PICCA Rounds 4 & 5 - Bira, Thailand

PICCA Rounds 4 & 5 - Bira, Thailand
(AFOS Event - 11-12th June 2005)

Up to third...

After another highly competitive weekend of motor sport A-Ha Racing now lies third in the points table of the Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia.

Two rounds of the championship were held at Bira Circuit in Thailand last weekend. Matthew scored fifth and sixth places. The first result, in round four, was upgraded to fourth place when Vuttikhorn Inthraphuvasak was penalised for overtaking under yellow flags.

“After last year’s string of wins – and the victory in the opening race this year – these results are disappointing,” said Matthew after the weekend. “The reality though is that this championship is now not only the region’s strongest and highest profile, but it also has a higher driving standard than many in Europe.”

Finishing ahead of reigning British GT Champion Jonathan Cocker in both races has elevated Matthew to third place in the series. “This is about where we were last year,” said Matthew, “although Nattavude is now someway ahead at the front. Next month we’ll be racing in Beijing with the full support of Uni-President’s office there. Last year it’s where we started winning races; hopefully the same will be true again this season!”

Matthew qualified in sixth place at Bira, eight-tenths of a second from pole. “Last year that time would have been good enough for pole but we’ve all moved on,” he said. The leading pair of Ramli and Nattavude made a break at the beginning of both races leaving the final podium position to be fought out between five drivers: Darryl O’Young, Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak, Jonathan Cocker, Nigel Albon, and Matthew. O’Young took third in the first race. Nattavude again won the second, this time ahead of Albon and then Ramli.

“This was the best racing I’ve ever seen in Asia,” said Matthew. “It’s a shame that I was watching it through my windscreen rather than in my mirrors, but it’s great to be involved. A-Ha is the premium coffee drink in China and it’s perfect that we’re competing in the region’s senior motor sport category."