Young Carrera Cup leader Keeping it calm

After leaving Melbourne on equal footing with Vidau in the Carrera Cup, a Darwin podium sweep from Jackson Walls has him leading the Porsche field into Townsville.

The 20-year-old McElrea racer is getting plenty of seat time of late, as he also races with his father Tony Walls in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia series, where they’ve swept the podiums at Sepang and at The Bend.

But after claiming a maiden Carrera Cup win at the Townsville 500 in 2022, Walls also hasn’t been off the steps in five Cup races this year, as well as taking the top step in Race 3 at the AGP.

Jackson and his father Tony Walls have been on a four race Pro Am podium streak in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Series

One his main goals for this year is to top the Carrera Cup Junior table like Harri Jones did in 2022 – who now races in the prestigious Mobil 1 Supercup – with the Aussie Junior title getting decided two rounds before the season’s end at Bathurst. 

Winning that would enable him to participate in the Porsche global Junior Shootout which gives 18 young drivers a chance to step up the ladder into the Porsche Pyramid, and he currently leads that by 18 points over fellow young gun and Kiwi racer Callum Hedge.

In terms of heading the table, a goal focused Walls played a straight bat to AUTO ACTION about being the overall leader, but discussed his desire to pursue GT racing and what that entails, his Darwin round, and racing the Lamborghini EVO2 with his father.

“I don’t really think of it like that, “being on top”, I really just need to think of it weekend by weekend,” Walls told AA.

“It doesn’t feel any different and it’s certainly not adding any extra pressure that I’m feeling, it’s just a number right now. The main goal for me this year is trying to win the Michelin Junior Cup first, so if I’m still in the frame after Bathurst, we can focus on the overall championship then.

Walls and Hedge are likely to be at it all season long in the Michelin Junior battle. Image: Mark Horsburgh

“But I’m really confident for the next round in Townsville having got my first Cup race win there as well as getting an outright round podium, and I learnt a lot from that, just as I learnt from the recent Darwin round.

“In Darwin it was about having bit of extra patience on the throttle to protect the tyres in the heat, so I didn’t find that side of it a struggle; in these cars makes a world of difference in terms of getting pace out of it for the whole race, and not just for five laps. 

“Its about consistency with these things, and that’s what the results came down to I think, so it’s about perfecting those consistent lap times over the whole race.”

After he and his father put in another good Super Trofeo showing in the Lamborghini at The Bend, he says racing with his father has been a special experience.

After two rounds, Walls sits on top of the championship standings in the Carrera Cup, as well as the Junior cup. Image: Mark Horsburgh

“Getting to race with my dad, and especially in a car like that, is one of the coolest things I’ve ever done, and it’s great that we’re competitive out there as well.

“Although they’re completely different cars, with the ABS and traction control stability aids in the Lamborghini, it really helps in maintaining my race craft, and I feel a lot more confident when I get back into the Cup car after that.”

In terms of his future, after coming up through the ranks in single seater racing – having raced and taken podiums in Formula 3 in Asia, and also in the Toyota Racing Series in NZ as a race winner against the likes of Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson – Walls wants to keep pursuing GT racing as far as he can take it.

Walls takes a victory in the Toyota Racing Series in Pukukohe in 2020, finishing ahead of some quality drivers like Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson.

“I definitely want to stay in GT racing, although I’m open to anything really, but my main focus and goals are to stay in GT the next few years, and to try and do that overseas next year if it’s possible.

“But the main thing with that is on how this year goes, and that’s quite a big factor, if not the main factor, that determines what will happen in the future. We’re definitely looking at things we’d like to do, but It’s not only about what’s best for me, but also my family.

“It’s a tough Carrera field this year though – for the Pro’s there’s drivers like Garnett and Coulthard and all those guys with Supercars driving experience…there’s a lot of drivers who can take wins this year and can maximise in qualifying, so getting through the year as best we can is the immediate goal before we can really make other plans.”

Jackson and his father Tony enjoy a well earnt family moment at the AGP. Image: Mark Horsburgh

It would seem that this year, along with Vidau, Hedge is his biggest on-track rival for the Junior championship. The two have come through the ranks in a similar fashion, and now they’re locked into what promises be an entertaining year in both the Pro battle, and for the coveted Michelin Junior title.

“There’s a bit of a friendly rivalry going on for sure. He’s a hard racer, but I’m also a hard racer, so things can get heated often, but overall, I’d say that we’re pretty good and calm with each other.”

Walls next hits the track at the Townsville 500 on July 7-9, before he gets the awesome chance to take on Japan’s Fuji International Speedway on July 14-16 in the Super Trofeo.

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