AUS GT3: Series Eastern Creek summary

JUNIPER AND KINGSLEY SHARE THE SYDNEY GT3 CUP CHALLENGE SPOILS

SHAUN JUNIPER and overall series points leader Matthew Kingsley have shared the spoils in an abbreviated round of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia series completed today at Eastern Creek Raceway.

Only one race was held today at the Sydney track after a turn two, lap one crash eliminated four cars from race two Sunday morning - the race eventually being called due to event time constraints and the time taken to clear the vehicles from the circuit.

The crash - declared a racing incident - mainly involved Jeff Bobik, Jan Jinadasa and Graham Gorman with Terry Knight and Brad Rankin also caught up in the dramas, and continued the weekend's action that began when John Trende hit the turn five wall during Saturday's first race.

Race one winner Shaun Juniper was leading when the race was stopped behind the safety car after just one completed lap, drivers' gridding up for race three in the positions they started the cancelled heat, for which no points were given.

The final race was a much cleaner affair, Juniper and Kingsley running in close quarters for each of the ten laps with the Juniper Racing 997 GT3 Cup Car holding out to take the outright win.

Kingsley finished second on the track and extended his outright lead in the series standings.

Mark Krashos, over from South Australia, finished third holding off a fast-finishing Sven Burchartz. 997-trophy leader Roger Lago was fifth ahead of his fellow 997 class runner Steve Kepper.

Behind them a ferocious dice was waged between Terry Knight and local ace Shane Smollen, whilst Ray Angus, Anthony Skinner and Phil Holzberger also staged an entertaining dice for the top ten finishing positions.

Action Tyres and More driver Matt Kingsley won the round - the fourth of 2009 - ahead of Burchartz and local surprise Shane Smollen, whilst Juniper's convincing performances won him the 997 trophy ahead of Mark Krashos and Roger Lago.

Anthony Skinner - another of the local contingent - won class A.

Paul Bolinowsky - a podium finisher at Mallala recently - was an unfortunate non-starter this weekend. The local driver was forced to sit on the sidelines after his 996 GT3 Cup Car bent a valve earlier in the weekend.

Though reduced to two races - one of them with only four laps under green flag conditions - this weekend's first visit by the GT3 Cup Challenge Australia series to Eastern Creek raceway produced an entertaining race and plenty of action, though some unfortunate incidents left some cars battered and bruised.

The series now heads for the historic first ever Shannons Nationals round at Morgan Park, near Warwick, in Queensland, on August 8 - 9.

The short and challenging Queensland circuit is the home track to nearly ten GT3 Cup Challenge competitors and a strong local contingent is assured when the series visits in three weeks.

-credit: gt3cupchallenge.com.au