Russell smashes existing best in fastest ever Adelaide session

Qualifying practice points to tight Adelaide fight ahead

DAVID RUSSELL has topped the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia pecking order in practice at the VAILO Adelaide 500, setting the first ever lap below 80 seconds in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car.

Russell’s 1m19.9611s lap was set towards the end of today’s second practice session and stands as the quickest ever Porsche lap of Adelaide’s world-renowned street circuit.

It ensures the man currently second in the championship – and looking to defend that position from the chasing pack this weekend – started his weekend in the best possible way.

The TekworkX driver jumped to the top of the outright and Equity-One Pro class results with a string of flying laps late in the second session, held in perfect 23-degree conditions and in bright sunshine.

His 79-second flyer for a time saw him more than three-tenths clear of the entire field; the next 15 cars all covered by a second, however the gap closed late in the 25-minute session.

A late flyer from Jackson Walls saw the Objective Racing driver fall just short of beating Russell on Thursday, the Michelin Junior champ ending up second, just 0.06 seconds behind the pacesetter.

Champ-elect Harri Jones was third, while Ryder Quinn charged up the order into fourth place not far from the leading times.

The pace was hot in Adelaide as the field navigated both the circuit and themselves across the pair of incident-free sessions, the 29 cars – the largest ever Adelaide Porsche grid – making finding clear race track a significant challenge for everyone today.

Behind the top four, Glen Wood rounded out a strong day in fifth position with milestone man David Wall a stout sixth aboard his Wall Racing entry – the Sydneysider set to notch up his 250th Carrera Cup race on Saturday this weekend.

Gold Coast winner Bayley Hall was seventh, Dylan O’Keeffe eighth, Dale Wood ninth and Fabian Coulthard tenth.

Six different teams featured in the top 10 and while Sonic’s best was Angelo Mouzouris in eleventh position, an 0.1 second gain for the Victorian would have seen him in the top five.

Such was the competitive nature of the field in practice, exactly one second covered the top 14 cars and just 1.2 seconds the top 18.

Having trailed the home-town hero in the first session, Adrian Flack returned serve on Sam Shahin in the second session to top the runners in SP Tools Pro-Am, the pair each less than two seconds away from the outright pace in the Pro field.

Stephen Grove – an Adelaide veteran – was third in Pro-Am and Dean Cook fourth, with Rodney Jane, Matt Belford, Marc Cini, Adelaide debutants Anthony DiMauro and Matt Slavin and Indiran Padayachee completing the order.

With practice now complete, attention turns to Qualifying on Friday morning with race one to follow in the afternoon.

Both races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506, Kayo and Sky Sports NZ.

Anthony DiMauro to make Carrera Cup debut in Adelaide

Adelaide driver to run with entry fielded by Carrera Cup race winner, Max Vidau

ADELAIDE driver Anthony DiMauro will live a dream this weekend, making his Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia debut at the VAILO Adelaide 500. 

He steps in to one-make Porsche competition following two successful seasons in the competitive Aussie Racing Cars series, where he proved a regular frontrunner.

DiMauro will run a striking car featuring primary sponsorship from Koan solutions, an Adelaide-based automotive aftermarket industry business.

“It’s been a dream of mine to be on the Carrera Cup grid, let alone at the Adelaide 500,” DiMauro said.

“We’ve gone well in Aussie Racing cars in the past but the opportunity to step up is incredibly exciting. The Porsche product is so good and the racing so competitive it’s a dream to be behind the wheel.

“We have no expectations, we just want to get results and finish the races and improve as we go, but also really enjoy the experience as much as possible.”

DiMauro will race a car that was raced successfully last year by Max Vidau with the car to be prepared and run by Vidau’s own MVA team – based in the Adelaide Hills – this weekend.

While wearing the team owner hat, Vidau will also don the headset and engineer the car across the weekend. Should DiMauro earn some silverware, Vidau stands to be one of the youngest drivers to ever find success across driving, engineering, and team ownership.

“Of course it’s cool to debut my own team in Carrera Cup, a category that’s really special to me. It’ll be a big weekend, I’m wearing lots of different hats, but we have plans in place for all circumstances,” Vidau said.

“Being a four-day event helps, the sessions are a bit more spread out than usual. It will certainly keep me busy, but it may be a good thing to get my mind on something different. Trying to hold that laser focus on a single objective for four days can take a lot mentally, so it might turn out to be one of those nice distractions and help keep my mind fresh for Super2.”

Season best grid ready for VAILO Adelaide 500 showdown

Title battles, new names and milestone moments on the cards at VAILO Adelaide 500

THE 2024 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship will finish on a high at the VAILO Adelaide 500 this week, a season-best 29-car grid locked in to tackle the world-famous Adelaide Parklands circuit.

Despite the Equity One Pro and SP Tools Pro-Am class champions having been decided on the Gold Coast last month, there’s plenty to play for at the Adelaide finale’ that will see intense battles for second in each class come to a head, as well as the prestigious Enduro Cup titles be decided.

While Harri Jones sealed the Pro class title on the streets of Surfers Paradise last time out, the fight for second is particularly intense with four drivers very much in contention for the runner-up spot, and five fighting for a place on the season podium.

TekworkX star David Russell holds a solid lead over GWR / RAM driver Dylan O’Keeffe in the fight for third, with Jackson Walls and the fast-finishing Bayley Hall, both from McElrea Racing, also in contention.

And while he can’t finish second in the championship, sixth-placed Dale Wood remains a contender for a place on the season’s podium aboard his Connected Spaces EBM machine.

In Pro-Am, Adrian Flack is unbeatable for the series’ title however the fight is well and truly on between Matt Slavin (second) and Rodney Jane (third) heading to Adelaide. Just seven points split the first-year Carrera Cup rookie and the former Pro-Am class champion on corrected scores ahead of the final round.

Harri Jones leads Jackson Walls by just 10 points in the Equity One Pro Endurance Cup standings, with that title likely to be decided by whomever finishes in front in the longer of the three races scheduled for this weekend. In SP Tools Pro-Am, Adrian Flack holds a marginally more comfortable 13-point enduro cup lead over Matt Slavin heading into that showdown.

Adelaide’s 29-strong entry list is the largest of the season, eclipsing the 27-cars that contested the opening round of the championship at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in March.

It’s the largest Porsche grid for an Adelaide 500 event in the prior 16 visits to the Adelaide Parklands circuit, with the field including 10 cars in SP Tools Pro-Am, 19 in Equity One Pro and 11 Michelin Junior drivers.

The field includes one driver on debut at his home event and another set to record a rare Carrera Cup milestone this weekend.

Making his Porsche Carrera Cup debut in Adelaide will be home-town driver Anthony DiMauro, who steps in to one-make Porsche competition following two successful seasons in the competitive Aussie Racing Cars series, where he proved a regular frontrunner.

