BREWER TAKES VICTORY AS BELLER ENGINE GOES BOOM
AVI Technology driver Adam Brewer has claimed victory in race 2 of 3, during the Porsche 944 Challenge Series Island Magic event at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
The race was red flagged after leader Cameron Beller’s engine exploded exiting turn two and into the high speed turn three in spectacular fashion.
AVI Technology driver Adam Brewer has claimed victory in race 2 of 3, during the Porsche 944 Challenge Series Island Magic event at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
The race was red flagged after leader Cameron Beller’s engine exploded exiting turn two and into the high speed turn three in spectacular fashion.
With the safety car called and marshalls on track to remove the stricken car, it was Brewer who led the field home to take another victory in the category.
Adam Brewer
Adam Brewer
The engine failure proved costly for Beller, with end of season points on the line, dropping him back with the DNF result.
Champion elect Chris Lewis-Williams, who finished second in the race, now heads into the final race of the season with an unassailable lead.
MAGICAL BELLER BACK ON TOP - CB TAKES WIN IN RACE 1
Beller Motorsport driver Cameron Beller has taken out a hard fought victory, during Race 1 of 3, in the 2023 Porsche 944 Challenge Series ‘Island Magic’ event at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
Beller Motorsport driver Cameron Beller has taken out a hard fought victory, during Race 1 of 3, in the 2023 Porsche 944 Challenge Series ‘Island Magic’ event at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
Cameron Beller
The win did not come easy with serious competition and close racing between the top 6 all race.
Cameron Beller leads Chris Lewis-Williams and Adam Brewer at Phillip Island
2023 ‘champion elect’ Chris Lewis-Williams battled hard to come home in second place with Adam Brewer and Mark Verdino tussling all race for the final spot on the podium.
2X former champion Jamie Westaway led the race early but mechanical issues saw him drop back, before coming home to complete the top 6, finishing behind the No 77 of Joey Kellock.
Races 2 and 3 will be completed tomorrow with all races are available to be seen LIVE and FREE TO AIR on Blendline TV.
CLICK THE LINK HERE TO VIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37Sz0Q-DNbk
Cameron Beller
Chris Lewis-Williams
Adam Brewer
JAMIE WESTAWAY ON POLE FOR ISLAND MAGIC
Former double 944 Challenge Series champion Jamie Westaway has bounced back to take pole for the final Race 1 of the 2023 season, during the Island Magic event at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
Former double 944 Challenge Series champion Jamie Westaway has bounced back to take pole for the final Race 1 of the 2023 season, during the Island Magic event at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
Westaway, returning from an absence, outpaced incoming 2023 champion Chris Lewis- Williams, with Cameron Beller just back in third.
This weekend, Jamie sits in the famous No.50 yellow and black liveried car, usually raced by his father Anthony Westaway.
Race 1 begins today at 12.50pm with Races 2 and 3 tomorrow to conclude the 2023 season.
All races are available to be seen LIVE and FREE TO AIR on Blendline TV.
CLICK THE LINK HERE TO VIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37Sz0Q-DNbk
THE PRESIDENTS REPORT - ROUND 7 PREVIEW
14 Cars are entered for this sixth rounthe seventh and final round of the 2023 944 Challenge Championship as the series returns to Phillip Island for the famed Island Magic event.
Due to his strong consistancy and strong results this season, Chris Lewis-Williams (#37) has put himself into an unbeatable position for his fourth 944 Challenge championship heading into the weekend, due to the dropped worst points rule employed by the series. Even if bad luck befalls Chris this weekend, this would become his worst round, and the points from the first six rounds is enough to seal him the championship. ropped worst points rule employed by the series. Even if bad luck befalls Chris this weekend, this would become his worst round, and the points from the first six rounds is enough to seal him the championship.
THE PRESIDENTS REPORT - ISLAND MAGIC ROUND 7 PREVIEW
14 Cars are entered for this, the seventh and final round of the 2023 944 Challenge Championship as the series returns to Phillip Island for the famed Island Magic event.
Due to his strong consistency and strong results this season, Chris Lewis-Williams (#37) has put himself into an unbeatable position for his fourth 944 Challenge championship heading into the weekend, due to the dropped worst points rule employed by the series. Even if bad luck befalls Chris this weekend, this would become his worst round, and the points from the first six rounds is enough to seal him the championship.
