Gaunt wins opening Christchurch Porsche race

Triple X Motorsport driver Daniel Gaunt, in the MPD VnC Cocktails Porsche 997, won today’s opening race at the series second round being held at the Powerbuilt Raceway near Christchurch.

Having set fastest time in qualifying to pip team-mate and early pacesetter Craig Baird (Mad Butcher ZM Porsche 997), Gaunt made a clean start to the ten-lap afternoon race. Held on a track with a surface temperature of 55 degrees Celsius, Gaunt made it to the first turn first, to hold the preferred track position and take an early advantage.

“Leading on the inside in to turn-one is the place you want to be – so long as you can keep it there – so that made it a good start. I was just managing the gap and left a lot on the table because I wanted to have something to fight with if there was a safety car period and I needed to fend off,” said Gaunt, who had to contend with a cabin temperature of 46.5 degrees Celsius during the afternoon ten-lap race.

“It was a good race for us, especially after how we started with this car at Pukekohe. The guys rebuilt the whole thing in three days and here it is winning races, so full credit to the Triple X team, Todd, Ian and especially Adam, along with Michael Morton – I can’t thank them enough.”

A mere 0.008 second behind in qualifying, Baird’s outer starting position saw him squeezed to the outside as the field filed through the first turn, having to tuck in behind in fourth spot. From there he picked up one spot to chase down Jonny Reid. Lap after lap the six-time champion tried for a passing opportunity, but had to settle for third place in an effort to pressure Reid yet conserve his tyres.

A very last minute change to the line-up saw Earl Bamber pilot the Michael Morton Outlaws Bar Porsche 997 to fourth in qualifying having only done five laps in practise on the Friday. The first time the New Zealand Grand Prix winner and former A1GP driver has raced a saloon car, Bamber settled for fifth position – having set third fastest lap time for the race.

“I really have to thank Michael Morton and Shane McKillen from Triple X Motorsport to allow me to fill this opportunity,” said Bamber. “I’ve always wanted to drive one of these cars – and they are every bit of impressive that I expected. My goal was to learn its characteristics, so to set fourth fastest in qualifying and third in the race is a great result to start with.”

In sixth, Auckland’s Hugh Gardiner, driving the Gardiner Motorsport Porsche 997 started and finished his first race of the season. Engaged in a mid-pack duel with fellow Triple X Motorsport driver Paul Kelly, Gardiner reclaimed the advantage when the latter spun to finish eighth in the Paul Kelly Motor Company Porsche 997.

Team principal Shane McKillen finished between the pair in seventh, the VnC Cocktails Porsche 997 constantly in the middle of the Gardiner/Kelly sandwich.

Disappointment for Whangarei’s Scott Harrison came mid-race when he ran wide and damaged the radiator of the Mad Butcher Carpet One Porsche 997 when he ran up the exhaust pipe of McKillen’s car – forcing him to retire.

Racing for the miners: Each of the team’s seven Porsche 997 cars bore livery in memory of the mining tragedy on the South Island’s West Coast. Pit-side, the Triple X Motorsport team wore black arm-bands to acknowledge that while time moves on, their thoughts are with the friends and family of the 29 miners who lost their lives at the Pike River coal mine last week.

Sunday’s two remaining races include a 10-lap race in the morning with the top-six reverse-grid race of 14 laps set to start at 3:10pm. Each race is worth 75 points for the win.