* 2008/09 Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge championship
BAIRD AND REYNOLDS BATTLE IN FIRST PORSCHE GT3 CUP RACE AT PUKEKOHE
Defending Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge champion Craig Baird (Barrons Recreational Vehicles 997 GT3) may have continued on his winning way on the first day of competition at the first round of the 2008/09 championship at Pukekohe's Pukekohe Park Raceway this afternoon.
But it wasn't for want of trying by his Triple X teammate, Australian young gun David Reynolds (Placemakers/Hampsta 997 GT3).
In a virtual repeat of the final trophy round of the 2007/08 series at the inaugural Hamilton 400 V8Supercar meeting in Hamilton in April Reynolds pipped Baird for pole position in qualifying only to have Baird get the better start in the first race.
This time though Reynolds' Porsche was rarely more than a metre or two behind Baird's, the two men - who between them have won three of the last four Carrera Cup Australia titles - disputing the leading position until the chequered flag came out.
They were trying too, Baird setting a new class lap record round the high speed 3.3 km Pukekohe circuit of 57.557, and Reynolds crossing the finishing line just 0.032 of a second behind (or in actual fact, alongside!)
Having dominated last year's Battery Town championship then gone on to win his second Carrera Cup Australia title across the Tasman, Queensland-based expat Kiwi Baird said that it is always good to win the first race of a new season. But that with Reynolds joining him on the front row of the grid, and pushing him all the way in the race, it certainly hadn't been a foregone conclusion.
"It’s good to get the monkey off your back each year; the first one is always the hardest so I was just happy to get through that unscathed because I definitely had a few moments. The car was good, enough to get under the lap record, but I was struggling with the left rear tyre in the last couple of laps."
Baird leading poleman David Reynolds and Jono Lester and Jody Vincent
Photo: Fast Company/SportProMedia
Behind the battling Baird and Reynolds, third quickest qualifier Jono Lester (Blackwoods/Paykels 997 GT3) had a relatively lonely drive to third place in the race after fellow young gun Ant Pedersen (Volvo/J.A.Russell 997 GT3), who had qualified fourth, had to start the race from the back of the grid after flat spotting and having to replace all four of his car's tyres.
That left Lester out on his own in front of Jody Vincent (Koken Tools 997 GT3), Daniel Gaunt (NZ Beef & Lamb 997 GT3) and Rodney Forbes (MPD Dairy Products 997 GT3), then a gap to last season's 996 Cup category fast man Mark Russ having his debut drive in the Giltrap Group Team 997 GT3) and another to amid-field battlepack consisting of impressive newcomer Courtney Letica (Altherm 997 GT3), Ant Pedersen, Darryn Henderson (RadioSport/Samsung 997 GT3) and Shane McKillen (VnC Cocktails 997 GT3).
First 996 GT3 home meanwhile was Rob Steele's Digital Post-backed car from category newcomer Hugh Gardiner (Popular Motors 996 GT3) and David Mackrell (Porsche Genuine Parts 997 GT3).
996 GT3 category winner Rob Steele
Photo: Fast Company/SportProMedia
Ends
2008/09 Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge championship Rnd 1 Pukekohe Park Raceway Pukekohe Fri- Nov 07-09 2008
1. David Reynolds (Placemakers/Hampsta Porsche 997 GT3) 57.224
2. Craig Baird (Barrons Recreational Vehicles Porsche 997 GT3) 57.430
3. Jono Lester (Blackwoods Paykels Porsche 997 GT3) 57.628
4. Anthony Pedersen (Volvo J.A.Russell Porsche 997 GT3) 57.684
5. Daniel Gaunt (Beef & Lamb NZ Porsche 997 GT3) 57.775
6. Jody Vincent (Koken Tools Porsche 997 GT3) 57.865
7. Rodney Forbes (MPD Dairy Products Porsche 997 GT3) 57.927
8. Mark Russ (Giltrap Group Porsche 997 GT3) 58.336
9. Darryn Henderson (RadioSport/Samsung Porsche 997 GT3) 58.515
10. Courtney Letica (Altherm Porsche 997 GT3) 58.977
11. Shane McKillen (VnC Cocktails Porsche 997 GT3) 59.076
12. Rob Steele (Digital Post Porsche 996 GT3) 1.00.323
13. Hugh Gardiner (Popular Motors Porsche 996 GT3) 1.00.767
14. David Mackrell (Porsche Genuine Parts Porsche 996 GT3) 1.02.101
