SUGDEN TAKES
PORSCHE CARRERA CUP ASIA TITLE

19 November 2007

GruppeM Racing’s Tim Sugden clinched the 2007 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia championship at the weekend's Macau Grand Prix after title rival Christian Jones (right) of SCC Racing China dramatically crashed into the barrier at the notorious Lisboa Bend on the penultimate lap of the final race of the season.

If the Japanese does enter the Supercup next year, he'll become the second driver from the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia to graduate to the world’s most competitive one-make sports car series, following in the footsteps of 2006 Asian champion O’Young.

The race was won by Hong Kong’s Darryl O’Young (above left), taking his second victory on the streets of Macau. The Team Jebsen ace, who made his Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup debut this season, put in a faultless performance and, although he was overtaken by GR Asia’s Danny Watts (above right) on the penultimate lap, race Stewards decided the Briton had made his move under a yellow flag and handed him a 30 second penalty. That demoted him to 5th.

Sawa crossed the line 3rd, taking his second successive Macau podium, but was promoted to 2nd following the Stewards’ decision.

Hong Kong’s Marchy Lee (right) was third in the final standings, ahead of Team Vertu’s Nigel Albon.

Sugden (left) clinched the Class A title by 14 points from Sawa, with Jones in third just two points behind. Sugden was delighted with his championship win, particularly after arriving at an unfamiliar track with just a two point advantage over Jones.

“I spent eight laps thinking I’d lost the championship, and then two laps smiling and driving round slowly!” he joked.

“Coming to Macau for the first time and expecting to do something special is going to be difficult, it takes no prisoners. I was at least half way through the race before I felt I had my head around this circuit, but I’ve won six of the 12 races this season so it would have been sickening not to have taken the title.”

O’Young got a superb start from pole (above left), but Watts was immediately on a charge. With headlights ablaze the Briton was determined to ruffle the Hong Kong racer from the off, but O’Young coolly withstood the onslaught (above right).

Lee got a bad start from the second row of the grid, with Sawa making a brilliant getaway and up to 3rd. Jones also got by Lee (right) and up to 4th, and as the two leading cars pulled away the trio were locked in a tense battle.

Guest driver Kota Sasaki fell victim to the challenging Guia Circuit on lap 4 at Mandarin Bend, hitting the barrier and ending his race.

Back at the front, O’Young was on a charge setting the fastest lap of the race, a scorching 2:27.343 seconds, with Watts increasingly desperate behind him.

On the penultimate lap of the 10-lap season closer, Watts made his move on O’Young (left) at Mandarin Bend where the yellow flag indicated Sasaki’s abandoned car.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia ends here; the new season is set to kick off in February 2008 with the official testing and drivers' announcement.

[View Results & Final Standings]