Triple X to push Porsche title lead

This weekend’s second of back-to-back race meetings draws the championship past the half-way mark in the 2008/09 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge and to Invercargill for the fourth round of the 2008/09 season for the six car Triple X Motorsport team.

Following a perfect race weekend clean-sweep at Timaru by Melbourne based David Reynolds in the Placemakers – Hampsta – Porsche 997; he fronted a team lock-out of the race weekend podium. Now heading to the world’s most southern race circuit, he says it is by far his favourite:

“It’s one of the best tracks I go to in New Zealand. Its fast and flowing and my type of track,” said the 23-year old, who is journeying with the team as they head for a few days in Queenstown before arriving at the Invercargill circuit on Thursday.

“I tried a few different things at Timaru so if we can make that work at Invercargill we can achieve the same result again.”

Utilising the longer daylight hours enjoyed by southern New Zealand, the weekend race programme includes a 30 lap endurance race on the Saturday evening following morning qualifying. While a common race length for Australian championship hardened Craig Baird (Barrons RV Taupo – ZM – Porsche 997) and Reynolds, Baird does voice caution at the twilight race.

“I’m a little concerned over the tyre life with the 40 minute race,” said the 38-year old defending champion and current point’s leader. “Last time we were there we had some tyre failures due to the abrasive surface around the sweeper. The new tyre is supposed to be more durable but who knows, so I’m going to have to use strategy really.”

Explaining his thoughts, Baird says the unique sand based circuit features predominantly drive corners where the tyre doesn’t get to ‘rest’ and cool down during a lap.

“So you just build up temperature and more temperature – that’s going to be quite a concern.”

Sunday returns to the normal programme with a 12-lap race in the morning and a top-six reverse grid 16-lap race in the afternoon.

With the first three championship podium placings secured by the Triple X Motorsport team following the Timaru weekend, Queensland based Kiwi Craig Baird in the Barrons RV Taupo – ZM – Porsche 997 has a 60 point lead over Reynolds.
A further 99 points behind, Auckland’s Daniel Gaunt (Beef and Lamb – Radio Sport – Trinity Media Group – Porsche 997) holds third by a moderate margin with Sydney’s Rodney Forbes (Hampsta - MPD Dairy Products – Porsche 997) in sixth. Team principal Shane McKillen (VnC Cocktails – Porsche 997) sits in tenth, with rookie Courtney Letica (Altherm - Porsche 997) is close behind in 11^th.

Set 10km to the west of Invercargill, Teretonga’s 2.61km kidney shaped circuit was plotted through lupin covered sand-dunes before its establishment as a permanent race facility in late 1957.