DiMauro run a striking car featuring primary sponsorship from Koan solutions, an Adelaide-based automotive aftermarket industry business.

“It’s been a dream of mine to be on the Carrera Cup grid, let alone at the Adelaide 500,” DiMauro said.

“We’ve gone well in Aussie Racing cars in the past but the opportunity to step up is incredibly exciting. The Porsche product is so good and the racing so competitive it’s a dream to be behind the wheel.

“We have no expectations, we just want to get results and finish the races and improve as we go, but also really enjoy the experience as much as possible.”

DiMauro will race a car that was raced successfully last year by Max Vidau. The car to be prepared and run by Vidau’s own MVA team – based in the Adelaide Hills – this weekend.

Returning to the streets of Adelaide will be David Wall, who will reach another milestone in his remarkable Carrera Cup career this weekend.

The Sydneysider, the 2017 series champion, is set to start his 250th career race in the second of three races this weekend.

Wall will become just the second driver in series’ history to reach the milestone, Marc Cini the only other.

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia field will hit the track on Thursday for a pair of practice sessions ahead of qualifying on Friday morning.

The Enduro Cup title will be decided on Friday afternoon in race one, while further sprint races on Saturday and Sunday will complete the round.

All sessions following Practice 1 will be live on Fox Sports 506, Kayo and Sky NZ, while the races on Saturday and Sunday will also be broadcast live on the screens of the Seven Network.

ENTRY LIST – Round 8, Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia – VAILO Adelaide 500

Hall sweeps, two titles sealed in Surfers shootout

Champion-elects named in both classes as fight for runner-up spots intensifies

BAYLEY HALL swept all three races to claim Round 7 of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship on the streets of Surfers Paradise, while Harri Jones (Equity One Pro) and Adrian Flack (SP Tools Pro-Am) did enough to seal their respective championship titles with a round to spare.

Hall looked in complete control across Sunday’s two races, to go one better than his pair of wins at the same location in 2023 to sweep the weekend in absolute style.

He fended off race-long pressure from David Russell throughout the final race to complete the job and take the Equity-One Professional Class round win, the second of his career.

Hall’s weekend included pole and three victories and saw his race starts and cold-tyre pace in particular as key highlights.

Both of his round wins have come on the Surfers streets where he grew up watching his motorsport heroes in both IndyCar and Supercars.

Russell finished second overall in a weekend where he fought to keep his championship hopes alive aboard the Hire A Hubby / TekworkX Racing entry, his second consecutive runner-up finish – however his efforts to take the title battle to a final round only just fell short.

Russell charged to a pair of second-placed finishes on Sunday and was never more than a few seconds behind Hall all day, but couldn’t work his way past the home-town hero. A consistent weekend saw Dylan O’Keeffe finish third overall aboard his GWR / RAM Motorsport entry.

The big story on Sunday, however, came from champion-elect Harri Jones, who had watched Russell whittle down his more than 210-point championship lead to just 187 by the time the final race commenced; Jones needing to finish within one position of Russell to ensure the title was secured going to Adelaide.

Jones was one of several to benefit from a lap one, turn four collision between Jackson Walls and Dale Wood that parted the seas, helping him gain some ground.

With teammate Fabian Coulthard in front, the pair passed O’Keeffe – who was running third – for position mid-race before Jones’ passed his teammate to secure a critical third position within sight of the flag.

The result ensured that Jones provisionally takes a 181-point margin to the streets of Adelaide, meaning that even should he score no points and Russell sweep the weekend, the Porsche Centre Melbourne Motorsport driver will be unbeatable in the championship.

It assures Jones of his second Carrera Cup championship and third one-make Porsche title in Australia, having earlier claimed the Michelin Sprint Challenge crown.

Attention will now turn to second in the championship with Russell set to battle O’Keeffe, Jackson Walls and a resurgent Bayley Hall for the final spots on the podium.

Adrian Flack’s pathway to the SP Tools Pro-Am championship was aided by his continuing strong form, the local driver sweeping all three races despite battling a hand injury sustained in his practice accident on Friday.

Flack had secured enough points by the time he claimed the Endurance Cup race on Sunday morning to become the first two-time Carrera Cup champion of the season – backing up his immense 2023 title with a win with a round to go this year.

Dean Cook enjoyed a strong weekend to secure second in Pro-Am on the Gold Coast, while Matt Slavin continued his strong run of form by finishing third.

Flack will head to Adelaide looking to seal the Enduro Cup title in SP Tools Pro-Am, while the battle for second in the class championship will be decided between Rodney Jane and Matt Slavin – the latter leading by just 7 points.

The Gold Coast weekend saw several outstanding performances with Ange Mouzouris’ pair of sixths not representative of his true pace – a Race 2 non-finish costing him a higher round result.

Ryder Quinn finished fifth overall in what was his most consistent Carrera Cup round yet and a personal best result for the young Queenslander, while on debut Kiwi Clay Osborne impressed with his speed and hovered around the top-12 all weekend.

The final round of the 2024 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship will see the series return to the streets of the South Australian capital at the VAILO Adelaide 500 this November, with both Pro and Pro-Am Endurance Cup titles to be decided, plus the minor placings in both classes overall.

The season will then conclude with the end of year gala to be held at the famous Adelaide Oval.

Hall extends Surfers Sweep with Saturday win

Pole, Race 1 win for local driver as home-track form continues

FRESH from scoring his maiden Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship pole position, Bayley Hall’s immense Gold Coast form has continued as the local driver stormed to yet another win on his home streets on Saturday at the Gold Coast 500.

Hall led the opening sprint race from lights to flag on Saturday afternoon, extending an early lead before consolidating his position as leader of the Equity-One Professional class pack as Dylan O’Keeffe (second) and David Russell (third) battled for the minors.

Adrian Flack led a tight battle in the SP Tools Pro-Am class as he fended off Dean Cook and Rodney Jane in a competitive three-car fight.

Hall converted his maiden TAG Heuer Pole award to a perfect launch and a clear lead into turn one, while fellow front-row starter Jackson Walls wasn’t quite so fortunate, being shuffled down the order aboard his Objective Racing entry.

Taking advantage was Dylan O’Keeffe, who battled with David Russell to secure second place.

Hall’s early lap pace was significant and he pulled a 1.8 second margin on the opening tour before O’Keeffe and Russell slowly ate into the lead as the race progressed, though could make no meaningful attempt at taking it away.

Hall led comfortably before a late-race Safety Car was called with less than four minutes remining, ensuring he safely completed the race in front to secure his third career race win.

It backs up his stunning debut race and round victories achieved on the Gold Coast last year – a circuit where he grew up watching IndyCar and Supercars heroes as a kid.

O’Keeffe and Russell’s podium finishes only served to intensify the fight for second in the championship, a tough day for Jackson Walls meaning O’Keeffe is now only four points out of third in the standings with five races to go.

