This weekend’s 11-13 February penultimate round of the 2010/2011 NZ Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge at Manfeild will be another head-to-head challenge for current series leader Daniel Gaunt and defending champion Craig Baird.
As two of six cars run by the Triple X Motorsport team, Gaunt in the MPD VnC Cocktails Porsche 997 and Baird in the ZM Mad Butcher Porsche 997 will square off at the three-race weekend as the two fighting for overall honours.
Gaunt’s 160 point lead over Baird is about the only difference the two have ahead of the Manawatu based Manfeild weekend.
With both having shared the race weekend pole position during the first four rounds of the six round series, it has been Baird who’s had his title chances shorted by bouts of bad luck.
“I think we’ve proven during the season when the luck isn’t against us we’re the fastest car out there. So for Manfeild I’ll be putting the head down, not worrying about the points so much, just get some more race wins and see what shakes out at the end,” said the Queensland based Baird.
With the race winner scooping 75 championship points, Gaunt says there is a lot of racing between him and the championship title.
“There are still six races left, so that’s 450 points I need to get a share of before the title really comes in to focus. Until then it’s a matter of finishing the best I can in every race, so there is a mix of being cautious and pushing for position,” said the Auckland based driver trainer.
“The Manfeild track is great for the MPD VnC Cocktails Porsche; the cambered corners allow you to push harder and it also offers better racing. And like Teretonga, Manfeild is where I won the New Zealand Grand Prix, so winning big races like that embeds a special memory of the place.”
Penalised in the last race at the last round near Timaru for pre-judged driving conduct, Gaunt had his race position and associated points reinstated following a rescinding by officials in the face of video evidence. That stretches Gaunt’s lead in the standings to 137 ahead of second placed Reid.
Team technical director Todd Bickerton will have some stern advice for his drivers before race one on Saturday: “We had Gaunt, Baird and team boss Shane McKillen come together in the first series of corners at the start of race three at Timaru with two of them ending up in the kitty litter and one getting a drive through penalty. It wasn’t a good look for the team and it won’t be repeated. The only good thing to come out of it was young Scott Harrison winning the round and almost taking is first win in the series, he’s looking like being the next Craig Baird as far as performance goes.”
While it will be the first Porsche race for series rookie Scott Harrison at Manfeild, it is a track he knows best and one he excelled at previously. Having won the previous round at Timaru in late January, Harrison will arrive at Manfeild knowing he is capable of being better than a podium finisher.
“I’ve done quite a few laps at Manfeild, so hopefully I’ll get a good result this weekend in the Mad Butcher Carpet One car,” said Harrison. I’m a lot more comfortable now in the car and with racing these other guys, which has just taken time to achieve. So I’m really looking forward to seeing what I can get out of myself and the car,” said the Whangarei based builder.
Team principal Shane McKillen in the VnC Cocktails Porsche 997 will be keen to erase the horror end to the last round after being innocently knocked from the track. Having sharpened form for the current season, his goal of a podium result has progressively inched closer.
Returning after a hiatus from the southern leg of the six-round series, Auckland’s Hugh Gardiner has a lot of catching up to do in the Gardiner Motorsport Porsche 997. His first season in the later model car, the former 996 category champion has only completed one round in his new car and arrives at Manfeild having not raced since late last year.
Mad Butcher CEO Michael Morton will race the Outlaws Bar Porsche 997, hard on the heels of scoring his best finish of the season, fifth at Timaru.
Sorting the odds for weekend honours, the two test sessions on Friday give the drivers a chance to ensure their car setup is the most suited to the 3.03 kilometre circuit. Hot-lap rides then take priority late in the day before Saturday morning’s qualifying to decide the grid for the first race. Covering 12-laps late in the afternoon, the finishing order will be how the field lines up for Sunday morning’s 12-lap race. The weekend concludes with the 16-lap top-six reverse grid race starting from 2:10pm.
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge points after round four (of six) – provisional
Pos Name Hometown Total
1,3,Daniel Gaunt, Triple X Motorsport,Auckland, 776
2,2,Jonny Reid,Auckland,639
3,1,Craig Baird, Triple X Motorsport, Queensland,616
4,5,Scott Harrison,Triple X Motorsport,Whangarei,593
5,32,Mitchell Cunningham,Auckland,530
6,4,Shane McKillen, Triple X Motorsport,Auckland,498
