Team Porsche New Zealand (TPNZ) is pleased to announce that the Carrera Cup Australia scholarship driver for the 2024 season is Zac Stichbury.
Zac has graduated from competing in the 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge through the scholarship programme, to the main scholarship seat in the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia series.
In his first year competing with TPNZ, Zac is currently ranked third in the 2023 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia. The 991.2 GT3 Cup Car has been a stand-out on the grid after Zac unveiled the iconic Whittaker’s Chocolate ‘Peanut Slab’ themed livery earlier this year.
In addition, it has been announced that Marco Giltrap is also going to compete for Team Porsche New Zealand in 2024 in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia season. After 4 of 6 rounds in the 2023 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Championship, Marco Giltrap is currently leading the series. Earl Bamber Motorsport will be managing both drivers in the 2024 season, increasing the driver count for the Carrera Cup Australia grid to two for TPNZ in 2024.
Zac Stichbury:
“I’m so excited and grateful to step up into the scholarship’s main seat next year. It’s such an amazing opportunity and I can’t thank the team at Porsche New Zealand and EBM enough for their ongoing support and guidance. I’m looking forward to continuing learning and developing in these last few rounds of Sprint Challenge this year to end on a good result leading into competing alongside Marco in Carrera Cup next year”
Marco Giltrap:
“I am extremely excited to be joining Team Porsche New Zealand for another season, joining Porsche Carrera Cup Australia next year. We have already achieved so much this year and I am looking forward to seeing what we can achieve for the rest of the 2023 and 2024 season.”
Applications for the 2024 TPNZ Sprint Challenge Scholarship Driver are now open
Team Porsche New Zealand (TPNZ) is opening the application process for its scholarship programme to support a young Kiwi motorsport talent to drive in the 2024 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series.
This will be the fourth year that Porsche New Zealand is running the scholarship program, after the success of Matthew Payne in 2021 and Callum Hedge and Ryan Wood in 2022. In 2023, Zac Stichbury has been driving in the Sprint Challenge scholarship seat, however it has been announced in 2024 he will be graduating into the Carrera Cup seat which has been held by Callum Hedge for his second year in 2023.
Applications are open until 30th September 2023. To apply for this scholarship, candidates will need to attach a CV 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, as information on how to apply is available at porsche.co.nz/teamporschenz
Earl Bamber Motorsport Owner, Earl Bamber:
“We’re proud of what both TPNZ Sprint Challenge drivers have been doing in 2023, and now looking into 2024 it’s amazing to be able to confirm Zac Stichbury and Marco Giltrap the TPNZ program moving up to Carrera Cup Australia. The program has been incredibly successful so far with all our previous drivers now stepping up as professional racing drivers. It’s something that we as a team and Porsche New Zealand have been proud to be part of and ultimately the reason why the program was started.”
“And now we’re excited that we are opening 2024 allocations for the Porsche Sprint Challenge seat. This category has been really great to nurture our drivers in year one of the program, so we are excited to see what young talented drivers from New Zealand will apply for 2024.”
Porsche New Zealand General Manager, Greg Clarke:
“Both Zac and Marco have proven themselves as strong competitors in the 2023 Sprint Challenge series. With just two races to go, we’re proud to see both drivers currently ranked in the top 3 for the series and hope to see both on the podium at the end of the season. We’re pleased to announce that they will both be competing for TPNZ next year in Carrera Cup, the leading Porsche single-make series in Australia.”
“With Zac graduating to the scholarship seat for Carrera Cup 2024, it leaves us with an opportunity to take on a new young Kiwi driver for next year. The Sprint Challenge scholarship seat is the perfect opportunity for promising drivers to kick-start their motorsport career like we have seen many of our previous TPNZ drivers do in the past 3 years.”
About Team Porsche New Zealand
Team Porsche New Zealand was formed by Porsche New Zealand in conjunction with Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) in late 2019 to provide young New Zealand talent the opportunity and pathway to advance their motorsport career in Australia. The scholarship programme sees drivers competing in the Carrera Cup Australia which is a key component in the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid, and the feeder series, the Porsche Sprint Challenge.
The team is based in Brisbane and run by EBM, whose principal is two-time Le Mans 24-hour winner Earl Bamber. Earl himself progressed his motorsport career via the Porsche Pyramid through Carrera Cup Asia, Porsche Super Cup, and ultimately as a factory driver for Porsche in both the World Endurance Championship and the North American International Motor Sports Association.
Each year a scholarship will be offered to support an exciting young New Zealand talent achieving a seat in the 992 GT3 Sup Car in Carrera Cup Australia, and a second driver in the 991.2 GT3 Cup Car in Sprint Challenge Australia. The combination of Bamber’s international motor racing and Porsche Motorsport experience provides a unique opportunity to develop their skills and succeed.