Wood and Walls battled for fifth, however a post-race penalty applied to the latter dropped him down the order at the finish, elevating Angelo Mouzouris to fifth position in what was his best finish since round 2 of the championship in New Zealand.

Ryder Quinn was another to enjoy a strong day in finishing sixth which, with Harri Jones in seventh, ensured seven different teams were represented in the top seven finishing positions in the race.

Championship leader Harri Jones could only manage seventh in a challenging day for the Porsche Centre Melbourne racer, however he continues to hold an imperious lead in the title race.

Jones can seal the championship with a solid day tomorrow, needing to take 181 points or more into the Adelaide decider to be unbeatable this year.

Behind him, Glen Wood, Marcos Flack and Jackson Walls completed the top-10 in race one.

Non-finishers included Nash Morris, who suffered broken steering on lap two, and Harrison Goodman, who had contact with the tyre bundle on the exit of Turn 10 at the beach chicane. Both cars are expected to run tomorrow.

In Pro-Am, Adrian Flack passed several Pros early in the race before settling into his work in a strong battle with Jane and Cook.

Flack ultimately won by a narrow margin to further extend his championship lead. Like Jones, the Queenslander can seal his title tomorrow with finishes in both races.

Two races tomorrow complete Round 7 of the championship with the penultimate race in the Endurance Cup to complete the weekend on Sunday morning – Jones leading Walls by just five points in the Carrera Cup race within a race.

The third and final sprint race will then complete the weekend as the curtain-raiser to the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s action will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo, Sky NZ and also Channel 7 (race 3 only).

Wild day of practice points to intense Surfers weekend ahead

Bayley Hall, Marcos Flack lead the way following dramatic Gold Coast day

A TYPICALLY crazy day on the streets of Surfers Paradise points to a typically intense weekend of racing in Round 7 of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship on the Gold Coast. 

An incident-filled day saw several high-profile contenders – including both the Equity-One Pro and SP Tools Pro-Am championship leaders – find the unforgiving concrete walls across a pair of 25-minute practice sessions.

Those sessions were headed by Bayley Hall (Practice One) and Marcos Flack (Practice two) respectively, the former setting the quickest time of the day and the latter leaping to the top of the charts late in the second session in what turned out to be a qualifying-style shootout at the end.

Hall topped practice one in a session that saw championship leader Harri Jones collect the wall on just his second lap, forcing him out of the session.

It was a rare mistake from the championship leader who has swept all before him so far this year.

Hall’s effort ensured he picked up where he left off on the Gold Coast twelve months ago, the Surfers-based driver having claimed his maiden race and round victories at the venue last year.

Hall led Dale Wood by less than a tenth, while David Russell and Glen Wood were next – Adrian Flack topping Pro-Am and placing 11th outright.

The session saw a red flag interruption to recover two cars; the McElrea entry of Lachlan Bloxsom and the EBM car of Tom McLennan.

The former had hit the wall at turn 11, with the latter having nowhere to go and making contact with the rear of Bloxsom’s car, ending both drivers’ respective days.

McLennan was sent for precautionary checks on his neck following the incident and was discharged later in the day.

Practice two was equally scrappy as several drivers had large moments while they tried to find the limits.

The biggest moment of all was from Adrian Flack, who heavily found the concrete at turn 10 – the exit of the notorious Beach Chicane – late in the session.

Flack’s car was unsettled by the kerbs at the high-speed chicane, spinning him around at high speed and into the wall.

His Earl Bamber Motorsport team were assessing the damage following the session.

Flack leads the Pro-Am title race by a substantial margin – and can’t lose the series lead this weekend – however closest rivals Matt Slavin and

That set up a final dash to the end of the session in what was something of a qualifying simulation. There, Marcos Flack jumped to the top in an intense shootout at the end aboard his Bob Jane T-Marts / Sonic Motor Racing entry – beating David Russell to the punch by 0.03s.

Russell had previously jumped to the top of the charts but was beaten by a tiny margin by his young Sonic rival at the very end of the session.

Dale Wood was next, Bayley Hall fourth in another strong performance and points leader Jones fifth in his first real hit out of the day.

His teammate Fabian Coulthard, Dylan O’Keeffe, Glen Wood, Nash Morris and Ange Mouzouris completed a top-10 covered by just 0.59 seconds.

Dean Cook grabbed the top spot in Pro-Am over Rodney Jane, with Stephen Grove – who starts his 200th Carrera Cup race tomorrow – next.

Teams will work late into the Gold Coast evening to ensure all is sorted for qualifying tomorrow morning, the session due to start at 9:40am local (Queensland) time.

Race 1 will follow at 1:55pm with all sessions to be shown live on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo Sports, Race 1 also to be shown live on Channel 7.

2025 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia calendar confirmed

Queensland Raceway, The Bend return on new-look Porsche schedule

AN EIGHT-round 2025 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship will see Australia’s top one-make category return to iconic circuits new and old next year.

As well as maintaining a presence at Australia’s largest motorsport events, Carrera Cup will also compete at some of Australia’s best permanent circuits in a well-balanced 2025 schedule.

Carrera Cup will retain its position as the premier support category on the Repco Supercars Championship program in 2025 with every round hosted at major Supercars events and broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo, with selected key rounds also broadcast on the Seven Network.

The championship opens at Sydney Motorsport Park in late February at the Sydney 500, alongside the opening round of the Repco Supercars Championship.

The annual visit to the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix will serve as round two, before the Top End hosts Round 3 of the championship in mid-June at Hidden Valley.

Round 4 will see the championship return to Queensland Raceway in Ipswich for the first time since the 2008 season.

The circuit was a staple on the Carrera Cup calendar between 2003-2008, with Jim Richards, Alex Davison, Fabian Coulthard and Craig Baird (twice) claiming round honours.

The circuit has provided exciting action in recent Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia rounds with the same expected when Carrera Cup returns.

Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend returns to host the fifth round; Carrera Cup continuing to support the opening round of the Supercars Endurance Season at The Bend 500.

The blockbuster run to the checkered flag then includes the regular stops at the Repco Bathurst 1000, Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 and VAILO Adelaide Grand Finale to end the year on a high in South Australia.

Further details surrounding the 2025 season will be released in due course.

John Murray – Manager Marketing and Motorsport, Porsche Cars Australia

“The 2025 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship features seven of the strongest events on the Repco Supercars Championship calendar along with our annual visit to the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

“Returning to Queensland Raceway works extremely well from a timing perspective and shows our support for a long-time Porsche Carrera Cup Competitor, circuit owner Tony Quinn. The same can be said for our return to The Bend alongside their new enduro.

“The calendar includes solid pacing throughout which, when coupled with the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge calendar to be announced, gives our teams regular events throughout the year while managing logistical challenges throughout the season as well as possible.

“Our relationship with the Repco Supercars Championship is as strong as ever and we are looking forward to being part of their exciting 2025 championship.”

