web analytics

Martin Ragginger Wins Round One of 2013 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedinmail

In Round One of the 2013 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, Martin Ragginger took victory at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit as part of Formula 1 support race yesterday.

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, Sepang, Malaysia, 22-24 March 2013.

Martin Ragginger of Team Eagle, led from pole to chequered flag over the 10 lap race, but was never given the chance to pull clear of his closest rival, crossing the line just over three tenths of a second ahead of Imperatori. Series newcomer, 22-year-old Earl Bamber of Nexus Racing surprised us for taking the final podium place in this race.

Fourth across the line was LKM Racing Team’s Keita Sawa of Japan, ahead of Team Jebsen’s Rodolfo Avila.  Budweiser Kamlung Racing’s Tung Ho-Pin crossed the line in 6th, but was later excluded for a technical infringement.

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, Sepang, Malaysia, 22-24 March 2013.

In Class B, it was category pole sitter Egidio Perfetti who took the win in his Mentos Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, finishing 7th overall amongst an intensely competitive field.  Second was OpenRoad Racing’s Francis Tjia ahead of newcomer, Alif Hamdan.  Hamdan was the top finishing of the three Malaysian drivers, Nexus Racing team mate Adrian Henry D’Silva going out early on in the race with a broken radiator, and Sime Darby Auto Performance guest driver, Fairuz Fauzy, succumbing to pressure from a hard-charging Avila.  Fauzy rejoined the race, but was unable to climb back through the field before the flag as we expected.

As the lights went out and the season got underway as part of the 2013 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX Ragginger bolted off the grid, holding the lead into Turn 1.  Behind him, Imperatori dived past Bamber and up to second, while Avila passed Tung on the outside. Tung went off at Turn 5 after a tangle with Team Yongda Dongfang’s Benjamin Rouget, before regaining his position.

Francis Tjia diced with Hamdan for Class B runner-up position, the pair putting on thrilling battle for the crowds.  Tjia won the day this time, claiming second, but the stage is set for a thrilling season in the category.

But it was the fight for victory which had the crowds on their feet, with Imperatori piling on the pressure in a desperate bid to claim the psychologically-significant opening win.  Ragginger held firm, despite the lock-up on the penultimate lap giving a clue as to the intensity of the fight.

After the dramatic race in Malaysia, where the entire 25-strong field put on a display of GT racing at its finest, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will be back in action next month @ 2013 FORMULA 1 UBS CHINESE GRAND PRIX in Shanghai from 12-14 April 2013.

2013 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia

Round 1 Results

Pos

No

Driver/Nationality

Class

Entrant/Nationality

Time

1

86

Martin RAGGINGER (AUT)

A

Team Eagle (CHN)

22:12.790

2

99

Alexandre IMPERATORI (HKG)

A

PICC Team StarChase (CHN)

+0.308

3

7

Earl BAMBER (NZL)

A

Nexus Racing (MAS)

+2.406

4

38

Keita SAWA (JPN)

A

LKM Racing Team (HKG)

+7.909

5

20

Rodolfo AVILA (MAC)

A

Team Jebsen (HKG)

+10.221

6

8

Benjamin ROUGET (FRA)

A

Team Yongda Dongfang (CHN)

+20.900

7

88

Egidio PERFETTI (SIN)

B

Mentos Racing (SIN)

+24.007

8

9

WANG Jian Wei (CHN)

A

Team Betterlife (CHN)

+29.227

9

68

Peter LI Zhi Cong

A

Kamlung Racing (HKG)

+30.149

10

11

Ringo CHONG (SIN)

A

Team Kangshun (CHN)

+31.612

11

21

Francis TJIA (HKG)

B

OpenRoad Racing (HKG)

+40.468

12

72

Alif HAMDAN (MAS)

B

Nexus Racing (MAS)

+41.326

13

66

Jason ZHANG Zhiqiang (CHN)

A

Team C&D (CHN)

+42.061

14

5

Yuey TAN (SIN)

B

Dorr McElrea Racing (SIN)

+53.594

15

28

John SHEN (HKG)

B

Modena Motorsports (HKG)

+58.029

16

96

LI Chao (CHN)

B

Asia Racing Team (CHN)

+61.046

17

3

*Fairuz FAUZY (MAS)

A

Sime Darby Auto Performance (MAS)

+66.269

18

83

MA Chi Min (HKG)

B

Dr. Ma Chi Min (HKG)

+66.639

19

22

SIU Yuk Lung (HKG)

B

LKM Racing Team (HKG)

+70.973

20

18

Marcel TJIA (HKG)

B

OpenRoad Racing (HKG)

+1:01.826

33

Samson CHAN (HKG)

B

Samson Chan (HKG)

DNF

16

Wayne SHEN (HKG)

A

Modena Motorsports (HKG)

DNF

78

ZHANG Da Sheng (CHN)

A

Basetex Racing (CHN)

DNF

27

Adrian Henry D’SILVA (MAS)

B

Nexus Racing (MAS)

DNF

58

TUNG Ho-Pin (CHN)

A

Budweiser Kamlung Racing (CHN)

Excluded

*Non-series registered 

Fastest Lap: Alexandre Imperatori/PICC Team StarChase/2:12.046/Lap 4

Points After Round 1

Overall

Pos

Comp

No

Driver

Entrant

Points

1

86

Martin RAGGINGER

Team Eagle

21

2

99

Alexandre IMPERATORI

PICC Team StarChase

18

3

7

Earl BAMBER

Nexus Racing

16

4

38

Keita SAWA

LKM Racing Team

14

5

20

Rodolfo AVILA

Team Jebsen

12

Class B

Pos

Comp

No

Driver

Entrant

Points

1

88

Egidio PERFETTI

Team Mentos

21

2

21

Francis TJIA

OpenRoad Racing

18

3

72

Alif HAMDAN

Nexus Racing

16

4

5

Yuey TAN

Dorr McElrea Racing

14

5

28

John SHEN

Modena Motorsports

12

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedinmail