Rounds 4 and 5 will mark the last time the 991 Gen II Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car will take to the majestic curves of Mount Panorama as part of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship.
The country’s premier one-make Championship returns to life after lengthy break on the 2021 season’s biggest stage, the Repco Bathurst 1000, stacked with a highly competitive field of 26 cars across both the Mobil Pro and Morris Finance Pro-Am classes.
With wet weather forecast for the week, Overall and Class Championships on the line – not to mention many drivers who have been out of racing seats for several months – the infamous 6.213km Mountain circuit will provide both the year’s biggest challenge and spectacle.
The schedule sees two 30-minute Carrera Cup races on the Thursday and Friday respectively, before a longer 40-minute race on Saturday and a final 25-minute sprint race on the Sunday before the start of the Bathurst 1000.
Two last minute changes saw Cooper Murray and Max Vidau added to the entry list and Stephen Grove unfortunately withdrawing. Murray’s return from Europe – following his participation in the Porsche Junior Global Shootout, as the Michelin Junior Winner – sets up a massive fight for the Outright Mobil Pro Championship with current leader, Cameron Hill.
Hill is in arguably the strongest position for the title with an 80-point advantage over Murray and a 91-point advantage over third placed Harri Jones, with David Wall a further 131-points behind. Adding further spice to the mix will be Max Vidau, who will campaign the Tekworkx entry and partner with Luke Youlden in the Queensland team for the 2022 season.
The pace and added seat time Supercar co-drivers Dale Wood, David Russel, David Wall and 7-time Bathurst winner, Craig Lowndes, will also be a huge a factor with a wealth of experience around the Mountain among the quartet.
If you then throw in Race 3 Townsville winner, Matthew Payne, into the mix along with the likes of Michael Almond, Aaron Love and Nick McBride (who can all win on their day), you have the makings of a very closely fought affair.
The Morris Finance Pro-Am will be no different with current class leader, Stephen Grove, opting not defend his title in 2021. It leaves Geoff Emery, Sam Shahin and Dean Cook in prime position to fight it out for the title in the three remaining rounds. Emery enjoys a 59 point lead over Sam Shahin and a 67-point advantage over Dean Cook with the drop-a-round ruling in place.
Schedule: Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia, Rounds 4 & 5, Bathurst
Wednesday, December 1
14:35 – 15:15 Practice (40 mins)
Thursday, December 2
11:20 – 11:40 Qualifying (20 mins)
15:45 – 16:15 Round 4, Race 1 (11 laps)
Friday, December 3
14:45 – 15:15 Round 4, Race 2 (11 laps)
Saturday, December 4
15:00 – 15:40 Round 5, Race 1 (15 laps)
Sunday, December 5
10:50 – 11:15 Round 5, Race 2 (9 laps)
Entry List: Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia, Rounds 4 & 5, Bathurst
# Name Surname Sponsor Class
7 Tim Miles No Second Chance Pro-Am
8 Nick McBride Porsche Centre Melbourne Pro
9 Marc Cini Hallmarc Pro-Am
11 Jackson Walls Objective Racing Pro
12 Harri Jones Helimods Pro
13 Sam Shahin The Bend / HTFU Pro-Am
17 Callum Hedge Team Porsche NZ / EBM Pro
21 Matthew Payne Team Porsche NZ / SP Tools Pro
22 Dean Cook Zonzo Estate Yarra Valley Pro-Am
23 David Russell Lago Racing Pro
28 Max Vidau TekworkX Motorsport Pro
35 Indiran Padayachee RentCorp Hyundai Forklifts Pro-Am
36 Cooper Murray Phase 8 Pro
38 David Wall Paynter Dixon / Shannons Pro
48 Geoff Emery Force Accessories Pro-Am
74 Ben Stack Dutton EMA Motorsport Pro-Am
76 Christian Pancione VCM Performance Pro
77 Michael Almond Bob Jane T-Marts / PSA Pro
78 Aaron Love Sonic Pro
82 Madeline Stewart Team Porsche NZ / EBM Pro
86 Drew Hall Wall Racing Pro-Am
100 Dale Wood Timken / ASM Pro
111 Cameron Hill Supaglass Industries Pro
222 Scott Taylor Scott Taylor Motorsport Pro-Am
338 Craig Lowndes Paynter Dixon / Monochrome Pro
777 Simon Fallon Bob Jane T-Marts / Sonic Pro
Source. Porsche
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