The battle lines are well and truly drawn for this weekend’s Crown Lift Trucks 2010/11 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge championship final at the Taupo Motorsport Park with three drivers – Daniel Gaunt, Jonny Reid and Craig Baird – in with a title shot.
Never before has the title fight been so close, with just 25 points separating season-long points leader Daniel Gaunt and last season’s Rookie of The Year Jonny Reid, with only 13 more back to defending title holder Craig Baird.
Before the racing starts this weekend, however, the cars contesting the Crown Lift Trucks series will be kitted out in decals advertising numbers to phone or text to donate money to the Red Cross Earthquake Appeal.
Over the weekend drivers and series/team personnel will also wear special red and black armbands as a sign of respect to those affected by the February 22 earthquake in Christchurch.
"We all want to help in some way, "says series spokesman Douglas Blair. "This disaster has galvanized a nation and this is our way of trying to help as a series. People either at the track or watching the racing on TV can simply phone or txt the numbers on the decals and make an automatic donation to the Red Cross Earthquake Fund. To make a $20 donation the phone number is 0900 733 276 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0900 733 276 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, to make a $3 donation the text number is 4419 ."
In terms of the racing, what this weekend holds is anyone’s guess, though the format – which sees a 30 lap/100km mini-enduro complete with compulsory wheel change back on the programme – probably favours series veteran Craig Baird.
"I'm definitely hungry for results so am keen to go wheel-to-wheel and see who pops out ahead after each race," the six-time category champion said earlier this week. "The enduro events are a little bit of a lottery but it's part of our race so has to be part of our strategy."
Daniel Gaunt has certainly upped the ante this season, his clean-sweep (pole in qualifying and wins in all three races) at the second round a truly world class performance.
And heading into the final round this weekend the title is his to either win or lose.
"There is a lot of added pressure obviously, " he agrees, " but it's important (for me) not to think about that and just do the best job I can on the day."
Then there is Jonny Reid, the driver who not only claimed Rookie of The Year honours last season, he also won the final series round at Taupo.
What is his plan heading into the weekend?
"To win," he says matter-of-factly."That's my goal and coming out on top, both of the round and the championship, is what I will be totally focused on this weekend."
The Taupo circuit holds very good memories for Reid, who qualified quickest and won the first race at the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport series round in January 2008 before going on to finish second overall in the 2007/08 title chase.
Claiming his first GT3 Cup Challenge round win there this time last year was another highlight, one which Reid says underlines the affection he has for the circuit.
"It's a very technical track, and quite demanding in a GT car. Where in the single seater you tended to lose the aero (grip) if you got too close to the car in front, meaning it was hard finding a place to pass, you can get a lot closer in a GT meaning the racing is a lot closer and there is more passing."
And of course, having been in the same position Gaunt now finds himself in Reid says he knows exactly what will be running through his rival's mind.
"He'll be feeling the heat, that's for sure."
Reid’s International Motorsport teammate Mitch Cunningham, will also have to keep one on eye on the track and the other in his mirror this weekend, the former kart and Toyota Racing Series champion in fourth place in the series points standings but with Triple X Motorsport's rookie driver Scott Harrison from Whangarei breathing down his neck.
After a collision in the reverse top six grid final at Timaru in January took out fellow Triple X Motorsport teammates Craig Baird and Shane McKillen, Harrison came through to claim his debut series round win there, the points haul helping him bridge the gap to Cunningham.
With fellow kart-turned-car racer Ant Pedersen stepping into McKillen's Triple X Motorsport team car this weekend, Cunningham's job is not going to be made any easier, either. Despite that Cunningham remains bullish about his chances.
"The pressure's on Daniel not me this weekend. All I want to do is qualify well then we'll take it from there. We're still not quite on top of the car set-up, or at least a set-up that suits me without killing the tyres, but I've proved I've got the pace to run with Daniel, Jonny and co, all I've got to do now is maintain it over the full race distance."
It's a very different story in the 996 Cup series-within-a-series with Wellington driver Simon McLennan guaranteed the 2010/11 title with an unassailable (231 point) lead over fellow young gun Simon Evans from Auckland with Hong Kong-based businessman Mark Whyman a further 380 points back in third.
Crown Lift Trucks Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge championship action kicks off at Taupo Motorsport Park on Friday with testing before qualifying and the endurance race on Saturday.
There will then be two shorter sprint races on Sunday, the first over 10 laps in the morning and the reverse top six grid season finale over 14 laps in the afternoon.
2010/11 Crown Lift Trucks Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge championship
Series points after Rnd 5 of 6
1. Daniel Gaunt 858
2. Jonny Reid 833
3. Craig Baird 820
4. Mitch Cunningham 684
5. Scott Harrison 677
6. Simon McLennan 584
7. Shane McKillen 540
8. Simon Evans 453
9. Paul Kelly 449
10. Hugh Gardiner 306
11. Ant Pedersen 274
12. Mark Whyman 222
13. Mark Maddren 200
14. Earl Bamber 169
15. Michael Morton 154
16. Andrew Bagnall 117
996 Cup
1. Simon McLennan 1034 points
2. Simon Evans 821
3. Mark Whyman 441
4. Mark Maddren 362
