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TEAM PORSCHE NEW ZEALAND CATCH UP WITH CALLUM HEDGE

With Covid putting the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season on hold in Australia, we had a chat with one of our Team Porsche New Zealand drivers, Callum Hedge on how he has been spending his downtime.

How are you keeping busy during this unexpected break in the season?

At the moment there isn’t too much I can get up to, especially with this long lasting lockdown in Auckland. Before the lockdown though, I had done some North Island Endurance Series racing in a Toyota 86. As well as a little bit of testing in the TRS FT-50 and 60 cars. I haven’t seen the Porsche since the last test at Morgan Park I did.

How had your racing year been going up until the break?

I think the results from this racing year have been very very good, not only for myself but for TPZNZ EBM. Being a new team things were never going to be easy, having won on debut and been on the podium in all the other races but one is awesome for myself and the team! Especially after finding the issues with my car which could have further improved our season. I hope we get a chance to see where we are at against everyone else now, but time will tell with the current COVID situation.

What are you doing to keep yourself in a racing mindset? 

Obviously it’s hard to stay sharp in lockdowns, I didn’t have a sim for most of the first weeks. But after getting one I have pretty much been on iRacing as much as I can. I have been playing with the Data in the game to try work on more than just my driving skills. And obviously before the lockdowns I had done a fair amount of driving locally in NZ keeping me pretty sharp and race ready. I also do a bit of training, but it’s hard to get anything other than running and bodyweight exercises in with all the Gym’s being shut.

What does it mean to you to be an EBM TPNZ driver?

Being an EBM TPNZ driver for me is massive. It’s a weight to carry on your shoulders, representing such an iconic brand in Porsche NZ as well as the Earl Bamber name. I’d love to continue with this team and work together to chase more wins and see if we can possibly put up a title challenge in the near future. 

Who has been your biggest inspiration throughout your motorsport career?

For me there have been a lot of people who have had a huge influence and inspiration on my career. I learned a lot in NZ with a good friend and long time driving coach Daniel Connor so he is someone I respect a lot and look up to. As well as more recently being involved with the teams own Earl Bamber who has achieved so much in his career, i’d love to be able to have a chance at achieving what he has. I’d also say the people behind the scenes who have supported me constantly and always believed in me and continue to do so as I try to make a career out of motorsport.

What other forms of motorsport would you like to try?

I love all racing. I want to try as many different formulas of this sport as I can possibly try. Whether its grassroots such as Ssangyong racing where I started or the some most highly regarded series in motorsport such as Indycar, WEC or Formula 1. I would love to try as many as I possibly can.

What’s the one thing you are most looking forward to when you get back to the track?

I’m looking forward to the whole experience again. The driving, working as a team to get the best results, and just having fun.

Source: www.earlbambermotorsport.com