Aron Shields and Hamish Fitzsimmons, driving for TekworkX Motorsport, are ready to attack the opening round of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season at Phillip Island.

The duo will form a strong Pro class line-up for the Gold Coast based team, with Shields set for his second year in the category and Fitzsimmons making the jump from karting as a three time state champion.

In the lead up to the season, TekworkX Motorsport have completed two tests across three days at Queensland Raceway and The Bend Motorsport Park. Both drivers progressed strongly and impressed at the tests, under the guidance of the team’s driver coaches.

In 2022 Shields earned himself third place for the round at Phillip Island, thanks to finishes of fourth and third in the weekend’s two races. Topline Civil and Bondi Carpets have come on board to support the title-contender.

“Phillip Island has been good to me in the past, I’m excited to get back there,” said Shields.

“I picked up a podium there last year and really enjoyed the circuit. It allows us to really drive the cars on the limit which is a fun experience as a driver. I’d like to think we’re going in with a good chance of being right at the front, it’s a competitive field but we have a lot of confidence.

“The test days have been great. We’ve created a great understanding between myself and the team when it comes to setup and I feel like I really fit in. We’re all motivated to win,” Shields concluded.

Fitzsimmons is making his debut in car racing, as he moves up from karting competition. The step up brings a host of new experiences, including all-new tracks, driving characteristics and even standing starts. The debutant’s maiden round will be supported by Confluent and Nuvento.

“It’s been a great lead up to get three days of testing under my belt, I’ve got a good understanding of the car,” said Fitzsimmons.

“Of course there is more to learn, but I’ve done everything I can and I just want to move forward across the weekend, keep progressing and furthering my understanding of the car. One of the big factors has been ensuring that I am race fit, so there’s been a lot of working out both mentally and physically.

“Pretty much everything is new to me this year, it will be a new track which I’m excited for, my first standing start in a race as well. I’m really pumped and mostly just keen to get some racing experience under my belt,” concluded Fitzsimmons.

The Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season gets underway on March 4-5 at Phillip Island.