Porsche Racing in Australia

What a challenge!

Racing has been a major casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic, with half the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge races struck off the calendar due to lockdowns. It’s has been a difficult start for young racer Courtney Prince in her first year in the series.

'It's really frustrating, but everyone is in the same boat,' she says. 'We’ve done only two rounds so far. It’s a six-round Championship, and we’ve done one at Phillip Island and one at Sydney. The Bend will host a double header event from 11–13 December.'

In order for the series to be declared a Championship, at least four rounds must be completed. At the start of the season, it looked like it would be a splendid year for Courtney after her debut race at a wet Phillip Island. 'The first round was Phillip Island, and we came home third overall which is excellent,' Courtney said. 'I actually led my first race in a Porsche. I led race two for basically all of it, which was really exciting in the wet. It was also my first time driving the car in those conditions. 'It was a great start and a solid round, not to mention a privilege to get on the podium in my first Sprint Challenge race.' Sydney Motorsport Park was the second race, with Courtney placed fifth overall. As it was her first time on the track with the Porsche, she didn't have as much time in the car as she needed. That’s been the case for the year, though, as just after Sydney in April there were no more races until December's scheduled event at South Australia’s The Bend Motorsport Park. 'Again, being out of the car for three or four months – I’ve never been out of the car for so long before,' Courtney explains. 'We’re in Victoria, so it's hard; the only place we can test is Winton because it’s regional and they’re open, but you need to get a permit to go there.' Even more exasperatingly, Courtney had just signed a new sponsor. Her Sonic Motor Racing Porsche attracted the backing of Local Legends Beef Jerky, and the new livery was done in time for the next event at Sandown. Unfortunately, it was cancelled.

CLIC K HERE TO LEARN MOR E 'I’ve just secured a new sponsor, but haven’t been able to race with the new livery yet. I got it just after the Sydney round,' Courtney explained. When we went into lockdown just after I signed with them, I said: "Are you kidding?"' Now her car is unmissable with its new fluoro yellow, orange and black colours, it’s probably the brightest in the field. Courtney hopes to finish well at The Bend in December and finish what was a chaotic year on a high note. 'I’m super happy with how we’re going, as we’re fourth in the Championship,' she says. For the future, all Courtney's looking forward to is getting a full season under her belt and doing really well in the Championship. •

Double delight for young Porsche Junior star

Two sensational overseas opportunities have arrived for talented young Australian Cooper Murray

Despite all the racing disruptions of 2021 Cooper Murray has had one of the best years of his young life – first as the winner of the 2021 Porsche Michelin Junior Australia program, which will see him contest the Porsche Junior Shootout later in the year; second, being chosen to test new 911 GT3 Cup (Type 992) prior to the Global Shootout. After taking the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia round win in Townsville early this year, Cooper held a 25-point lead in the junior competition over McElrea Racing teammate Harri Jones. The cancellation of the Bass Coast Festival of Motorsport at Phillip Island meant that as the Points Leader he earned the nomination from Carrera Cup Australia to enter the Porsche Junior Global Shootout. Cooper will have the opportunity to contest the Porsche Junior Shootout against the best junior drivers from Porsche Carrera Cup Championships around the world. The Shootout plays a crucial role in the development of the best emerging talent, and is seen as a proven pathway for talented drivers to progress to the highest level abroad. When you're from Australia, so far from the international motorsport scene, it's a prime opportunity to showcase your abilities. This exact opportunity helped launch the international motorsport careers of Australians Matt Campbell (2016 winner) and Jaxon Evans (2018 winner). Matt is now a Porsche factory driver with victories in Bathurst 12 Hour and Le Mans 24 Hour to his name, while Evans is a two-time Carrera Cup Champion with regular appearances in top-level GT competition globally including the Le Mans 24 Hour, World Endurance Championship, and Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, where he finished second this season.

A European racetrack has been booked for the three-day Junior Shootout, which starts early on Tuesday 23 November and ends Thursday 25 November 2021.

'I’m very excited and grateful to have been nominated,' Cooper says. 'I hope to follow in the footsteps of fellow McElrea drivers Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans.' Just prior to the Global Shootout, Cooper will be enjoying a two-day test session at the Paul

Dale Wood joined Ashley Seward Motorsport for the 2021 Carrera Cup. Next year, a new car's on the horizon

One thing transcends all others for any Porsche racers over the past two years, regardless of what class or series. Dale Wood summed it up when he said that last year was a mess; although everyone thought it was all behind us in 2021, unfortunately that wasn't the case.

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For Dale, 2021 was a new season with a new team, which brings with it major adjustments. 'I went into a new team for this year. My first three years in Carrera Cup I was with Sonic and then this year I went to ASM (Ashley Seward Motorsport), a new team; it hasn’t been as smooth as we’d like,' he says. The Covid scenario with quick border closures meant that just three rounds have been completed to date, definitely not what was hoped for at the beginning of the season. The three rounds so far were Sandown as the starter, then The Bend in South Australia, followed by Townsville. As Dale says they were pretty lucky to get to Townsville before everything ground to a halt again. 'It’s been a big learning year, but I think there’s still plenty that has come from it that will probably put us into a good position for next year,' he speculates. 'There’s been little time for testing just because of what’s happened. We got a bit of testing at the start of the year, but nothing like what we had planned. 'At every round, there’s been lots of positives – we’ve been at the top of the time sheets in quite a few sessions, and I think there’s plenty to learn from.' Bathurst is the next round for Carrera Cup, a round which is combined with the Supercars to be run from 30 November until 5 December as part of a new six-day extravaganza of motorsport. 'I’ll be in the Supercars for the Bathurst 1000 and also in the Porsche for the Carrera Cup race, so it will be busy that weekend,' Dale says. 'We have heaps of stuff we want to try at Bathurst and The Bend, with possibly a test day before that.' Hot on the heels of Bathurst, Carrera Cup Australia will go to South Australia from 10-12 December for a double-header to finish the 2021 Championship. This is very different from the planned 2021 calendar, which had 25 races across eight rounds in Adelaide and at the Australian Grand Prix, Phillip Island, Darwin, Townsville, The Bend, Bathurst and the Gold Coast.

Next year is different again as the Porsche 992 car debuts in Carrera Cup Australia. Each Porsche 911 car does a four-year cycle. As this is the fourth year for the current Porsche, it’s the new car next year, so there’s a lot of excitement around that. A new car will be to Dale’s advantage, as everyone is starting from scratch. 'Because Porsche Mobil1 Supercup overseas always runs one year ahead of us, it looks like there’s a lot of speed difference. The car is very different, so I’m not sure there will be a whole lot you can take from this year into the next,' Dale explains. •

CLIC K HERE TO LEARN MOR E Ricard Circuit in France with Porsche Mobil1 Supercup Team Martinet by Almeras. 'To be given the opportunity to drive the new 992 generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car before the Junior shootout event is amazing, not to mention joining the Carrera Cup France grid for the last round of their Championship in Portimão,' Cooper said. 'I’m also fortunate enough to do an additional two days in the car to prepare myself in the best possible way going into the shootout. 'I can’t thank my Mum and Dad enough for all their hard work to make this possible, as well as McElrea Racing and Porsche Motorsport Australia. I’m looking forward to the challenge that is ahead of me. New car, new tracks, new team and new countries. Bring it on!' Cooper is the youngest-ever race and round winner in Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia history. •