2025 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship

1. Sydney 500 Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW – 21-23 February
2. Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix Albert Park, VIC – 13-16 March
3. BETR Darwin Triple Crown Hidden Valley Raceway, NT – 20-22 June
4. Ipswich Super440 Queensland Raceway, QLD – 8-10 August
5. The Bend 500 The Bend Motorsport Park, SA – 12-14 September
6. Repco Bathurst 1000 Mount Panorama, NSW –  9-12 October
7. Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 Surfers Paradise, QLD – 24-26 October
8. VAILO Adelaide Grand Final Adelaide, SA – 27-30 November

Title deciding weekend on the cards as Carrera Cup heads to Surfers

Plenty of title-defining storylines on the cards this weekend on the Gold Coast

A POTENTIALLY title-defining weekend could see two Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia champions provisionally add a second crown to their respective tallies this weekend on the streets of Surfers Paradise.

With two rounds and six races remaining in the 2024 title race, Equity-One Professional class leader Harri Jones and SP Tools Pro-Am point man Adrian Flack could both mathematically seal their respective championships this weekend should all go their way on the streets of the Gold Coast.

With 181 points up for grabs at each event, Jones’ Hastings Deerings Porsche Centre Melbourne Motorsport entry leads David Russell’s Hire a Hubby TekworkX car by 229 points after he claimed his fourth consecutive round victory at Mount Panorama a fortnight ago.

Meanwhile, Flack leads the Pro-Am class by 345 points, however that will change when the classes’ ‘drop your worst round’ is added into the equation.

Even then, Flack, who’s worst round was Sandown where he scored 150 points and claimed victory on a countback, still leads by more than 190 on corrected scores with two rounds to go.

While both drivers are in commanding positions, the unpredictable nature of the Surfers Paradise street circuit will still see everyone on-edge for an upset this weekend.

A 26-strong field will be out in force to challenge the established contenders, while also fighting for a place on the season podium as battles for second, third and fourth in each class heat up.

Russell leads Objective Racing’s Jackson Walls by just 19 points, with Dylan O’Keeffe just 38 further back in fourth for GWR / RAM.

Connected Spaces driver Dale Wood in fifth is only 125 points out of second position while Bayley Hall is only 32 behind him and returning to a place where he captured his maiden Carrera Cup race and round victories twelve months ago.

Bob Jane T-Marts / Monster Wheels Sonic driver Rodney Jane and Ares Group / ASM’s Matt Slavin are battling over second and third in SP Tools Pro-Am.

The Gold Coast grid will see the traditional appearance of several graduating stars from the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series making their step up to the main game following last weekend’s conclusion of their own series.

Caleb Sumich, who made his debut at Sandown, will return to see out the season while New Zealander Clay Osborne will make his debut this weekend.

The 19-year-old is a multiple champion in karting and made his one-make Porsche debut late last year in Sprint Challenge.

He won three races and finished third overall behind the wheel of his McElrea Racing entry in this years’ championship, including winning the final race of the year at Sydney Motorsport Park last weekend. Osborne will race a brand-new Type 992 GT3 Cup Car with the support of his Sprint Challenge backer, Fendt Tractors.

Nine Carrera Cup drivers call Queensland home, adding a strong local flavour to this weekend’s round – the 18th visit by the one-make Porsche category to the Surfers Paradise streets.

A key milestone this weekend will see three-time SP Tools Pro-Am class champion Stephen Grove notch up his 200th Carrera Cup race start in race one.

He becomes just the fifth driver in series’ history to reach the double ton of Carrera Cup races, joining Marc Cini, David Wall, Rodney Jane and Nick McBride on the elite list.

Last year’s Gold Coast round was notable for particularly intense racing that saw Queenslander Bayley Hall break through for his maiden Carrera Cup race and overall victories – winning both Sunday races in style.

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship will race three times this weekend at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, with practice on Friday and Qualifying and the opening race on Saturday.

Two further races on Sunday – including the penultimate race in the Enduro Cup – will round out Sunday’s action.

The weekend will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo, with Races 1 and 3 also live on Channel 7 and 7plus Sport.

ENTRY LIST
Round 7, Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia

Jones claims Bathurst round by one point following dramatic finale

Russell claims final race on the Mountain as dramatic conclusion to Round 5

HARRI JONES has won a fourth consecutive Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia championship round by a single point following a dramatic conclusion to Round 6 at Mount Panorama, Bathurst. 

He led home David Russell and Dale Wood in the Equity-One Professional class round results, while Adrian Flack claimed SP Tools Pro-Am over Rodney Jane and Matt Slavin in a dramatic round.

David Russell claimed his third race win of the year on Sunday at the Mountain as early leader Jones struck debris and slipped from the lead to fourth place early in the final 20-minute sprint race.

Jones’ had once again burst into an early lead from pole position however stuck debris at The Chase on the opening lap.

The impact tore the front splitter from his Porsche Centre Melbourne entry in the 250km/hr braking zone for the right-hander, forcing him to lock his front brakes and run off the road at high speed.

That handed the lead to David Russell, with Dale Wood second and a flying Jackson Walls third – Jones slipping back to fourth.

That order would have handed the round result to Russell’s TekworkX entry, potentially ending Jones’ streak of victories – however the race wasn’t done yet as Walls launched an attack on Wood for second position on the fifth lap at Murray’s Corner.

He clipped the inside kerb, which spun his Objective Porsche out of a potential podium position and handed Jones’ third place on the road.

That result was critical to the weekend overall as it gave the championship leader the round points lead by a single marker over Russell.

The leading trio finished in that order, Russell claiming his third race win of the season and eighth of his Carrera Cup career.

It also moves the TekworkX driver into second in the championship after challenging weekends for Jackson Walls and Dylan O’Keeffe put them behind in a furious fight for the runner-up spot in the the title race.

Fabian Coulthard continued his trend of moving forward across Carrera Cup rounds by racing to fourth following a feisty dice with David Wall, Bayley Hall, Glen Wood, Ryder Quinn, a recovering Walls and Ange Mouzouris completing the top-10.

Jones fourth consecutive round win continues his impact on the Carrera Cup record books – the feat just the fourth time in history that it has been achieved; Porsche legends Alex Davison (6 straight), Jim Richards and Craig Baird (four straight) the others.

Adrian Flack rebounded from a tough opening race to claim the SP Tools Pro-Am round by winning an eventful race three that saw plenty of drama.

Matt Slavin finished second in the race and Drew Hall third in his best ever Carrera Cup Pro-Am race finish.

Rodney Jane’s hopes of a Bathurst round win were diminished as he dropped down the order early in the race, while Sam Shahin’s weekend came to an end after a spin at the dipper saw his The Bend car stranded after hefty frontal contact with the wall.

Both Jones and Flack can not be topped in the lead of their respective classes at the next round of the championship at Surfers Paradise in two weeks time – both drivers assured of leading the way into the Adelaide finale’ in November.

