Dylan O’Keeffe and his RAM Motorsport/GWR Australia team believe the knowledge they gained in New Zealand will serve them well when the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia resumes at Darwin’s Hidden Valley circuit for Round 3 this weekend.
O’Keeffe narrowly missed out on a podium finish during the Taupo Carrera Cup round, chalking up a pole position and a trio of top five finishes on a weekend of changeable weather conditions.
“I think the biggest thing we took away from Taupo is that when we stick to our proven formula and avoid overcomplicating the situation, we tend to put our best foot forward,” O’Keeffe said.
“The Taupo weekend was a tricky one with the mixed conditions, and we probably tried a bit too hard to tune the car for the wet weather in one of the races, but when we simplified our processes, we ran right up the front.
“I think Hidden Valley will be a lot less complex in that regard – we know the weather will be hot and most likely dry.”
O’Keeffe has a solid record at the Darwin circuit, chalking up an overall round win at the venue in 2018, and says it’s a circuit he enjoys.
“I’ve always enjoyed racing in Darwin, there’s such a relaxed atmosphere in the Northern Territory,” he said.
“The biggest challenge is definitely the hot weather and the physical demands, especially in the longer 45-minute race we have on Sunday.
“Overall, we’ve had a much better start to the championship than last year and scored enough points to keep ourselves within striking distance of the front-runners, but now it’s time to put some big results on the board and push towards the series lead,” O’Keeffe concluded.
Carrera Cup Round 3 Schedule
Times are Australian Eastern Standard Time
Friday, 14 June
10:00am – Practice 1 (25 min)
2:00pm – Practice 2 (25 min)
Saturday, 15 June
10:55am – Qualifying (30 min)
2:25pm – Race 1 (25 min)
Sunday, 16 June
9:55am – Race 2 (45 min)
2:25pm – Race 3 (25 min)
