ENDURANCE RACES FOR CARRERA CUP AT PHILLIP ISLAND
Porsche Carrera Cup to line-up for a pair of endurance races at Phillip Island – Photo: Supplied
In its tenth appearance at Phillip Island, Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will feature a pair of endurance races during this weekend’s third round of the series.
Instead of the Pro-Am format of previous years, competitors will compete in a pair of single driver 111km races (25 laps). The longest single driver races in the series’s history.
Following a successful Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Carrera Cup will bring an unchanged driver line-up to Phillip Island, with Cameron Hill returning with his newly rebuilt Porsche 911 GT3.
This weekend marks the start of the six-race Endurance Cup, a concept that began last season ultimately won by Alex Davison and Marc Cini.
The Carrera Cup field at the previous round at Albert Park – Photo: Supplied
One of the Phillip Island favourites will no doubt be Jaxon Evans, who is aiming for his fourth straight Carrera Cup round victory having won the last event of 2017 on the Gold Coast and the first two rounds of 2018 at Adelaide and Albert Park. The last driver to win four Carrera Cup rounds in a row was Baird in 2008 – the fellow New Zealander won at Barbagallo, Sandown, Queensland Raceway and Phillip Island.
“It will be an interesting event. Having had a test day at Phillip Island before the round, hopefully that brings us level with the local teams. I love the circuit, it’s similar to Albert Park, and the level of competition will step up again so hopefully we can step up with it,” said Evans.
Evans’ teammate and fellow Albert Park round winner, Pro-Am driver Tim Miles, is also looking forward to the Phillip Island event.
“With the extra power and front grip, these new cars will suit the Phillip Island circuit perfectly. The Pro-Am class is hugely competitive this season so I’m looking forward to getting out there and seeing how we go,” said Miles.
Having not yet placed outside the top two positions in 2018, Evans sits 69 points ahead of his closest Pro-ranked rival Dale Wood, with reigning champion David Wall in third.
Meanwhile, round one Pro-Am winner Roger Lago takes a 79-point class lead into Phillip Island over reigning and former class champions Stephen Grove and Max Twigg.
Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will begin its third round on Friday with two practice sessions, followed by qualifying and race one on Saturday, and race two on Sunday.
Race Schedule (local time)
Friday April 20, 2018
10:40am Practice 1 (30 minutes)
1:50pm Practice 2 (30 minutes)
Saturday April 21, 2018
11:35am Qualifying (20 minutes)
2:15pm Race 1 (25 laps)
Sunday April 22, 2018
12:20pm Race 2 (25 laps)
Entry list: Round 3, Phillip Island
1. #1 David Wall (Pro) PAYCE/Wilson Security
2. #4 Stephen Grove (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Grove Group
3. #5 Greg Taylor (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Arris/Strongbuild
4. #6 Tim Miles (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Miles Advisory Partners/Garage 1
5. #7 Jaxon Evans (Pro) Morris Finance
6. #8 Nick McBride (Pro) Porsche Centre Melbourne
7. #9 Marc Cini (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmarc
8. #12 Adam Garwood (Pro) Garwood Motorsport
9. #13 Sam Shahin (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) The Bend/htfu
10. #14 Peter Major (Pro) Sonic/Totally 4×4
11. #15 Josh Hunt (Pro) LORY Construction
12. #18 James Moffat (Pro) PAYCE/Wilson Security/JBL
13. #19 Anthony Gilbertson (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmark Homes
14. #20 Adrian Flack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Agas National
15. #22 Dean Cook (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) BMF/Pitman Racing
16. #23 Roger Lago (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) JBS Australia
17. #35 Indiran Padayachee (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hyundai Forklifts Australia
18. #77 Michael Almond (Pro) Sonic/Bob Jane T Marts/PSA
19. #80 Max Twigg (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) WM Waste Management
20. #88 Dylan O’Keeffe (Pro) APB Group
21. #100 Dale Wood (Pro) Sonic/Polyflor
22. #111 Cameron Hill (Pro) Southern Star Truck Centre/Anytime Fitness
23. #131 Graham Williams (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Harcourts Williams
24. #777 Jordan Love (Pro) Bob Jane T Marts
25. #808 John Steffensen (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Crown/Timken/Porsche Melbourne
26. #888 Alex Davison (Pro) Porsche Centre Brighton
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