After a season and a half of racing in the second tier Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, the 19-year-old Queenslander will leap into the latest-generation 992 Porsche.

McLennan will race the #81 EBM entry and carry the familiar blue and purple Macpro Properties colours that he has in his recent Porsches. He finished 10th overall in the Sprint Challenge standings with a best result of third at Symmons Plains.

“Compared to Sprint Challenge, it will certainly be a different playing field. The competition will be harder, but I’m really looking forward to stepping up my game and racing on cool street tracks, including the Grand Prix at Albert Park and the Gold Coast,” said McLennan.

“It’s also great to re-sign with EBM. I really enjoyed my time with them in Sprint Challenge so to make the step up with them to Carrera Cup was a logical choice. They are a great team.

“The 992 Porsche race car is a whole new car compared to what I’ve been racing. It will take some time to get to grips with it, but I have a few test days in the lead up. I haven’t driven one of them yet, so can’t wait to strap myself in and see how different the 992 is compared to the 991.2 that I’ve raced in Sprint Challenge.”

He will begin a testing program shortly, ahead of the first of eight championship rounds which begins as a support category to the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.

The championship will have its first trip to New Zealand for Round 2 at Taupo, a circuit that McLennan is familiar with as he raced Formula Regional Oceania there early last year.

“It’s great to have Tom step up to Carrera Cup this year,” said EBM Team Manager, Ben Jenkins.

“When he first joined our team last year, the goal was that he wanted to be ready for Carrera Cup and we feel he is more than ready for it.

“As the year went on, we saw some great progress. At Bathurst, he ran close to the top five all weekend, and that’s no mean feat in what was the most competitive Sprint Challenge seasons on record.

“No doubt, it’s a big step up, but he’ll have a strong set of team-mates to work with and learn from.”