came from the World Endurance Championship regulations.”

With the 919 Hybrid, Porsche has won the Le Mans 24-Hours from 2015 to 2017 three times in a row as well as the world champion titles for both, manufacturers and drivers, in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) during the same years.

Neel Jani: “The 919 Evo is brutally impressive. It is definitely the fastest car I ever drove. The grip level is at a fully new dimension for me, I couldn’t imagine this amount beforehand. The speed on which everything happens on a single lap with the 919 Evo is that fast that the demand on reaction speed is very different to what I was used to in the WEC. We are not only faster than the F1 pole from 2017. Today’s lap was twelve seconds faster compared to our WEC pole position from last year! We have had three very intense days at Spa. Today I knew on the very first lap in the morning that the car’s performance was super. The race engineers did a great job setting up the car and the Michelin tyres are sensational. A big thank you to Porsche for this experience.”

Unchained for the record

The technical regulations from the FIA for the WEC and Le Mans successfully delivered close competition between the conceptually very different class 1 Le Mans hybrid prototypes entered by Audi, Porsche and Toyota. As a consequence this never allowed the question – what would be the potential of the Porsche 919 Hybrid if it wasn’t chained by the limitations – to be answered; until now.

Stephen Mitas, Chief Race Engineer LMP1, was heading the project: “It was kind of an engineer’s dream come true for us”, the Australian admits. “Having developed, improved and raced the car for four years, the guys had a very close relationship to it. We all knew, no matter how successful the 919 Hybrid was, it could never show its full abilities. Actually even the Evo version doesn’t fully exploit the technical potential. This time we were not limited by regulations but resources. It is a very satisfying feeling that what we’ve done to the car was enough to crack the Formula One record.”

To prepare the record car, the base was the 2017 world championship car. On top came developments that were prepared for the 2018 WEC but never raced after the end of 2017 withdrawal. Additionally, several aerodynamic modifications were made.

For the ‘Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo’ the entire hardware of the power train remained untouched.

The 919 is powered by a compact two-litre turbo charged V4-cylinder engine and two different energy recovery systems – brake energy from the front axle combined with exhaust energy. The combustion engine drives the rear axle while the electro motor boosts the front axle to accelerate the car with four-wheel drive. At the same time it recuperates energy from the exhaust system that otherwise would pass unused in to the atmosphere. The electrical energy that comes from the front brakes and the exhaust system is temporarily stored in a liquid-cooled lithium ion battery.

The WEC efficiency regulations limited the energy from fuel per lap by using a fuel flow meter. At the 2017 championship round in Spa, in the Porsche 919 Hybrid’s final season, it could use 1.784 kilogram/2.464 litres of petrol per lap. The V4 combustion engine’s output back then was around 500 HP. Freed from these restrictions, equipped with an updated software but running the regular race fuel (E20, containing 20 per cent bio ethanol), the 919 Hybrid Evo delivers 720 HP.

The amount of energy from the two recovery systems that could be used in Spa 2017 was 6.37 megajoule. This was by far below the systems’ potential. On his record lap Neel Jani enjoyed a full boost of 8.49 megajoule – the e-machine’s output increased by ten per cent from 400 to 440 HP.

The engineers also unchained the aerodynamics of the 919 Evo from the regulations. The new larger front diffuser now balances the new and very large rear wing, both of which have actively controlled drag reduction systems. The hydraulically operated systems trim the trailing edge of the front diffuser and opens up the slot between the rear wing main plane and the flap respectively in order increase the aerodynamic efficiency of the Evo. Underneath the Evo the turning vanes and floor have been optimised with fixed height side skirts to increase the aerodynamic performance again as efficiently as possible. In total the aero modifications resulted in 53 per cent higher downforce and an increase in efficiency by 66 per cent (compared to the 2017 Spa WEC qualifying).

To help further expand the performance envelope, the super-fast Evo gained a four-wheel brake-by-wire system to provide additional yaw control. Furthermore, the power steering was adapted for the higher loads and stronger suspension wishbones (front and rear) were implemented.

Compared to the car in race trim, the dry weight was reduced by 39 kilograms to 849 kilograms. To achieve this, everything was removed what isn’t needed for a single fast lap: air-conditioning, windscreen wiper, several sensors, electronic devices from race control, lights systems and the pneumatic jack system.

Porsche’s multi-year tyre partner Michelin was immediately interested to work with a car that produces more downforce than a Formula One car. Keeping the tyre dimensions (31/71-18), the target was to increase the grip level significantly. Michelin developed new compounds to deliver the necessary grip with no compromise on safety.