The next round of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship will be held on the streets of Surfers Paradise at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 in two weeks time.

Jones adds another as huge fight highlights Bathurst race two

Furious battle for minors highlights wild second race at Mount Panorama

HARRI JONES and Adrian Flack continued on their Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship winning ways on Saturday at Mount Panorama – however all eyes weren’t necessarily on the leaders.

An incredible six-car fight for places in the back half of the top 10 saw three-wide racing on the final lap of today’s 25-minute sprint race in an incredible showcase of one-make Porsche racing on Mount Panorama.

Jones’ led today’s race from the start, gradually edging away from David Russell, in second, and Dale Wood in third.

Jones was unchallenged on his pathway to victory outright and in Equity-One Pro, ultimately becoming the only driver in the race to dip into the 2m05-second range during the race as he raced towards his twelfth win of what is becoming a dominant season.

David Russell locked in second place and Dale Wood third after fending off Michelin Junior champion in a race-long battle.

Bayley Hall finished fifth, ahead of Fabian Coulthard who was one of the race’s biggest movers as he charged up multiple spots at the start to finish in the top six.

The biggest battle, however, was fought out for seventh position as Nash Morris spent much of his race fending off attack after attack from David Wall.

The pair duelled for several laps, which dragged Dylan O’Keeffe, Glen Wood and Marco Giltrap into what had evolved into a five car fight.

The final lap was a thriller as Wall drew alongside as they battled at turn one, O’Keeffe also drawing alongside as they went three-wide up Mountain Straight – Morris, remarkably, managing to hold onto the spot as they charged out of turn two.

That battle went all the way to the line with Morris just holding on at the end, with Walls and O’Keeffe next after a thrilling battle.

The SP Tools Pro-Am fight went the way of Adrian Flack, who spent much of his race dicing with Lockie Bloxsom and Ange Mouzouris – who survived an enormous off at The Chase mid-race – to claim another race win.

Race 1 winner Rodney Jane finished second to continue to lead the round standings going into tomorrow’s finale’, with Matt Belford third.

It was a tough race for Race 1 podium finishers Sam Shahin and Matt Slavin as the pair came together at turn one – Slavin wide on the exit of turn one leaving Shahin with nowhere to go as he returned to the circuit, Slavin spinning across to the inside of the circuit.

The third and final race of Round 6 of the championship doubles as the curtain raiser for the Repco Bathurst 1000 on Sunday morning at Mount Panorama, commencing just at 9:15am local time with live coverage on Fox Sports, Kayo, Sky NZ and Channel 7 tomorrow.

Jones, Jane take Bathurst enduro as Walls seals Michelin deal

Safety Cars fill dramatic opening race at Mount Panorama

HARRI JONES and Rodney Jane claimed the winning honours in the opening Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship race at Mount Panorama, Bathurst as Jackson Walls sealed the first silverware of the season. 

While chaos unfolded in a 40-minute race – one that saw three restarts and several laps behind the Safety Car – Porsche Centre Melbourne’s Harri Jones and Sonic Motor Racing’s Rodney Jane kept their composure to claim the Equity-One Pro and SP Tools Pro-Am wins in race one.

Meanwhile, Walls’ sealed the Michelin Junior championship with a solid fifth-placed finish aboard his Objective Racing Porsche from McElrea Racing, the Sydneysider now enjoying an unassailable lead in the prestigious Junior title race.

The 40-minute timed raced commenced with Jones getting the jump on the field to lead into turn one, while behind David Russell’s TekworkX entry was able to jump Dale Wood for second in the run up to turn two.

The field didn’t have long to race, however, as the Safety Car was called quickly following a hefty impact for Harrison Goodman at Reid Park, the True Grid Sonic entry touching the inside wall before making heavier contact with the outside concrete as the field took evasive action.

Following that recovery the field returned to racing only for the leading Pro-Am protagonists, Sam Shahin and Adrian Flack, to come together at turn two. While Sam was able to recover and continue onwards, Flack’s car was briefly stranded on the inside kerb which forced the Safety Car deployment.

That brief Safety Car then set up another restart, Jones once again fending off Russell to hold on to his lead, while Wood, Bayley Hall – who had passed Jackson Walls on the opening lap – and Walls all battled for position behind.

Jones was able to manage his position ahead of the field to clear his Hastings Deering Porsche of any attack from behind, while Wood defended his spot on the podium from a feisty Hall in fourth.

The third and final Safety Car was deployed within the final five minutes of the race when Marcos Flack spun his Bob Jane T-Marts Sonic entry at the final corner, making heavy contact with the inside wall.

Flack and teammate Angelo Mouzouris had earlier in the lap traded paint as they ran side by side on the run through turn three to the Cutting while battling for 11th position.

The final Safety Car was a brief one, setting up a sprint to the flag over one final lap with Jones doing enough to claim the victory – the 16th of his career – over David Russell and Dale Wood.

Bayley Hall was fourth but couldn’t do anything about fellow Porsche Michelin Junior Jackson Walls, who finished right behind his closest title rival and sealed the Michelin Junior title.

David Wall gained ground early to finish sixth, Dylan O’Keeffe was seventh and Glen Wood eighth, while Fabian Coulthard and Nash Morris rounded out the top-10.

In SP Tools Pro-Am, Rodney Jane survived the drama to claim his 34th career victory and first since the opening race of the season at the Australian Grand Prix.

Matt Slavin finished second to equal his best ever Carrera Cup race result while Sam Shahin recovered to third following the earlier incident.

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia field returns for a second race at 3:25pm AEDT on Saturday, with the final race of the weekend to run Sunday morning as the curtain-raiser to the Repco Bathurst 1000.

Jones sneaks Bathurst pole as Flack continues Pro-Am sweep

Grids set for Bathurst in busy on-track Thursday at Mount Panorama

HARRI JONES and Adrian Flack have each battled their way to their fifth TAG Heuer Pole Awards of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship season in a tight session at Mount Panorama, Bathurst. 

The intense 30-minute session saw drivers struggle to generate early lap time, before a brief red flag and subsequent resumption of play saw times tumble in a furious eight-minute shootout for pole at the end of the session.

There were several leaders in the outright ranks before Jones’ asserted himself on his 10th flying lap, his 2m05.1652s flyer enough to bump Dale Wood from provisional pole by just 0.0499 seconds.

Jones will line up on pole for both races one and two this weekend but had to work harder for pole today than he has in several sessions of late.

Wood set the early benchmark in the session before David Russell moved to the top before the red flag flew after Matt Belford made light contact with the wall at Brock’s Skyline having been squeezed wide over the exit kerb and spinning.

His ID Group car made light rear contact with the fence at a place where few usually escape such a moment, and was able to drive himself back to pit lane before resuming the session.

The red flag flew just as a majority of the field had pitted for a second set of new tyres and set up a sprint to the finish.

