The 2011 Australian Carrera Cup Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. The championship, which was contested over seven rounds across four states, began on 24 March 2011 at the Australian Grand Prix and ended on 4 December at the Sydney 500. It was the seventh Australian Carrera Cup Championship.
After the opening round of the series, reigning champion Craig Baird led the championship having scored a second and two wins over the course of the 2011 Australian Grand Prix weekend. Baird was thirty points ahead of Daniel Gaunt and Steven Richards. The winner of the opening race of the season, Jonny Reid slipped to sixth place in the points after a disappointing race when the car slowed on the final lap of the race. An all-podium performance at the second round of the championship by Richards elevated him into the points lead while Reid began a run of six consecutive races of top two race positions to take the championship lead after the third round, a round which had been dominated by Daniel Gaunt with three wins at the Townsville 400 weekend.
New Zealand driver Jonny Reid led the series after three rounds with a narrow four point gap over countryman Craig Baird. Steven Richards sat 41 points behind Reid who in turn was just two point ahead of Daniel Gaunt. Reid had won three races over the season thus far, as had Gaunt with Baird having won twice and Richards once.
Teams and drivers
editThe following teams and drivers contested the championship.
| Team | No | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Dutton Insurance Racing | 1 |  Craig Baird
|
| Tinkler Motorsport | 5 |  Nathan Tinkler Jeremy Gray
|
| Skye Sands | 6 | Rusty French
|
| McElrea Racing | 7 | Jonny Reid
|
| 29 | Michael Patrizi
| |
| Twigg Motorsport | 8 | Max Twigg
|
| Hallmarc Racing | 9 | Marc Cini
|
| 10 | Michael Loccisano
| |
| Money Choice Motorsport | 11 | Matthew Coleman
|
| Jim Richards Racing | 12 | Steven Richards
|
| INCA Motorsports | 17 | Ray Angus
|
| Andrew Barlow Motorsport | 18 | Andrew Barlow
|
| Nexus Racing | 19 | Damien Flack
|
| Team BRM | 20 |  Ben Barker
|
| Triple X Motorsport Melbourne Performance Centre[1] |
27 | Daniel Gaunt
|
| Supabarn Motorsport | 47 | Theo Koundouris
|
| 69 | James Koundouris
| |
| Jocaro Motorsport | 51 | Ross Lilley
|
| Smollen Motorsport | 56 | Shane Smollen
|
| Porsche Cars Australia | 60 | Mark Noske Mark Skaife Nick Foster
|
| Racing Incident | 66 | Peter Hill Tim Leahey
|
| 01 Motorsport | 88 | Simon Middleton
|
| Paul Kelly Motor Group | 90 | Paul Kelly
|
Race calendar
edit| Round | Date | Circuit | Location | Winning driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24–27 March |  Albert Park Street Circuit[2]
|
Melbourne, Victoria | Craig Baird |
| 2 | 30 April–1 May |  Barbagallo Raceway[3]
|
Perth, Western Australia | Jonny Reid |
| 3 | 8–10 July |  Townsville Street Circuit
|
Townsville, Queensland | Daniel Gaunt |
| 4 | 16–18 September | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
|
Phillip Island, Victoria | Daniel Gaunt |
| 5 | 6–9 October |  Mount Panorama Circuit
|
Bathurst, New South Wales | Michael Patrizi |
| 6 | 21–23 October | Surfers Paradise Street Circuit
|
Surfers Paradise, Queensland | Craig Baird |
| 7 | 2–4 December | Homebush Street Circuit
|
Sydney, New South Wales | Jonny Reid |
Each of the seven rounds was contested over three races.
Points system
editChampionship points were awarded on a 60–54–48–42–36–32–29–26–23–20–18–16–14–12–11–10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis to the first twenty-five finishers in each race.[4]
Results and standings
editDrivers' championship
edit
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Professional Class
editThe Professional Class was won by Craig Baird from Jonny Reid and Daniel Gaunt.[5]
Elite Class
editThe Elite Class was won by Max Twigg from Paul Kelly and James Koundouris.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Gaunt switches teams for Perth Carrera Cup Retrieved from www.speedcafe.com on 29 October 2011
- ^ "Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit 27/03/2011 2011 Formula 1 Qantas Australian Grand Prix". National Software. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ "2011 Trading Post Perth Challenge – Races 7, 8, and 9". Natsoft. National Software. 30 April 2011. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship Sporting and Technical Regulations Retrieved on 29 October 2011
- ^ a b c d e Back in the Game, The Speedcafe Annual – Australian Motorsport, Number 7 / 2011, pages 96 to 102