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Australia

AUS GT3: Series Mallala preview

KRASHOS LOOKING FOR MALLALA MEDICINE A NORTH-ADELAIDE pharmacist will aim to lead the charge of the local drivers when the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge heads to South Australia's Mallala raceway next weekend. Prospect's Mark Krashos is in just his ...

KRASHOS LOOKING FOR MALLALA MEDICINE

A NORTH-ADELAIDE pharmacist will aim to lead the charge of the local drivers when the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge heads to South Australia's Mallala raceway next weekend.

Prospect's Mark Krashos is in just his second season of national-level racing and, in just his third ever race meeting, qualified second and finished within the top five in the series' first ever round held at Mallala last year.

Twelve months later Krashos has recently updated to the ex Dean Fiore Type-997 GT3 Cup car and, after a challenging debut in the car at Phillip Island a fortnight ago, is looking forward to racing on home turf.

The owner of the Glenelg East and Woodlakes Pharmacies, Krashos has been a long-time Porsche enthusiast and progressed to the GT3 Cup Challenge Australia series after contesting local club sprints as a member of the local South Australian Porsche Club.

"I've always been a Porsche enthusiast and the involvement in club sprints was part of the reason I ended up in the GT3 Cup Challenge," said Krashos.

"It's a great series. We have a lot of fun and there are a great bunch of guys involved. Aside from some of the young guns involved, like (round two winner) Matt Kingsley, we're never going to be world champions but we have great races. It's very competitive but great fun as well."

Krashos will enter the third round of 2009 with just two meetings under his belt behind the wheel of his new ride, the wet-weather Phillip Island experience recently backed up with a dry-weather run in the South Australian State Championships at Mallala at the start of the month.

997 GT3 Cup cars were introduced to the GT3 Cup Challenge at short notice prior to round one this year following the demise of the Carrera Cup Championship. The later-model car features slightly more power and aero advantages but, as Mark found out recently, some other differences as well.

"The biggest difference between the 997 and the old car (a Type 996) is that the new car doesn't have ABS Brakes - so that was the main thing I had to get my head around at Phillip Island," he said.

"I'm sure the other guys stepping up to the new cars had similar issues, but once I had the brake bias settings worked out the car was very good.

"I only did Clipsal and the Grand Prix last year before I moved to the GT3 Cup Challenge," Krashos added.

"So given I only started just over a year ago, I'd say things are ‘so far so good'."

A strong South Australian contingent has nominated amongst an anticipated 20-car field for the third round of the 2009 GT3 Cup Challenge Series, racing with a packed Shannons Nationals program at Mallala just outside of Adelaide's suburbs.

Joining Krashos on the grid will be Jordan Ormsby (Golf Car Solutions GT3 RS) and well known local competitor Keith Wong, who will drive the car that dominated the 2008 GT3 Cup round at Mallala following his purchase of the ex Graeme Cook 2000 GT3 RS last year.

Older Porsche classics will also get a start at Mallala, Sportsmed SA driver Greg Keene and Nelson Architects John Nelson have both entered 1973 911 RS models, whilst last years' Mallala winner Cook will enter a 1971 911 RS.

A good news story comes in the form of Simon Gardiner, who was involved in a hefty shunt in the third race at Phillip Island two weeks ago.

Whilst his initial participation in his home round was in doubt due to the damage and his business commitments, the Parkside local now looks set to back up his sensational performance at a recent State-championship round at Mallala, where he set personal-best lap times in his 996 GT3 Cup Car.

The locals will have to face a strong national contingent keen to return to Mallala, including the likes of 2008 champion Sven Burchartz and runaway round two winner Matt Kingsley.

Next weekend will mark the Queenslander's return to South Australia for the first time after a major crash at the 2008 Clipsal 500 Adelaide driving a V8 Ute, where the Action Tyres driver suffered head injuries in the turn-two shunt.

Kingsley's Phillip Island win lifted him to the top of the championship standings thanks to three top scores from three races.

-creidt: aus gt3

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