After much jostling for position on the out laps, it then became a straightforward shootout for pole at the end as Jones ultimately jumped from fourth to third and then to pole position late in the session.

With Wood second David Russell was third, however will line up second for the second race in what was a competitive day for the TekworkX racer.

Jackson Walls was a late improver and jumped to fourth late in the session while Bayley Hall was fifth in the sister McElrea car.

Dylan O’Keeffe, Nash Morris, David Wall, Glen Wood and Angelo Mouzouris completed the top-10.

The battle in SP Tools Pro-Am was almost as intense as Adrian Flack battled his way to the top spot for the fifth consecutive round.

The Agas National / EBM driver has now set the fastest time in every session bar one this year.

Flack grabbed pole by three-tenths of a second over Sam Shahin while Matt Slavin and a recovering Matt Belford were next.

Both Jones and Flack have assured themselves of the respective end-of-year TAG Heuer pole position awards, with no other drivers able to beat them this year.

Both also extended their respective championship leads by an additional point, with Jones now 181 in front of nearest rival Jackson Walls and unable to be topped this weekend.

The opening Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia race of Round 6 at Mount Panorama, Bathurst, gets underway at 2:25pm PM on Friday afternoon – a 40-minute Bathurst encounter to also contribute to the Enduro Cup standings.

Two shorter sprint races will then complete the weekend, one each on Saturday and Sunday.

All races will be live on Fox Sports 506, Kayo Sports, Sky Sport NZ, Channel 7 and 7plus this weekend.

First 2024 Porsche title to be decided this weekend at Mount Panorama

Michelin Junior crown up for grabs on the Mountain

THE PORSCHE Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship heads to Mount Panorama this week as key records continue to be broken in this year’s competitive title chase.

This weekend marks the 20^th Carrera Cup round at the iconic circuit in Country New South Wales, with the annual pilgrimage a feature on the championship calendar every year.

A 24-strong field will tackle the three races this weekend, including the Sunday morning curtain-raiser to the Repco Bathurst 1000, which last year was one of the most-viewed Carrera Cup races of all time.

Key storylines continue to unfold in the championship this year with one milestone to be decided on the mountain – the latest winner of the Porsche Michelin Junior Championship.

There, Jackson Walls and Bayley Hall will battle for the right to represent Carrera Cup Australia against the world’s best young one-make Porsche stars. Walls leads Hall by 147 points, with 181 up for grabs this weekend.

Walls, who sits second outright in the Equity-One Professional class standings, also leads the Enduro Cup standings by 20 markers with three of the longer-distance races to run this year.

While Harri Jones is 180 points in front of the championship – with 181 available in Bathurst – there’s lots on the line for second, third and fourth. Walls leads Dylan O’Keeffe by just five points, while David Russell is 43 further back in fourth.

O’Keeffe remains the only driver on the grid to finish every race in the top 10 this season.

Jones’ recent Sandown round win was just the 9^th time in history a driver has won 3 rounds in a row.

The Mount Panorama field welcomes back former series champion David Wall and his Wall Racing teammate, Drew Hall, who will make his first start of the season this weekend.

The SP Tools Pro-Am battle has seen a record-smashing year for title leader Adrian Flack, who has a comfortable 300-point lead over closest rival, Matt Slavin – though that is before the worst round score for the season is dropped, with only 7 of 8 championship rounds counting to the overall season.

Flack has helped to re-write the Carrera Cup record books this season with an incredible year so far.

His 13^th SP Tools Pro-Am round win, achieved at Sandown last time out, equalled Max Twigg for second on the all-time list (led by Stephen Grove on 17). Flack has won eight consecutive Pro-Am rounds, a series record. No driver in series history has won more than 6 in a season, irrespective of the class.

Flack has won 37 races, now second of all time in Carrera Cup’s Pro-Am class.

His twelve consecutive race wins between Race 2, Round 1 in Melbourne and Race 2, Round 5 at Sandown, equalled an all-time record held by Rodney Jane, set in 2006.

Flack now has 17 TAG Heuer Pole awards, the most of any driver in Pro-Am history.

He has scored 7 consecutive poles, dating back to Surfers Paradise last year. That equals the Carrera Cup record, set twice by Rodney Jane in 2006 and 2007. One more consecutive pole would be the most of all time in Pro-Am PCCA history.

British driver Harry King won the 2023 Carrera Cup round at Mount Panorama following a trio of intense races with a then-returning Harri Jones.

King and Jones’ battled all weekend long, at one point trading paint in a close moment at turn two.

King also set the Carrera Cup Bathurst lap record during the races, while Jones owns the Qualifying record and was the first driver to lap beneath 2m05 seconds in a Cup Car on Mount Panorama.

Action commences on Thursday this week with practice and qualifying, with one race each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the Great Race program.

Every session will be broadcast live on Fox Sports ‘Bathurst Channel’ and Kayo Sports in Australia, and Sky Sports in New Zealand.

All three championship races will also be broadcast live and free on 7sport this weekend, on Channel 7 and the 7plus app.

2024 PORSCHE PAYNTER DIXON CARRERA CUP AUSTRALIA
Round 6, Entry List

Porsche New Zealand scholarship applications now open

Team Porsche New Zealand (TPNZ) and Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) are excited to announce the opening of applications for their annual scholarship program. This initiative aims to support a talented young New Zealand driver in competing in the 2025 season for Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia, and a second driver in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia.

Entering its fifth year, the Porsche New Zealand scholarship program has a history of excellence. Team Porsche New Zealand clinched both Australian Porsche championship trophies in 2023 and has been instrumental in advancing the careers of rising stars Matthew Payne, Ryan Wood, and Callum Hedge.

Currently, 2024 Carrera Cup Australia driver Marco Giltrap holds 7th place in the Michelin Junior Trophy, while his teammate Brock Gilchrist is contending for the top spot in the Michelin Sprint Challenge championship, with the season finale set for October at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The scholarship program benefits from the guidance of Earl Bamber, a two-time Le Mans 24-hour champion and former Porsche Factory driver. Earl’s extensive experience and commitment to developing New Zealand’s motorsport talent add significant value to the program.

This scholarship provides a remarkable opportunity to progress through the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid and enter the exhilarating world of international motorsport. Recipients will join Team Porsche New Zealand and compete in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia for at least one year, with the potential to apply for a Porsche Carrera Cup Australia seat in subsequent seasons. The scholarship includes the use of a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car and partial funding for the 2025 season.

Applications are open until 11th October 2024. To apply for this scholarship, candidates will need to attach a CV that outlines relevant motorsport experience as well as a 300-word summary of why they should be the next Team Porsche New Zealand Driver. A short list of applicants will then be chosen for interviews and assessments before a final selection will be made.

Please Note: This is a junior Scholarship program, and applicants must be between the age of 16 – 21 as of January 1st, 2024, and must be a resident or citizen of New Zealand.

