New Zealand’s Marco Giltrap and Brock Gilchrist made their mark under the scorching Malaysian sun at Sepang International Circuit as the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia roared back into action with a triple-header weekend featuring two sprints and a dramatic 45-minute Endurance Cup showdown.
Returning to the 5.5km former Formula 1 venue for Rounds 5, 6, and 7, the 27-car field tackled a mix of day and night racing across the action-packed weekend.
Both Giltrap and Gilchrist were back behind the wheel for Team Porsche New Zealand, Giltrap rejoining the series for the first time this year and Gilchrist making a comeback after recovering from an emergency appendectomy that sidelined him for the previous round in Motegi.
Round 5: Giltrap Straight onto the Podium
Marco Giltrap wasted no time getting back into rhythm. In just his first appearance of the 2024 season, the young Kiwi qualified second, lining up on the front row alongside pole-sitter and series leader Dylan Pereira. Gilchrist, meanwhile, showed he hadn’t lost a step either, qualifying fourth on his return.
As the 13-lap opener got underway in sweltering 30-degree heat, Giltrap challenged Pereira off the line, but the Team Shanghai Yonda BWT driver held firm and began to ease away. Gilchrist dropped one spot early to Hugo Ellis and spent most of the race stalking the Brit for fourth.
Pereira gradually built a commanding lead, but Giltrap remained comfortably second throughout, a statement result in his first outing of the year. Gilchrist rounded out a solid return with fifth, finishing just behind the lead group and unchallenged from behind.
Result (Top 5):
- Dylan Pereira
- Marco Giltrap (+8.9s)
- Dylan Yip
- Hugo Ellis
- Brock Gilchrist
Round 6: Kiwi Consistency Amid Safety Car Chaos
The grid reset for another 13-lap sprint in Round 6 with Pereira once again on pole. Giltrap started fourth, Gilchrist sixth, and the Kiwis were again in the thick of the action from the start.
Pereira launched cleanly, and the field bunched up behind in a five-wide battle into Turn 1. Giltrap slotted into third and hounded Enzo Trulli for second, while Gilchrist got stuck behind Josh Rowledge in a fierce scrap for fourth.
The safety car was called on Lap 7 after a pair of incidents, including a stranded Jacky Wu and a multi-car collision in the mid-pack. That neutralised Pereira’s lead and brought Giltrap and Gilchrist right back into play for the final four laps.
Giltrap capitalised with a daring pass on Trulli in the final sector to snatch second place, his second podium of the weekend. Gilchrist briefly lost out to Nazim Azman but fought back to finish fifth once again, showing resilience and control in high-pressure conditions.
Result (Top 5):
- Dylan Pereira
- Marco Giltrap (+3.8s)
- Enzo Trulli
- Josh Rowledge
- Brock Gilchrist
Round 7 Endurance Cup: Survival of the Fastest
The final and most anticipated event of the weekend, the 45-minute Endurance Cup, delivered everything from safety cars and red flags to thrilling battles under the lights.
Giltrap lined up on the front row once again alongside Pereira, while Gilchrist slotted into sixth. A chaotic opening saw Giltrap initially fend off a three-wide challenge from Trulli and Yip but eventually lost out and settled into fourth. Gilchrist was also shuffled back early but remained inside the top ten.
Just four minutes into the race, a major incident involving multiple cars brought out the safety car and quickly led to a red flag. A wheel on track and two cars stranded, including Earl Bamber Motorsport’s Adrian D’Silva, forced a 35-minute stoppage.
Once racing resumed, Giltrap found himself in another tight fight with Yip and Trulli. He moved up into third briefly before running wide and falling back to fourth. As the race wore on, Giltrap had to contend with pressure from Ellis, who would later be penalised for a false start.
Meanwhile, Gilchrist held firm in seventh before being elevated to sixth after Ellis’s post-race penalty reshuffled the final standings.
Pereira dominated yet again to take a hat trick of wins across the weekend, but the Kiwi duo proved their endurance and consistency with strong points hauls, particularly Giltrap, who added a fifth-place finish to his double podium.
Gilchrist, in just his first round back from surgery, finished in the top six in all three races.
Result (Post Penalty – Top 10):
- Dylan Pereira
- Enzo Trulli
- Dylan Yip
- Nazim Azman
- Marco Giltrap
- Brock Gilchrist
- Hugo Ellis (5s penalty applied)
- Josh Rowledge
- Bao Jinlong
- Cao Qikuan
Marco Giltrap will now return to Australian shores for the next round of the Carrera Cup Australia in Darwin next weekend, while Brock Gilchrist is set for back-to-back weekends of North Island Endurance Series action at Hampton Downs.
As Carrera Cup Asia prepares for its next stop in Thailand, the Kiwi pair leave Malaysia with plenty of positives: Giltrap showed immediate pace and polish in his season debut, while Gilchrist proved he’s back to full strength with a trio of gritty, composed drives.
Their performances once again highlight the depth of Kiwi talent making waves on the international motorsport stage.
Header Image: Porsche Carrera Cup Asia
