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EMA Motorsport confirms Smollen-Boccolacci partnership for GTWC Australia return

• Melbourne-based EMA Motorsport to debut its latest 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 R at 2025 season-opening race weekend at Philip Island
• Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific’s Selected Driver for 2025, Dorian Boccolacci, to make Australian debut
• Current GT4 Australia champion Shane Smollen joins the team as he prepares to make competitive GT3 debut

EMA Motorsport has confirmed a return to the GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS, competing with the latest-generation Porsche 911 GT3 R to the championship. The team also is excited to bring 2025 Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected driver Dorian Boccolacci to the championship for his debut entry, joined by Shane Smollen, who makes the transition to GT3 competition.

This latest announcement expands the domestic race programme for EMA Motorsport, competing with the latest 992-generation of the Porsche 911 GT3 R after a year absence. This will be run in parallel to the team’s multi-car Paynter Dixon Porsche Carrera Cup Australia campaign, which recently saw multiple podiums and a race win at the latest round supporting the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Dorian Boccolacci joins the team off the back of successful performances racing with Porsche over the past couple of seasons. The 26-year-old French driver was named as the Selected Driver for 2025 by Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific, which includes GT3 competition in the Asia-Pacific region. The selection follows several victories in the Porsche Carrera Cup France in 2023 before five podium finishes in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Last season, he delivered impressive results competing in the GT World Challenge Asia and Europe championships, scoring a podium in Okayama, Japan, and at the Nürburgring, Germany.

Gold Coast-based Shane Smollen completes the line-up, making his first GT3 appearance, following successes in Sportscar and Production Car series over recent years. He is also no stranger to the cockpit of a Porsche 911 race car, with over 100 starts in Carrera Cup Australia, including outright wins and taking on the Pro Am championship. He was crowned outright GT4 Australia champion upon its debut in 2023, and again won the Pro Am title in 2024. Shane also scored the Bathurst 6 Hour victory alongside Shane van Gisbergen in 2021.

Dorian Boccolacci, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to race in such a competitive series and it’ll be the first time I’ve competed in Australia! I’m grateful to Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific and EMA Motorsport for giving me the chance to show my ability in the championship. I’m raring to go and pleased to be working with Shane and I believe we have what it takes to enjoy a successful campaign together.”

Shane Smollen, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “I’m thrilled to take the next big step in my racing career with Porsche and EMA Motorsport. It feels like everything in Carrera Cup and GT4 has been a stage rehearsal for this opportunity. I’m really looking forward to learning from such an experienced international team, and a co-driver of Dorian’s class.”

Marcus Cole, EMA Motorsport Team Manger: “It is great to be back on the GT World Challenge grid in 2025 with the Porsche GT3 R, and also running with an exciting partnership with PMAP. It’s great to have Shane stepping up to GT3 after some impressive performances in Carrera Cup and obviously GT4.

“We are also excited to welcome Dorian to the team. He is definitely proving to be a rising star in the Porsche family, so it will be really great to watch him as he makes his Australian debut, and combine with Shane to hopefully score some strong results in 2025.”

Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Ltd.: “We’re delighted to see Dorian compete in GT World Challenge Australia as part of his programme as the 2025 Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver. We are also really looking forward to embarking on this new chapter, supporting GT3 customers in Australia, and we’re very happy to do so with such an esteemed team in EMA. We’re confident Dorian will form a great partnership with Shane, who has a fantastic racing CV of his own, with victories in multiple championships, including Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, where he became Pro-Am Champion, Australian GT Challenge, GT4 Australia and the Bathurst 6 Hour. The series takes on some amazing tracks in both Australia and New Zealand, and we’re very excited for Shane, Dorian and EMA to kick the campaign off at Phillip Island next month.”

The 2025 GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS campaign commences at Philip Island Circuit, VIC, over the weekend 4-6 April.