Kiwis accounted for five of the nine podium places across three Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia races over the weekend in Townsville.
Team Porsche New Zealand and EBM’s Brock Gilchrist finished second twice and third once, while Power and Earth.Com’s Clay Osborne finished third twice on the Reid Park track, the Sprint Challenge’s first-ever street circuit outing.
McElrea Racing’s Ayrton Hodson also enjoyed a strong weekend, finishing fifth in the opener, ninth in Race 2 and seventh in Race 3.
Gilchrist was immediately fast in both of Friday’s practice sessions, going third quickest in the opener and leading the time sheets with a 1:14.4746 in Practice 2.
Hodson also showed good pace, going fifth fastest to start and improving to fourth in the latter session.
Osborne set a statement-making 1:14.6517 in Saturday’s qualifying to earn a front-row start, bettered only by Hamish Fitzsimmons. Gilchrist qualified fourth, and Hodson seventh in a session that ended early following a frightening roll-over for Conor Somers.
The pole-sitter started Race 1 from the pit lane after missing his place on the grid, leaving Osborne alone in the front row and giving Oscar Targett a clear run from third.
Osborne settled into the lead early, with Targett in pursuit and Gilchrist following.
The Kiwi led the opening three laps but was overtaken by Targett at Turn 4 on Lap 4, and Gilchrist followed the Australian through to take second.
The lead three remained in that order until Lap 13 when a Safety Car was called when Caleb Sumich and Jake Santalucia crashed at Turn 7.
The race would not resume, with Targett leading home Gilchrist and Osborne. Hodson crossed the line in fifth, equalling his best result of 2024.
Targett doubled down in Sunday’s 45-minute Enduro, getting a good start and leading the field into Turn 2. Gilchrist applied immense pressure over the opening laps but slipped back through the mid-stages.
Osborne initially went with the leading duo in third but lost ground over the following tours.
The 29-lap outing ended under Safety Car following a late spin for Eric Constantinidis, who was stranded at turn seven with less than five minutes remaining.
Targett crossed the line for his second win of the weekend ahead of Gilchrist, with Osborne third and Fitzsimmons gaining ten places for fourth. Hodson finished ninth.
Fitzsimmons’s charge forward continued in Race 3, with the Race 1 pole-sitter redeeming himself for Saturday’s start line infringement by taking the race win.
The TekworkX Motorsport driver worked his way from fourth to the lead early, charging on for a comprehensive 9-second victory.
Targett and Gilchrist battled for second for the entire race, with the Australian taking the advantage late in the race for the position and ultimately round honours. Gilchrist’s third place placed him second for the round.
A false start cost Osborne, who was fourth across the line but relegated to seventh once a five-second penalty was applied post-race. Shields and Hodson battled furiously over eighth and ninth throughout the final sprint, with the former taking the position at the chequered flag.
Targett’s round win leaves him 26 points ahead of Gilchrist in the championship standings, with Fitzsimmons now third but a distant 89 points behind the leading duo at the season’s mid-point.
Osborne sits fifth, and Hodson ninth.
The Porsche Sprint Challenge returns on 2-4 August at Queensland Raceway.
Header Image: Porsche Motorsport Australia
