Porsche Michelin Junior Programme
The continued support and development of the best young drivers from around the Australasian region has been a key priority for both Michelin Australia and Porsche Cars Australia for several years now. The domestic collaboration has seen the initiative grow into benchmark driver development programme in the country and remain a vital feature of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.
For the 2021 season, the French tyre giant has announced that it will again support the Porsche Junior Development Programme offering eligible young drivers from the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series mentorship, support and training from the country’s leading sports professionals and coaches, as well as the opportunity to win their share of the $300,000 prize pool on offer.
The prize pool sees the top three Junior drivers from each series, receive a set of Michelin competition tyres every round, while the top placed Junior driver at each event will also receive a complimentary entry for the round.
The Michelin Junior Champion, which is crowned toward the end of the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia season, will receive a trip to Germany to attend the Porsche Motorsport Night of Champions Dinner in December 2021.
The 2021 Michelin Junior Champion (and as a result the Porsche Junior Shootout nominee) will be awarded to the highest point scorer after the 5th round ( Perth 11-12 Sept ) of the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia series.
Points are allocated as per the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Sporting and Technical Regulation’s,S11.2 (e).
In the event of a tie, the final positions shall be determined by comparing the race results achieved by each tied Driver, with the Driver with the highest number of first places being awarded the higher Series position. If at this stage a tie still exists, it shall be resolved by comparing the number of second, third or fourth places (and so on) achieved by each tied Driver until all positions have been determined.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible as a Michelin Junior in 2021, both Michelin Sprint Challenge and Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup drivers must born between 30.11.1997 and 01.03.2004.
All Michelin Juniors in each series must carry additional Michelin Junior branding on their racing apparel and Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars.
Training Days
The training workshop is an integral part of the Porsche Motorsport Development programme in Australia. Every year Michelin Junior drivers are invited to attend and receive professional coaching from the country's leading experts. Brad Hodge, Matt Campbell, Jaxon Evans, Joshua Rogers and Scott Pye were just some of the top drivers and presenters at the 2020 Michelin Junior Driver Training, which took place via a virtual workshop in 2020 due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Despite the Coronavirus pandemic putting a halt to both the 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Championship and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series, Porsche Cars Australia conducted the online workshop via Zoom as many of the country’s leading Junior drivers were stranded in each state due to the current travel restrictions. The nine Michelin Junior drivers in attendance for the 2020 Training Workshop included Cooper Murray, Harri Jones, Christian Pancione, Aaron Love, Max Vidau, Courtney Prince and Ryan Suhle.
The 2019 training workshop saw the Juniors receive professional coaching on sports psychology, social media, media training, branding, sponsorship as well as nutrition and dietary advice, this year the program centred around mindset, mental preparation, managing their brand, producing social media content, sponsorship, heart intelligence, resilience and coherence.
In past years drivers also received nutrition and dietary advice after completing a thorough physical assessments.
2020
Porsche Junior Shootout
The main incentive for the Michelin Junior drivers in the premier one-make series is an opportunity to attend the global Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout, which continues to play a crucial role in the development of the best emerging talent from the region and is seen as the most proven pathway for talented drivers to progress to the highest level abroad.
The 2019 Michelin Junior champion, Jordan Love, won the overall Carrera Cup Australia Championship and went onto to win the Junior Shootout nomination to compete against Carrera Cup Champions from the leading one-make Porsche championships around the world in three-day, all expenses paid driving evaluation at the Portimao circuit.
In 2020, Love joined 2018 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Champion and Porsche Junior driver, Jaxon Evans, on the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup grid, the premier support race for FIA Formula One World Championship.
Other drivers that have progressed up the Porsche Motorsport pyramid in recent years via the Australian Junior Programme, include the likes of Matt Campbell, Nick Foster, Andre Heimgartner and Dylan O’Keeffe, who have all gone on to succeed at the highest levels of the sport both locally and internationally.
In a new incentive for 2021, the Australian nominee to attend the global junior shootout will receive an exclusive test drive in the new 992 generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car ahead of its introduction in 2022. The global Porsche Junior Shootout will be utilising the new 992 Cup Car for the first time this year and this prize provides the best opportunity for the Australian Junior nomination to perfect their skills before they head overseas.
Contact
For more information on the 2021 Porsche Michelin Junior Programme Australia email motorsport@porsche.com.au
Junior Programme
About Junior Programme
Porsche Cars Australia and Michelin Australia have joined forces to launch one of Australian motorsport’s most extensive driver development programmes, providing total benefits of up to $300,000. The Porsche Michelin Junior Programme Australia supports seven young drivers across Australia’s two Porsche one-make series – Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia and Carrera Cup Australia – providing all Michelin Juniors financial support by way of entry fee support and an allocation of Michelin race tyres, along with access to training, mentorship and education throughout the racing season.
The Porsche Michelin Junior Programme Australia will consist of two teams – the GT3 Cup Challenge Junior Team, consisting of three drivers, and the four-driver Carrera Cup Junior Team.
