The decision was in an effort to give Carrera Cup teams the chance at an additional event, bridging the gap between the Australian Grand Prix in March and the Darwin Triple Crown in June.
The current 992.1 model used in Carrera Cup Australia will be moved into Sprint Challenge in 2027 with the introduction of the next-generation 992.2.
While it was understood that around 10 competitors had committed to the event, the decision was mooted when the majority of Carrera Cup teams had committed to testing programs elsewhere.
Several Carrera Cup teams have conducted test sessions at Hidden Valley Raceway in recent weeks ahead of the Darwin Supercars event, leaving minimal time to get back to The Bend in South Australia.
The second round of the season at The Bend Motorsport Park has mustered 23 entrants, split between 14 Pro and nine Pro-Am cars.
Jones Motorsport enters the second round with the drivers’ championship lead after young gun Hunter Robb claimed the season opener at Phillip Island.
Robb won the first two races at Round 1 and was on track to sweep the weekend before contact from Lincoln Taylor in Race 3 saw him finish well down the order.
The team will expand to three cars for select events throughout the season, commencing at Round 2.
Robb and Ben Taylor will be joined by Toyota GR Cup runner-up and Sprint Challenge front-runner James Lodge, who was absent from the opening event.
In addition to Lodge’s return to the series, Brandon Maddon returns to the fray following a substantial crash at Phillip Island in practice.
The incident on the exit of Turn 1 left the Tyler Greenbury Motorsport-run car battered, with Maddon uncertain of a return to the field.
Pro-Am championship leader Anthony Gilbertson returns at The Bend, having contested his first Sprint Challenge round in six years at the season opener.
Gilbertson swept the opening round at Phillip Island, unchallenged for much of the weekend.
Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia will hit the track for a pair of sprint races on Saturday before the 45-minute Jim Richards Enduro Trophy race on Sunday.
Round 2 will be held at The Bend Motorsport Park as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries on May 8-10.
Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Round 2 entry list
| Num | Driver | Team | Class |
| 2 | Diesel Thomas | TFH Racing / TekworkX Motorsport | Pro |
| 3 | Josh Thomas | TFH Racing / TekworkX Motorsport | Pro |
| 7 | Kamal Mrad | Mrad Racing / McElrea Racing | Pro |
| 11 | Eric Constantinidis | TekworkX Motorsport / Aera Cloud | Pro-Am |
| 14 | Kent Leicester | KDL Property Group / McElrea Racing | Pro-Am |
| 19 | Anthony Gilbertson | McElrea Racing | Pro-Am |
| 22 | Ruairi Avern | Sonic Motor Racing Services / TBC | Pro |
| 24 | Daniel Quimby | FCL Transport / McElrea Racing | Pro |
| 25 | Ben Taylor | auticon / The Door Centre | Pro |
| 29 | Lincoln Evans | TekworkX Motorsport | Pro |
| 35 | Indiran Padayachee | Willani Investments | Pro-Am |
| 39 | James Lodge | Jones Motorsport | Pro |
| 47 | Stephen Moylan | Effect Building Projects | Pro-Am |
| 51 | Tim Farrell | Farrell Transport / McElrea Racing | Pro-Am |
| 55 | Xavier Avramides | Sonic Motor Racing Services / Ozone Organics / VPG | Pro |
| 56 | John McInnes | GWR Australia | Pro-Am |
| 57 | Brandon Madden | Harvey’s Towing Services / Major Training | Pro |
| 69 | Hunter Robb | VOMO Island Fiji / Jones Motorsport | Pro |
| 75 | Dean Wanless | Wanless | Pro-Am |
| 78 | Lincoln Taylor | TekworkX Motorsport | Pro |
| 81 | Hayden Haikal | Sonic Motor Racing Services / JMR | Pro |
| 94 | Kobi Williams | Brisbane Industrial Supplies / Edge Designer Homes | Pro |
| 96 | John Papantoniou | Entertainment Park | Pro-Am |
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