Dexion Porsche racer Dylan O’Keeffe believes a full reset for himself and his RAM Motorsport/GWR Australia team will launch him back into contention for race victories when the second half of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia gets underway at this weekend’s AirTouch 500 at The Bend Motorsport Park.
After relinquishing his points lead in the previous round at Queensland Raceway, O’Keeffe said he and the team have adopted a back-to-basics approach.
“In Queensland, we went down a path that didn’t deliver the outcomes we’d hoped for, so this weekend we’ve gone back to a tried-and-true formula,” O’Keeffe said.
“We tested at The Bend last week and the car was good as soon as we rolled it out of the truck; we made some changes during the day, but they didn’t improve the car so we went back to our base setup.”
With mixed weather conditions predicted this weekend, O’Keeffe said the results will be determined by who best adapts to the ever-evolving grip levels.
“At The Bend, these cars get affected quite severely by the wind, and there’s also dust that can get blown onto some sections of the track, disrupting the car balance. Staying on top of these factors will be critically important,” he said.
Unlike the last couple of seasons, O’Keeffe won’t be competing in the Supercars endurance races, instead focusing solely on his Carrera Cup program.
“While I would have loved to have done the Supercars enduros again, the silver lining is that I don’t have the stress of double duty and having to adapt between cars with a completely different driving style,” O’Keeffe said.
“I can focus all my energy into the Porsche races and getting the championship lead back.”
The Carrera Cup round kicks off with two practice sessions on Friday.
Carrera Cup Round 5 Event Schedule
Friday, 12 September
9:35am – Practice 1 (25 min)
3:15pm – Practice 2 (25 min)
Saturday, 13 September
10:40am – Qualifying (30 min)
3:35pm – Race 1 (25 min)
Sunday, 14 September
8:35am – Race 2 (45 min)
12:35pm – Race 3 (25 min)
