THE FIGHT for Australia's top one-make championship commences anew this weekend as Round 1 of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship descends on Melbourne and the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Albert Park will see 27 cars contest the opening round of what is set to be another captivating title chase among the field of identical Type-992 Porsche GT3 Cup Cars.

As always the field will be split into two classes, with the Equity One Professional Class to be contested by 17 drivers, both established stars of the sport and a fleet of young, rising stars.

The always competitive SP Tools Pro-Am class returns with 10 entries, including defending class champion Adrian Flack.

The field includes seven drivers on debut, nine Michelin Junior drivers and both the current Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Pro and Pro-Am champions.

While Adrian Flack returns to defend his Pro-Am crown, young Kiwi rising star Marco Giltrap steps up to the 'main game' of Carrera Cup this weekend having clinched the Sprint Challenge title in 2023.

Giltrap will continue to race for Earl Bamber Motorsport in a Team Porsche New Zealand-supported car, flying the flag for the traditionally strong Kiwi contingent in Aussie Porsche racing.

He'll be joined on debut by fellow Sprint Challenge graduates Lachlan Bloxsom (McElrea Racing), Tom McLennan (EBM), Nash Morris (Scott Taylor Motorsport), Harrison Goodman (Sonic Motor Racing) and Marcos Flack (Sonic Motor Racing), while Matt Slavin steps up from the Sprint Challenge Pro-Am class to the Carrera Cup fight this year.

Rounding out the first-timers this weekend is Supercars race winner Scott Pye, who will race a BWT-backed car for Porsche Centre Melbourne Motorsport this weekend.

2022 champion Harri Jones and 2005 winner Fabian Coulthard complete the PCM squad, Jones' commencing his full-time return to Aussie competition this weekend.

2023 runner-up Jackson Walls returns for a second shot at the title having claimed the Albert Park round win - his first in Carrera Cup - last year.

Michelin Junior Ryder Quinn, 2023 Gold Coast winner Bayley Hall, Sonic's Angelo Mouzouris, David Russell - who joins TekworkX Motorsport - and brothers Dale and Glen Wood all return for more this year.

Balancing out the strong rookie group this year, 10 Carrera Cup race winners feature on the grid set for this weekend with nine drivers having started more than 100 Carrera Cup races in their respective careers.

The SP Tools Pro-Am battle will see Flack chased again by drivers that filled the five positions behind the Earl Bamber Motorsport driver last year.

Dean Cook and Sam Shahin return, as done Melbourne-based Matt Belford, Marc Cini and Rodney Jane.

While Matt Slavin joins the fun from Sprint Challenge, a welcome returnee will be Sydneysider Indiran Padayachee while Daniel Stutterd returns with TekworkX after a strong conclusion to the 2023 season in Adelaide.

Meanwhile, a major achievement for one of Carrera Cup's best will also be a highlight this weekend.

Milestone man Nick McBride, a staple at the front of the Carrera Cup field, will start his 200th Carrera Cup race on Saturday evening should he contest all three races this weekend.

McBride, who races a Hallmarc-backed car at the Melbourne Performance Centre, made his Carrera Cup debut in 2014 and has 4 round and 11 race wins to his credit across his successful career.

The Victorian, a qualified lawyer day-to-day, will become just the fourth driver in series history to have competed in 200 or more Carrera Cup races, joining teammate Marc Cini, David Wall and Rodney Jane in the elite group.

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia field will tackle three races this weekend at Albert Park.

Following practice and the battle for the TAG Heuer Pole Award on Thursday, Race 1 will be held on Thursday afternoon to kick off the season.

Races on Friday afternoon and then Saturday evening following Formula 1 Qualifying complete the opening round.

Races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo Sports across the Albert Park weekend.