FORMER CHAMPION REVEALS LIVERY FOR CARRERA CUP RETURN

Steven Richards reveals livery for Carrera Cup return – Photo: Supplied

2014 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia champion Steven Richards has revealed his new look for his return to the series this year.

The five-time Bathurst 1000 winner will race with the support of O’Brien Electrical & Plumbing after O’Brien and Richards’ longtime backers Laser Plumbing & Electrical joined forces during 2018.

“I’m really excited to be returning to the Porsche Carrera Cup this season,” said Richards.

“It’s a fantastic championship, the latest-spec car is sensational and the entire SRM crew can’t wait to get the season started.”

“Two of Australia’s leading services brands, O’Brien & Laser came together in early 2018, creating O’Brien Electrical and Plumbing. O’Brien continues to develop the business model created by Laser with a focus on customers and the success of their Members while they expand services beyond vehicle glass repair and replacement and glazing and make a bigger difference to more Australians.”

Warren Luff’s MEGA Limited Porsche – Photo: Supplied

Richards hasn’t been the only driver to reveal a new look in recent weeks. McElrea Racing’s Warren Luff, who returns to the series after a four-year hiatus, will run with the support of MEGA Limited. Continuing an association shared with his Pirtek Enduro Cup drive at Walkinshaw Andretti United.

“McElrea Racing has proved itself as the outfit to beat in the Series. With Matt and Jaxon having won two of the last three years, the pressure’s really on to step up to the plate!” said Luff.

“I’m thrilled to be back in Carrera Cup, the competition seems to get tighter and tighter each year and this year will be no exception. There are some very quick new guys coming in, along with some drivers that have a few years there already, so it’s going to be on from the first race in Adelaide to the Gold Coast finale.”

“To have MEGA come on-board for the season is fantastic. They are committed to motorsport in a big way and through my Supercars involvement at Walkinshaw Andretti United, I’ve had the chance to interact with the MEGA team and they are some of the most passionate sponsors going around, so to represent them here in Carrera Cup and in the quest for my third PIRTEK Enduro Cup is something I’m pretty excited about!”

Liam Talbot joins Wall Racing – Photo: Supplied

Wall Racing has also announced three of its entries with Liam Talbot to join David Stevens and 2017 champion David Wall.

“I’m super excited to be joining Carrera Cup. I’ve kept a close eye on the championship for some time and it’s great to now join Carrera Cup with Wall Racing,” said Talbot.

“The depth of talent in the field is really impressive and the series races at the best tracks and events in Australia, which was a real attraction for me. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and start the season.”

While Canberra racer Cameron Hill, who ran his Porsche independently in 2018, will now have technical support from Sydney based GWR Australia who will also run the father-son combination of Indiran and Duvashen Padayachee.

“We were learning on the run last year, and while other teams were able to arrive at each circuit with a clear baseline, we were usually a step behind,” said Hill.

“While everyone put in a massive effort, we lacked a few key human resources. I was analysing my own data between sessions, and there was a lot of guesswork with driving technique and car setup.”

“The GWR outfit has a wealth of experience running Porsches, and one of the main advantages will be working with their data engineer, Dejan Ninic.”

“I’ve seen Dejan in action and done a bit of work with him in the past. He’s an absolute gun when it comes to data analysis – he can instantly determine how a race car is behaving, and recommend adjustments to the car or the way I’m driving it.”

The Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia 2019 series commences at the Adelaide 500 next week.

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