HOME WIN IN CARRERA CUP FOR BAIRD
9/11/2004 19:32 (Press Release) -
The Australian Carrera Cup series trophy may have been presented to Alex Davison in glorious Gold Coast conditions, but it was local driver Craig Baird that took the honours at the Lexmark Indy 300 for the final round of the all-Porsche championship.
After placing second behind Jim Richards in race two yesterday, Baird (Team VIP Petfoods) shot off the line to lead into the Lexmark Chicane from Richards (Jim Richards Racing / OAMPS Insurance Brokers), Fabian Coulthard and Davison (Greg Murphy Racing / Glenfords Tool Centre).
Aiming for his first race win in the Australian Carrera Cup, Baird had a titanic struggle for the first four laps to stay ahead of Richards who was peppering him at every turn.
Then on the fifth lap, disaster struck for Richards as he continued to seek a line past Baird, instead finding a tyre barrier on one of the chicanes. He did resume the race but lost valuable positions and ultimately the chance to win the round.
Baird, the 34-year-old Gold Coast-based Kiwi, continued on to take the checkered flag in this final race of the 2004 season from Coulthard (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun, Mossimo) and Gold Coaster Tony Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods).
The race three win gave Baird enough points to claim the Lexmark Indy 300 round, also his first round win of the season. Coulthard put in a consistent series of three races to finish third for the round just behind Richards on a countback.
The series champion Davison battled not only the flu this round but also a tyre puncture today, to finish sixth overall which was his first non-podium finish of the season.
However he did celebrate on the streets of Surfers Paradise accepting the trophy for champion of the 2004 Australian Carrera Cup.
For the season Davison accrued 1344 points, with close rival Richards taking the runners-up position with 1146 points, and Coulthard finishing third on 1071 points.
Another featured battle today was for the TAG Heuer Carrera Challenge. Melbourne-based Dean Grant held a 60-point lead for this award entering today’s final race, and just had to finish to claim the winner’s TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph. This award was for drivers over 35 years in a 2003-spec Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.
The other contender was Tony Quinn, and despite Quinn’s season high race finish of third, Grant (Becks Racing) held on to win the season’s TAG Heuer Carrera Challenge by placing ninth overall and third out of TAG Heuer drivers.
Today presented, however, Quinn’s first race top-three finish for the season and also his second consecutive Fuchs Hard Charger title. This award was for the driver who made up the most number of grid positions throughout the year.
After a consistent season which included 19 race top-three finishes, two race wins and six round podiums, the 22-year-old Coulthard picked up the Porsche Michelin Driver to Europe award as well as the Michelin Rookie of the Year.
The Lexmark Indy 300 concludes the 2004 Australian Carrera Cup, which was an action-packed and exciting nine-round series starting back at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in March.
‘Trackside’ on Network Ten will telecast this final round of the Carrera Cup on Sunday November 7 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 set for racing in 2004. 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.
