CALLUM Hedge will miss the upcoming Bathurst round of Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, with veteran compatriot Chris van der Drift to take his place.
A difficult decision had been before Hedge, who leads the standings in both Carrera Cup and the Formula Regional Americas Championship – with those two schedules clashing next week.
With a 116-point Carrera Cup buffer in hand and a berth in the Porsche Junior Shootout secured, Hedge has chosen to go with open-wheelers at Virginia International Raceway for the October 5-8 race weekend.
The 19-year-old is 55 points ahead in the American series, the title for which is attached to a part-funded 2024 Super Formula seat in Japan.
“It was an incredibly tough decision to decide whether to miss a round in Australia or the USA,” explained Hedge.
“Once I got the Porsche Shootout ticket, we decided that the Formula Regional Americas prize, a $600,000 Honda Super Formula scholarship, was what we wanted to secure next, and if all went to plan, we could still get the Carrera Cup Australia championship as well.”
A maximum of 180 points is on offer at the Bathurst Carrera Cup round, meaning the worst-case scenario for Hedge is he would trail by 64 points with two events remaining if nearest threat Jackson Walls sweeps the Mountain.
Hedge’s Earl Bamber Motorsport team owner was understanding of Hedge’s decision and excited to see what van der Drift can do in his Mount Panorama cameo.
Van der Drift is a three-time Carrera Cup Asia champion and has prior experience in both the Bathurst 1000 and Bathurst 12 Hour.
“For our fill-in driver, we’re really excited to announce that Chris van der Drift will be joining us for Bathurst,” said Bamber.
“He is a long-time competitor in Carrera Cup racing, and it’s fantastic to be able to have him in one of our cars.
“He’ll be a really welcome addition to Team Porsche New Zealand Earl Bamber Motorsport, and his knowledge and experience in these cars will help him adapt to Bathurst quickly.
“He is part of the Giltrap Motorsport and Porsche family so it’s going to be a pleasure to have him drive for us.”
Added van der Drift: “When I heard of this opportunity, I jumped at it straight away.
“I’ve known Earl for many years, so it’s awesome to be finally driving for his team.
“I have been driving the same 992 Cup Car in Porsche Carrera Cup Asia this season, so I know the car well, and I’m very excited to be able to drive one at one of my favourite tracks in the world.
“A huge thanks to Team Porsche New Zealand and everyone who made this happen. To Callum, I promise to look after ‘Larry’. Hopefully, we’ll keep it at the front, like Callum has been able to do all year.”