Further information on how to apply is available at porsche.co.nz/teamporschenz

Earl Bamber Motorsport Owner, Earl Bamber:
”We are excited to open entries for the Team Porsche New Zealand scholarship in 2025. Once again, the 2024 season has shown the pedigree of kiwi talent with Brock Gilchrist in Sprint Challenge Australia and Marco Giltrap in Carrera Cup Australia and Asia. We see a lot of exiting young talent in both Australian series but also in GT New Zealand and local go-karting, so we are excited to see all the applicants for 2025”

Porsche New Zealand General Manager, Greg Clarke:
“We have been pleased to see the 2024 season continue our successful track record for helping young kiwi talent excel overseas. This initiative not only highlights our commitment to nurturing local talent but also reinforces Porsche’s dedication to motorsport excellence. We look forward to discovering the next generation of Kiwi drivers who will represent us on the international stage as we open applications for the 2025 program.”

About Team Porsche New Zealand
Team Porsche New Zealand was established in late 2019 through a partnership between Porsche New Zealand and Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) to nurture and advance the careers of young New Zealand motorsport talents in Australia. This scholarship program offers promising drivers the chance to compete in the Carrera Cup Australia, a pivotal component of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid, as well as in the Porsche Sprint Challenge, a crucial feeder series.

Based in Brisbane and managed by EBM, the team benefits from the expertise of Earl Bamber, a two-time Le Mans 24-hour champion. Earl himself advanced his career through the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid, competing in Carrera Cup Asia, Porsche Super Cup, and ultimately becoming a factory driver for Porsche in both the World Endurance Championship and the North American International Motor Sports Association.

Annually, the scholarship program selects one talented New Zealand driver for a seat in the 992 GT3 Cup Car for Carrera Cup Australia, and another for the 991.2 GT3 Cup Car in Sprint Challenge Australia. With Earl Bamber’s extensive international racing experience and Porsche Motorsport expertise, the program offers a unique and valuable opportunity for young drivers to hone their skills and achieve success in their motorsport careers.

Tom McLennan to tribute to iconic Porsche look at Mount Panorama

Tom McLennan will tip his hat to a special piece of Porsche history at Mount Panorama for Round 6 of the Partner Dixon Porsche Carrera Cup Championship next month.

The 19 year old Queenslander will drive his Earl Bamber Motorsport entry in a car that takes a modern twist to the ‘Pink Pig’ – first made famous on the Le Mans Porsche 917/20.

Porsche designer Anatole Lapine first used the pink body colour on a Porsche for the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans race, and labelled each of the body parts according to the butcher-style cut of a pig.

At the time, the Porsche caused a sensation and the car was quickly dubbed ‘The Pink Pig.’

Fast forward more than 50 years and the iconic look of the 917/20 has been replicated many times in different racing and road-going Porsches around the world.

At Bathurst next month, McLennan will race his ‘Purple Pig’ – paying homage to the original Le Mans racer, with some subtle and modern differences, including the use of English words, rather than the German language used on the original.

The livery will carry support from McLennan’s regular partners Macpro, as well as a ‘thank you’ to the Porsche Club Queensland. This year, the club celebrates its 50th anniversary, and McLennan is a regular contributor to the club.

McLennan is no stranger to competition at Mount Panorama, having raced at the famous track in both the Bathurst 12 Hour and 6 Hour races this year.

The Queenslander finished second in the GT4 class at the 12 Hour and claimed fifth in the outright class in the 6 Hour race.

Carrera Cup will support the Repco Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama, with practice kicking off on Thursday, October 10, and qualifying held all the way through the weekend, culminating in the last of three races on Sunday, October 13.

Tom McLennan

#81 Macpro Porsche

“It’s really cool to run such an iconic Porsche colour scheme on our car for the Bathurst Carrera Cup race weekend,” said McLennan.

“The colour scheme and design of this car was first made famous over 50 years ago, and we’ve seen many different Porsches over the years use the colours. I feel honoured to be part of the history.

“It’s also really great to be representing Porsche Club Queensland at Bathurst. They are celebrating 50 years in 2024, and that’s no mean feat to be supporting its members for so many years.

“This is our first year racing in Carrera Cup, making the step up from Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge. It has been a steep learning curve, but we are certainly making progress every time we step into the car.

“Mount Panorama is just the best track. And in the Carrera Cup car, it’s an absolute pleasure to drive around. I’ve done quite a bit of racing there this year, so we’ll be looking to put all of our practice and knowledge into use come race weekend.”

Jones takes Sandown as records roll in Carrera Cup season

Adrian Flack takes Pro-Am deadlock in countback result as series prepares for Bathurst..

HARRI JONES and Adrian Flack have once again emerged the big winners from a Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia round, though it was by no means easy. 

The pair of championship leaders – Jones in Equity-One Pro and Flack in SP Tools Pro-Am – won the third and final race of round 5 at Sandown and by virtue of that also claimed the round.

Jones completed a perfect launch into a comfortable win over Dylan O’Keeffe and Jackson Walls on Sunday, breaking the lap record on his way to career win number 15.

He led home that same duo for the round podium with O’Keeffe in the top three for the second straight round, and Walls’ for the eighth time in his career.

It was Jones’ fifth career round win, the fourth of his remarkable season and ensures that he provisionally takes what is essentially a full round’s worth of championship points’ lead into Bathurst next month.

Flack, however had to fight even harder for his round victory amidst a thrilling four car Pro-Am freight train that would end up determining the race and round winners.

He held off Cook all race to win the race and take the round on a countback – by virtue of finishing higher in the final race. Matt Belford fended off Rodney Jane in the final corner to secure third for the race and the round.

Sunday’s race was the first this weekend held in dry conditions with everyone taking advantage of fresh Michelin slicks that hadn’t been touched since qualifying on Friday.

Jones’ led early while behind he and O’Keefe, Coulthard first passed Walls only to lose the spot promptly in the battle through the turn two, three and four chicane.

There was early drama behind as Glen Wood was turned around at turn one, the field splitting the stranded Ranbuild Porsche who was left a non-finisher.

Jones’ settled down in front, eventually re-setting O’Keeffe’s existing Sandown lap record with the first Carrera Cup racing lap in the 68-second range.

While the the top three ran lock-step for the entire race, Coulthard and Bayley Hall battled over fourth and fifth position with Nash Morris completing his excellent weekend in sixth.

David Russell, Ryder Quinn, Dale Wood and Lockie Bloxsom – in a career best weekend – rounded out the top 10, the five spending much of their race duelling for position in the back half of the top 10.

Behind, a furious fight for the minors continued with Ange Mouzouris, sans front splitter, spending much of the race fending off a battle pack that included Marco Giltrap, Tom McLennan, Caleb Sumich and teammate, Marcos Flack.

The Pro-Am fight went all the way to the line in what was arguably the most competitive event of the season for Carrera Cup’s race within a race.

