Team Porsche New Zealand was formed by Porsche New Zealand in conjunction with Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) in late 2019 to provide young New Zealand talent the opportunity and pathway to advance their motorsport career in on an international stage. The scholarship programme sees drivers competing in the Carrera Cup which is a key component in the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid, and the feeder series, the Porsche Sprint Challenge.

The team is based in Brisbane and run by EBM, whose principal is two-time Le Mans 24-hour winner Earl Bamber. Earl himself progressed his motorsport career via the Porsche Pyramid through Carrera Cup Asia, Porsche Super Cup, and ultimately as a factory driver for Porsche in both the World Endurance Championship and the North American International Motor Sports Association.

Each year a scholarship will be offered to support two exciting young New Zealand drivers to compete in a 911 GT3 Cup Car in Carrera Cup Australia, or Sprint Challenge Australia. The combination of Bamber’s international motor racing and Porsche Motorsport experience provides a unique opportunity to develop their skills and succeed.

Success since launch for Team Porsche New Zealand in Australia

Team Porsche New Zealand has already had success in achieving its purpose – winning & creating a pathway for young New Zealand talent to advance in motorsport.

Matthew Payne was the 2021 Team Porsche New Zealand Scholarship driver, in a Covid-19 affected season he achieved two pole positions and a race win. Payne has since joined Penrite Racing as a full-time driver Repco Supercars Championship which saw him achieve a race win at the 2023 VAILO Adelaide 500, and he will be continuing his pursuit with the team in 2024.

In the Porsche Sprint Challenge 2022, Ryan Wood concluded his debut Australian season in second place. Wood’s performance didn’t go unnoticed as he was offered the opportunity to advance his motorsport career in Super2 with WAU and has progressed to debut in the Supercars Championship in 2024.

Callum Hedge progressed through the TPNZ scholarship, competing in Sprint Challenge in 2021 and after two years in Carrera Cup Australia he took out the 2023 championship title. In addition, he was invited to represent Carrera Cup Australia to compete at the global Junior Porsche shootout in Portugal in December 2023. Hedge has since moved to Indy NXT, debuting in the 2024 season.

Team Porsche New Zealand also claimed victory in the 2023 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia series with debut driver Marco Giltrap taking out the championship.