ROUND one of the all-Porsche Australian Championship will be held in six weeks’ time at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, with 19 of the 25 available drivers’ seats already secured and most team sponsorships confirmed.
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This year’s season will pit an exciting troupe of new talent against many of the drivers who have ignited interest in the Carrera Cup since its introduction to Australia in 2003.
The rookies include 22-year-old Dean Fiore, fresh from a fourth placing in last year’s Australian Formula Ford Championship, 25-year-old reigning Australian Formula 3 champion Aaron Caratti, runner-up in last year’s Porsche Driver’s Challenge John Kaias, former sports sedan and GT driver David Wall and former V8 Supercar Development Series driver David Russell.
Making a welcome return to the Wright Patton Shakespeare Carrera Cup Australia is 2004 champion Alex Davison, after a one-year stint in the V8 Supercar Championship Series.
The 26-year-old Melbournian will start one of the favourites for the overall championship honours after a dominating year in 2004, as well as the previous four years driving Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars successfully in the Carrera Cup in Germany and the Porsche Michelin Supercup worldwide.
Davison is a prized recruit for Paul Cruickshank Racing, who will also campaign Wall and last year’s championship third placegetter and Michelin Porsche Driver to Europe winner Jonathon Webb.
Fiore will join another expanding team in Sonic Motor Racing, who will also up the ante from two to three cars.
He will join last year’s series fifth placegetter and 2004 Formula Ford national champion, Albury’s David Reynolds as well as experienced Porsche racer Rodney Jane under the Sonic banner.
Fiore will be backed principally by Landscape Developments, while Jane and Reynolds will continue their Bob Jane T-Mart backing.
Reynolds is on the road to recovery after undergoing a shoulder arthroscopy late last year due to a tear in his right shoulder’s rotator cuff.
The Jim Richards Racing stable will continue to service the Porsche of two-time TAG Heuer Carrera Challenge champion Dean Grant.
Team VIP Petfoods is also set to go into the championship with the same line-up as last year.
Young guns Luke Youlden and Klark Quinn should consistently vie for podium positions, while Tony Quinn is a strong contender to wrest the TAG Heuer Carrera Challenge away from Grant.
