Organisers of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship have added an endurance component to the 2017 schedule.
The field will battle for the Endurance Cup which will see one longer distance race in addition to two regular sprint heats form part of the new prize at three of the Championship’s showpiece events.
Remaining as a solo driver event only, the longer races will be reserved for the Wilson Security Sandown 500, Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and season-ending Gold Coast 600.
While no firm length has been confirmed, it is expected the longer races will be around double the distance of the normal sprint races.
The endurance races will also count toward the regular series points.
Porsche Cars Australia Motorsport Manager Kurt Sakzewski said the mini endurance series is in response to what competitors requested.
“Having longer races is something our drivers have requested, and thanks to Supercars, we have been able to accommodate this at three of the best events on the 2017 motor racing calendar,” Sakzewski said.
“Carrera Cup is, first and foremost, a sprint format championship, however adding elements such as an Endurance Cup enhance the overall experience for our customers, providing extra track time and another on-track incentive.
A similar method has been used in the second-tier GT3 Cup Challenge Series with the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy awarded since 2011.