Porsche Carrera Cup Australia looking to race overseas in 2024

By Bruce Williams

Date posted: 25 September 2023

AUTO ACTION can confirm that plans are underway to take a round of the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia offshore to Suzuka in Japan.

It is believed the event in Japan which will be held in the first part of the season will coincide with a round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series and will be run as a combined event.

Running a combined event would be similar to a couple of other occasions that the Australian and Asian based single-make series have joined forces such as Malaysia 2017.

The provisional calendar for the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series, confirms a proposed date in May for rounds three and four at Suzuka.

The potential offshore program was discussed at a Porsche Carrera Cup Australia teams forum held in Melbourne during the recent Sandown 500 race meeting.

Members of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia management team attended last weekends Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix to explore options for facilities and to plan for the possible event

The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia field charging down Suzuka’s pit straight. Image: Porsche Carrera Cup Asia

Porsche Motorsport management are looking at dropping a local round to maintain an eight-round series. It is likely that the Darwin Supercars event will be the likely omission from the calendar.

It has also been suggested that the round which is listed on the provisional calendar for a round at the Sandown 500 event could be replaced by a round at The Bend Motorsport Park.

Current Porsche Carrera Cup Australia championship leader Callum Hedge.

The case for a race in Japan.

It is believed the costs for competitors to transport the cars, plus secure flights and accommodation in Japan will be similar to what is currently required to travel to Darwin.

If the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia does go racing at Suzuka next year, it will not be the championship’s first tie up with the Asian series.

The Australian and Asian Porsche Carrera Cup championships joined forces at Sydney Motorsport Park in 2016.

It was in 2016 that the two series combined for a race meeting run at Sydney Motorsport Park alongside Supercars.

The Australian and Asian Porsche series held two races each across the weekend before concluding with a 10-lap combined Pro race won by Matt Campbell.

Matt Campbell leads the Carrera Cup field through turn one at Sydney Motorsport Park in 2016.cImage: Mark Horsburgh

The Australian series then headed offshore a year later when it held a championship round at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit in July 2017 in combination with its Asian counterpart.

David Wall dominated at the former Formula 1 circuit, winning both Porsche Carrera Cup Australia races.

David Wall dominated the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia round in Sepang 2017, winning both races. Image: Mark Horsburgh

AUTO ACTION spoke to several team owners and competitors who confirmed that the potential Japanese round had been raised and that the idea was seen to be a positive move.

The draft calendar has two options with Darwin round being replaced by the Japanese event and the round at scheduled for the Sandown 500 could be replaced by an event at The Bend Motorsport Park.

A travel support package is also on offer for both options for the Japanese, Darwin and Townsville rounds.

Potential 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia draft calendar – option 2.

R1: Australian Grand Prix March 21-24

R2: Suzuka May

R3: Townsville July

R4: Sydney July

R5: Sandown* September

R6: Bathurst October

R7: Gold Coast October

R8: Adelaide November

*The Bend Motorsport Park

Main image by Mark Horsburgh

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