Resigned to second position in the championship is Cameron Beller (#55) who will look to add to his win tally this weekend and finish 2023 on a strong note as he prepares for a title challenge in 2024. With a 24-point lead over third-placed Adam Brewer (#3) Adam would need to win all three races this weekend with Cameron failing to finish at least one race to take the second place from the 4-time champion.
A breakout weekend at Calder Park which saw him take not only his debut race win, but also the round win – sees Mark Verdino (#44) move up to fourth in the championship, albeit by only one point ahead of 1800Lasagne’s Joey Kellock (#77) who slips back to fifth. Joey showed speed and even moved into the lead in the second race but was cruelly denied a debut win with front suspension failure followed by a gearbox problem in the final race hurting his point tally.
Another decent haul of points at Calder Park has kept Mark Taubitz (#74) within reach of the battle for fourth position, 25 points behind Mark Verdino in the championship. We will see Mark back behind the wheel of his trusty #74 machine this round again after moonlighting behind the wheel of the #20 Poolmaster machine for the last three rounds as he tries to see if he can steal a top 5 position in the championship this weekend.
Returning after missing the last round is Josh Brisbane (#56) - a strong result this weekend could see Josh vault himself up to eighth in the championship behind Carter Fox who is sitting inseventh place in the championship. Josh had a consistant round last time at Phillip Island so he will hope to repeat that this weekend to take eighth position.
An encouraging round was had last time at Phillip Island for John Vainoras (#32) who finished all three races and dropped his lap times by 3 seconds over the course of the weekend - proving there is no substitute for track time. With his car now proving reliable, John is energized and keen to continue this improvement and some stronger times this weekend again
Returning to the seat for the first time in 6 months following surgery is Andrew Jackman (#20) with the Poolmaster car having been kept in action by Mark Taubitz over the last three rounds, Jackman will be easing himself back into action this weekend and looking for a good finish to the year to get him ready for 2024.
Having his second outing at Phillip Island with the 944 Challenge is Jared Campione (#88) - Jared had a great debut round, finishing 10th overall in the points for the round and getting his lap times in the final race to only 3 seconds off the front pack – a sensational effort on his first time at the challenging PI Circuit. He continued his improvements at the last round at Calder and is showing signs of being able to compete in the front pack next year as he continues to get comfortable with his car.
Manny Mezzasalma (#10) showed good pace, but little in the way of results the last time at Phillip Island with a couple of DNF’s in the Sunday races. Manny will hopefully have some luck return this weekend and log three finishes for the weekend and get prepared for the 2024 season on the right foot.
Jim Mitchell (#46) is returning after a couple of weekends to forget at Phillip Island & Calder Park, a broken exhaust in the Saturday race wasn’t able to be repaired on Sunday which meant Jim had to sit out the two races, while a bent valve on Friday practice at Calder meant he had to sit out the weekend. Hopefully no such issues this round for the Martini machine!
A last-minute super-sub in the #50 Tony Westaway machine is none other than outgoing 944 Challenge champion Jamie Westaway, with Tony unable to compete behind the wheel this weekend Tony has again handed over the keys to see if Jamie can get another victory (or more) this weekend in the yellow black & white machine. With some wet weather looking likely, if Jamie’s 10-second win in the wet last time here is anything to go by, there’s a strong chance he might get maximum points for at least one race this weekend.
Michael Westaway (#45) also returns for only the second time this season as he prepares for his 2024 campaign after having the car off the road for the bulk of this season. Michael was strong however at that event scoring a collection of fifth and sixth-place finishes from the weekend, he is a strong chance to replicate or improve on that this weekend.
Unfortunately, there are a number of cars missing this round due to scheduling conflicts, with Keith Marriner, Tim Wolfe, Andy Tudor and Toni Andreevski all away this weekend and not at the circuit, while Tony Westaway will be doing crew chief duties for his son and brother this weekend. Dick Howe is also missing from this round with surgery, while Andy Jones is earmarking a 2024 return after taking some time to test his new car in the off season, likewise Ryan Woods and Sam Rofe who will be back for 2024.
If you like what you see on the circuit and want to get on board with the Porsche 944 Challenge series, the series is enjoying a resurgence with a couple of cars available for purchase and others returning to competition, along with some freshly built cars being finalised with some of those for lease, or sale.
Get in touch with the guys in the series if you'd like to get on track and join in the action.
VERDINO BREAKS THROUGH FOR FIRST VICTORY IN 944 CHAMPIONSHIP
No. 44 Beller Motorsport Sidelink Motorsport Team driver Mark Verdino has broken through to claim his first ever victory in the 944 Challenge Series championship, taking victory in Race 2 this morning at Calder Park in Melbourne.
