FORMER Champion Alex Davison will return to face a new era of rivals when the 2023 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia championship commences at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Davison, one of the most successful one-make Porsche racers in Australian history, will drive Scott Taylor Motorsport’s entry in Melbourne amidst a 30-car field confirmed today for the opening round of what shapes as a blockbuster 2023 season.
Davison, who will race in Carrera Cup for the first time since 2016, beat Jim Richards to the 2004 championship and in a more than decade-long Carrera Cup career amassed 16 round wins, 47 race wins and a record 15 pole positions.
He will join David Wall as one of two former outright champions on the Round 1 grid, taking on a fiercely competitive field of experienced racers, young rising stars and Pro-Am contenders fighting for their own class championship.
The Melbourne field includes 19 drivers in the Equity-One Pro class – 9 Porsche Michelin Juniors among them – and 11 in the SP Tools Pro-Am battle.
Six drivers – Luke King, Courtney Prince, Chris Pither, Kenny Habul, Garnet Patterson and Ryder Quinn – will each make their respective debuts in the championship at Albert Park.
Prince will be the first full-time female competitor in Carrera Cup while Quinn will be the first third-generation driver to compete in the category, following in the footsteps of grandfather Tony and Dad, Klark.
Other notable changes include David Russell shifting teams to join an expanded line up at Earl Bamber Motorsport outfit this year.
Russell finished third in the championship last year and is the highest-finishing driver from 2022 to return in 2023.
Young Northern Territory driver Thomas Maxwell, who last raced Carrera Cup in 2019, returns with TekworkX Motorsport – one of several teams to expand their operations this year.
The Gold Coast squad will field four cars at the Grand Prix, with Bathurst winner Luke Youlden to take the reigns as team manager.
McElrea Racing (5), Earl Bamber Motorsport (4), Porsche Centre Melbourne (4), GWR / RAM Motorsport (3), Sonic Motor Racing (3), Wall Racing (3) and EMA Motorsport (2) all field multi-car squads, while Rennen Autosport and Scott Taylor Motorsport will each field a single car entry.
In the SP Tools Pro-Am fight, defending champion Geoff Emery currently sits on the side lines which opens up the always-competitive Carrera Cup ‘race within a race’ to a host of new contenders.
The Pro-Am battle is highlighted by an highly experienced group of contenders, though newcomer Danny Stutterd has just the single round start to his credit to date back in 2016.
The TekworkX driver has, however, raced in Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge before making the step up this year.
Of last year’s Pro-Am contenders, runner-up Dean Cook and fourth-placed Sam Shahin both return this year, as does Matthew Belford, Adrian Flack, Rodney Jane, Tim Miles, Drew Hall and Marc Cini.
Indiran Padayachee returns to the championship while Bathurst 12 Hour winner Kenny Habul will make his debut in Melbourne.
The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia field will tackle three races across the Australian Grand Prix weekend, with all three broadcast live on Fox Sports 506.
Practice, qualifying and race one will be held on Thursday with race two on Friday and the finale’ on Saturday evening.
Source. Porsche
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