O'YOUNG SQUEEZES SUGDEN AT SENTUL

Darryl O’Young strengthened his position at the top of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia championship today, taking a win in Round 7 at Indonesia’s Sentul International Circuit. The Hong Kong racer took the lead off the startline and never looked back, to come home more than three seconds to the good at the chequered flag.

Said a delighted O’Young, who also set the fastest lap of the race: "This is the first win for Team Jebsen in Indonesia, which is just fantastic! My start was OK, but Tim made a mistake and I was able to get up front. I managed to open the gap. You have to be really smooth on this circuit, it’s very difficult to find the right set-up and I’m delighted the team did such a great job."

Second across the line at the end of the 15-lap race was GruppeM Racing’s Tim Sugden who, having reeled in Team StarChase's Christian Menzel in the closing laps after losing two places off the start. Sugden managed to charge past the German on the final lap. Sugden was disappointed to have lost his pole position advantage: "It was a dreadful. I was concerned about the grip and I reduced the revs a little. Off the start I tried to block Christian Menzel, but he was coming too quickly. The battle between me and Christian and between Marchy and Christian (Jones), allowed Darryl to build a gap at the front. I’m very pleased with my result though."

Menzel was full of praise for the Briton: "I compliment Tim for making use of the chance to overtake me. It was at the slow chicane on the final lap. He was putting me under pressure and I made a mistake and went off line, where it is very dirty and there is no grip, and he got past. This circuit is very difficult for a newcomer and experience is important. It will be much easier for me if I come back next year!" Sugden’s disastrous start meant both the Team Jebsen driver and Menzel got by the Briton. Christian Jones got away well and managed to get by Team BetterLife’s Marchy Lee on the opening lap to go fourth. SC Global Racing’s Matthew Marsh made up a place on the opening lap, overtaking Sunseeker Asia’s Alain Li, to finish sixth.

O’Young immediately set about pulling out a gap at the front, with Menzel keeping ahead of Sugden. The drama was unfolding behind them with Lee all over the back of Jones, getting by on lap 6. Lee then closed in on Sugden and, at the start of lap 9, dived past the Briton to go second, albeit briefly. An error by Lee saw him spin, letting both Sugden and Jones get by and relegating him back down the field to fifth. That setback didn’t deter Lee, and he had another try at getting past Jones on Lap 10, but had to wait until the penultimate lap of the race to make it stick, and he crossed the finish line in fourth. The action wasn’t over, however, and Sugden made his move on Menzel on the last lap, grabbing second place from the German and, more crucially, those vital extra points.
RLT.