The ‘919 Tribute Tour’ continues

The record lap at Spa was the first appearance on the 919 Tribute Tour. It can next be seen doing a demo lap on the legendary Nordschleife before the start of the 24-Hours Nürburgring race on May 12. Drives at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (July 12-15) and the Festival of Porsche in Brands Hatch (September 2) will follow as well as the car’s participation at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion in Laguna Seca, California (September 26-29).

Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo (919 Hybrid WEC)

Specifications

Monocoque:
Composite material structure consisting of carbon fibre with an aluminium honeycomb core. The cockpit is closed.

Combustion engine:
V4 engine (90 degree cylinder bank angle), turbocharged, 4 valves per cylinder, DOHC, 1 Garrett turbocharger, direct petrol injection, fully load-bearing aluminium cylinder crankcase, dry sump lubrication
Max. engine speed: ≈ 9,000/min

Engine management:
Bosch MS5

Displacement:
2,000 cm3 (V4 engine)

Output:
Combustion engine: 720 PS, rear axle (< 500 PS) MGU: 440 PS, front axle (> 400 PS)

Hybrid system:
KERS with a motor generator unit (MGU) mounted on the front axle; ERS for recuperation of energy from exhaust gases. Energy storage in a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery with cells from A123 Systems

Drive system:
Rear wheel drive, traction control (ASR), temporary all-wheel drive at the front axle via the electric motor when boosted, hydraulically operated sequential 7-speed racing gearbox

Chassis:
Independent front and rear wheel suspension, push-rod layout with adjustable dampers and Pitch Link System with actively controlled lockout system (no actively controlled lockout system in the 919 WEC version)

Brake system:
4-wheel brake-by-wire system (front-rear brake-by-wire system), monoblock light alloy brake calipers, ventilated carbon fibre brake discs front and rear.
Variable control of wheel torques to optimize the car balance (variable control of torque distribution front to rear)

Wheels and tyres:
Forged magnesium wheel rims from BBS; Michelin Radial tyres, front and rear: 310/710-18

Weight: 849 kg (888 kg including driver ballast)
Length: 5,078 mm (4,650 mm)
Width: 1,900 mm
Height: 1,050 mm
Fuel tank capacity: 62.3 litres

Kiwis conquer Carrera Cup at Albert Park

Jaxon Evans and Tim Miles take Albert Park round victory

Jaxon Evans has avoided opening corner chaos to take victory in race four of Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia at Albert Park along with the round win, while Tim Miles secured round victory in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am.

Dale Wood was the star driver for the weekend until the start of the final race, where he and Alex Davison were contacted from behind at the opening corner. The incident spun both Wood and Davison; Wood continued at the rear of the field while the safety car was called to recover Davison’s stranded car from the turn one run-off area.

New Zealander Evans dominated after the restart to eventually cruise to his third win of the Carrera Cup season and further extend his series lead after two of eight rounds.

“To get back-to-back round victories for the first two rounds is obviously the perfect way to kick off the year and show that we’re not here to muck around, but to fight for the championship,” said Evans, who was joined on the Pro round podium by Dale Wood and Jordan Love.

“I was pretty lucky to get away with that one. I can’t thank to team enough for the car they’ve given me this weekend. I struggled to get past Dale in the first three races and it’s unfortunate what happened to him in the last race .”

Dylan O’Keeffe continued his Albert Park comeback after race two dramas to ultimately place second, moving past Love in the closing laps to gain his best result for the season.

Love placed third from David Wall; a fourth in the final race was little consolation for the reigning champion following a race three spin. Nick McBride placed fifth for the final race from James Moffat and Peter Major in seventh for the rookie’s best result for the season.

Stephen Grove placed eighth in the final race, which is the best overall performance by a TAG Heuer Pro-Am driver for the 2018 season. Twigg placed second in class for the final race from Roger Lago, Adrian Flack and Tim Miles in fifth.

Miles ended the weekend as the top TAG Heuer Pro-Am driver, joining his compatriot on the top step of the Albert Park podium on Sunday.

“I got a bit bullied in that last race, which was a bit frustrating. I didn’t have enough pace to fight with them properly and the team were on the radio just telling me to behave and consolidate the round win. I can’t thank the McElrea Racing boys enough, not just for giving me a good car but for keeping me calm.”

Evans now leads the Pro standings by 69 points from Wood; while Wood has more race wins, Evans is yet to finish outside the top two this season. Wall holds third in the Pro standings from O’Keeffe and Love. Evans also retains the Michelin Juniors standings lead from Love and Garwood.

Lago holds the lead of the TAG Heuer Pro-Am standings following his dominant opening round performance from triple champion Twigg, reigning champion Grove and Albert Park round winner Miles.

Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will return on April 22-25 for round three at Phillip Island.

Results: Race 4