CARRERA CUP ENTRY LIST REVEALED

A record 31 drivers have entered Carrera Cup Australia for the opening at Albert Park has been revealed with many familiar names and several rookies also.

This season sees the start of a brand-new era with the introduction of the new type 992 GT3 Cup Car which was raced in Porsche Supercup last year (to find out more on the new Cup Car read our Under the Skin feature in the current issue on sale).

It is the largest Round 1 field the series has ever seen despite reigning champion Cameron Hill moving on to Super2 and front-runner Cooper Murray getting a drive overseas.

The category remains a high-quality field with the likes of 2017 Series winner David Wall returning along with the ever-fast Dale Wood.

Other well-known names include veterans Michael Almond who has departed Sonic for a new home at GWR, and Nick McBride who remain locked together on 54 rounds apiece.

Bathurst 1000 podium finisher David Russell will hope his new partnership with EMA Motorsport will see him score a maiden round win after finishing second a record five occasions previously.

One of the great things about Carrera Cup is that young up and comers can compare themselves to these established gentlemen.

Harri Jones ended last year strongly at Bathurst and will be looking to continue that form this weekend.

He is not the only ace young driver, Kiwi Callum Hedge made his debut late last season for Earl Bamber’s team and was quick immediately.

South Aussie Max Vidau has moved up Queensland to race for TekworX Motorsport after showing plenty of form for that team, and before that Sonic Motor Racing, in part-time campaigns recently.

Christian Pancione showed his potential last year, this year his sole focus is on Carrera Cup and he will be one to watch out for this season.

Former Sprint Challenge winner Simon Fallon returns alongside Aaron Love. Love returns for a one-off race at the Australian Grand Prix before a full-time assault in Carrera Cup France.

A total of five rookies debut Ryan Suhle, Bayley Hall and Matt Belford all make the step-up from the second-tier Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia.

Alongside his Super2 duties Victorian Angelo Mouzouris will race Carrera Cup, while the experienced Brad Shiels also joins the grid.

Several familiar faces return, TCR Australia driver Dylan O’Keeffe who finished third in the 2019 championship and will consider himself a title contender this year.

Triple Eight Racing co-owner Tony Quinn will make his first Carrera Cup starts since 2007.

The 2019 pro-Am champion Liam Talbot returns as does late addition Rodney Jane piloting one of his three Bob Jane T-Marts entries run by the championship-winning Sonic Racing Team.

Pro-Am sees many contenders return including Sam Shahin, Geoff Emery, Talbot, Tim Miles and three-time Pro-am Champion Stephen Grove.

Dean Cook, Ben Stack, Drew Hall and Scott Taylor are all also back on the grid in the Pro-Am class.

Full entry list: Round 1 – Australian Grand Prix

# Name    Surname Class Sponsor
4 Stephen Grove       Pro-Am Grove Racing
5 Ryan      Suhle        Pro SP Tools / EBM
6 Angelo   Mouzouris Pro Sonic Motor Racing / PitBox
7 Tim        Miles          Pro-Am Miles Advisory Partners / N2C
8 Nick       McBride     Pro Porsche Centre Melbourne
9 Marc      Cini            Pro-Am Hallmarc
11 Jackson Walls       Pro Objective Racing
12 Harri     Jones       Pro Hastings Deering / Mackellar Group
13 Sam     Shahin      Pro-Am The Bend Motorsport Park / HTFU
14 Matthew Belford    Pro-Am ID Land / Porsche Centre Melbourne
17 Callum Hedge       Pro Team Porsche New Zealand / EBM
22 Dean   Cook          Pro-Am Zonzo Racing
25 Michael Almond    Pro Petrol Services Australia
27 Liam     Talbot       Pro-Am Wash It / Paynter Dixon
28 Bayley  Hall           Pro Printech
38 David   Wall           Pro Monochrome / Paynter Dixon
45 Duvashen Padayachee Pro Rentcorp Hyundai Forklifts
48 Geoff   Emery        Pro-Am ASM
53 Luke    Youlden     Pro TekworkX / Hire A Hubby
72 Max     Vidau         Pro TekworkX / Tyrepower
74 David  Russell       Pro EMA Motorsport
76 Christian Pancione Pro VCM Performance / HP Tuners
77 Rodney Jane         Pro-Am Sonic  / Bob Jane T Marts
86 Drew Hall              Pro-Am Wall Racing
88 Dylan O’Keeffe      Pro Dexion / RAM Motorsport
100 Dale Wood          Pro Timken Racing
101 Tony Quinn          Pro-Am Local Legends
222 Scott Taylor         Pro-Am Scott Taylor Motorsport
333 Brad Shiels         Pro Royal Purple Racing
777 Simon Fallon       Pro Sonic  / Bob Jane T Marts / Bremtech
999 Aaron Love         Pro Sonic / Bob Jane T Marts

For more of the latest motorsport news pick up the current issue of Auto Action.