Jonny Reid has swept the final round of the City Index Carrera Cup at Sydney Olympic Park this morning.
As was the case in Races 1 and 2, the pole-sitter lead across the line on every lap.
The story behind, however, was a different one on this occasion, with Daniel Gaunt claiming second from Craig Baird.
Reid got the best start, but had to move all the way across to the inside of the wide Australia Avenue to protect his position from Baird at the first corner. After it looked like Gaunt might threaten, Reid gradually stretched the margin by virtue of being clear of the race going on behind.
Gaunt beat Steven Richards out of the first corner to run in second for virtually the entire race. The New Zealand V8Supertourers driver had run with Reid early on, but fell back when he came under the attention of Baird at the halfway mark.
Baird ceded second when he ran wide while attacking Reid at the first corner, allowing Gaunt and Richards past. The 2012 champion overcame the latter when car #12 got all crossed up at the turn 6/7 chicane on Lap 3, but let Gaunt off the hook with a mistake of his own late in the race.
That left Baird vulnerable to Alex Davison on the 11th and final lap of what was to have been a 12 lap affair. Davison did pass car #1 at Turn 8, but couldn’t hold the move after running wide on exit, and ultimately missed out on the podium in each race this weekend.
Nick Foster, Richards, Swiss driver Alexandre Imperatori, Max Twigg, James Koundouris and Andre Heimgartner rounded out the 10.
Reid’s efforts over the course of the weekend see him take second in the championship despite missing the first round, while Baird had already wrapped up the title on the Gold Coast. Davison finishes third in the standings, and Max Twigg secured the Elite Class yesterday.
