2026 Porsche Carrera Cup, Sprint Challenge calendars unveiled
2026 Porsche Carrera Cup, Sprint Challenge calendars revealed
One-make Porsche action will feature at nine 2026 Supercars events
Carrera Cup Australia to contest all rounds at Supercars events
Porsche Motorsport Australia has confirmed calendars for both the 2026 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship and 2026 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series.
One-make Porsche action will feature at nine Repco Supercars Championship events and four Shannons SpeedSeries events across a bumper 2026 season that stretches from March to December.
The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia will contest a seven-round championship, commencing at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in March.
From there, the championship returns to the betr Darwin Triple Crown at Hidden Valley, the Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440 and the AirTouch 500 at The Bend in South Australia.
The massive run home to the championship decider then features three of the largest events in the sport; the Repco Bathurst 1000, Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, and bp Adelaide Grand Final.
The reduction by one in the number of events is not without precedent — the championship was contested across seven events in 2011 and 2013 — and is designed to assist teams managing both budgets and logistics across the season.
Race format changes will see four of the seven rounds (Darwin, Queensland Raceway, The Bend and Gold Coast) adopt the international Carrera Cup format of two, 45-minute races. The remaining three events will feature three, 30-minute sprints as per the 2025 season format.
2026 marks the final year of competition for the current Type 992 GT3 Cup Car before the second generation 992.2 GT3 Cup arrives in Australia for the following season.
The ever-popular Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia will see calendar continuity, with an ongoing balance between Shannons SpeedSeries and Repco Supercars events.
Commencing at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge will also race at The Bend, Queensland Raceway and Sydney Motorsport Park with the SpeedSeries.
A third year at the Reid Park street circuit and the NTI Townsville 500 will allow the field street circuit experience, while the finale will once again be held with the Supercars Sandown 500 in November.
Further details surrounding the calendar will be announced in due course, with several exciting initiatives planed to further grow both Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge into 2026 and beyond.
“The 2026 calendar is the result of significant consultation with our teams, stakeholders, event promoters and is designed to give the best possible balance in pacing the events throughout the year while delivering great experiences to our competitor group," Craig Nayda, Senior Motorsport Manager, Porsche Cars Australia, said.
“A shift to seven rounds for Carrera Cup focusses the championship on some of the most popular and largest motorsport events in the country and will ensure the final year of the current generation 992 GT3 Cup Car is as strong as possible.
“Our partnerships with the SpeedSeries and Supercars are extremely productive, and we’ve got a great working relationship with both to ensure that both Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge remain in premium positions on both calendars.
“We’re excited about the 13 events on our 2026 calendar and another big year of one-make Porsche racing in Australia."
2026 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship
Event | Dates |
|---|---|
Melbourne^ | March 5-8 |
Darwin^ | June 19-21 |
Ipswich^ | August 21-23 |
The Bend^ | September 11-13 |
Bathurst^ | October 8-11 |
Gold Coast^ | October 23-25 |
Adelaide^ | December 3-6 |
^ Denotes Supercars round
2026 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia
Event | Dates |
|---|---|
Phillip Island | March 17-19 |
The Bend | May 8-10 |
Ipswich | June 12-14 |
Townsville^ | July 10-12 |
Sydney | September 18-20 |
Sandown^ | November 13-15 |
^ Denotes Supercars round
