Dean Fiore will make a full-time return to Porsche Carrera Cup Australia this season to partner series stalwart Marc Cini in the team run by Porsche Centre Melbourne.
The West Australian contested the 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons of the all-Porsche championship and has since raced in the past two Carrera Cup Pro-Am events alongside Cini (2014) and Ash Samadi (2015).
The 2008 season runner-up will now return to Carrera Cup competition full-time with the support of apparel brand, Saint.
“I’m looking forward to the season ahead; to be able to race a Porsche full-time with Porsche Centre Melbourne this season with the support of Saint is a tremendous honour,” said Fiore.
“I’ve raced many different series and cars since 2008 and little compares to the Carrera Cup experience, both on and off the track. I can’t wait to represent both Porsche Centre Melbourne and Saint on the grid of the Clipsal 500.
“Having raced against Porsche Centre Melbourne in the past, I know that it’s an experienced and immensely competitive outfit, so I’m looking forward to taking advantage of this in 2016. Marc is also a great friend, so to race alongside him this season will certainly add to the experience. I have to thank Marc, Porsche Centre Melbourne and Saint for making this all possible.”
Fiore’s Carrera Cup record features two round wins, five race wins and six round podiums from 76 races across 27 rounds.
Porsche Centre Melbourne General Manager, Piero Pellegrini, is pleased with the introduction of Fiore to the team alongside Carrera Cup’s most experienced racer, Cini.
“It’s great to welcome Dean to the Porsche Centre Melbourne team. We greatly value our Carrera Cup programme and believe Dean is not only a talented racer, but a worthy ambassador for our business,” said Pellegrini.
“We have had tremendous success in the past, including three championship titles with Craig Baird in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and one with Jim Richards in the inaugural 2003 season, while Craig has been a fantastic ambassador for the dealership for the past five seasons. We hope Dean can replicate the team’s success in 2016 upon his return to Carrera Cup.
“The Porsche Centre Melbourne racing programme wouldn’t be the same without Marc Cini – a long-time customer and supporter of our Carrera Cup programme. We wish Marc, Dean and the entire team all the best for the year ahead.”
Fiore will have his first outing with the team at the official Porsche Carrera Cup Australia test at Sydney Motorsport Park on February 10 before the championship begins on the streets of Adelaide for the Clipsal 500 on March 03-06, 2016.