Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia will this weekend continue its endurance battle as it heads to Australia’s newest motor racing venue, The Bend Motorsport Park.
The sixth round of the 2018 season, the Tailem Bend round comes just three weeks after Carrera Cup Australia was joined at Sydney Motorsport Park by its neighbouring Porsche one-make series, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.
The Sydney event was not only highlighted by two spectacular joint races under lights, but also the intense Carrera Cup Australia racing that ultimately saw both Pro and TAG Heuer Pro-Am championship fights intensify leading into the last nine races of the season.
The battle at the front has seen Dylan O’Keeffe creep to within 13 points of series leader Jaxon Evans in the Outright standings, a margin that was once 109 points after the opening two rounds.
The battle at the front is as intense as ever, with six different drivers winning the past six races this season: Dale Wood (Phillip Island, Race 2), David Wall (Hidden Valley, Race 1), Evans (Hidden Valley, Race 2), James Moffat (Hidden Valley, Race 3), O’Keeffe (Sydney Motorsport Park, Race 1) and Jordan Love (Sydney Motorsport Park, Race 2). In addition, four different drivers have won the last four rounds: Evans (Albert Park), Wood (Phillip Island), O’Keeffe (Hidden Valley) and Moffat (Sydney Motorsport Park).
The TAG Heuer Pro-Am competition will also be one to watch, however one driver stands out with a heightened will to win – Sam Shahin. While missing the past two rounds, Shahin returns for this weekend’s round at ‘The Bend’ at the motorsport precinct which he founded.
Shahin was the class of the Pro-Am field in the 2018 Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia season opener at The Bend in April and will look to carry this pace into Carrera Cup’s first taste of the new venue, which becomes the 17th different circuit at which Carrera Cup has raced since 2003. This weekend also marks the first time the Porsche championship will race twice in the state of South Australia following round one at the Adelaide 500.
Round six will commence with two practice sessions on Friday and qualifying on Saturday morning before the series embarks on the fourth endurance race of the season – a 20-lap, 99km race one battle. The race will act as the fourth in the six-race 2018 Endurance Cup, which is currently led by Dale Wood in the Pro class and Stephen Grove in the TAG Heuer Pro-Am class. Two eight-lap sprint races will then be held on Sunday to conclude the round.
Qualifying and all races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506.
Race Schedule
Friday 24 August
10:00am Practice 1 (30 minutes)
2:20pm Practice 2 (30 minutes)
Saturday 25 August
12:10pm Qualifying (20 minutes)
2:50pm Race 1 (20 laps)
Sunday 26 August
9:50am Race 2 (8 laps)
12:35pm Race 3 (8 laps)
Broadcast Schedule
Channel: Fox Sports 506
Practice 2 – 2:20pm, Friday 24 August
Qualifying – 12:10pm, Saturday 25 August
Race 1 – 2:50pm, Saturday 25 August
Race 2 – 9:50am, Sunday 26 August
Race 3 – 12:35pm, Sunday 26 August
Entry List
1. #1 David Wall (Pro) PAYCE/Wilson Security
2. #4 Stephen Grove (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Grove Group
3. #6 Tim Miles (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Miles Advisory Partners/Garage 1
4. #7 Jaxon Evans (Pro) Morris Finance
5. #8 Nick McBride (Pro) Porsche Centre Melbourne
6. #9 Marc Cini (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmarc
7. #12 Adam Garwood (Pro) Garwood Motorsport
8. #13 Sam Shahin (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) The Bend/htfu
9. #14 Peter Major (Pro) Sonic/Totally 4×4
10. #18 James Moffat (Pro) PAYCE/Wilson Security/JBL
11. #19 Anthony Gilbertson (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hallmark Homes
12. #20 Adrian Flack (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Agas National
13. #22 Dean Cook (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) BMF/Pitman Racing
14. #23 Roger Lago (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) JBS Australia
15. #35 Indiran Padayachee (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Hyundai Forklifts Australia
16. #77 Michael Almond (Pro) Bob Jane T Marts/PSA
17. #80 Max Twigg (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) WM Waste Management
18. #88 Dylan O’Keeffe (Pro) APB Group
19. #100 Dale Wood (Pro) Sonic/Polyflor
20. #111 Cameron Hill (Pro) BAXX Australia
21. #131 Graham Williams (TAG Heuer Pro-Am) Harcourts Williams
22. #777 Jordan Love (Pro) Bob Jane T Marts
