Menzel clinches 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia title in Zhuhai!
Photos: PR Plus
Team StarChase driver Christian Menzel of Germany took his second successive Porsche Carrera Cup Asia championship title at the 4.319km Zhuhai International Circuit by finishing second in Round 11 and clinching his first victory on the 4.319km Zhuhai International Circuit in Round 12.
The winner of Round 11 winner was Allan Simonsen on his debut with the series, a particularly impressive performance given it was his first ever race in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, and on the Southern China track. Third over the line was Red Bull Racing’s Marchy Lee, becoming championship runner-up for 2010. In Class B, OpenRoad Racing’s Francis Tjia took his first Porsche Carrera Cup Asia victory in this his debut season, with Modena Motorsports’ Wayne Shen in second, and Pauian Archiland Team’s Jeffrey Lee third.
In Round 12, 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champion Christian Menzel thundered to his first victory on the 4.319km Zhuhai International Circuit, bringing to a close the thrilling 12-race season of the region’s premier GT championship. Crossing the line in second behind the Team StarChase's two-time champion, was Team Jebsen’s Rodolfo Avila, who had started from seventh on the grid after triumphing over a challenging weekend. Third was LKM Racing Team’s Keita Sawa, who had just missed out on the podium in Round 11. In Class B, Francis Tjia took his second series victory of the weekend and his career, with Pauian Archiland Team’s Jeffrey Lee of Chinese Taipei and Team Kangshun’s Ringo Chong of Singapore following him across the line.
With non-registered driver and winner of Round 11 Allan Simonsen on pole for the final race, it was a determined Menzel who got the perfect getaway from second on the grid to grab the lead. Moments later, Simonsen retired with a mechanical problem with Lee inheriting second, but Sawa was already looking to find a way past, while Avila was up to fourth and on a charge having got by Tjia and Wayne Shen, who was handed a drive through penalty for a start infringement. Avila found a way past Sawa on the following lap to go third, but the Japanese was not about to let go so fast, and tried to pressure the Macau racer into making a mistake.
Menzel meanwhile was away, and concentrating on pulling out a comfortable gap to ensure he left Asia with a winners’ trophy, Lee was running a comfortable second, and Avila managing to hold off a determined Sawa. That was to change though, as Avila closed in on Lee mid-race and began to pile on the pressure. Just two laps from the flag, the Hong Kong racer made an uncharacteristic error, going off the track and into the gravel. He managed to keep his Red Bull Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup moving, and rejoined the track, only to finish fourth. Behind Menzel, who had now built up an unassailable lead and was cruising to victory, all eyes were on Avila who was again coming under pressure from Sawa. However, the young Team Jebsen driver knew he only had to hold on for two more laps and held his nerve.
In Class B, Francis Tjia took his second series victory of the weekend and his career, with Pauian Archiland Team’s Jeffrey Lee of Chinese Taipei and Team Kangshun’s Ringo Chong of Singapore following him across the line. Chong was a man on a mission, and he managed to keep up in second position behind Tjia by the end of the opening lap. But alas, Jeffrey Lee was hot on Chong's trail, and the Taipei driver got by the Singaporean and held on to second until the flag. Having wrapped up its most successful season since its debut in 2003, with record grids and the signature on-track excitement which has earned it an unrivalled reputation, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is already planning to build on its phenomenal success in 2011.