HARRI JONES has had the perfect weekend in Round 4 of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship at Queensland Raceway, as the championship reaches its half-way point.
Jones’ perfect weekend came with pole, three wins and a new lap record as he turned a 10-point championship defecit prior to the round to a 58-point lead ahead of the next event at The Bend in September.
The Equity-One Professional Class podium was completed by a delighted TekworkX Racing duo of David Russell (Second) and Marcus Amand in third.
Russell’s consistent weekend ensured he recorded his 19th career podium and climbs to fourth in the championship, within striking distance of Bayley Hall in third.
Amand, meanwhile, took advantage of starting on the second row of the grid in the third and final race of the weekend to finally have his chance to challenge for the race lead, having spent the previous two races starting in the bottom half of the top-10.
Starting fourth in the finale, he exited turn one in third place and then passed Russell for second before trying to chase down leader Jones – ultimately settling for second position and third overall for the weekend.
Race three was a combative affair behind that leading trio with Dale Wood fourth and Dylan O’Keeffe scoring points but losing his championship lead in fifth.
Clay Osborne was first Porsche Michelin Junior home in the race to complete a rounded three-race performance, while Lockie Bloxsom, Angelo Mouzouris and Hamish Fitzsimmons completed the top-10.
Jones claims Enduro Cup race, lead
HARRI JONES delivered again to extend his Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia lead further in the Enduro Cup race on Sunday morning at Queensland Raceway, in a race filled with personal-best performances throughout the field.
Jones’ performance was a near carbon-copy of his race one win as he got the jump into turn one and pulled away from the field from there.
It extends to 34 points his championship lead ahead of the final race this weekend, while Jones’ also now takes a clear lead in the Enduro Cup points standings having entered the round equal on points with Dylan O’Keeffe.
Behind him, though, were several season-best performances that stood out among the racy 22-car grid.
Dale Wood finished runner up, his best race finish and first in the top three of the season so far aboard his Connected Spaces / EBM entry.
Marcus Amand finished third for TekworkX in a starring performance that saw the teenage Finn charge through the top-10 runners in the early laps, picking his way through the intense battle from fifth back to elevate himself into the five by the second lap.
He dispatched Hamish Fitzsimons for fourth position on the eighth lap and then eased past teammate David Russell for third five laps later.
With Wood in front and Russell behind, the three ran at a hard pace for the remainder of the race without changing positions.
Angelo Mouzouris finished a strong fifth on his 24th birthday, another season-best performance and the best from the #999 Sonic car of the season so far. The same could be said for Fitzsimmons, who ran fourth early before slipping back behind Amand and Mouzouris before consolidating his best ever Carrera Cup performance in sixth; a strong rebound from a challenging Saturday.
A quiet performance from Dylan O’Keeffe saw him finish seventh with Clay Osborne Eighth, Bayley Hall ninth and Caleb Sumich 10th.
The next round of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship will return the series to The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia in September, supporting the Airtouch 500 Supercars enduro.
The week prior will see the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia tackle their penultimate round at the Shannons SpeedSeries event.
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