YOUNG GUN TO LEAD AUSTRALIAN TEAM’S AMERICAN DREAM

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: 24 October 2022

Rising talent Thomas Sargent will spearhead McElrea Racing’s American assault in 2023.

The 20-year-old Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia leader will be leading the Australian team’s first foray into the 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship.

Sargent hails from the small town of Young in country New South Wales, but will be making the move to Mooresville, North Carolina to be near the team’s newly-established base next year.

The driver, who turns 21 in just a few weeks cannot wait to take on the overseas challenge with the team led by Andy McElrea.

“It’s super exciting, going overseas is something I’ve always wanted to do, so to have this opportunity with McElrea Racing is fantastic,” Sargent said.

“I was planning to follow the route to Europe, but then I had a conversation with (Jaxon’s father) John Evans who put me on to Andy, who said this was something he was planning to do.

“We went over there, checked it out and it looked like the way to go. I’m looking forward to going over there.

“(Porsche Michelin Sprint challenge) has been very valuable. It’s been great to get some laps in the car, get some racing and some racing experience.”

Thomas Sargent currently leads the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia and will be racing in America next year.

Sargent made the move from karts to cars in 2018 and swiftly made a name for himself before winning the 2021 Formula Ford Championship.

This year he joined forces with Cameron Hill to win the Bathurst 6 Hour endurance race at Mount Panorama after starting all the way back in P63.

Sargent has spent the majority of 2022 racing in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series, where he enters in the final round in a strong position, leading the championship by 46 points.

He is the first driver to be confirmed in McElrea Racing’s multi-car attack on America with further announcements to follow.

McElrea Racing owner Andy McElrea said he was delighted to sign up Sargent for the USA pursuit having been impressed by the young man for a long time.

“He’s a Formula Ford champion and been a standout in Sprint Challenge this year. We wanted to start our team in the US with an Australian flavour and a race winning driver and we have managed to get all that in one guy,” he said.

“We want to create a pathway to the US and IMSA racing from Australia and this is a fantastic way to launch that.

“I want it to be January now.

“We’re going to hit the track testing in January with Tom and his teammate so we’re looking forward to that.”

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

AUTO ACTION, Australia’s independent voice of motorsport.

Recent Stories

array ( 0 => WP_Term::__set_state(array( 'term_id' => 11, 'name' => 'Latest News', 'slug' => 'latest-news', 'term_group' => 0, 'term_taxonomy_id' => 11, 'taxonomy' => 'category', 'description' => '', 'parent' => 0, 'count' => 16632, 'filter' => 'raw', 'cat_ID' => 11, 'category_count' => 16632, 'category_description' => '', 'cat_name' => 'Latest News', 'category_nicename' => 'latest-news', 'category_parent' => 0, )), 1 => WP_Term::__set_state(array( 'term_id' => 2481, 'name' => 'Porsche Carrera Cup', 'slug' => 'porsche-carrera-cup', 'term_group' => 0, 'term_taxonomy_id' => 2481, 'taxonomy' => 'category', 'description' => '', 'parent' => 659, 'count' => 138, 'filter' => 'raw', 'cat_ID' => 2481, 'category_count' => 138, 'category_description' => '', 'cat_name' => 'Porsche Carrera Cup', 'category_nicename' => 'porsche-carrera-cup', 'category_parent' => 659, )), 2 => WP_Term::__set_state(array( 'term_id' => 2029, 'name' => 'ZZZ-Email', 'slug' => 'email', 'term_group' => 0, 'term_taxonomy_id' => 2029, 'taxonomy' => 'category', 'description' => '', 'parent' => 2031, 'count' => 7189, 'filter' => 'raw', 'cat_ID' => 2029, 'category_count' => 7189, 'category_description' => '', 'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-Email', 'category_nicename' => 'email', 'category_parent' => 2031, )), 3 => WP_Term::__set_state(array( 'term_id' => 1683, 'name' => 'ZZZ-My105', 'slug' => 'my105', 'term_group' => 0, 'term_taxonomy_id' => 1683, 'taxonomy' => 'category', 'description' => '', 'parent' => 2031, 'count' => 2165, 'filter' => 'raw', 'cat_ID' => 1683, 'category_count' => 2165, 'category_description' => '', 'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-My105', 'category_nicename' => 'my105', 'category_parent' => 2031, )), 4 => WP_Term::__set_state(array( 'term_id' => 2031, 'name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds', 'slug' => 'zzz-rssfeeds', 'term_group' => 0, 'term_taxonomy_id' => 2031, 'taxonomy' => 'category', 'description' => '', 'parent' => 0, 'count' => 6544, 'filter' => 'raw', 'cat_ID' => 2031, 'category_count' => 6544, 'category_description' => '', 'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds', 'category_nicename' => 'zzz-rssfeeds', 'category_parent' => 0, )), )

YOUNG GUN TO LEAD AUSTRALIAN TEAM’S AMERICAN DREAM

Recent Stories

Late mistake hurts Lawson’s Q3 run in Spa shootout

Vale Noel Ward

Piastri Grandstand to Debut at Albert Park in 2026

De Alba Breaks Through as Hauger Seals INDY NXT Title in Andretti Sweep