Two dramatic races wrapped up the 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia season at Bathurst over the weekend, with both of Saturday’s sprints finishing behind the Safety Car.
Ronan Murphy was the first Kiwi home in both races, finishing seventh in Race 2 and sixth in Race 3, while Clay Osborne’s impressive introduction to the series continued with two further top tens.
Marco Giltrap, who wrapped up the title in the opening race of the weekend on Friday, ran into trouble in Race 2, clipping the wall at The Grate after sustaining a puncture, forcing the champion-elect into retirement from second position.
The DNF in Race 2 forced Giltrap to start from 25th in the season-finale, and he was quick to charge forward, making up eight place on Lap 1 alone, and was sitting 14th when a Safety Car was called for on Lap 5. The race would ultimately finish under yellow.
Australian Nash Morris was the victor of all three races, claiming his second clean-sweep of the season despite missing the opening two rounds.
Morris and Marcos Flack started Race 2 well off the front row, but the latter ran through the gravel at McPhillamy Park on Lap 2 and lost places to Hamish Fitzsimmons and Giltrap.
Giltrap also worked past Fitzsimmons to take second as Morris cleared out up front, but had his impressive run of 16-consecutive top five finishes end on Lap 4 when he clipped the wall at The Grate.
At the same point, incidents at Hell Corner and Murray’s Corner left track staff with three seperate incidents to clean up, resulting in the race finishing under yellow.
Morris took the win from Fitzsimmons, with Oscar Targett rounding out the podium.
Morris would also clear out from pole in Race 3, leading from start to finish, with Fitzsimmons finishing second and Aron Shields rounding out the podium.
Having started 25th, 14th place was where Giltrap’s charge finished after debutant Slade Orsmond had a big crash at Griffins Bend after spinning on fluid from his damaged radiator.
Header Image: Porsche Motorsport Australia
