Scott Taylor Motorsport makes Darwin return in GT3-spec Porsche

Scott Taylor Motorsport and its popular road train has completed 10,000km of its journey after arriving in Darwin.

Swapping his Ford Ranger V8 SuperUte for his 2013 Porsche 911 GT3R (Type 997.2), Scott Taylor will return to the Combined Sedans after competing in his Holden Torana A9X last year.

Hidden Valley Raceway will host Taylor’s GT3 machinery in what is a limited opportunity for the Darwin locals to experience one of these thoroughbreds racing on their turf, although Paynter Dixon Porsche Carrera Cup Australia provides a similar thrill.

Taylor has himself spent four and a half days on the road as he continues a more than 20,000km road trip across Australia. The second leg left Perth Monday week ago (June 9) and headed up the west coast of Australia avoiding plenty of road side wildlife as the convoy arrived in Darwin last Friday (June 13)

Competing in Darwin is a must for Taylor each year and it’s a favourite out of his collection he has bought out to race this season – the Porsche 911 GT3R (Type 997.2).

Shared by Taylor and Paul Morris at a couple of GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS rounds last season, the Porsche is an early GT3 model not as driven by aero as the latter generations. It’s this aspect Taylor highlighted as to why it is one of his favourites and why he enjoys driving it.

Combined Sedans will feature three races across the betr Darwin Triple Crown weekend supporting the Repco Supercars Championship on June 20-22.

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Scott Taylor

Scott Taylor Motorsport, Porsche 911 GT3R (Type 997.2)

“We packed up in Perth on Sunday night and left early Monday morning to take the coast road up, featuring more caravans than road trains,” said Taylor.

“It was beautiful along the west coast, with a lot of stock, kangaroos running around because it’s just like an open paddock featuring no fences, which limits the night driving and makes for cautious conditions.

“Four and a half days at 1000km each is around 5000km trip total. It’s interesting because from the Gold Coast to Perth is 5000km and Perth to Darwin is the same amount. We’ve been here washing the trucks for two days, and we still have a couple more thanks to the red dust.

“We’ll be in the GT3R for the Combined Sedans and I’m looking forward to it.

“I love racing that car because it’s an older Porsche and it’s all about the mechanical grip in the GT3R. I can flog the living daylights out of that car all day and the likelihood of me doing something silly is so far reduced than a Cup Car or even my Mercedes. With the new cars, you’re right on the balance of aero and coming from the old school through the A9X Torana or GT3R or the V8 Camry from NZ, it’s all about mechanical grip.

“Believe it or not, driving a Road Train and the GT3R incorporate a similar method in terms of looking ahead at what’s coming next.

“Darwin is awesome. It’s like a gold rush town, the high vis is the standard dress up here, it’s warm, they love beer and it’s just very industrial. We’ve met some beautiful people up here helping us with the washing and fixing trucks … I really love it up here.”