The Audi rivalry in the Carter’s Tyres South Island Endurance Championship Three Hour Series is set to continue as the penultimate round gets underway on Saturday in Timaru.
The Dale Chapman/Marc Doran/Andrew Waite Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo holds just a four-point advantage in the overall standings as well as in Class E (GT3 type) having won at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell a fortnight ago.
At the opening round at Teretonga Park in Invercargill they finished second to rivals Neil Foster/Jonny Reid (Audi R8 LMS GT3) who are second overall.
Foster and Reid should have been leading the series heading to the Timaru International Raceway as a top two finish at Highlands was almost assured until a puncture forced a quick pitstop in the last 30 minutes of the race, dropping them to third. Second overall at Highlands was the current North Island Three Hour Endurance Champions Glen Smith and John De Veth, who made a one-off appearance with their McLaren 650S GT3 in the southern series.
Another Audi is third overall as Ben Byers/Christina Orr-West (Audi R8 LMS Ultra) prove that consistency is the key to finishing well. A fourth and a fifth in the opening two rounds while other rivals faltered, have them in a great position heading to Timaru.
Looking to upset the battle at the top is the very quick Aston Martin GT3 of Tony Quinn/Damon Leitch. They have been the next quickest car overall behind the top two Audi. Twice the pairing came close to contending for race wins only to be thwarted with mechanical issues in the last 30 minutes of the first two rounds.
Making its first appearance this season is the Carter’s Tyres Mercedes SLS that has proved very quick in previous years. The pairing of Dwayne and Matt Carter are likely to be contenders for a podium finish along with the fast and dynamic Chev Camaro GT3 of Simon Gilbertson and John McIntyre. Gilbertson and McIntyre sit fourth on the overall points table and could prove to be the third quickest car overall at the end of the four-round series.
Within the category there are five Classes also competing for separate title honours. Class A (0-2000cc) is currently led by Arron and Stuart Black (BMW E46 WTC) on 190 points. The pairing also hold eighth overall. Just 14 behind in second equal are Darryl Phillips/Terence Phillips (Honda Integra/Civic) and Todd Foster/Connor Adam (Toyota TR86).
The new Hyundai i30N TCR of Rhys Gould/Gene Rollinson has really set the pace in Class B (2001-3500cc), now 21-points ahead of the Tim Mackersy/Barry Moore VW Golf Gti TCR. Gould and Rollinson also sit fifth overall on the points table.
In Class C (+3501cc) the Perry Scarfe/Grant Silvester Ford Falcon BA has a 69-point lead over the ‘Love Machine’ of Victor Cattermole/Matthew Holland (Merc 190E 2.3s/c). However, the diesel-powered BMW 150D Turbo of Glen Chappel/ Mike Eady will be hard to beat by the top two in this class. Chappel and Eady did not compete at the opening round and finished a credible tenth overall at Highlands.
With a majority of Porsche fighting for the Class D (GT type) title, it is the Ford Falcon SuperTourer of Graeme Rhodes/Paul Rickerby that has a one-point lead over Dwayne and Matt Carter who have competed in their Porsche 997 GT3 in the first two rounds. At Timaru, the Carter duo will be back in their Mercedes SLS, putting them into Class E. Third overall is Paul Kelly, 86-points behind Rhodes and Rickerby. In theory, Rhodes and Rickerby could tie up the Class D title with a round to spare.
With a maximum of 75-points on offer for the round winner, this is a series where consistency pays and finishing is vital. To not finish a round will be detrimental to class honours and the overall championship. This Friday sees practice and testing for all entries with qualifying and racing in the penultimate round on Saturday.
Overall Points – Three Hour Series after 2/4 rounds
Poistion, Car #, Drivers, Car, Class, Points
1/ 87 D Chapman/M Doran/A Waite Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo E 185
2/ 1 Neil Foster/J Reid Audi R8 LMS GT3 E 181
3/ 256 B Byers/ C Orr-West Audi R8 LMS ULtra E 158
4/ 18 S Gilbertson/J McIntyre SaReNi Camaro GT3 E 158
5/ 5 G Rollinson/R Gould Hyundai i30N TCR B 149
6/ 19 D Carter/M Carter Porsche 997 GT3 D 140
7/ 31 G Rhodes/P Rickerby Ford Falcon V8ST D 137
8/ 50 A Black/S Black BMW E46 WTC A 124
9/ 79 T Mackersy/B Moore VW Golf Gti TCR B 114
10/ 29/12 J Pyke/B McConochie Mazda RX8 B 112
Class A – 0-2000cc
1/ 50 A Black/S Black BMW E46 WTC 190
2/ 96 D Phillips/T Phillips Honda Integra/Civic 176
3/ 222 T Foster/C Adam Toyota TR86 176
4/ 70 M Taylor/V Moloney Honda Integra R 164
5/ 171 M Moore/G Moore Toyota Altezza 158
Class B – 2001-3500cc
1/ 5 G Rollinson/R Gould Hyundai i30N TCR 190
2/ 79 T Mackersy/B Moore VW Golf Gti TCR 169
3/ 29/12 J Pyke/B McConochie Mazda RX8 161
4/ 275 R Mackersy/W Good Seat Cupra TCR 106
5/ 65 G Askew/C Askew Seat Leon Supercopa 102
Class C – 3501cc+
1/ 118 P Scarfe/G Silvester Ford Falcon BA 171
2/ 190 V Cattermole/R Simpson Merc 190E 2.3 s/c 102
3/ 635 G Chappel/Eady BMW 150D Turbo 95
4/ 6 G Willimas/B Williams/R Matheson Mazda RX8 V8 90
5/ 777 W Leach/P Burborough BMW 235i 90
Class D (GT type)
1/ 31 G Rhodes/P Rickerby Ford Falcon V8ST 181
2/ 19 D Carter/M Carter Porsche 997 GT3 180
3/ 123 P Kelly Porsche 991.2 Cup 115
4/ 123 A Leighs Porsche 991.2 Cup 95
5/ 77 S Helms/R Bolland Audi TT RS VLN 20
Class E (GT3 type)
1/ 87 D Chapman/M Doran Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo 185
2/ 1 Neil Foster/J Reid Audi R8 LMS GT3 181
3/ 256 B Byers/ C Orr-West Audi R8 LMS ULtra 162
4/ 18 S Gilbertson/J McIntyre SaReNi Camaro GT3 161
5/ 4 G McFarlane/J Milligan Porsche 997 Cup R 102
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