Marco Giltrap has extended his 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia lead to a massive 171 points ahead of the final round at Bathurst by claiming the round win in thrilling circumstances at The Bend.
With 180 points up for grabs when the field race in support of the Bathurst International next month, Giltrap only needs to finish 16th or higher in one of the three races to be crowned champion.
The Team Porsche New Zealand and Earl Bamber Motorsport driver was immediately on the offensive at The Bend, qualifying second, falling only 0.0488 seconds short of the pole-setting time from Oscar Targett. His closest championship rival, Aron Shields, could only manage tenth fastest.
Zac Stichbury was the second-fastest Kiwi to qualify fifth, while Ronan Murphy started Race 1 from seventh, next to Clay Osborne, who impressed in his maiden qualifying session to line up eighth.
Giltrap was jumped off the line in the opener by Targett, with Marcos Flack also moving forward to relegate the Kiwi to third by Turn 1.
Stichbury’s race and weekend were cut short on the opening lap as the Team Porsche New Zealand driver ran in a three-wide battle going into Turn 1, with contact sending him around in front of the trailing field and hard into the concrete wall.
He emerged unhurt from the incident, but the damage prevented him from taking further part in the weekend’s proceedings.
Giltrap retook second off Flack off the ensuing restart, where he would remain until the chequered flag, behind only Targett. Osborne passed Murphy for seventh during the race and would gain an extra spot after fourth-placed Hamish Fitzsimmons received a five-second post-race penalty for weaving under the Safety Car, dropping him to seventh, ahead of Murphy.
Amazingly, the results of Race 2’s top ten were identical to Race 1’s, with Targett taking the lead from the pole, where he remained until the end. Giltrap finished 2.3 seconds behind for second, with Flack rounding out the podium. Osborne was sixth, and Murphy eighth.
Sunday’s endurance race was nothing short of spectacular, with post-race penalties shaking up the podium and ultimately seeing Giltrap walk away with round honours.
Four drivers would lead at points as light rain produced variable conditions for the 21-lap finale.
Lachlan Bloxsom, who will feature in this season’s New Zealand Toyota 86 Championship, was initially credited with the win, leading home Targett, Shields, Giltrap and Flack on track.
The fact that Bloxsom had even been in a position to secure the win was admirable, with a poor start seeing him sitting ninth at the end of the opening lap. He would charge through the field during the race and take the lead with two laps to run.
However, a five-second post-race penalty for contact with Giltrap in the closing stages dropped him to fifth, elevating Targett to the provisional race win.
That, too, was short-lived, with Saturday’s double-winner stung with a 15-second penalty for overtaking under yellow flags with just two laps remaining, dropping him to eighth.
Shields was subsequently rewarded with the win despite crossing the line third, ahead of Giltrap and Flack.
Osborne was also stung with a post-race penalty of five seconds, which dropped him to sixth. Murphy came home ninth and sits fifth in the standings ahead of the final round.
Stichbury’s misfortunes see him fall from third in the standings to ninth.
The final round of the 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia takes place at Mount Panorama on November 9-11.
Header Image: Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia
