Gaunt and Baird in Triple X Porsche battle

Following last weekend’s third round of Porsche race action near Invercargill, Triple X Motorsport team drivers Daniel Gaunt and Craig Baird are ready for another head-to-head weekend at Timaru’s race circuit starting on Friday 21 January 2011.

The fourth round of the New Zealand Porsche Cup Challenge, Gaunt’s title lead came under pressure from defending champion Baird in the ZM Mad Butcher Porsche 997 after the Gold Coast based Kiwi scored two to one race victories over Gaunt.

However Gaunt’s early dominance in the MPD VnC Cocktails Porsche 997 keeps him firmly at the top of the table.

“More of the same, and no mistakes,” said Gaunt ahead of the Timaru weekend. “We had a speed bump at Teretonga and you’ve got to minimise any chance of a mistake. Its risk management from here on in and we’re thinking all about the championship. We’re just hoping to maintain the speed as we’ve set pole twice this season and each time it’s been very very close. Both Craig and Jonny Reid have as much speed to get that front spot – which is a position you must have to make the first race a whole lot easier.”

For Baird, Timaru is a circuit he has strong results from: “It’s a place that has always treated me well; I think that’s one of the few categories where I’ve done well both with the Porsche and V8 racing. But there is work to do and I can still improve. With three rounds and nine races left this season I can’t afford anything but wins.”

Of the six drivers run by Auckland’s Triple X Motorsport, Whangarei’s Scott Harrison has never raced the Timaru circuit in a Porsche. Finishing third overall at Teretonga, Harrison in the Mad Butcher Carpet One Porsche 997 says the camaraderie within the team has been instrumental in his recent success.

Team principal Shane McKillen’s VnC Cocktails Porsche 997 will again be a factor in the overall weekend result, with the Auckland businessman often upsetting opposition team strategy with his race pace.

Christchurch’s Paul Kelly is buoyed ahead of the Timaru weekend after scoring his best result in the Paul Kelly Motor Company Porsche 997 – finishing fourth overall at Teretonga.

Mad Butcher CEO Michael Morton will also return to the series for the Timaru weekend. Driving the Outlaws Bar Porsche 997, Morton missed last weekend’s final race with a late dash to the airport to attend to a family bereavement.

Beginning on the Friday with two test sessions, the team will again take guests for hot-lap rides late in the day. Returning the cars to full race mode, the competition starts at 11:50am with a 20 minute qualifying session. The first race of the weekend starts at 3:25pm, covering 12 laps of the 2.4 kilometre circuit. Sunday hosts two races, the first race of 12-laps starts at 11:10am, with the top-six reverse grid 16 lap racing starting at 2:55pm.