RX8 Cup Launches First-Ever Enduro at Sydney Motorsport Park

The RX8 Cup will break new ground when it stages its first endurance round this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park for Round 4 of the 2025 season.

For the first time, competitors will pair up with co-drivers to share the racing duties. The weekend will feature Friday practice before separate qualifying sessions for Driver A and Driver B on Saturday morning. Those sessions will set the grids for two 20-minute sprint races – one for each driver – with Sprint Race A held Saturday ahead of the opening 50-minute enduro that afternoon. Sunday’s program will see Sprint Race B followed by the second 50-minute endurance to close out the weekend.

Category founder Ric Shaw said the time was right to bring an endurance flavour to the series.

“After toying with the idea of an enduro style event for a couple of years, we’ve decided to give drivers the experience of pit stops and driver changes,” Shaw explained. “It’s an opportunity to bring in new drivers, maybe even celebrity drivers, and give our regulars something fresh. Most haven’t done an enduro or a pit stop before. We’re in the business of having fun in motorsport, and this will certainly add to that.”

Speculation is already running hot on who might appear. Several former RX8 regulars are tipped for cameo returns, while some young guns from Toyota 86, Hyundai Excel and even Formula Ford circles are believed to be in talks about stepping up for the weekend. More intriguing is the suggestion that one of the all-time greats of Australian motorsport will line up.

Among the rumoured possibilities are retired Supercars racers keen to stay sharp, Dunlop Series drivers looking to impress, and even the odd high-profile “celebrity driver” to bring extra attention to the category. With Shaw openly inviting big names to join, don’t be surprised to see a familiar Bathurst starter swapping into an RX8 for a stint.

The RX8 Cup will confirm pairings in the lead-up to the event, but the mix of established frontrunners, rookie co-drivers and possible Supercars crossovers means the inaugural endurance is shaping as one of the most talked-about weekends in the category’s history.

Image: Maisie Place (RX8 Cup Ambassador, left) & Steven King (right) are getting ready for the first RX8 Cup.