With three rounds remaining, Harri Jones provisionally leads the Carrera Cup Championship’s Equity-One Pro standings by 180 points, with 181 available at Mount Panorama next time out.

Jackson Walls in second and Dylan O’Keeffe in third, however, are split by a much smaller margin, with David Russell fourth and Bayley Hall moving to fifth.

In SP Tools Pro-Am, Adrian Flack leads by a healthy margin, while Matt Slavin, Rodney Jane and Matt Belford remain evenly matched in the fight for second, third and fourth.

The sixth round of the 2024 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship will see the field return to the legendary Mount Panorama circuit for the Repco Bathurst 1000 this October.

Carrera Cup streaks end on dramatic Sandown Saturday

Melbourne weather delivers wild day and unpredictable results

TWO of among the longest race winning streaks in Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia championship history have dramatically come to an end in a typically unpredictable day of racing at Sandown Raceway. 

Two dramatic races saw a pair of winners each in Equity-One Pro and SP Tools Pro-Am, with the second race of the day delivering fresh winners in both classes.

Harri Jones and Adrian Flack claimed the wins in the first sprint race of the day, before a wildly unpredictable Enduro Cup race saw their winning runs ended.

Jackson Walls ended Harri Jones’ winning run at seven straight races in Pro, while Matt Belford took the Pro-Am win to end an Adrian Flack winning run that dates back to the Australian Grand Prix in March – 12 race wins ago.

The sprint race was held in fully wet conditions with Dylan O’Keeffe getting the best jump from the outside of the front row, beating Harri Jones into the first corner.

The pair then engaged in a tight duel for the lead, pulling away from the pack as they battled with intensity – both surviving several near-miss moments on an incredibly slippery circuit.

Jones would eventually pounce, grabbing the lead mid-race before pulling away from O’Keeffe. Bayley Hall spent his race fending off Fabian Coulthard before eventually claiming his first top three finish since Round 1 at the Grand Prix, with Coulthard next.

David Russell completed the top five with Walls, Morris, Dale Wood, Zac Best – on debut – and Glenn Wood completing the top 10.

In SP Tools Pro-Am, Adrian Flack won his 12th straight race, beating home a recovering Sam Shahin and Rodney Jane.

Shahin started slowly having been unable to see the repeater start lights on the grid, while Jane’s podium was the seventh of his season.

The Enduro Cup race was intense before the red lights went out with a rain shower moments before the race casting doubt over whether wet tyres or dry were the best option.

Nine cars elected for slicks, while the contenders at the front of the field remained wedded to their Michelin Wets as the race commenced.

That would prove to be the winning decision as a shower mid-race removed any possible late-race advantage the slick runners would have had.

Through it all came Jackson Walls, who made a perfect start and then passed Dylan O’Keeffe to grab the lead early in the race.

He then fended off a mid-race charge from Jones to secure his second win of the season, his fourth overall and first since Taupo earlier this year.

It also saw the Objective Racing driver extend his lead in the Endurance Cup championship, having come into the round leading the Carrera Cup ‘race within a race’.

Jones continued his momentum with a recovery drive to second – having slipped to third at the start – while a charging drive from David Russell late in the day saw him edge Dylan O’Keeffe to third place by less than a car length following a last corner move.

With O’Keeffe fourth, Nash Morris charged to fifth while Fabian Coulthard was sixth. Hall – who survived a wild 360-degree spin on lap one – Lockie Bloxsom – who scored his best ever Carrera Cup result – Ryder Quinn and Caleb Sumich completed the top-10.

Matt Belford won the Pro-Am fight, scoring his first win of the season in his ID Group / Melbourne Performance Centre entry.

Making the right call to start on wets, Belford jumped to the lead after early leader Dean Cook survived an off in the wet conditions.

With Flack and Shahin among those starting on slicks, Belford took full advantage and powered to victory – remarkably winning by a full lap.

Cook survived to second while Matt Slavin scored third in class.

A third and final race completes Round 5 of the championship on Sunday at the Penrite Sandown 500, with the sprint race set to start at 12:00pm – broadcast live on Fox Sports 506, Kayo and Sky NZ.

Qualifying kings on top again at Sandown

Harri Jones and Adrian Flack secure season TAG Heuer Pole Awards at Sandown

THE KINGS of Porsche qualifying have continued their 2024 reign, as the grid was set for Round 5 of Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia in a chaotic, unpredictable session at Sandown today. 

Through one of the closest qualifying sessions of the year, Harri Jones (Equity One Pro) and Adrian Flack (SP Tools Pro-Am) scored the respective TAG Heuer Pole Position awards.

It was the fourth pole for each driver this season, meaning neither can be beaten for the season-long TAG Heuer Pole Award competition this year – assuring each a brand-new TAG Heuer timepiece at the end of season Carrera Cup gala in Adelaide.

Jones’ fourth pole of the year and seventh career effort saw him top the charts with a 1m08.7300s session in what he described as a ‘scrappy’ 30-minute session.

Jones’ becomes just the seventh driver in history to score three or more consecutive pole positions in a Carrera Cup season, while the Queenslander also now sits equal sixth on the all-time pole sitters list in Carrera Cup.

The Porsche Centre Melbourne Motorsport driver ended up just 0.1 seconds faster than Dylan O’Keeffe, who struggled early in qualifying before rebounding strongly to jump to second late in the piece aboard his GWR Australia entry.

McElrea’s duo of Jackson Walls (third) and Bayley Hall (fourth) were next, their efforts bumping the season’s only other pole winner, David Russell, to fifth by sessions’ end.

Fabian Coulthard equalled his best session of the year with sixth while a return to form saw Nash Morris a sharp seventh in his STM entry.

On debut, Zak Best qualified his EMA Motorsport car eighth while Marcos Flack and Dale Wood completed the top-10.

A red flag with 10 minutes remaining set up an intense run to the flag in today’s session with drivers’ having just six minutes to set a lap when the session removed.

Though several pushed hard to try and unseat Jones, at one point his advantage was three-tenths of a second before O’Keeffe narrowed the margin late.

The story was similar in SP Tools Pro-Am as Adrian Flack scored his fourth pole of the season – and fourth straight this year.

After struggling in practice, Flack’s 1m09.6993s flyer was within 0.96s of Jones’ outright pole position time and places his AGAS National car in 17th outright.

Sam Shahin qualified second on his return to the championship following a strong debut season in Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, while last year’s Sandown winner Dean Cook ended his day in third – just 0.01s behind Shahin.

Rodney Jane was less than a tenth back in fourth with fellow home-town hero Matt Belford fifth. Matt Slavin, Stephen Grove and Marc Cini rounded out the 8-strong Pro-Am field.

Tomorrow will see a pair of races on the Penrite Sandown 500 program, with race 1 at 9:15am and the second – the Enduro Cup race – at 2:55pm.