Patrizi and Flack Claim Winton Round Win

Speed and consistency has paid off for Michael Patrizi at Winton Motor Raceway with victory at Round Five of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship, while Damien Flack claimed the Elite Class round win.

Following Patrizi’s Race One win on Saturday, the West Australian placed second in Race Two, unable to hold off the fast-paced Shae Davies in the 11-lap race.

Davies pulled away from the field to take a four-second victory and a new lap record over Patrizi, Nick Percat and Steven Richards in fourth.

Elite Class race winner Flack placed fifth, holding off Championship leader Craig Baird to the chequered flag, with Baird in sixth from Adam Gowans, Duvashen Padayachee, Richard Muscat and Warren Luff in 10th.

Paul Kelly finished 11th from Michael Loccisano, Max Twigg, James Bergmuller, Shane Smollen, Tony Walls, Rusty French and Renee Gracie in 18th.

Percat then charged to the early lead in Race Three, ultimately taking victory from Baird and Patrizi.

Third for Patrizi was enough to secure him the round win, joined by Percat and Davies in the Winton top three of the Professional Class round points.

“This is what we go racing for. We come racing to win, and that’s what we’ve done here this weekend,” said Patrizi.

“We did what we had to do to win, but we’re not fast enough. We’ll keep pushing and arrive at Bathurst as strong as ever. I’ve always been quick at Bathurst. We’ll see what happens there next round, but hopefully I can win like I did last time. That’s the plan.”

Race Two winner Davies dropped to fourth by the finish, largely due to a mishap at the opening corner of the race, from Luff, Muscat, Richards and Elite Class race winner Flack in eighth.

The result placed Flack on top of the Elite Class points at Winton, joined by Gowans and Kelly in the top three in class for the round.

“I’d never been racing before at Winton so I’m absolutely ecstatic to win here this weekend,” said Flack.

“I was sixth, fifth and eighth in the weekend’s three races. It was great to get the Elite Class win, but also to place so far up the field throughout the Winton round.”

Shane Smollen placed ninth in the final race from Tony Bates, James Bergmuller, Tony Walls, Paul Kelly, Duvashen Padayachee and Rusty French in 15th.

Craig Baird now holds a strong 98-point lead in the Professional Class standings from Percat, Luff, Richards and Patrizi.

Flack’s impressive weekend has placed him only three points behind Elite Class leader Twigg, with James Koundouris and Smollen third and fourth in points.

Porsche Carrera Cup Australia will next visit Mount Panorama for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 event for the penultimate round of the 2013 season.