NZ: Simon McLennan newsletter 2010-01-27

McLENNAN HOLDS ONTO CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

Wellington Porsche GT3 racer Simon McLennan continues to lead his class in this years Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup after four of six rounds in the championship.

McLennan has just returned from the South Island where two rounds in two weekends saw him gather another good points haul, enough to keep him ahead of rivals Hugh Gardiner and Simon Evans.

The championship visited the country's southernmost circuit, Teretonga Park in Invercargill, over the weekend of 13/14 January and a week later Round 4 of the championship took place at Timaru International Motor Raceway. Each round consisted of three races and McLennan, in his New World Metro On Willis Porsche GT3 finished second to Gardiner of Auckland in each and every one of them.

McLennan is very happy with the state of the championship. "I like to win, I have a competitive nature but Hugh is showing his class," he says of his key rival in the series. "However the flipside is that it was down south at those two rounds where our championship challenge fell over last year when we were racing in the MINI Challenge Series so I was quietly nervous heading down there. To come away from both rounds with second overall at each is really quite positive! Hugh is in catch up mode and we will push as long as possible to hold him out. We're not going to roll over."

McLennan, in his first year in the Porsche field, took the championship lead when the more experienced Gardiner failed to finish the 100 kilometre race at the second round of the series in November.

McLennan is clearly enjoying his first year in the category. In addition to leading the championship standings he says Motorsport Services, the team that runs the New World Metro On Willis Porsche GT3, makes it so easy for us. "Day to day they make it easy and we have a lot of fun."

The penultimate round of the series take place at Simon's "home" track of Manfeild in Feilding in the Manawatu over the weekend of 13/14 February. "It's the closest circuit to home and I've done a few laps there in the Mini," says Simon. I'm looking forward to racing there because a lot of sponsors, friends and family can be there with us. "Manfeild is a little bit different, I enjoy technical circuits like Ruapuna (Powerbuilt Tools Raceway in Christchurch) and Timaru. Manfeild is nice and fast and you need to be smooth."

With just the round at Manfeild and the finale at Taupo in March left to contest Simon McLennan of Wellington has done a fine job to date to be leading his class in his debut season.

Simon McLennan's campaign in the 2009/2010 Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Championship is supported by New World Metro On Willis, Auto Despatch, Heretaunga Collision Repair Centre, Ice Tech New Zealand, Orrsum Laser Services, RTW Motors Ltd, Kinetic 121 and Powder Coating Services.

-source: simon mclennan