GC Marine Australian Prototype Series veteran Mark Laucke has started his 2023 motorsport season off on a high after victory in the inaugural SA Prototype Series.

Taking place at The Bend Motorsport Park, the season opener of the six-round state level series saw a number of competitors from the national series entered, following an epic conclusion to 2022 national series. 

With the SA Prototype Series to run solely in South Australia at Mallala and The Bend's East, GT and International layouts, participants in the series will get plenty of track time over the course of the year.

And the 72-year-old Laucke showed age has no limit throughout the weekend as he picked up two podiums from the series’ two 30-minute races.

Starting outside the top three for the first race, Laucke charged his way through the order, eventually passing polesitter Ian Eldridge to claim the historic first win.

In what was an unfortunate race for the pole sitter, Eldridge ended up dropping to third after dropping behind 2022 GC Marine Australian Prototype Series champion John Paul Drake.

After a less than ideal start, Drake started the race in P3 and managed to pass Eldridge throughout the race.

Laucke went on to win the round thanks to a runner-up finish behind a recovering Tim Cook in the second race, while Chien Wen-Liew rounded out the podium.

Cook's victory in the finale secured him the runner-up finish and marked a great recovery after he placed fourth in the opener.
 
Andrew McKee rounded out the round podium despite being able to finish on the podium during either race.