Ash Walsh makes Carrera Cup switch

V8 Supercars refugee Ash Walsh will move to the Carrera Cup Australia this season following his exit from Erebus Motorsport.

Walsh has confirmed a deal with Sonic Motor Racing Services to steer Nick Foster’s title winning Porsche from last year.

The 28-year-old Walsh switches to the Carrera Cup after a split with Erebus that the driver says is now “in the hands of the lawyers”.

Walsh made his long awaited full-time V8 Supercars Championship debut last season in what was announced as a two-year deal.

Erebus subsequently benched Walsh for the final two rounds and has since announced Aaren Russell as his replacement in part of a restructured operation.

Walsh will have his first taste of the Porsche at Phillip Island tomorrow, kicking off a two-day test with the highly respected Sonic outfit.

He hopes to use the season to prepare for a yet-to-be-confirmed Pirtek Enduro Cup co-driving role and a full-time return to the main series next year.

“The Carrera Cup is a good category and a lot of guys that run at the front, like Steve Richards, do a really good job in the enduros,” Walsh told Speedcafe.com.

“It’s a great option for me to run against guys like him to prepare myself for the endurance races.

“I’ve been out of a car for a while and I’m really looking forward to jumping in tomorrow at such a fast track.

“The Carrera Cup has a lot more testing than the Dunlop Series, which is important for getting your head around the package and just getting miles.

“I’ve got a lot to learn in the Carrera Cup, but if I can get a good placing here it’ll really help me springboard back into the main game.”

Looking forward to rebuilding his career through the Porsche championship, Walsh confirmed that his dispute with Erebus is ongoing.

“They decided to break contract and it’s now with the lawyers,” he said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Walsh spent four seasons in the Dunlop Series prior to 2015, scoring a season best result of third.

Despite an early exit, his efforts in the V8 Supercars Championship last year netted the Mike Kable Rookie of the Year Award.