Largest Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge field ever at Queensland Raceway
The newly revamped Queensland Raceway Circuit near Ipswich, is set to host the largest Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge field ever at the Queensland venue (27 cars), the previous being a field of 23 Porsches back in 2015.
The huge 27-car field is due in part to eleven new drivers making their debut in the series in Sydney for the opening round of the championship. Round 1 marked the most first-time racers in any one round of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge in the last decade of competition.
Included in that list of starters were six drivers in the Pro class, two in Morris Pro-Am and three in Class B including: Thomas Sargent, Lachlan Bloxsom, Ryan Wood, Jason Miller, Harrison Goodman, Aron Shields (All pro), Christian Fitzgerald, Emanuel Mezzasalma (Morris Pro-Am) and Jacob Li Nathan Sticklen and Gerard Murphy in Class B.
Added to that list in Queensland Raceway for Round 2 will be Pro-Am Eric Constatinis in 991 Gen II car as well as Tom McLennan, experienced Production Car racer Bradley Carr and Lachlan Harburg, who will all run previous-gen 991.1 cars in Class B. Lachlan Harburg is the son of Peter, a well-known Porsche racer from Queensland who’s competition history dates back to the original Porsche Cup days. Apart from the series’ inaugural year, 15 debutants in a single season is the most in series history.
The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia last raced at Queensland Raceway in 2019, with the eventual champion, Harri Jones, claiming the round by virtue of a second and two race victories across the weekend. Jones would eventually win the round over Christian Pancione and Aaron Love, who was third, with Max Vidau fourth. Christian Pancione (set a lap record 1m10.0536s) scored his first pole positionwhile Max Vidau (Sonic) won the opening race.
Another home-town hero, Brett Boulton, won the Morris Pro-Am class over Sam Shahin giving McElrea Racing double victories. Boulton won the first two races, Shahin the third. In class B the always entertaining battle between Andrew Goldie and David Greig ended up in a tiebreak, decided by virtue of Goldie claiming the final of three races.
The opening round of the 2022 championship in Sydney in May was a thriller with young guns Ryan Wood and Thomas Sargent going head-to-head across the three races. Wood leads the Pro Championship heading into Round 2, with Sargent just behind.
Fresh off his Round 5 victory in Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia at The Bend Motorsport Park last weekend, Sam Shahin leads the Sprint Challenge Morris Pro-Am standings, while Tom Taplin heads the field in Class B and remains the man to beat into Round 2.
While Wood and Sargent will have the likes of Courtney Prince and Jason Miller in the hunt for podium spots in Pro, in the Morris Pro-Am class Shahin will likely come under fire from Boulton, Goldie and as well as Carrera Cup regulars Indiran Padayachee and Scott Taylor.
Sonic Motor Racing have the most wins at the venue (3), closely followed by rivals and local team McElrea (2). What is more telling is that in the last five visits to the circuit the Queensland Raceway round winner has gone on to win the championship. All eyes will be on the 2022 battle to see whether history will repeat itself.
Following two practice sessions and a qualifying on Friday, both Saturday’s two 14 lap sprint races and Sunday’s 45-minute Enduro will be broadcast LIVE on Stan Sport.
For race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram - @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter - @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU
Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, Round 2, Queensland Raceway
ENTRY LIST:
# Name Surname Class Sponsor
2 Richard Cowen Pro-Am McElrea Racing
5 Nathan Murray Pro-Am Garage 1
8 Madeline Stewart Pro Bullrush Rally / EBM
11 Eric Constantinidis Pro-Am Our Kloud / Up to 11 Motorsport
13 Sam Shahin Pro-Am The Bend / OTR
22 Andrew Goldie Pro-Am Cirrus Aircraft
23 Lachlan Bloxsom Pro McElrea Racing
26 Tom Taplin Class B Taplin Real Estate
29 Rob Woods Pro-Am TekworkX Motorsport
32 Courtney Prince Pro Sonic Motor Racing / Local Legends
34 Nathan Sticklen Class B TekworkX Motorsport
35 Indiran Padayachee Pro-Am Hyundai Forklifts
40 Ryan Wood Pro Team Porsche NZ/ EBM
47 Thomas Sargent Pro Tegra Australia
58 Gerard Murphy Class B Australia Zoo / Wildlife Warriors
59 Jason Miller Pro Stokes Skis Australia
81 Tom McLennan Class B Tom McLennan
84 Brett Boulton Pro-Am Bold Living
85 Bradley Carr Class B Car Mods Australia
87 David Greig Pro-Am DW Motorsport
88 Harrison Goodman Pro Bob Jane T-Marts / True Grid
91 Lachlan Harburg Class B Autohouse Racing
99 Ross McGregor Pro-Am Southern Star Windows
116 Aron Shields Pro McElrea Racing
131 Graham Williams Pro-Am Sonic Motor Racing / WRA
222 Scott Taylor Pro-Am Scott Taylor Motorsport
266 Jacob Li Class B ASM / Mars Performance
BROADCAST SCHEDULE: Stan Sport
Saturday 6 August
11:15-11:35 Race 1 (14 laps)
14:10-14:30 Race 2 (14 laps)
Sunday
11:10-11:55 Race 3 (35 laps)
Round winners at Queensland Raceway
2019: Harri Jones (McElrea Racing) (Pole: Pancione. Race winners: Vidau, Jones, Jones)
2018: Simon Fallon (Sonic) (Pole: Cooper Murray. Race winners: Murray, Fallon, Fallon)
2017: Jordan Love (Sonic) (Pole: Jordan Love. Race winners: Jordan Love x3)
2016: Jaxon Evans (McElrea Racing) (Pole: Jaxon Evans. Race winners: Jaxon Evans x3)