Tony Quinn Foundation Ambassador Callum Hedge has secured a podium on debut in Porsche Carrera Cup North America at Sebring International Raceway, putting together a strong and consistent weekend in a highly competitive field.
For 2026, Hedge decided to return to his roots after two seasons in Indy NXT as he pursued a path to IndyCar. This year, the focus shifts toward the IMSA SportsCar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a return to Porsche Carrera Cup a logical next step.
His last appearance in the category came during his 2023 title-winning campaign in Australia, and the move to North America presented a fresh challenge as he continues building a future in sports car racing.
Hedge showed encouraging signs during pre-season testing as he readjusted to tin-top racing, while also adapting to the new 992.2 generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car and Pirelli tyres, leaving plenty for the field to get to grips with ahead of the season opener.
Two practice sessions kicked off the weekend, and Hedge was quickly up to speed. In the opening session, he finished third with a late flyer of 2:01.467, just over three tenths shy of the fastest time. He followed that with another solid run in Practice 2, placing sixth with a 2:02.025 to sit fourth overall on combined times heading into qualifying.
Qualifying proved crucial, with each driver’s fastest lap setting the grid for Race 1 and their second-fastest lap determining the Race 2 starting order.
Hedge’s first run was competitive, initially matching his Practice 1 benchmark before improving to a 2:01.090, his best lap of the weekend. After returning to the pits for fresh tyres, he went back out for a second run and again demonstrated consistency. Despite a promising final lap featuring strong opening sectors, he fell just short in the final sector to record a 2:01.163.
At the end of the session, Hedge secured sixth on the grid for Race 1, narrowly missing the second row. However, his consistency was rewarded, as his second-fastest time earned him a third-place start for Race 2 in his first qualifying appearance of the series.
Race 1 saw Hedge line up sixth, and he made an immediate impression at the start. A decisive move around the outside at Turn 1 allowed him to pass Cole Kleck and Paul Bocuse, moving into fourth by Turn 2.
He quickly settled in behind Aaron Jeansonne, applying pressure in the early stages while maintaining a gap to those behind. As the race progressed, the leading trio edged away slightly, but Hedge remained within range, sitting under two seconds back while continuing to manage the cars behind.
By the halfway point, he began to close the gap again, rejoining the fight for the podium and putting Jeansonne under increasing pressure for third place.
A small mistake with around 10 minutes remaining saw Hedge run deep, costing him valuable time and dropping him back from the battle ahead. Despite that, he recovered well, maintaining his pace to pull clear of Kleck behind and marginally reduce the gap to the leaders once more.
At the chequered flag, Hedge secured fourth place on debut, finishing just seven tenths shy of a podium result in an encouraging opening race.
That result positioned him well for Race 2, where he started from third on the grid.
In the second race, Hedge made a solid launch but was boxed in at Turn 1, allowing Jared Thomas to move around the outside and drop him to fourth.
As the race settled, the front group began to stretch slightly, but Hedge again showed a competitive pace, gradually closing the gap to the battle ahead.
While pressuring Thomas for third, the American was forced to pit with a puncture, promoting Hedge into a podium position.
From there, the focus shifted to maintaining a consistent pace and managing the gap behind. Through the middle stages, Hedge extended his advantage to around two seconds, though Kleck began to close in during the final 15 minutes, setting up a tense fight for third.
Under pressure, Hedge remained composed. A small slide at Turn 6 allowed Kleck to close further, but Hedge defended firmly into Turn 7, with minor contact between the pair as he held position.
In the closing laps, Hedge continued to manage the pressure, keeping Kleck just outside of striking distance. After 40 minutes of racing around the demanding Sebring circuit, he crossed the line in third place, securing a podium finish in his first weekend in Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
It marked a strong and measured debut from Hedge, demonstrating pace, racecraft and composure across both races as he established himself among the front-running group.
Following the opening round, Hedge sits third in the championship on 31 points, six behind second place and 25 off the lead.
Hedge now heads into a short break before Round 2 on the Streets of Long Beach, another new challenge as he continues to build momentum in his return to Porsche competition. Hear from Hegde below as he reflects on his debut weekend at Sebring.
Header Image: Porsche Motorsport North America
