Callum Hedge is an Intercontinental Champion
In a year of Kiwi motorsport success, Callum Hedge is unique. While most racing drivers fall short of achieving a singular championship goal, Hedge not only won in 2023, he did it twice. In two vastly different cars. On two separate continents.
In the space of one month, Hedge has been crowned both Formula Regional Americas Champion and Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Champion. The intercontinental double earning him a drive in the Indy car feeder series, Indy NXT, with top-flite team HMD Motorsports.
“I am thankful for the opportunity to join a championship-winning program in HMD Motorsports and for my partners who continue to make my motorsports dream a reality,” says Hedge.
Racing in any national championship is no small commitment, throw in an international field, and there is no room for an off day. You must be consistently sharp both physically and mentally to perform at your maximum. All other commitments must fall by the wayside as you approach a race weekend. Laser focus is a necessity.
So, for Hedge to take on a calendar of 50 races spread across the USA and Australia, regularly battling jetlag in a sport in which a single lapse of concentration can be catastrophic, and to go on to win 40% of them is a feat nothing short of spectacular.
“This year has been busy to say the least. I think I’ve seen nearly every major airport in the US and Australia,” says Hedge.
But Hedge’s championship stories couldn’t have been more different from each other. If we had to sum up his Formula Regional Americas season in one word, it’d be dominant.
His year began with the conclusion of the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship, where Hedge earned three wins and finished second in the championship before jetting off to the USA for Formula Regional Americas.
Hedge would go on to win 13 of the 18 races in the United States-based series, finishing on the podium in all but two races and winning the championship title with a 105-point lead.
This was one of the most dominant performances in the series history, a result that has him on the right track, with recent champs Kyle Kirkwood and Linus Lundqvist rising to the ranks of IndyCar.
Callum’s time in Carrera Cup Australia was a different story. Trading blows with championship rival Jackson Walls all season; Callum also missed the entire Bathurst round to due to a clash with his Formula Regional Americas season.
This led to a climactic finale with the championship being decided in the last race of the season. The two championship contenders entered the final race with just 2 points separating them. Winner takes all.
The battle was over sooner than either of them expected though, with a first lap incident resulting in Walls being taken out of the race, allowing Callum to bring his car safely home in seventh to seal the title.
“I’m thrilled to win both in the US, and closer to home in Australia. It wasn’t easy, but we fought through and got the wins in both Championships. The results have certainly opened doors for the future.” Hedge said of his monumental year.
All eyes look forward to 2024, with Hedge basing himself in the USA to give himself the best chance of success in the upcoming Indy NXT season.