In 2022, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia celebrates its 14th season in Australia. The series became a reality in 2008 when a group of enthusiasts took their Porsche race cars to Mallala in South Australia to kick start a four-round mini-series. Now managed by Porsche Cars Australia, the series has developed into one of Australia’s best and most professionally run racing series offering Porsche enthusiasts progressing from state level championships an opportunity to compete in the previous generation 911 GT3 Cup cars in a competitive and welcoming environment.

For young drivers, the series is a launch pad in their pursuit of a professional motor racing career. Several drivers have used Sprint Challenge to gain experience in a high-performance sports car before their journey up the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid. The ultimate example of the success of this pathway of McElrea Racing’s Matt Campbell. After winning the Class B title in 2014, Campbell raced two Carrera Cup seasons, winning the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Pro championship in 2016 and claiming success at the Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout, which promoted the Queenslander to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup as a Porsche Junior.

Third in the Supercup saw Campbell promoted to a Porsche Young Professional role and an extensive Porsche factory race programme in 2018. In 2019, Campbell was part of the Bathurst 12 Hour winning team and for 2020 was named as full Porsche factory driver, which he remains until today.

Second McElrea Racing driver Jaxon Evans would also finish runner-up in the 2016 Sprint Challenge season before going on to win the 2018 Porsche Carrera Cup Championship. Following in the footsteps of Campbell, Evans was victorious in the Junior Programme Shootout before launching into an international racing career with Porsche as an official Porsche Junior driver in the 2019. Evans has gone onto compete in the Le Mans 24 Hr and is a two-time Carrera Cup champion, finishing runner-up in the 2021 Porsche Mobil1 Supercup Championship.

Source: porschesprintchallenge.com.au