Harri Jones has been crowned the 2022 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia champion after three races at the Surfers Paradise season finale.
Jones went into the eighth and final round leading the championship, prepared mentally, physically and technically. With 181 points on offer across the weekend, there was little room for error.
He finished fifth and sixth in Sunday's two races, enough to secure the title for McElrea Racing by 11 points over Aaron Love.
"I am absolutely over the moon," Jones said.
He said the team had led the championship coming into the weekend, but there was no room for complacency, and he felt he and the team executed well.
"We left nothing to chance," he said, adding that he was determined not to let the title slip.
The title carried extra meaning on the Gold Coast. Jones made his Carrera Cup debut on the Surfers Paradise street circuit in 2019. He described the track as tight, technical and unforgiving, and said winning the championship there, in front of family, friends and partners, was a dream come true.
The result means Jones has now completed two rungs of the Porsche motorsport pyramid: the 2019 Porsche Sprint Challenge and the 2022 Carrera Cup Australia title. He plans to keep climbing in Europe.
In August he also claimed the 2022 Australian Porsche Michelin Junior Championship. That earns him a place in the Porsche Motorsport Junior Shootout in Europe, where, representing Carrera Cup Australia, he will compete for a €225,000 scholarship towards a seat in the 2023 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. The Supercup is the pinnacle of one-make Porsche racing, running alongside Formula 1 at iconic circuits.
The 23-year-old Queenslander thanked his partners, team and family, singling out Hastings Deering and Mackellar Group for their support.
"I am so fortunate to have an amazing network of support around me," he said, adding that the backing of local supporters in Queensland made the win feel shared.
Sources: harrijones.com.au, carreracup.com.au, newsroom.porsche.com
