Porsche Carrera Cup Australia will host four reigning national motor racing champions on its grid this season following the signing of open-wheel ace Simon Hodge.

Hodge was dominant in the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship last year with Team BRM, the same outfit with which the 21-year-old Adelaide driver will make his Porsche racing debut.

As the F3 title holder, Hodge will be the fourth national champion to line up for the coming Carrera Cup season, joining fellow victors Steven Richards (2014 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia champion), Richard Muscat (2014 Australian GT champion) and Fraser Ross (Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia champion).

Hodge is now eager to begin his transition from open wheel racing to sports car competition at his home event.

“I’m looking forward to getting stuck into a good year of Carrera Cup – it’s looking like an amazing field and it’s going to be a great challenge for me,” said Hodge, who joins Duvashen Padayachee and Muscat at the South Australian BRM outfit.

“I really can’t wait for the Clipsal 500. It’s a fantastic race and a mega circuit and I’m looking forward to getting on the track again this year. I had a very successful run there last year, but I think it will be key for me to not take any expectations into the weekend – but at the same time I feel it’s one of my stronger circuits.

“It’s fantastic to be staying with Team BRM and I must thank them for their amazing help and support in making the transition into a GT3 Cup car for this season.”

Hodge is the third Australian Formula 3 champion to graduate to Porsche Carrera Cup racing the follow year, first achieved by 2005 F3 champion Aaron Caratti followed by 2010 F3 title winner Ben Barker, who now competes in the international Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

Hodge will start his Porsche Carrera Cup Australia campaign in eight days at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.