REID DIGS DEEP TO RETAIN HIS CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT

Although the finish positions of the top four drivers in Race 1 of the GT3 Cup Challenge at Teretonga mirrored that of the start grid positions, the race certainly didn’t reflect a no-passing procession.

The front two rows of the start grid were made up of Daniel Gaunt on pole, Craig Baird alongside his team mate followed by International Motorsport Drivers Jonny Reid and Mitchell Cunningham. Gaunt and Cunningham both performed exceptional starts with Gaunt holding onto his front-of-the-pack role while Cunningham moved from fourth up to second following less than favourable starts from Baird and Reid.

Reid struggled off the start with a slipping clutch and found himself down in the middle of the pack in seventh place where he then set himself a task to work his way back to the front before the 38 lap endurance race was over. Ducking and diving through the field, Reid moved from seventh back up to his start position of third, aided by the International Motorsport-managed lightning-quick compulsory pit-stop on Lap 15, some 4 seconds quicker than his rivals pit stops. “I would have had a good start if it wasn’t for the clutch slipping, but regardless of this, I actually had a good race” said Reid. “I felt that I proved myself in this race, five laps from the end of the race I had fought my way back from seventh, and although I got caught up in traffic on a number of occasions, finishing just a tenth of a second off Baird in third place show’s that my tyre management skills came into play and I drove a well disciplined but hard fought race.”

Gaunt set the pace from the start and although Baird kept the pressure on with a multi-lap battle with his team mate, he managed to take the win with Baird settling for second place. Cunningham held on to finish in fourth place.

Tomorrow’s racing sees the GT3’s line up in the morning for a 12 lap race, followed by a 16 lap race in the afternoon.

2010/11 New Zealand Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge
Round 3 - Zoagn 500 Teretonga Park Invercargill
Qualifying
1. Daniel Gaunt 58.450
2. Craig Baird 58.538
3. Jonny Reid 58.585
4. Mitch Cunningham 58.796
5. Scott Harrison 59.566
6. Shane McKillen 59.918
7. Simon McLennan 1.00.771
8. Paul Kelly 1.00.964
9. Simon Evans 1.01.175
10. Mark Whyman 1.02.651
11. Michael Morton 1.02.882

Race 1 (Saturday 38 laps)
1. Daniel Gaunt 38.52.792
2. Craig Baird +0.717
3. Jonny Reid +0.880
4. Mitch Cunningham +21.884
5. Shane McKillen +1 lap
6. Scott Harrison +1 lap
7. Paul Kelly +1 lap
8. Simon McLennan +1 lap
9. Simon Evans +1 lap
DNF Michael Morton, Mark Whyman