AUS: Series Eastern Creek preview

CHANCES TO TOPPLE KINGSLEY RAISED AT EASTERN CREEK

EASTERN CREEK RACEWAY presents the best opportunity for someone to beat runaway series leader Matt Kingsley, according to key contenders in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia Series presented by Mission Foods.

With a streak that now stands at nine race wins - and three rounds - in a row, Kingsley has built an impressive points lead since his round one non-finish, however the high-speed Eastern Creek layout looks to be the best place for someone to end that streak.

The fast corners and long straight theoretically give the Type-997 GT3 Cup cars in the field an advantage over Kingsley's 996 car, last year's Eastern Creek win scored by Queenslander Shaun Juniper proving this fact.

Kingsley finished second in each race at Eastern Creek last year and said he realised that it could be the toughest round of the season yet.

"Eastern Creek will be a challenge," he said at Morgan Park in August.

"That track suits the power and downforce of the newer cars compared to ours so it's going to be a big fight. Having said that, our car went well there last year and we started on pole so there is a real opportunity for us to continue this great run.

"To win nine in a row is a dream come true and I hope it can continue, though I know the more and more we win, the more everyone else wants to knock me off!"

Juniper is back this year and is joined by returning Sydney driver Shane Smollen in a pack of drivers targeting the series leader. Last year Juniper missed pole position by one-one hundredth of a second and went on to win the two races contested, after race two was abandoned due to a substantial, opening-lap crash.

Roger Lago, Sven Burchartz, Jon Trende and Jeff Bobik have all challenged for podium finishes this season, whilst the likes of Yuey Tan and Jan Jinadasa - amongst others - have also shown plenty of speed and the potential to challenge at the top.

An 18-strong entry has nominated for the penultimate round of the 2010 season, with the battle likely to be as intense throughout the field as it is at the top.

The 996 class continues to flourish with the battle between Terry Knight and former Saloon-Car ace John Goodacre going to a new level at Morgan Park recently.

The pair was barely separated all weekend long at the Queensland circuit, running nose to tail for most of the event. Whilst South Australian Goodacre has no Porsche experience at Eastern Creek he has plenty of laps at the 3.9klm track in Saloon Car competition, giving him some preparation for the weekend ahead.

Meanwhile, the ever-consistent Paul Bolinowsky will be looking for a strong weekend on home turf in his No. 45 996.

Phil Holzberger will return to the series behind the wheel of his iconic 996 GT3 RS, a car to have competed at the front of its class in both the LeMans 24 hour and the American LeMans Series, as will Rob Knight, who in his first ever national race meeting impressed at Morgan Park in August.

At Eastern Creek the local hopes will be represented by four drivers; Bolinowsky, Indiran Padayachee, Anthony Skinner and Shane Smollen.

Action for round five of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia Series presented by Mission Foods gets underway this Friday, September 10th.

-source: pcc aus