Last weekend, Jonny Reid was victorious in the New Zealand V8 SuperTourers. This weekend, the Kiwi hopes for similar success when making the journey 5,500 km west to Perth’s Barbagallo Raceway.
Reid will line up for the third round of the 2012 Porsche City Index Carrera Cup Australia championship having taken the round victory, and series lead, of the New Zealand based V8 SuperTourers last weekend at Manfeild against fellow Porsche competitors Craig Baird, Steven Richards and Andre Heimgartner.
Reid missed the opening round of the Porsche City Index Carrera Cup Australia championship in Adelaide, and returned in style for Round 2 at Albert Park, placing second for the event.
After the successful Albert Park round, and his recent success in New Zealand, Reid hopes he can continue his strong form at Barbagallo Raceway – the track at which he claimed his maiden Carrera Cup round win in 2011.
“Coming off a victory last weekend puts me in the right frame of mind heading into this weekend. I took victory over Craig Baird in New Zealand last weekend and will be looking to do the same in Perth. Baird is the master of the Porsche race car, so I’ll be looking to beat him again this weekend, along with Alex Davison,” said Reid.
“I’m quite confident in my driving at the moment. I’ve done a lot of racing lately, which always helps to lift your game behind the wheel.
“Gaining pole position at Albert Park and another pole position in the New Zealand V8 SuperTourers last weekend shows that I have good pace, and to get the round win at Manfeild fills me with confidence heading into Perth.”
Reid added that, after missing the opening round at the Clipsal 500, he has his sights set on one thing in Perth. Winning.
“I’m really hungry for victory in Perth, and that’s the way I have to enter every event after missing the first round of the championship. I want to claw back as many points as I can over Alex Davison and Craig Baird.”
The Porsche field will also feature former AFL footballer Troy Wilson, who will line up in the #40 Guest Car.
Wilson played 37 games for the West Coast Eagles between 2001 and 2003, kicking the most goals for the Perth based AFL club in the 2001 season.
The former Eagles star now joins the Carrera Cup field having taken his former coach, and current coach of the West Coast Eagles John Worsfold, a hot lap in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car at Barbagallo Raceway last week. Click here to see the Worsfold hot lap.
The lead of the Elite Class is set to change at Barbagallo Raceway following the 2011 class champion and current points leader Max Twigg’s absence from the West Australian event.
With Twigg absent from the Perth round, Elite Class front-runners James Koundouris and Tony Bates, who are second and third in the class points respectively, will be among the leading contenders to lead the division after the Barbagallo Raceway event.
However, New Zealander Paul Kelly, who currently sits fourth in the Elite Class standings, will be one to watch in Perth.
Kelly missed the opening round of last year’s season before making his Carrera Cup debut at the following 2011 round in Perth. The result: a maiden round win in his championship debut – a result he hopes to replicate this weekend.
