Dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist John Steffensen has confirmed his entry into next season’s Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia championship, announced in Newcastle today.

Steffensen impressed in his rookie motor racing season in the 2017 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia series, ultimately finishing eighth in the outright standings.

Following his maiden Porsche season, Steffensen’s move to Carrera Cup follows the well-worn path of drivers using GT3 Cup Challenge as a stepping stone to Australia’s pinnacle one-make sports car series. Such drivers include young guns Jaxon Evans, Dylan O’Keeffe and, most notably, Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race winner, international Porsche Junior Matt Campbell.

Steffensen’s confirmation to the Carrera Cup series was part of the launch of a new Supercars Championship and Carrera Cup team, 23Red Racing, owned by Phil Munday and Lucas Dumbrell and managed by former Carrera Cup front-runner, Cam McConville.

Steffensen looks forward to the new challenge of Carrera Cup competition following his enjoyable motor racing initiation in the feeder GT3 Cup Challenge series.

“This is a huge step in my motor racing career and I can’t wait to make the move into the Carrera Cup series for next season,” said Steffensen.

“Having retired from a professional athletics career, I feel incredibly privileged to be able to transition into another sport at such a professional level. Carrera Cup is one of Australia’s most professional and competitive motor racing championships and features an unbelievably high calibre of driver talent, including a raft of former and future Supercars Championship drivers.

“Racing in GT3 Cup Challenge this year was great preparation for the 2018 Carrera Cup season. Carrera Cup is a completely new challenge; in addition to the immense driving competition, you have more cars around you on some of Australia’s most challenging race circuits, including Adelaide, Bathurst and Gold Coast.”

Teams participating in the 2018 season of Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will take delivery of their new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars at Sydney Motorsport Park on January 24, 2018, ahead of the season’s commencement in March.