The Porsche Club of Victoria has kicked off its 2019 season with a bang as more than 100 drivers took part in the club’s first track event for the year.
Taking place at the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, drivers from the Victorian, South Australian and Western Australian Porsche clubs attended the event in a host of both new and iconic cars.
The season opener saw 92 entrants compete in timed sprint sessions, while 15 cars were designated to the ‘Entrée’ sessions, a class designed to give new drivers a taste of racing action.
With drivers allocated into four different groups and getting five timed attempts at the course, it was open-class driver Joseph Ensabella who won the day in emphatic fashion.
Behind the wheel of the 997 GT3 Cup Porsche, Ensabella posted an impressive time of one minute and 34 seconds, just over half a second faster than runner-up Jamie Lovett.
Ensabella’s fellow open-class competitor Nick Karnaros just missed out on second place, however the 997 GT3 2016 Porsche pilot rounded out the the top three in style, finishing one second ahead of Vince Misuraca.
Squeezing into the top five was Simon Baxter, with the 996 Cup Porsche pilot securing fifth by just one tenth of a second over Andrew Hall, while seventh placed Sam Markov was the only other driver to break into the one minute and 40 second barrier.
Porsche Club of Victoria Competition Director, Mark Horton Andrews was thrilled with the event’s proceedings, praising all those who helped put the day together.
“The first event has its own sense of excitement,” Andrews said.
“New competitors are taking part, some of last year’s drivers have moved into new classes and generally there is a first-day-of-school feel.
“The fact that the first event was in January and at Philip Island only added to the mood.
“The Club is fortunate to have a group of Porsche enthusiast members willing to give up their time to support our motor sport program.
“It was a great day of club motor sport at a fabulous venue. Thanks to the volunteer flaggies, officials, marshals and of course the competitors.”
The club’s next track event is a hill climb at the popular Bryant Park on 24 February.
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Class winners:
A1 Class - Simon Zettl 1:49.6176
A2 Class - Josef Smith 1:52.1440
B Class - Daniel Reynolds 1:52.5439
C Class - Mark Chrzanowski - 1:53.9
Cup 6 Class – Simon Baxter - 1:37.3472
Cup 7.1 Class - Andrew Hall - 1:37.4772
Cup 7.3 Class - Jamie Lovett - 1:35.4286
D Class - John Kennedy - 1:50.8061
GT1 Class - Stefan Wojciechowski - 1:42.8970
GT2 Class - Simon Dunn 1:45.2301
GT3 Class - Richard Thompson - 1:46.4015
Modified 0 Class - Ben Faggetter - 1:42.860
Modified 1 Class – Ken Eve - 1:53.3031
Modified 2 Class - Michael Herrod - 1:50.2895
Open Class - Joseph Ensabella - 1:34.8388
Other - Sam Markov - 1:38.2073