Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia points leader Dylan O’Keeffe said he will be keeping the championship in mind when he heads to the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 for the penultimate round of the season this weekend.
The Dexion Porsche driver recaptured the series lead last time out at Bathurst and – thanks to a tough weekend for his nearest rival Harri Jones – he heads to the Surfers Paradise street circuit with a handy 69 point advantage.
“After Bathurst, we’re definitely in a strong position but we can’t afford to be complacent; Harri had a larger lead before Bathurst than I did now, which shows how quickly things can swing around,” O’Keeffe said.
“From my perspective, the best way to make sure we bank the points we need from this weekend is to make sure we qualify well. With lots of concrete walls, the Gold Coast track can sometimes produce carnage, and qualifying at the pointy end minimises your chances of being caught up in someone else’s accident.
“The Gold Coast has been a strong track for me and I’ve been on the podium the last couple of times I’ve raced there. Considering the championship situation, another podium would be a good outcome and if I’m in the top two or three, I’m not going to be making any overly risky moves if I don’t need to.”
O’Keeffe said the RAM Motorsport/GWR Australia Porsche’s pace in race trim at Bathurst has been a confidence boost for the entire team.
“Qualifying at Bathurst didn’t go according to plan, but the car was an absolute jet in the races and I was able to charge through the field. That gave everyone at GWR Australia the belief that we could actually win the title this year, so now it’s about executing over these final two rounds,” O’Keeffe concluded.
The Carrera Cup cars are on track for practice on Friday.
Carrera Cup Round 7 Event Schedule
All times are AEDT
Friday, 24 October
12:10pm – Practice 1 (25 min)
3:15pm – Practice 2 (25 min)
Saturday, 25 October
10:25am – Qualifying (30 min)
2:55pm – Race 1 (25 min)
Sunday, 26 October
9:10am – Race 2 (45 min)
1:50pm – Race 3 (25 min)
