Morris Triumphs in Thrilling Enduro, Giltrap and Shahin Clinch Titles at Bathurst

Nash Morris emerged victorious in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge's inaugural race at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International, overcoming a challenging late safety car restart. Morris successfully fended off Marcos Flack, maintaining a lead throughout the race. Marco Giltrap claimed third place and, with this finish, secured the Jim Richards Enduro Cup and the title of the 2023 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge champion-elect.

Sam Shahin also made significant strides, clinching the Pro-Am title and establishing himself as the unassailable leader in the upcoming races.

From the pole position, Morris led the pack into Hell Corner. Marcos Flack, initially losing ground to Oscar Targett, quickly recovered, overtaking Targett by the end of the first lap. Flack then set his sights on Morris, leaving Targett to contend with Hamish Fitzsimmons.

The race wasn't without its share of drama. On the sixth lap, Harrison Goodman of Sonic Motor Racing had to bow out due to damage on his Bob Jane T-Marts car, caused by a collision with the wall. Additionally, Oscar Targett slipped back two places following an incident, propelling Fitzsimmons and Giltrap to third and fourth, respectively.

The safety car was deployed on the ninth lap when Pro-Am racer Caspar Tressider encountered issues in his Wall Racing / Hillcrest Merimbula vehicle. After the race resumed on the twelfth lap, Morris once again led, with Flack closely following.

At Murray’s Corner, Fitzsimmons made a wide turn, allowing Giltrap to seize the opportunity and overtake him at Hell Corner, securing a spot on the podium. Giltrap's advancement was timely, as the safety car was deployed again when Tim Wolfe experienced trouble in his Pro-Am PER Equipment Rentals car.

The final lap under green flag conditions saw no change at the forefront, with Morris expertly maintaining his lead.

In the Pro-Am class, Sam Shahin took the win, finishing tenth overall for The Bend Motorsport Park and becoming the Pro-Am champion-elect. In Class B, Bradley Carr of Car Mods Australia won, finishing sixteenth overall. The victory sets the stage for an exciting final day, with Carr and Lachy Harburg continuing their pursuit of class leader Phil Morriss.

The second race of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia is scheduled for 12:05 pm AEDT tomorrow. Both Saturday races will be broadcast live on Stan Sport, and the season finale will be available on free-to-air TV through the Nine Network across Australia this weekend.