No. 44 Beller Motorsport Sidelink Motorsport Team driver Mark Verdino has broken through to claim his first ever victory in the 944 Challenge Series championship, taking victory in Race 2 this morning at Calder Park in Melbourne.
Verdino held off a fast charging Cameron Beller with Championship leader Chris Lewis-Williams taking third.
Mark Verdino
RACE 3 is on today at 12.45pm and can be seen LIVE AND FREE TO AIR ON BLEND LINE TV
BARON OF BENALLA ON BRINK OF 4TH TITLE
The Baron of Benalla, Tyrepower driver Chris Lewis-Williams, sits on the brink of claiming his 4th 944 Challenge Series Australia Championship title after taking victory in Race 1, during Round 6 at Calder Park Raceway today.
story via PIT LANE MEDIA
The Baron of Benalla, Tyrepower driver Chris Lewis-Williams, sits on the brink of claiming his 4th 944 Challenge Series Australia Championship title after taking victory in Race 1, during Round 6 at Calder Park Raceway today.
Chris Lewis-Williams
Lewis-Wiilliams now remains well clear of Cameron Beller, who suffered engine issues in Race 1 and crossed the line in 5th place, whilst Adam Brewer retains third place after a drama filled Race 1 saw him finish 7th.
Mark Verdino and Lynden Watson claimed the final positions on the podium.
Calder Park - PICTURE BY PIT LANE MEDIA
Provided the No. 37 driver can hold sway and finish off a clean weekend, he will claim his fourth title.
Races 2 and 3 are set for 9.10am and 12.45pm tomorrow which will round out the Victorian State Championships with the iconic Island Magic event still to follow, at Phillip Island, in late November.
Calder Park - PICTURE BY PIT LANE MEDIA
All races can be seen LIVE and FREE TO AIR on Blendline TV
Only two others have ever claimed four titles - Robert Lange (2007-2010) and Cameron Beller (2016-2019) and no driver has ever claimed five.
Calder Park - PICTURE BY PIT LANE MEDIA
THE PRESIDENTS REPORT - ROUND 6 PREVIEW
13 Cars are entered for this round, the sixth round of the 2023 944 Challenge Championship as the series makes a long-awaited return to Melbourne’s Calder Park Raceway for the first time in 15 years. This round is also the final event for the Victorian State Circuit Race Championships and will see a new State Champion crowned for 2023.
With no recent history to call on, and only 2 of the 13 drivers having ever raced at Calder (Chris Lewis-Williams, and Tony Westaway) the form book may as well go out the window! With three first time pole-sitters in the last three rounds, could we see another first timer nabbing pole position this weekend?
THE PRESIDENTS REPORT - ROUND 6 PREVIEW
13 Cars are entered for this round, the sixth round of the 2023 944 Challenge Championship as the series makes a long-awaited return to Melbourne’s Calder Park Raceway for the first time in 15 years. This round is also the final event for the Victorian State Circuit Race Championships and will see a new State Champion crowned for 2023.
With no recent history to call on, and only 2 of the 13 drivers having ever raced at Calder (Chris Lewis-Williams, and Tony Westaway) the form book may as well go out the window! With three first time pole-sitters in the last three rounds, could we see another first timer nabbing pole position this weekend?
Chris Lewis-Williams
After taking a three-peat of victories at the last round at Phillip Island, Chris Lewis-Williams (#37) heads into the Calder round with a 28 point lead in the Vic Championship over Cameron Beller (#55) who shadowed him across the line for all three races at PI. With 100 points on offer over the weekend, Beller will need some luck to nab the championship from CLW which will likely not be decided until the chequered flag waves to end the final race.
Sitting third on the State Championship points is Adam Brewer (#3) and he only needs to secure 12 points to lock in third place in the championship, but he sits 66 and 38 points adrift of Lewis-Williams and Beller respectively, so Adams focus will likely be to secure a race, or round win this weekend.
Also sitting fairly comfortably in his fourth position in the State points is Joey Kellock (#77). A solid weekend in fifth place for the majority of the round at PI for Joey, sees him an almost insurmountable 88 points behind Brewer in third, and 71 points ahead of his year-long rival Mark Verdino #44) who has slipped back in the points from Joey after missing the last round at PI. However,with only 17 points separating Joey and Mark in the 944 Championship points however, Joey won’t be able to rest on his laurels this weekend if he wants to retain a top 4 finish in both championships!
