Carlin’s Jean-Eric Vergne leads the pack in the 2011 Sunoco Rolex 24 At Daytona Challenge after an exceptional day’s racing on April 3rd, 2010.
For the fast Frenchman, 19, who launched his Cooper Tires British F3 International Series career at Oulton Park over the Easter weekend and dominated both qualifying and the opening race, it was less a case of the red mist descending and more the Red Bull giving him the proverbial wings. Taking pole, Vergne led Round 1 and took a 3.491-second victory over Oli Webb in Round 1.
In Round 3 – the “reversed” Round 2 is not counted in the Sunoco Daytona Challenge – Vergne was again in pole with Webb second on the grid.
Vergne is atop the rankings with the maximum average 140 points, which comprises 20 points for pole, 20 for the fastest lap and 100 points for taking first place.
Second in the Sunoco Daytona Challenge table is Matt Griffin driving an Mtech Ferrari F430 Scuderia GT3 in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship. Griffin’s average points tally after two rounds is 120, made up of the same 20+20+100 points in Round 1 and 100 points in Round 2 divided by the number of races.
Griffin’s times at Oulton Park on Bank Holiday Monday saw him finish 10.394 seconds ahead of the second-place driver, Rosso Verde-UCB’s Allan Simonsen, in Round 1, a lead he extended over him to 12.523 seconds in Round 2. This victory was all the more deserved due to Griffin’s exhaust system failing.
Round 2 had, however, appeared to going Simonsen’s way. Also in an F430 Scuderia GT3, he set the fastest lap, and earned himself an average of 95 points after two rounds.
Kudos to Zak Brown, driving the United Autosports Audi R8 LMS, who took the honour of being named Sunoco GT Driver of the Weekend.
The Top 5 standings in the 2011 Sunoco Rolex 24 At Daytona Challenge are:
Jean-Eric VERGNE Carlin British F3 140 pointsMatt GRIFFIN Mtech British GT 120 pointsDuncan CAMERON Mtech British GT 100 pointsAllan SIMONSEN Rosso Verde-UCB British GT 95 pointsJody FIRTH Team WFR SPEED 87.5 points
It remains a long time to the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona, when one driver from the British F3, British GT, SPEED and Radical UK Cup will have won the Sunoco Daytona Challenge and will be driving a Daytona Prototype for a top-flight team.
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