Photo: Hugh GardinerDefending Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge champion Craig Baird took the ZM Mad Butcher Porsche 997 to victory in Saturday’s 12-lap race at Manfeild, the penultimate round of the 2010/2011 season.
Starting from the outside of the front-row for the first of three races this weekend, the Triple X Motorsport driver had a good start to hold his position through the first series of turns around the 3.03 kilometre circuit. Close behind, team-mate Ant Pedersen in the Outlaws Bar Porsche 997 lost his third from qualifying at the hairpin – spinning in to the path of the charging MPD VnC Cocktail Porsche 997 car of Daniel Gaunt. With nowhere to go, the pair connected front bumper-to-front-bumper with the sudden stop also collecting Scott Harrison in the Mad Butcher Carpet One car.
Unaware of the carnage behind, Baird capitalised on an opportunity created by pole sitter Jonny Reid to slice past for the lead – which he held through to the chequered flag.
“It’s great to take the win after a great race. Obviously it’s a shame what happened with Daniel, but it shows how fortunes can and will change. The question I’m always being asked is whether I’m in championship contention, but winning races is my first priority; the championship will take care of itself from my results.”
Gaunt’s championship title lead has been shortened to 28 points, with Baird placed third, 43 behind.
Finishing fourth for the race, Hugh Gardiner in the recently liveried Martini coloured Gardiner Motorsport Porsche 997 equalled his best ever result in only his second weekend of competition with the newer specification car.
Seventh, after getting tagged in the opening lap carnage, Shane McKillen had thoughts of de ja vu after being shunted from the last race he contested in the VnC Cocktails Porsche 997.
Following an evening of panel replacement and repair, all six of the Triple X Motorsport cars will line up for Sunday morning’s 12 lap race. The weekend concludes with the 16-lap top-six reverse grid race starting from 2:10pm.
Qualifying
1. Jonny Reid 1.08.097
2. Craig Baird 1.08.374
3. Daniel Gaunt 1.08.471
4. Ant Pedersen 1.08.726
5. Mitchell Cunningham 1.08.909
6. Hugh Gardiner 1.09.348
7. Scott Harrison 1.09.575
8. Shane McKillen 1.10.521
9. Simon McLennan 1.10.583
10. Simon Evans 1.11.128
Race 1 (Sat 12 laps)
1. Craig Baird 13.51.271
2. Jonny Reid +0.359
3. Mitch Cunningham +12.727
4. Hugh Gardiner +17.167
5. Simon McLennan + 28.168
6. Simon Evans +28.683
7 Shane McKillen +35.530
dnf Daniel Gaunt, Scott Harrison, Ant Pedersen
