THE LONGEST gap between rounds at any given circuit in Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia history ends this week as the championship returns to Queensland Raceway in Ipswich.

Marking the halfway point of the championship, the return to QR marks the first championship round at the venue since July 2008 - a gap of 17 years or 6,230 days.

Queensland Raceway has hosted just five Carrera Cup rounds, four of them claimed by New Zealand champions of the series; Jim Richards (2003), Fabian Coulthard (2005) and Craig Baird (2007 and 2008). 2004 winner Alex Davison is the only Aussie to win at the circuit in Carrera Cup competition.

Baird holds both the qualifying and race lap records at the circuit with four generations of GT3 Cup Car having competed in Australia since the last top-level Porsche round at the venue.

David Russell and Rodney Jane are the only two drivers remaining on the grid with Carrera Cup experience at the circuit, both having competed in 2008. That's not to say there's not been one-make experience gained at QR however; 15 drivers entered this week having contested Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge races at the venue in the intervening period.

The return to Ipswich comes at a critical time for a championship that last time out welcomed a brand-new leader for the first time in more than 18 months; Dylan O'Keeffe powering his Dexion / GWR / RAM Motorsport Porsche to the lead thanks to a stunning victory in the Top End at Hidden Valley.

He leads defending champion Harri Jones - who lines up for his home-town event this weekend - by just 10 points with Queenslander Bayley Hall in third and fellow Porsche Michelin Junior Marcos Flack climbing to fourth off the back of several strong recent results.

Another finding form is David Russell, who will enjoy a home-town race aboard his TekworkX entry having climbed to fifth in the standings in Darwin. Jackson Walls, who will focus on Super2 competition this weekend, Porsche Michelin Juniors Oscar Targett and Marco Giltrap, Angelo Mouzouris and Clay Osborne complete the top 10, with the brothers Wood just on the outside looking in.

Six of the top-10 in the championship call QR home while there will be nine Queenslanders represented on the grid this weekend. Queensland Raceway his home turf for Jones Motorsport, McElrea Racing, Earl Bamber Motorsport, TekworkX Motorsport and Scott Taylor Motorsport, accounting for 14 of the 22-strong grid this week.

Other highlights on the Round four entry list include the debut of a teenage star from Europe and an expanded Pro-Am battle with some familiar faces returning to the grid.

18-year-old Marcus Amand joins TekworkX Motorsport in his Aussie one-make debut, though comes down under as the current leader of the Porsche Carrera Cup France championship.

Amand arrived in Australia last week and completed a successful test with the Gold Coast-based TekworkX squad to ensure he stands ready for his Aussie debut.

In the Pro-Am ranks, Sam Shahin makes a welcome return in his EMA Motorsport-prepared The Bend Motorsport Park entry battle hardened from his double duties in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

Queenslander Brett Boulton and Scott Taylor also return to the Pro-Am ranks this weekend, the class led by Rodney Jane while Matt Belford claimed the most recent round at Hidden Valley.

A busy fourth round of the championship commences Friday with two practice sessions and qualifying on Friday afternoon at this weekend's Century Batteries Ipswich Super440.

One sprint race on Saturday will then be followed by the enduro cup race Sunday morning and a final sprint later that afternoon.

Qualifying and all three races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo Sport this weekend.