Sonic Motor Racing Services has revealed the driver line-ups and liveries of its four-car Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia title contenders.
The Melbourne-based team continues with Bob Janes T-Marts support, fielding Michael Almond and rising star Max Vidau. Almond is now into his third year with the Sonic team, finishing seventh in last year’s one-make Porsche category.
Vidau steps up from the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series (formerly known as Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge) after finishing second in the feeder class in 2019. Aaron Love also makes the full-time leap up from Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, but does have one round of Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup under his belt after making an early debut at the final round on the Gold Coast last year.
Love is the younger brother of Jordan Love, who won the Carrera Cup title last year in a Sonic-prepared Bob Jane T-Marts car. The strong four-car squad is rounded out by Dale Wood. The competitive Victorian revealed his striking Timken livery earlier this month, and along with his Sonic team-mates, enjoyed a full day of testing at Phillip Island recently.
Beyond Carrera Cup, the Sonic team will continue to enter cars in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, as well its famous Formula Ford program that has yielded 11 national titles in its 22 year history.
Quotes:
Max Vidau
Driver, Sonic, Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia
“Going from GT3 Cup Challenge (Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge) to Carrera Cup is a big step up, but this is why the Porsche Pyramid is designed and it’s the perfect stepping stone,” said Vidau.
“We should be in a good position to go well. I know I have a great car and team around me.
“To start off with, I need to keep the car straight. I’ve never been to a street circuit, so I’ll just ease my way into the weekend.
“Ultimately, my goal for the season is to be in the top five and be ahead of all my other rivals who have moved up from GT3 Cup Challenge.
“This will be my fifth season with Sonic. It’s a great environment to be in. Friendly and competitive. We get told how things are done and we go and do it. Usually, it brings great results.
“It’s also great to be in my second year in the Bob Jane T-Marts car. To be associated with such a well-known brand is something I don’t take lightly.”
Michael Almond
Driver, Sonic, Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia
“Any year that I get to compete in a full season in a Porsche is awesome, and I’m really looking forward to the challenge this year,” said Almond.
“The Sonic team has a very strong mix of drivers this year, with the young guns Max (Vidau) and Aaron (Love) stepping up, plus Dale Wood who we know will be fast. I think it’s going to be a competitive year.
“There’s a lot of drivers with a lot of speed – it’s a hard season to predict the results. I think you’ll find they’ll be different race winners and different podium finishers every round.
”I’m really proud to drive the Bob Jane T-Marts Porsche again, now for my third season. It’s an iconic brand and it has been a big part of Australian motorsport culture.
“It’s a privilege to drive this car. It’s really special and I couldn’t ask for much more than to be racing in Carrera Cup.”
Dale Wood
Driver, Sonic, Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia
“I could not be happier with the way the Porsche has come together with the major support of Timken and the rest of our partner group,” said Wood.
“You can be sure we will be having a serious crack from the first green flag in Adelaide.
“We proved we can be competitive in this terrific one-make series, but we have some unfinished business in 2020.”
Aaron Love
Driver, Sonic, Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia
“I’m really looking forward to the challenge of stepping up to do the full Carrera Cup title this year,” said Aaron Love.
“Doing the GT3 Cup Challenge last year was a perfect grounding to get ready for this year. The car’s performances are very similar, so it will be just a matter of working towards the front of the field.
“It’s cool that my brother won last year’s title. I’ve been working with him to improve myself and I can only hope to replicate his feats.
“It’s great to continue with the Sonic team again. I know all the faces, I know how they work and they know how to get the best out of me.”
Michael Ritter
Team Owner, Sonic Motor Racing Services
“This is one of the strongest Carrera Cup driver line-ups that we’ve had and I’m really looking forward to the year,” said Michael Ritter.
“We know that Dale Wood will be a contender from the word go. He narrowly missed the title last year and I’m sure that he is going to be pushing to go one better this year.
“They’ll be nothing stopping Michael (Almond) from winning races and battling for the title too. He has proven that he has the speed to be a threat in every race.
“And it’s great to see both Max and Aaron step up from GT3 Cup Challenge. They were amongst the top three last year and, while this class is more competitive, I am very confident that they’ll settle into the leading pack quickly.”
For more race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU
The Melbourne-based team continues with Bob Janes T-Marts support, fielding Michael Almond and rising star Max Vidau. Almond is now into his third year with the Sonic team, finishing seventh in last year’s one-make Porsche category.