Tony Quinn Foundation Ambassador Callum Hedge has delivered another standout weekend, securing a pair of hard-fought podium finishes on the streets of Long Beach.
In just his second start in Porsche Carrera Cup North America, the Kiwi qualified on the front row, narrowly missing Pole Position, before converting that pace into back-to-back podiums. Here’s how it all unfolded.
Callum arrived in California in strong form following an impressive debut at Sebring, where he finished fourth before stepping onto the podium in Race 2, quickly finding his feet back in Porsche machinery.
Now it was on to Long Beach, with Callum tackling the tricky street circuit for the first time, with just two 30-minute Practice sessions to get up to speed before Qualifying.
In the opening session, Callum showed strong pace from the outset, featuring near the top of the timesheets throughout before finishing fourth overall, just a tenth off the top two. He backed that up in Practice 2, again running at the top for much of the session before ending up just under two tenths shy of the fastest time, putting himself in a strong position heading into Qualifying.
Qualifying would be crucial, with each driver’s best two laps setting the grids for the two 40-minute races. After a consistent opening run, Callum delivered when it mattered, breaking into the 1:19s and setting a 1:19.709 to secure second on the grid, just 0.03 seconds shy of Pole. His second-best time locked in another front row start, lining him up second for both races. A mega effort on debut at the circuit.
At the start of the opening race, Callum didn’t get the best launch, leaving him vulnerable to Aaron Jeansonne, who made a big move into Turn 1 to take the position. From there, he came under pressure from Tyler Maxson, glued to the rear wing through the opening laps.
From there, it became a defensive drive, with Maxson applying relentless pressure while Callum worked to stay within touch of Jeansonne ahead. Lap after lap, the Kiwi remained composed, hitting his marks and keeping the Porsche positioned perfectly to deny any move. Despite a late push, he held firm to secure third, his second podium of the season.
The second race brought even more drama at the start. Lining up again on the front row, Callum didn’t get the cleanest launch, with Jeansonne getting through into Turn 1 and forcing the Kiwi wide on exit. That opened the door for Maxson to draw alongside, but Callum wasn’t done, staying alongside and fighting back to reclaim the position into Turn 2 in a strong, committed move.
From there, it settled into another intense battle, with Maxson glued to the rear wing as the pair pushed hard through the streets. Midway through the race, Jared Thomas joined the fight, turning it into a three-car scrap for the final podium spot.
In the closing stages, Callum managed to create a small buffer, but the pressure returned on the final lap, with Maxson launching a late move into Turn 11 and the pair making slight contact. Callum held strong to bring it home in third, securing his second podium of the weekend and third in a row.
Callum now sits third in the championship standings after the opening two rounds, closing the gap to the leader to just 19 points.
Porsche Carrera Cup North America now takes a short break before returning in Miami, supporting the Formula One Grand Prix. It will be another new challenge for the Kiwi, but if Long Beach is anything to go by, he’ll be right in the mix.
Header Image: JDX Racing/Porsche Carrera Cup North America
