In one of the best races in recent Carrera Cup history, Kiwi Callum Hedge spent much of his race fending off David Russell to claim his second Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia championship race win this season, at the Gold Coast 500 on Saturday.
Hedge led from lights to flag but was never more than two or three car lengths in front of Russell, who pressured the young New Zealander hard despite damage to his front splitter.
“It was a really good race,” commented Hedge. “I was very nervous on the grid, my ear plug fell off – so I had one in my left and none in the right – so my ears are ringing now and I’m ready for a sleep after this.
“Really thankful to get the win, as I just controlled the pace. Every time Dave (Russell) was a little bit close, I would push a bit harder to get a gap and every time he dropped back, I would slow down and cool the tyres.
“I managed the gap from there and got the win. In terms of the pressure, I looked in the mirror on one lap and made a mistake, so I stopped looking in the mirror for the last five or six laps, but big thanks to Team Porsche New Zealand and Earl Bamber Motorsport for a great car, hopefully we can do it all again tomorrow.”
Dale Wood finished third, spending much of his race defending from championship leader Harri Jones.
Two races conclude the dramatic 2022 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship tomorrow, including the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy decider on Sunday morning.
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