Carrera Cup Australia announces updated schedules for Bathurst and The Bend
The final rounds of Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship have been rescheduled to provide a riveting spectacle for fans headed to The Mountain, with Rounds 4 and 5 of Australia’s premier one-make Championship now set to take place over four races (two races per round) at the Bathurst 1000 event from 01-05 December.
Mount Panorama’s revised schedule now plays host to two 30-minute Carrera Cup races on the Thursday and Friday respectively, before a longer 40-minute race on Saturday and a final 25-minute sprint race on the Sunday before the start of the Bathurst 1000.
With huge points on offer across these four Bathurst races, the 6,2km Mountain circuit will have a massive impact in defining both the Mobil Pro and Morris Finance Pro-Am Class titles, while providing a tantalising spectacle for fans on the biggest motorsport stage of the year.
Teams then head south for the final round at The Bend Motorsport Park a week later. This last round will comprise three Carrera Cup races, as well as a double header of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge rounds to conclude both 2021 Championships.
With his nearest rival, Cooper Murray, currently in Europe ahead of the Porsche Junior Global Shootout, Cameron Hill, is in arguably the strongest position for the overall Carrera Cup title heading into the final rounds. The young, Canberran currently holds an 80-point advantage over Murray and a 91-point advantage over third placed Harri Jones, with David Wall a 131-points behind in the overall fight for the Mobil Pro premier class.
Hill, who competes in his own family-run team, dominated the first half of the year claiming seven wins from the year’s first eight races. The talented 21-year old will be hoping to emerge unscathed from Bathurst and head into final round at The Bend with both his 911 GT3 Cup car and championship lead intact.
The Morris Finance Pro-Am fight is far tighter by comparison, with only 73-points separating current class leader, Stephen Grove (343) from Geoff Emery (337), Sam Shahin (278) and Dean Cook (270). Grove and Emery have shared victories so far this season, but one can’t discount the likes of Shahin and the ever-present Cook to occupy steps on the Bathurst podium.
Live broadcast coverage of all the Bathurst races will be on both FoxSports and Kayo Sports, with free-to-air coverage across Channel 7. While broadcast coverage of the final round will be announced closer to the event.
Porsche Cars Australia’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy: “With four massive races now scheduled across the Bathurst 1000 weekend, it’s not only offers significant exposure for our partners, teams and drivers, but also provides fans with a front row seat to the grand finale which will play out over two action packed weekends. As both the Mobil Pro and Morris Finance Pro-Am Championships are still up for grabs and it’s going to be exciting to see who will emerge victorious at the end of these three remaining rounds.”