The penultimate round of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia Series began on a high note for New Zealanders Tom Bewley and Hunter Robb.
Bewley made an immediate impression, ending the sole practice session second fastest with a 1:51.254 lap, just half a second shy of pace-setter Lachlan Bloxsom. In qualifying, he found another gear, producing a record-breaking 1:50.13 lap to claim pole position, putting him on the front row alongside Ramu Farrell, who also took Pro-Am pole.
When the lights went out, Farrell jumped into the lead while Bewley initially slipped to third behind James Lodge. As the race settled, Bewley regained second, keeping close to the overall leader and maintaining a strong gap over the chasing pack.
Robb, starting sixth, made steady progress early, moving up to fourth and running in striking distance of the podium before tyre degradation began to affect his pace.
Up front, Farrell set a dominant rhythm with multiple fastest laps, eventually easing off late to cross the line in first, taking both the overall and Pro-Am class victory. Bewley secured second overall and first in the Pro class, while Jake Santalucia completed the outright podium.
Bloxsom finished fourth overall and third in the Pro class, with Robb concluding a hard-fought race in sixth overall and fifth in class. The result marked a strong opening statement for the two Kiwi drivers.
The second race of the weekend saw only 43 points split the four Pro title contenders with Kiwi interest take centre stage once again, with Bewley starting alongside Race 1 winner Farrell on the front row and chasing points for the championship title.
Behind them, championship rivals Jake Santalucia and Lachlan Bloxsom occupied the second row, while Robb lined up sixth and was eager to bounce back after fading late the previous day.
Bewley immediately pounced at the start, snatching the race lead as Farrell slipped back through the pack. But his advantage was short-lived.
A safety car on lap two bunched the field, and at the restart, Santalucia made a decisive move to take over at the front. Bloxsom followed through, leaving Bewley to defend third.
Further back, Robb’s fortunes turned sour when contact with Ryan Casha damaged his suspension and left him with a bent toe link, forcing him to pit and retire.
At the front, Santalucia looked comfortable, lowering the benchmark with the fastest laps in clear air. Bewley slipped into midfield battles and fought hard to recover positions, but was hindered by ongoing gearbox issues.
Bloxsom crossed the line first, only to be stripped of victory post-race with a 10-second penalty, handing Santalucia the win.
Farrell was promoted to second place and secured the win in the Pro-Am class, while Lodge clung onto third despite his own time penalty. Bewley, who had slipped to eighth at the flag, was promoted to seventh after further penalties were applied.
That set the stage for Sunday’s 45-minute finale, where Robb had to start from the back following his Race 2 retirement, while Bewley lined up from seventh. Santalucia started from pole and made a clean getaway, but drama quickly unfolded behind.
Multiple cars went off at Turn 6, and Bloxsom suffered a high-speed excursion that damaged his front splitter, triggering an early safety car. Quick repairs kept him on the lead lap, but his weekend went from bad to worse later in the race when further contact forced him out.
When racing resumed, Bewley moved into fourth while Robb began carving his way through the field from 21st, climbing into the top 12 within the opening laps.
Up front, Santalucia and Lodge duelled fiercely before Lodge found a way through, only for Santalucia to reclaim the lead on the next restart after another safety car.
Behind them, Bewley found himself in a heated scrap with Casha, the pair clashing at Turn 5. Contact left Casha spinning and dropped Bewley back to fourth with front-end damage, while stewards immediately placed the incident under review.
Despite the setback, Bewley held on to finish fifth at the flag, while Robb’s charge from the back ended with a superb sixth-place result, a determined recovery drive to close out his weekend.
Santalucia secured victory and with it the overall round win, joined on the podium by Kamal Mrad and James Lodge in both the outright and Pro class results.
In Pro-Am, Farrell again proved untouchable, taking his third win of the weekend ahead of Lachlan Harburg and Jacque Jarjo.
For Bewley and Robb, it was a weekend of mixed outcomes. Bewley showed his speed with pole position and a Pro class win in the opener, but mechanical issues and tough battles in the following races meant he couldn’t fully capitalise on that early form.
Robb endured a setback with his Race 2 retirement, yet responded well with an impressive run from the back of the grid to fifth in the finale. Both gained valuable track time and experience, leaving The Bend with positives to build on heading into the next round.
*Post-race penalties: Tom Bewley received a 30 second penalty for his collision with Casha and was classified in 16th for Race 3.
Header Image: Porsche Motorsport Australia
