QRDC Round 4 Delivers Big Weekend at Queensland Raceway
Photo: Mattthew Paul Photography
Queensland Raceway hosted a packed weekend of racing for the Queensland Racing Drivers Championship - QRDC Round 4, with the AASA-sanctioned Nankang World Excel Enduro, Hot Hatch Cup Enduro and Australian Trans-Am sharing the program with the AU4 Championship season finale.
Nankang World Excel Enduro
The Nankang World Excel Enduro delivered one of the standout contests of QRDC Round 4, with a 34-car field and 68 drivers taking on a demanding two-day program at Queensland Raceway. The format included sprint races and a pair of 49-lap, 150km enduros, making strategy, reliability and driver changes just as important as outright pace.
Series regular Jesse Dixon and Toyota 86 racer Luke Rinaldi ultimately secured the overall round win, ahead of Caleb Paterson and Supercars driver Aaron Cameron, with defending champions Connor Roberts and Ryan Casha completing the podium.
Saturday’s opening enduro went to Dixon and Rinaldi, while Paterson and Cameron bounced back strongly on Sunday. After Cameron was dropped deep into the field following contact and battled an engine misfire, he recovered the car before handing over to Paterson. Paterson then fought his way to the front and survived a frantic final-lap battle with Casha and Dixon to take the Sunday enduro victory by just 0.092 seconds.
The race also produced one of the weekend’s biggest incidents when the Adam Amson/Jayden Ojeda entry was caught in a crash on the back straight during Sunday’s enduro, resulting in the car rolling and bringing out the red flag. Both drivers involved emerged unscathed.
With a field featuring current Supercars, Super2 and GT competitors alongside regular Excel racers, the event once again showed why the World Excel Enduro has become one of the category’s headline meetings. Head to the Nankang Excel Cup for photos.
Australian Trans-Am — Round 7
The V8s of Australian Trans-Am returned to Queensland Raceway for the Mike & Ann Collins Tribute — Round 7, with a 22-car field taking on a weekend of close sprint racing.
John Prefontaine (#21) claimed the outright round victory, ahead of Ian Palmer (#20) in second and Rod Robertson (#100) in third.
In the Trophy Class, Gareth Jones (#66) took the win, with Alwyn Bishop (#68) finishing second.
The result came at a key point in the 2026 season, with only one round remaining after Queensland Raceway. Head to the Australian Trans-Am Facebook page for photos.
Hot Hatch Cup — Enduro Round
Hot Hatch Cup Australia broke new ground at QRDC Round 4, running its first-ever Endurance Round at Queensland Raceway.
The weekend featured a varied format across three circuit configurations, beginning with two 10-lap races on the Clubman layout, followed by a one-hour race on the National Circuit and a one-hour reverse-grid handicap race on the Switchback circuit.
The format put a greater emphasis on consistency, strategy and reliability than the category’s usual sprint races, while also giving competitors the challenge of adapting to different circuit layouts across the weekend.
After the points were tallied, Barry Mather (#37 Mazda 2) claimed the overall round win with 233 points, ahead of Jason Pocock (#42 Mazda 2) on 209 points.
Trent Laves and Nick Winsor (#44 Ford Fiesta) completed the podium in third on 208 points.
Hot Hatch Cup Australia also thanked MJ Hydraulic Pty Ltd for supporting the weekend as Endurance Round sponsor. Check out photos from the event at the Hot Hatch Cup facebook page.
AU4 Championship
AU4 also wrapped up its 2026 championship at Queensland Raceway, with Jensen Marold crowned Gen2 champion and Jackson Culver taking the Gen1 title after a closely fought final round. Marold finished the season on 320 points, six clear of Marco Manson, while Culver secured the Gen1 crown by five points over Koby Wilson.
Livestream coverage of the Excel Enduro and AU4 Championship was produced by Blend Line TV and carried across Queensland Raceway’s digital channels, with Excel coverage also available through AASA.
The event provided another strong example of different categories and sanctioning arrangements operating side by side at the same venue, with AASA and Motorsport Australia each supporting their respective parts of the program.
