THE PRESIDENT'S REPORT - ROUND 1 PREVIEW - SANDOWN
WITH THANKS TO OUR PRESENTING PARTNERS
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This round of the series is proudly presented by L K Diesel Services.
11 Drivers have entered for the First Round of the 2026 944 Challenge Championship, as the category returns to the Home of Horsepower - Sandown Raceway, in the South East of Melbourne.
Returning to again defend his championship again is six-time 944 Champion, Cameron Beller, with the #1 again adorning the Beller Motorsport car. He will once again have to prove himself against a tough field of protagonists hoping to stop him going back-to-back. This will be led by 4-time Champion Chris Lewis-Williams aboard the #37 Tyrepower 944, and 2-time champion Jamie Westaway who sits behind the wheel of his Father Tony’s #50 Yellow & Black 944 following the sale of his championship winning car.
The strongest candidate to join the existing trio of competing championship winners will be Adam Brewer. A number change to #81 for Brewer for 2026 will hopefully provide the success that avoided the famous #81 McLaren driver last year as he aims to start the 2026 season swinging with a strong showing at Round 1.
Also looking to have a strong start to the season will be Mark Taubitz who is piloting the yellow Pipecraft backed machine to start the 2026 Championship. Mark, like Brewer, will want to have a strong Round at Sandown to start his 2026 season strongly and build from there.
Another pair of Westaways will be gridding up for Round 1, with Michael back behind the wheel of his orange #45 machine, meanwhile Tony Westaway takes command of the #20 Poolmaster Bayside car of Andrew Jackman after son Jamie has stolen the keys to Tonys regular ride.
Returning for 2026 is Sam Rofe, who with a full season under his belt, will have the chance to continue moving up the grid in his pristine #68 944, as will be Andrew Goldman, having missed the final round of 2025 to have some further upgrades carried out on the Carpet Shed #333 to help with his progression up the field.
Carter Fox is back behind the wheel of his regular #7 Porsche, fresh from repairs following his incident in qualifying at Sandown last year, and will be looking to showcase some of the speed shown driving the Andrew Jackman Poolmaster car.
Rounding out the field will be the returning Lyndon Watson in the #5 car – Lyndon missed the 2025 championship, but has aspirations of returning for a full 2026 Season campaign returning to the site where he had some strong showings in his last visit in 2024.
While there are some names missing from the first round, there will be additional runners expected to join the series in the coming months for Rounds 2 & 3 of the championship at Calder Park and Winton Raceway.