Porsche champions take on street battle

Triple X Motorsport press release:
 
Hamilton V8 Supercar: Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge 2008/09 - Hamilton 17-19 April 2009
 
For immediate release: 15th April 2009.

Porsche champions take on street battle

Multiple Porsche GT3 Challenge Cup champions, Triple X Motorsport will field five type 997 cars in this weekend’s three race battle around the Hamilton streets as part of the V8 Supercar weekend (17-19 April).

One month on from the victorious one-two-three in the 2008/09 championship season, the team have the defence of the inaugural street race trophy that Craig Baird (Barrons RV Taupo – ZM – Porsche 997) secured last year after dominating the field with three race wins.

Stepping in to the car vacated by the V8 Supercar contracted David Reynolds – Auckland’s Daniel Gaunt will drive the Placemakers-Hampsta Porsche, making room for Mad Butcher CEO Mike Morton to drive the Beef and Lamb – Radio Sport – Trinity Media Group car.

 “Every one of our cars are the same,” Gaunt explains of the seat shuffle.  “Porsche obviously do a great job of getting every car very similar – so it’ll be the same adjustments we make to get the setup suited to me,” he annoted to the difference between his podium placing steed and this weekend’s chaser.

With street-course experience this year in Australia, the 24-year old says the Hamilton event is one he is looking forward to:  “It’s pretty straight-forward and creates good racing.  It has good apexed curves so you can see through most of the corners, plus they’ve made improvements this year that should be for the better.”

Clean-sweeping the championship field again this season, Baird says the Hamilton event suits his style of competition:  “Street circuits are something I really enjoy and thrive on really.  I just love the concrete and non-forgiving nature; whether it’s a curb with grass run-off or concrete wall - I will charge in just as hard.”

Using 3.4km of streets in Hamilton’s Frankton business district, the concrete block lined course provides an up-close feel for both spectators and Baird, who will tackle the course for the second time.

 “I enjoyed the track – the platform they started with in their first year was exceptional so I can only imagine it’s even better with the changes they are making – so I’m looking forward to getting back to it,” said the newly crowned Porsche champion who has now amassed 21 New Zealand titles.

Included to the title-winning team line-up, season rookie Courtney Letica will make his first start at a street circuit event in the Altherm Porsche 997 with team principal Shane McKillen in the VnC Cocktails car.

Beginning with brief testing and weekend qualifying on the Friday, Saturday morning starts the weekend racing with the first of three 12-lap races; one in the morning followed by a second in the afternoon.  The weekend concludes with a mid-day race Sunday afternoon before the podium presentation ceremony from 2pm.

Ends.

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