Full results of today’s race three of the Australian Carrera Cup at the Lexmark Indy 300 at www.cupcar.com.au
ROUND 9 POINTS – LEXMARK INDY 300
1. Craig Baird (Team VIP Petfoods) 156
2. Jim Richards (Jim Richards Racing / OAMPS Insurance Brokers) 150
3. Fabian Coulthard (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun, Mossimo) 150
4. Tony Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods) 114
5. Charlie O’Brien (Wright Patton Shakespeare) 108
6. Alex Davison (Greg Murphy Racing / Glenfords Discount Tool Centres) 102
7. Stephen Borness (Celerity Racing / Logiadd) 72
8. Klark Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods) 57
9. Dean Grant (Becks Racing) 57
10. Peter Fitzgerald (Fitzgerald Racing / Abcor, Acer) 45
FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1. Alex Davison (Greg Murphy Racing / Glenfords Tool Centre) 1344
2. Jim Richards (Jim Richards Racing / OAMPS Insurance Brokers) 1146
3. Fabian Coulthard (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun, Mossimo) 1071
4. Peter Fitzgerald (Fitzgerald Racing / Abcor, Acer) 660
5. Klark Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods) 564
6. Jonathon Webb (Tekno Autosports) 531
7. Tony Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods) 417
8. Paul Pedersen (International Motorsport NZ / Lakesawn Lumber) 432
9. Rodney Jane (Rodney Jane Racing / Bob Jane T-Marts 426
10. Dean Grant (Becks Racing) 399
11. James Cressey (Team VIP Petfoods) 378
12. Stephen Borness (Celerity Racing / Logiadd) 355
13. Craig Baird (Team VIP Petfoods) 324
14. Peter Hill (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun) 306
15. Peter Bradbury (Team MPS Security) 279
16. Charlie O’Brien (Charlie O’Brien Racing / Wright Patton Shakespeare) 276
17. Kevin Bell (International Motorsport NZ / G-Tech NZ) 234
18. Matt Halliday (International Motorsport NZ / Lakesawn Lumber) 129
19. Roger Oakeshott (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun) 124
20. David Thexton (Thexton Racing / thexton.com.au) 114
21. Ash Samadi (Globe Racing) 113
22. Marc Cini (Adamco) 87
23. Paul Freestone (Freestone Racing / Freestones Transport) 84
24. Ross Rutherford (International Motorsport NZ / Woodstock Bourbon) 84
25. Matt Coleman (Matt Coleman Racing / racepaint.com.au) 70
26. Troy Hunt (MOG Sport / Talent 2) 57
27. Bryce Washington (ADRAD) 51
28. Claude Giorgi (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun) 39
29. James Koundouris (SupaBarn Supermarkets) 27
30. Tony Pugliese (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun) 21
31. Chris Seidler (Enterprise Express Racing / Seidler Homes) 18
32. David Giugni (SupaBarn Supermarkets) 9
33. Graham Cameron (International Motorsport NZ / CAN AM Construction) 9
34. Dean Cook (Redline Promotions / Talent 2) 6
35. Theo Koundouris (SupaBarn Supermarkets) 6
TAG HEUER CARRERA CHALLENGE
(For Drivers 35 years or over in a 2003 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car)
1. Dean Grant (Becks Racing) 1242
2. Tony Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods) 1194
3. Stephen Borness (Celerity Racing / Logiadd) 1104
4. Peter Hill (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun) 846
5. Roger Oakeshott (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun) 687
MICHELIN PORSCHE DRIVER TO EUROPE
(For Drivers under 30 who haven’t driven in a European Porsche series)
1. Fabian Coulthard (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun) 1344
2. Klark Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods) 1044
3. Jonathon Webb (Tekno Autosports) 792
4. James Cressey (Team VIP Petfoods) 750
5. Bryce Washington (ADRAD) 198
MICHELIN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
(For Drivers in their first Porsche racing series)
1. Fabian Coulthard (Greg Murphy Racing / Team Braun) 1362
2. Ash Samadi (Globe Racing) 912
3. James Cressey (Team VIP Petfoods) 852
4. David Thexton (Thexton Motor Racing) 786
5. Paul Freestone (Freestone Racing / Freestones Transport) 354
FUCHS HARD CHARGER
(For the Driver who passes the most cars in Carrera Cup races)
1. Tony Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods) 53
2. Rodney Jane (Rodney Jane Racing / Bob Jane T-Marts) 48
3. Peter Bradbury (Team MPS Security) 41
4. James Cressey (Team VIP Petfoods) 40
5. Stephen Borness (Celerity Racing / Logiadd) 39
HIGHEST PLACED NEW ZEALAND BASED DRIVER
1. Paul Pedersen (International Motorsport NZ / Lakesawn Lumber) 432
2. Kevin Bell (International Motorsport NZ / G-Tech NZ) 234
3. Matt Halliday (International Motorsport NZ / Lakesawn Lumber) 129
4. Ross Rutherford (International Motorsport NZ / Woodstock Bourbon) 84
5. Graham Cameron (International Motorsport NZ / CAN AM Construction) 9
Release Date: 24/10/2004
Carrera Cup
|
|
