The opening day of action in the Porsche Sprint Challenge delivered plenty of excitement for the two young Kiwis in the field, with Tom Bewley and Hunter Robb both showing strong pace across practice, qualifying, and the first race of the weekend.
Practice:
In the sole practice session, Tom Bewley (Team Porsche New Zealand/Earl Bamber Motorsport) immediately stamped his presence at the front of the field.
Bewley ended the session second fastest with a 1:51.254 lap, just 0.507 seconds shy of pace-setter Lachlan Bloxsom (McElrea Racing).
Fellow Kiwi Hunter Robb (Jones Motorsport) also showed promise, slotting inside the top 10 with the eighth-fastest time. His best lap, a 1:53.0556, left him 1.8 seconds off the outright pace but provided a solid baseline heading into qualifying.
Qualifying:
Bewley came alive in qualifying, finding an extra 1.2 seconds compared to practice to deliver a stunning pole position lap of 1:50.13s, a new category record.
The performance ensured he would start from the front row, joined by Ramu Farrell (Jones Motorsport), who not only qualified second overall but also took pole in the Pro-Am class.
Robb made equally strong improvements, shaving 2.4 seconds off his practice time to qualify sixth with a 1:50.6229. The result placed him on the third row, alongside DNA Autosport’s Ryan Casha, for the opening race of the weekend.
Race 1: Bewley Converts Pole into Pro Class Win
When the lights went out, it was Farrell who made the best launch, seizing the overall lead as Bewley slipped to third behind Ashley Seward Motorsport’s James Lodge. By the end of the opening laps, Farrell had already built a 2.7-second margin, while Bewley sat a further 2.9 seconds back but right on Lodge’s tail.
Robb also made progress early, climbing to fifth and dispatching Tyler Greenbury, who had stormed through from 10th. The early stages saw Bewley reclaim second from Lodge, who then fell back to fifth under pressure from multiple challengers.
Robb’s charge continued as he overtook Lodge and championship leader and Sonic Motor Racing driver Jake Santalucia to move into fourth, keeping the fight alive for a potential podium and setting up the prospect of a double-Kiwi top-three finish.
Up front, Farrell remained untouchable, setting a series of fastest laps, including a 1:51.8969 ten minutes into the race. Bewley’s best effort of 1:52.1492 kept him steady in second, while Robb was also in the mix with a 1:52.2482, maintaining close contact with Santalucia.
As the race entered its closing stages, tyre degradation became a factor, with lap times dropping into the 1:53s. Robb fought hard to keep Bloxsom behind but was eventually passed with three minutes to go, dropping him to fifth overall.
On the final lap, he was also overtaken by Casha, crossing the line in sixth.
At the chequered flag, Farrell secured a commanding win, his margin reduced to 2.9 seconds after easing off late, while also taking top honours in the Pro-Am class.
Bewley followed home in second overall, crucially claiming the Pro class victory ahead of Santalucia, who completed the outright podium. Bloxsom finished fourth overall and third in the Pro class, while Robb concluded the race in sixth overall and fifth in class after a hard-fought drive.
Race 1 has intensified the battle for the Pro class. Santalucia continues to lead, but the gap has narrowed to just 43 points over fourth-placed Bewley, who made significant gains this weekend after entering the round 50 points adrift.
Bloxsom sits 23 points behind his Sonic Racing rival, while Casha holds onto third place by a slim two-point margin as the series heads into tomorrow’s two races.
Race 2 gets underway at 10:30am on Saturday. Fans can follow the action via live timing on Natsoft Race Results, with no live broadcast available in New Zealand or Australia. The weekend concludes with the Jim Richards Enduro trophy and will be televised on 7plus for Australian viewers.
Header Image: Porsche Motorsport Australia