2018 Junior Drivers
Driver Bio
Second-generation Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia racer Jackson Walls steps up to the big time in 2021, making his one-make Porsche debut aboard an Objective Racing Porsche, run by the McElrea Racing squad.
The son of Morris Finance Pro-Am class regular Tony, 18-year-old Jackson has plied his trade in junior open-wheel racing, completing two years in Australian Formula 4 before tackling the Formula Renault Eurocup and the Toyota Racing Series.
He’s since shifted his focus to Porsche racing and made his debut in the non-championship Porsche PAYCE and Michelin event at Sandown in late 2020, impressing by being on the pace immediately.
Driver Bio
Following in the footsteps of fellow Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia champions Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans, Harri Jones is the next discovery to rise through the Porsche Pyramid with the help of McElrea Racing.
Skipping the traditional starting-point in Karting, Jones began racing Formula Fords in 2015 before moving into ‘wings and slicks’ competition in 2018, winning the Australian Formula 3 title on debut. The following year he moved to the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series, winning the title on debut and also sealing the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy along the way.
Harri made his debut in Carrera Cup in the final round of the 2019 championship on the Gold Coast, and was set to contest the full 2020 championship with McElrea Racing. Though the series was ultimately stopped, he did impressively win the season-ending Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Cup event at Sandown – his first in the ‘big’ class of Aussie one-make Porsche racing.
When not racing, Harri splits his time working at McElrea and major sponsor, HeliMods, while also studying a bachelor of Civil Engineering and Maths at the University of Queensland.
Driver Bio
New Zealand karting ace Matthew Payne heads up the debut of Team Porsche New Zealand & Earl Bamber Motorsport in the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia.
The Auckland teenager is a multiple NZ Karting champion, including the KZ2 National Sprint Championship, and has also tasted success internationally in karting before shifting his attention to circuit racing.
Earlier in 2021 he swept to victory in the Toyota Racing Series, finished third in the New Zealand Grand Prix and was confirmed as the first recipient of the Team Porsche NZ scholarship – championed by two-time Le Mans 24 Hour winner and Porsche World Champion, Earl Bamber.
SP Tools will back his 2021 campaign in a stunning black, silver and Orange 911 GT3 Cup Car run by EBM.
Driver Bio
Cooper Murray is one of Australia’s brightest young sports car drivers, standing out as an incredible talent during the 2018 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia season, where he ultimately placed second.
He then made his Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia debut in 2019 and, racing as a Michelin Junior driver, starred. Ultimately finishing second in the junior category, Murray finished his first full season fifth in the championship with a dominant round victory on the streets of Townsville; clean-sweeping the weekend.
Podium finishes in the final two rounds set him up as a key contender and potential favourite for the 2020 championship, where he again returned to McElrea Racing and won the opening round in Adelaide with a clean-sweep of victories.
Despite a year on the side lines, his impressive late-season form in 2019 and early 2020 mark him out as a key title contender in the 2021 championship.
Driver Bio
Christian started in karting, racing karts from 2012 till 2017, winning numerous Regional and State championships and Australian championship rounds. He went on to race in two international championship racing events in Daniel Ricciardo’s race team.
His first move to main circuit was straight into Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge in 2018, where he won the class B championship and impressed by racing with the Pro cars in class A.
In 2019 Christian stepped up again, this time to Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Pro class, where he saw highlight performances including a qualifying pole position, two podiums and a lap record.
In 2021 he joins McElrea Racing and hopes to add to his own win count as well as continue their winning championship streak, while also contesting a five-round Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup campaign prior to a full championship tilt with the 992-generation car in 2022.
Driver Bio
Runner-up in the 2019 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series, Aaron Love made the step to the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia in 2020 as a Michelin Junior – impressing immediately with his raw speed.
He follows in the footsteps of his older brother Jordan, who won the 2019 Championship and Junior prize.
Love, 17, started his career in karting before stepping into open-wheel racing in Formula 4 competition. From there he graduated to Porsches, coming close to winning the 2019 Sprint Challenge title for Sonic. After making his Carrera Cup debut on the Gold Coast at the end of the 2019 season, Love’s immediate impact in the shortened 2020 season saw him finish on the podium at the Adelaide season-opener, and at the season-ending (non-championship) Porsche Payce and Michelin Cup event, proving his title-contending abilities.
Driver Bio
Two years out of the seat are unlikely to phase Simon Fallon, who returns to one-make Porsche racing in 2021 as the 2018 Porsche Michelin Sprint Cup Champion.
After a funding shortfall sidelined him for two seasons, Fallon has re-grouped for 2021 and reunited with the same team with which he won the Sprint Challenge title – beating Cooper Murray in the process – in Sonic Motor Racing.
The young Victorian will take over the famous #777 entry for the Melbourne based team, who technically remain the defending champions thanks to their success with Jordan Love (in the same car) in 2019.
He follows in the footsteps of the champion Love, Nick Foster and Andre Heimgartner to have steered the #777 car.
Fallon graduated to Sprint Challenge from open-wheel racing, where he was a regular contender in the Australian Formula 4 Championship.
