AUS: Saturday qualifying, race one summary

OLD FASHIONED SHOW DOWN OUT WEST

In what could be the closest fought battle in any sport in 2005, Porsche combatants Jim Richards and Fabian Coulthard excited the Western Australian crowds in race one of round two of the Wright Patton Shakespeare Carrera Cup at Barbagallo Raceway.

With no more than three car lengths separating the two over the entire 20-lap race, Richards (OAMPS Insurance Brokers) held strong to claim victory by two-tenths of a second from his rival who is 35 years his junior.

Richards' win in the west takes the 2005 tally to two race wins apiece although Coulthard (Glenfords Tool Centres), the Melbourne-based Kiwi, won round one at the Clipsal 500 to take the ascendancy in the championship points.

While Richards, 57, and Coulthard, 22, have established a titanic battle, a brigade of young chargers is making up ground behind them.

Round one third placegetter Luke Youlden (Team VIP Petfoods) has maintained his form to finish in the top three today, suggesting it won't be too long before he is consistently challenging the top duo.

Jonathon Webb (Paul Cruickshank Racing) placed fourth to cement his name and team among the top echelon the category.

The brightest story of today was the rise in Porsche ranks of 21-year-old South Australian rookie Bryce Washington (ADRAD Radiators).

Washington, with the support of his Britek team, has been putting in arduous testing kilometres recently which is now paying dividends for the talented former Formula Ford rookie star.

Recording his highest race place in the one-make series, Washington is one of the most knowledgable of and comfortable with the 2.415km Barbagallo circuit. He recently bought his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to Western Australia to race in the State Championship Series to develop that knowledge and experience.

Cameron McLean (Sherrin Hire Racing) was close behind in sixth, with James Cressey (Zaraffas Coffee), Peter Fitzgerald (Acer / Abcor), Klark Quinn (Team VIP Petfoods) and Alan Gurr (Glenfords Tool Centres) rounding out the top 10.

Nineteen-year-old Ian Dyk (Glenfords Tool Centres) was the day's Fuchs Hard Charger, making up eight spots to 14th after starting from the rear of the grid for a technical infringement in qualifying.

Race two over 20 laps and race three over 30 laps will be held tomorrow as the culmination of round two of the Wright Patton Shakespeare Carrera Cup - the most successful 'one make' championship in the world and the primary support category to the V8 Supercar Championship Series in Australia.

All cars in the Wright Patton Shakespeare Carrera Cup are developed and built by Porsche' racing arm in Weissach, Germany. With a top speed in excess of 300 kilometres per hour, the lightweight, high performance vehicles have a 400 horsepower, 6 cylinder Boxer engine which revs to 8000 RPM, producing a sound that is distinctly Porsche.

Trackside on Network Ten will telecast the Wright Patton Shakespeare Carrera Cup at Barbagallo Raceway on Sunday May 15 from 2pm.

<pre> Race 1, Wright Patton Shakespeare Carrera Cup, Saturday May 7, 2005

1.  Jim Richards        OAMPS Insurance Brokers         20 Laps
2.  Fabian Coulthard    Glenfords Tool Centres          20 Laps
3.  Luke Youlden        Team VIP Petfoods               20 Laps
4.  Jonathon Webb       Paul Cruickshank Racing         20 Laps
5.  Bryce Washington    ADRAD                           20 Laps
6.  Cameron McLean      Sherrin Hire Racing             20 Laps
7.  James Cressey       Zaraffas Coffee                 20 Laps
8.  Peter Fitzgerald    Abcor/Acer                      20 Laps
9.  Klark Quinn         Team VIP Petfoods               20 Laps
10. Alan Gurr           Glenfords Tool Centres          20 Laps

Qualifying, Wright Patton Shakespeare Carrera Cup, Saturday May 7, 2005

1.  Fabian Coulthard    Glenfords Tool Centres          0:57.2795
2.  Jim Richards        OAMPS Insurance Brokers         0:57.3118
3.  Luke Youlden        Team VIP Petfoods               0:57.6243
4.  Jonathon Webb       Paul Cruickshank Racing         0:57.7726
5.  Cameron McLean      Sherrin Hire Racing             0:57.8442
6.  Bryce Washington    ADRAD                           0:57.8919
7.  Alan Gurr           Glenfords Tool Centres          0:57.9860
8.  Peter Fitzgerald    Abcor/Acer                      0:58.0196
9.  David Reynolds      Sonic Motor Sport               0:58.1443
10. James Cressey       Zaraffas Coffee                 0:58.1799

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