Asian Motor Sports

Dean Fiore (Complispace/Advance Energy) might have won the first Carrera Cup Australia race at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 today but it was Craig Baird (ACER/Leading Solutions) who created history at the famous circuit.

Baird finished second behind a masterful Fiore performance in wet and slippery conditions, clinching the 2008 Carrera Cup Australia Championship.

Baird is now 324 points ahead with a maximum on offer for the rest of the year.

The win makes Baird the first two-time Carrera Cup Australia Champion after he claimed the title in 2006 and he achieved the feat with five races left in the season.

“It’s a fantastic feeling to win the title again,” he said.

“Me and the Fitzgerald Racing Team have worked really hard all season for this so for it to come to fruition is sensational.

“I only needed to finish today’s race so I was just focussed on getting to the end. With the slippery conditions it was a tough race so I didn’t push too hard.”

Behind Fiore and Baird on the podium was Adelaide’s Bryce Washington (ADRAD Radiators), while James Moffat (Bob Jane T-Marts/Trueline) was fourth and Rodney Forbes (Jaimie Vedda Racing) was fifth.

Aaron Caratti (Parklands on Bertram), Rodney Jane (Bob Jane T-Marts), Barton Mawer (No Fear), David Russell (Boom Logistics) and James Koundouris (Supabarn Supermarkets) rounded out the top 10. It was a devastating result for Russell, who spun at the Cutting while running second to Fiore after he lead the race for five laps.

Koundouris’ finish gave him the Pilatus Challenge win, which is a championship-within-a-championship for non-professional drivers over the age of 30.

Max Twigg (Truloc) was second behind Koundouris in 11th overall while Shaun Juniper’s (Juniper Group) 13th overall was good enough for third in the Challenge.

But out front it was Fiore’s race and he was ecstatic to claim his second win of the season after opening his account in the first race of the year back in February.

“I’m so stoked with that win, it’s been a while since I had one,” he said.

“Because of the little bit of rain before the race it was really dicey across the top of the mountain and you didn’t know what the track would be like from lap to lap.

“I kept trying different gears in sections and adjusting the brake bias so it was a really hairy race. But I came away with maximum points so I’m really looking forward to the rest of the weekend.”

Beginning from pole Russell jumped well and led the field as they headed up the mountain for the first time.

Moffat got a brilliant start from ninth, but found his path blocked by Jane and Forbes and he had to settle for sixth.

With spots of rain falling for most of the race, and a small shower at the top of the mountain making for treacherous conditions, the field spread out with no driver wanting to take too many risks on the greasy circuit.

Russell and Fiore began to eke out a lead from Baird, who was happy enough to sit in third and not push too hard, so as just to finish to secure the championship.

But further back there was plenty of action, with Washington and Wall coming together at the Dipper which dropped Wall to the rear of the field, while Moffat was pressuring Jane with Forbes not far from him.

Once Moffat and Forbes snuck past Jane the pressure didn’t let up, with Caratti and Mawer right on his tail.

While they were dicing up the front Koundouris and Twigg were fighting hard for Pilatus Challenge points and Koundouris’ win will extend his lead at the top over Peter Hill (Boost/Globe), who won’t score a point this weekend after he crashed in qualifying, seriously damaging his car.

And there was also plenty going on at the rear of the field, with Marc Cini (Hallmarc) and Darryn Henderson (Greg Murphy Racing) fighting hard for position. Henderson came away the victor to finish 15th in his first Carrera Cup Australia race.