A strong weekend in fourth at Phillip Island has pushed Mark Taubitz into sixth position in both championships, and sits only 8 points behind Verdino heading into the weekend with an intention of nabbing fifth place in the championship as he gets behind the wheel of the Miami Blue #20 Poolmaster Bayside Porsche again this weekend for the final time before handing the keys back to Andrew Jackman for the last event of the year.
Slipping slightly adrift of Taubitz after the PI round is Carter Fox (#7) - Carter finished the weekend seventh overall, but a strong points haul for Taubitz opened up the gap to the current 28 points heading into the final round.
Sitting in ninth position in the state series points is Tony Westaway (#50) - the 60 point gap to Carter might prove a bit too much to haul in, but Tony would be looking to at least jump up one spot to eighth in the state points if he can leapfrog the absent Ryan Woods.
Making a welcome return to the circuit at Phillip Island was Lyndon Watson (#5) Lyndon showed his traditional strong pace in qualifying as he was due to line up fifth on the grid, but his weekend soured quickly after an electrical short on the formation lap saw him start Race 1 from pit lane, and things didn’t improve on Sunday, with a pair of DNF’s. If this weekend goes without any issues, expect to see Lyndon up at the pointy end of the field this weekend in the striking Blue & White Don Watson Transport car.
Also showing good pace at Phillip Island, but little to write home to in the way of results is Manny Mezzasalma (#10) - Manny will hope to stitch together some good results this weekend and continue moving up the field to prepare for a strong 2024 season.
An encouraging round for John Vainoras (#32) who finished all three races at Phillip Island, and dropped his lap times by 3 seconds over the course of the weekend - proving there is no substitute for track time. With his car now proving reliable, John is energized and keen to continue this improvement and look for some better results moving forward!
Jim Mitchell (#46) is returning after a weekend to forget at Phillip Island – a broken exhaust in the Saturday race wasn’t able to be repaired on Sunday and meant Jim had to sit out the two races. Hopefully no such issues this round for the Martini machine!
Having his first outing with the 944 Challenge at Phillip Island was Jared Campione (#88) - Jared had a great debut round, finishing 10th overall in the points for the round and getting his lap times in the final race to only 3 seconds off the front pack – a sensational effort on his first time at the challenging PI Circuit. With that sort of debut, it might not be long before brother-in-law Adam Brewer is checking his mirrors for the #88 car.
Unfortunately, there are a number of cars missing this round due to scheduling conflicts, with Josh Brisbane, Keith Marriner, Tim Wolfe, Andy Tudor, Michael Westaway and Toni Andreevski all away this weekend and not at the circuit, while Andrew Jackman is finishing his recovery from his operation and is set to return for Island Magic. Dick Howe is also missing from this round with surgery, while Andy Jones is earmarking a 2024 return after taking some time to test his new car in the off season, likewise Ryan Woods and Sam Rofe who will be back for 2024.
If you like what you see on the circuit and want to get on board with the Porsche 944 Challenge series, the series is enjoying a resurgence with a couple of cars available for purchase and others returning to competition, along with some freshly built cars being finalised with some of those for lease, or sale.
Get in touch with the guys in the series if you'd like to get on track and join in the action.
LEWIS-WILLIAMS EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AFTER TAKING '3 FROM 3' AT PHILLIP ISLAND
Tyrepower Benalla driver Chris Lewis-Williams has extended his overall championship lead after claiming ‘3 race wins from 3 races’ during Round 5 of the 2023 944 Challenge Series at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.
Tyrepower Benalla Rocket Digital driver Chris Lewis-Williams has extended his overall championship lead after claiming ‘3 race wins from 3 races’ during Round 5 of the 2023 944 Challenge Series at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.
After taking 2 of the 3 race wins at Sandown also, Chris led the points standings heading into the fifth round of the championship by a small margin over of Cameron Beller (#55), who kept himself in the championship hunt with a win and two seconds at Sandown.
Chris Lewis-Williams leads Cameron Beller and Adam Brewer
An engine change on Friday night following practice did not prevent Beller from still producing a remarkably strong weekend, claiming second place in all 3 races.
The consistent Adam Brewer came home third in all 3 races to further cement his position near the top of the standings.
The series now heads to the historic circuit of Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne as the venue returns to the calendar for the first time in many years, on 28 October.
