REPORT
EVENT
ROUND 3 | PHILLIP ISLAND
Young Territorian Thomas Maxwell continued his strong start to the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia series last weekend at Phillip Island, securing 6th for the round at the seaside circuit.
After qualifying a season best sixth on Friday, Maxwell held his position for the majority of the 45-minute-long race one, which was the opening race of the 2019 Endurance Cup. As the race entered its final laps, Maxwell dropped to seventh by the chequered flag.
Maxwell had a strong start to race two but dropped several positions on the opening lap after being forced wide, ultimately finishing ninth in the 14-lap battle.
The 20-year-old then bounced back for his best result of the weekend in race three, moving through to sixth place by the chequered flag capitalising on improved car set-up and experienced gained across the opening two races.
Maxwell’s strong Phillip Island performance sees him place eighth in the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia standings entering the fourth round of the season, which will be held at Hidden Valley Raceway in Maxwell's home town of Darwin.
FROM THOMAS
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“Last weekend's Carrera Cup round at Phillip Island was a great experience and I'm happy with my performance and continued improvement in the Porsche championship in what was just my third Carrera Cup event.
The Phillip Island layout provided some new challenges in comparison to the opening two events at Adelaide and Albert Park - both temporary street circuits - mainly its many high-speed corners which took some time to adapt to and get a feeling for the for the car. It was a great experience and I’m quickly learning the best way to drive these Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars on all kinds of race tracks.
All in all, it was a strong weekend and I was happy with the progress we’ve made in Qualifying and the way I fought back in the final race; although I dropped a few positions, I had the pace to be able to move back through the field and claim my best result of the weekend. It wasn’t just a good round for me, the whole Sonic team had amazing results.
The next race for me will be special – racing in my home town of Darwin at Hidden Valley Raceway. I have raced on some pretty amazing international race tracks, though nothing can describe how excited I am to return home and continue my Carrera Cup campaign in front of a home crowd.
I look forward to seeing you then... When Carrera Cup heads to Darwin on June 14-16!”
RACE RESULTS
ROUND 3
Qualifying
6th
Race 1
7th
Race 2
9th
Race 3
6th
Championship Position
8th