Harri Jones has secured his third Porsche Equity-One Carrera Cup Australia Championship after securing the round win at Surfers Paradise. Jones’ previous championships have come in 2022 and 2024, but this year has built up an unassailable lead with still a round to go in Adelaide next month.
Jones claimed a shortened race 3 of the weekend, he started second but led by Turn 1.
The field was brought under the control of the safety car at the end of lap 1 after Dylan O’Keeffe and Daniel Quimby made contact with Jake Santalucia also getting caught up at Turn 12.
The race wouldn’t restart after damage to the kerbs on the Beach Chicane and only half points were awarded.
Tom Bewley finished second for the round after securing his first career race win in heavy wet conditions in race 2.
Bewley made a lunge at Jones into Turn 4 on the opening lap and that would proved decisive.
Bewley led the opening 4 laps as the safety car was deployed after Diesel Thomas spun and collected the inside wall exiting Turn 3.
The race briefly restarted as Bewley made an incredible save entering Turn 1.
His car aquaplaned over the standing water in the braking zone, snaked its way towards the apex and Bewley managed to keep it off the walls.
The race was quickly halted again as the safety car returned for the worsening conditions.
Ultimately the race was red flagged with Bewley holding on for the win.
TekworkX’s Aaron Love completed the round podium in Pro.
In Pro-Am, Rodney Jane claimed the round win, his second of the season.
By virtue of his round win, he keeps his Pro-Am championship chances alive in what will be a four-way title battle in Adelaide next month.
Jane won the final race of the weekend while it was Matt Belford who secured victory in race 2.
It was a big comeback for Belford, after tagging the wall in race 1, the GWR team were able to repair his car and get him back out for Sunday.
His win wasn’t enough to secure a round podium though, that was rounded out by Matt Slavin in second and Stephen Grove in third.
Saturday Wrap
Harri Jones has held on for his first win on the streets of the Gold Coast after a chaotic opening race for round 6 of Porsche Equity-One Carrera Cup Australia. It was Jones’ eighth win of the season and will have a chance to wrap up the championship tomorrow.
If Jones finishes ahead of David Russell and Clay Osborne in race 2 of the weekend, he will have a unassailable lead with still 4 races remaining.
The initial start of the race was delayed as rain started to fall. The field pulled into pit lane and were given the option to switch to wet tyres, however the rain was minimal, and all leading contenders stayed on dry slick tyres.
When the race started, Jones led the pack through turns 1-2-3 as polesitter Tom Bewley settled into second. McElrea Racing’s Daniel Quimby stalled off the line and Jake Santalucia just missed the stranded car.
The safety car was deployed on the second lap after Angelo Mouzouris and Matt Belford spun on a puddle in turn 3 and glanced the wall on the left-hand side.
Jones brought the field back to the restart as more rain started to fall. The race was shortened by a lap after Richard MacDonald spun off the back of the beach chicane and collected the inside tyre barrier.
Jones would go on to cross the line first ahead of Bewley for second and Osborne for third. Aaron Love, Glen Wood, Russell, Max Geoghegan, Diesel Thomas, and Santalucia was ninth while Lachlan Bloxsom climbed 10 positions to complete the top 10.
The final round of the 2026 Porsche Equity-One Carrera Cup Australia championship will finish on the streets of Adelaide as part of the bp Adelaide Grand Final, November 26-29.
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