DAVISON DELIVERS RECORD-BREAKING RESULT
4/4/2004 8:52 (Press Release) -
A last gasp challenge did not throw series leader Alex Davison (Greg Murphy Racing / Glenfords Tool Centre) off the victory scent in today?s race one of the Australian Carrera Cup at Sydney?s Eastern Creek International Raceway.
Davison, who is yet to lose a Carrera Cup championship race in Australia, held off a fast-finishing Jim Richards (Jim Richards Racing / OAMPS Insurance Brokers) by less than a second to claim the race win in round two of the series.
The result takes Davison?s Australian Carrera Cup race record to seven from seven in official championship events. The 24-year-old Hawthorn driver?s consistency at the top end of races has made him one of the hottest young properties in Australian motor racing, especially considering Richards? dominance in the all-Porsche category last year.
Davison also set a new race lap record of 1:34.2011 in his go-to-whoa win, after this morning claiming his third successive championship pole position in a qualifying lap record of 1:33.2562.
?This is just great and all credit to the team,? said Davison. ?I was going flat out for the whole race ? there was no time to relax with Jimmy right there. It was like 12 qualifying laps the entire race.?
Rookie leader Fabian Coulthard (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun) has made a habit of impressive passing moves in his mini rivalry with Australian motor racing stalwart Peter Fitzgerald (Fitzgerald Racing / Acer, SEW Eurodrive). It happened again today with the Melbourne-based Kiwi Coulthard creating an inside line past Fitzgerald on lap nine of the 12-lap race, and pulling away for third place.
Fitzgerald crossed the line in fourth with the first Queensland car, the Klark Quinn-driven Team VIP Petfoods Porsche, another three seconds behind in fifth.
One of the big movers today was New Zealand?s Paul Pedersen (International Motorsport NZ / Lakesawn Lumber) who made up four positions through the race to end up sixth.
?That was hot and hard,? said Pedersen. ?We managed to peg back Jane (Rodney Jane) and got by him on around the fourth lap, but Klark (Klark Quinn) put too much of a gap on us and we just didn?t have it in the tyres to get closer.
?It was good to improve our grid position for race two tomorrow and hopefully peg a few more places then.?
Sydney 22-year-old Troy Hunt (MOG Sport / Talent 2) also put in a noteworthy performance to finish seventh, making up four places from his grid position of 11.
Rodney Jane (Rodney Jane Racing / Bob Jane T-Marts), Dean Grant (Becks Racing) and James Cressey (Team VIP Petfoods) made up today?s top 10.
After starting sixth on the grid, young Sydneysider Jonathon Webb (Tekno Autosports) had an afternoon to forget. The talented steerer had to start from pit lane, and then after making up numerous places early in the race encountered a broken clutch forcing him off the track and out of the race on lap nine.
Race two and three of the Carrera Cup at Eastern Creek will be held tomorrow, Sunday April 4. All races will be contested over 12 laps of the 3.93km anti-clockwise racing circuit. ?Trackside? on Network Ten will telecast this round of the Carrera Cup on Sunday April 18 at 2pm (check local guides).
The Carrera Cup is the most successful ?one make? championship in the world with close-to-identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars built by Porsche? racing arm in Weissach, Germany racing at Eastern Creek. All cars have a top speed in excess of 300 kilometres per hour with a 400-horsepower, 6 cylinder Boxer engine which revs to 8000 RPM.
RESULTS
Race 1, Saturday April 3
1. Alex Davison (Greg Murphy Racing / Glenfords Tool Centre) 12 laps
2. Jim Richards (Jim Richards Racing / OAMPS Insurance Brokers)
3. Fabian Coulthard (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun)
4. Peter Fitzgerald (Fitzgerald Racing / Acer, SEW Eurodrive)
5. Klark Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods)
6. Paul Pedersen (International Motorsport NZ / Lakesawn Lumber)
7. Troy Hunt (MOG Sport / Talent 2)
8. Rodney Jane (Rodney Jane Racing / Bob Jane T-Marts)
9. Dean Grant (Becks Racing)
10. James Cressey (Team VIP Petfoods)
11. Tony Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods)
12. Peter Hill (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun)
13. Ross Rutherford (International Motorsport NZ / Woodstock Bourbon)
14. Ash Samadi (Globe Racing)
15. Stephen Borness (Celerity Racing / Logiadd)
16. Roger Oakeshott (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun)
17. Peter Bradbury (Team MPS Security)
18. Jonathon Webb (Tekno Autosports) 8 laps
Qualifying, Saturday April 3
1. Alex Davison (Greg Murphy Racing / Glenfords Tool Centre) 1:33.2562
2. Jim Richards (Jim Richards Racing / OAMPS Insurance Brokers) 1:33.7137
3. Fabian Coulthard (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun) 1:34.1173
4. Peter Fitzgerald (Fitzgerald Racing / Acer, SEW Eurodrive) 1:34.1512
5. Klark Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods) 1:34.8370
6. Jonathon Webb (Tekno Autosports) 1:34.8714
7. Ross Rutherford (International Motorsport NZ / Woodstock Bourbon) 1:35.0881
8. Rodney Jane (Rodney Jane Racing / Bob Jane T-Marts) 1:35.4811
9. James Cressey (Team VIP Petfoods) 1:35.7160
10. Paul Pedersen (International Motorsport NZ / Lakesawn Lumber) 1:35.7395
11. Troy Hunt (MOG Sport / Talent 2) 1:35.9775
12. Dean Grant (Becks Racing) 1:35.9797
13. Peter Hill (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun) 1:36.1956
14. Peter Bradbury (Team MPS Security) 1:36.2312
15. Stephen Borness (Celerity Racing / Logiadd) 1:36.6819
16. Roger Oakeshott (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun) 1:37.6660
17. Ash Samadi (Globe Racing) 1:37.8786
DNS. Tony Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods)
EASTERN CREEK STATS & INFO
Circuit - 3.93km anti-clockwise
Race 2 ? 9.00am Sunday (12 laps)
Race 3 ? 12.30pm Sunday (12 laps)
Carrera Cup Track Qualifying Lap Record ? Alex Davison 1:33.2562
Carrera Cup Track Race Lap Record ? Alex Davison 1:34.2011
2003 Round Results ? 1. Jim Richards 2. Marcus Marshall 3. Tim Leahey
Release Date: 03/04/2004
Carrera Cup
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