Usually, it has been the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship has been regularly on the Reid Park circuit. However, this year, it’s the turn of the second tier series to put on a show at the NTI Townsville 500.
Founded in 2008, Round 3 of the competitive series will be staged in the North Queensland city on the support program to the Repco Supercars Championship. It is another occasion for the category after it part of the Sydney SuperNight and Tasmania SuperSprint events last year.
At the peak of its competitiveness, with more depth than it has ever seen, a host of young stars are battling for the Sprint Challenge championship. The top 10 in the standings after the first two rounds, average under 20 years-of-age.
West Aussie Caleb Sumich, who drives for McElrea Racing, won the opening round at Phillip Island, although it came in a three-way tie for round honours. Team Porsche New Zealand Brock Gilchrist and Grove Racing’s Oscar Targett were equal on points.
Targett struck back at Round 2 in South Australia last month to win the round and take a narrow championship lead. In the six races contested, he’s also the only repeat race winner while other race winners have been Hamish Fitzsimmons, Sumich, Clay Osborne and Gilchrist.
The line up also includes former Super2 racer Tyler Greenbury with his own team and sits seventh. Nash Morris returns after race victories laps and who is currently in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship fulltime with Scott Taylor Motorsport. Marc Cini is the most experienced one-make Porsche racer in Australia, will also return to Sprint Challenge in a one-off.
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In class competition, Pro-Am is led by Danny Stutterd with Lachlan Harburg and former champ Brett Boulton in close behind. Among the earlier generation Class B GT3 Cup Cars, Jacque Jarjo has been dominant.
The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge will contest three races across the weekend, two sprints and one longer-distance race that is a round of the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy.
They have practice on Friday, qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday, with two races on Sunday with viewing on Fox Sports, Kayo and the Seven Network.
Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia Round 3 Entry List
| # | DRIVER | CLASS | SPONSOR / TEAM |
| 3 | Jonathan Gliksten (VIC) | Pro-Am | Racing To Beat FA |
| 4 | Oscar Targett (QLD) | Pro | Grove Racing / EBM |
| 5 | Jacque Jarjo (NSW) | Class B | Jacque Fine Jewellery |
| 6 | Tyler Greenbury (VIC) | Pro | Tyler Greenbury Racing |
| 8 | Brad Carr (QLD) | Class B | Car Mods Australia |
| 9 | Marc Cini (VIC) | Pro-Am | Hallmarc Team M.P.C |
| 10 | Brock Gilchrist (QLD) | Pro | Team Porsche NZ / EBM |
| 11 | Eric Constantinidis (NSW) | Pro-Am | Aera Cloud & Cyber Security Group |
| 14 | Caleb Sumich | Pro | McElrea Racing |
| 15 | Clay Osborne (QLD) | Pro | Power and Earth . Com |
| 16 | Hamish Fitzsimmons (QLD) | Pro | TekworkX Motorsport |
| 19 | Brayden Taylor (NSW) | Class B | Wall Racing |
| 25 | Ben Taylor (VIC) | Pro | auticon / Porsche Centre Melbourne Motorsport |
| 28 | Ayrton Hodson (QLD) | Pro | McElrea Racing |
| 34 | Casper Tresidder (NSW) | Pro-Am | Hillcrest Merimbula |
| 35 | Indiran Padayachee (NSW) | Pro-Am | Rentcorp Hyundai Forklift |
| 47 | Stephen Moylan (NSW) | Class B | Effect Buuilding Projects |
| 71 | Conor Somers (VIC) | Pro | Sonic / Hi Tech Field Services |
| 84 | Brett Boulton (QLD) | Pro-Am | Bold Living |
| 91 | Lachlan Harburg (QLD) | Pro-Am | The Cover Shop / EBM |
| 99 | Ross McGregor (VIC) | Pro-Am | Westcoast Windows / Southern Star Windows |
| 116 | Aron Shields (NSW) | Pro | Astrontech / DNA Autosport |
| 222 | Nash Morris (QLD) | Pro | Scott Taylor Motorsport |
| 702 | Daniel Stutterd (VIC) | Pro-Am | TekworkX Motorsport |
| 777 | Jake Santalucia (VIC) | Pro | Sonic / Vision One |
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