Menzel does a Shanghai double!

Photos: PR Plus

Reigning Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champion Christian Menzel of Team StarChase strengthened his 2010 title defence by winning both Rounds 9 and 10 of the 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia as well as regain the championship lead.

Team StarChase driver Christian Menzel regained his Porsche Carrera Cup Asia championship lead when he won Round 9 at the Shanghai International Circuit in support of the China Touring Car Championship. Second across the line was LKM Racing driver Darryl O’Young of Hong Kong, while Team Jebsen’s Rodolfo Avila of Macau celebrated his first podium of the 2010 season. In the non professional Class B category, Team PCS Racing driver, Mok Weng Sun of Malaysia, took his ninth consecutive victory, ahead of J2M Racing’s Jean Marc Merlin of France, and OpenRoad Racing’s Christian Chia, who collected his maiden Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Class B podium.

In Round 10, Menzel strengthened his 2010 title defence by taking a lights-to-flag victory at the 4.603km configuration of the Shanghai International Circuit. Joining Menzel on the Round 10 podium was LKM Racing driver Darryl O’Young of Hong Kong, who finished 9.091 seconds behind the German, with New Zealander Baird third.

In Class B, Malaysian Mok Weng Sun was also celebrating, having sealed up the Class title and extending his winning streak to 10 races. Singapore's Ringo Chong of Team Kangshun finished second, while J2M Racing’s Jean-Marc Merlin of France was third.

Although the clouds stayed away during the race, the track was still wet from rain earlier in the morning. Starting from pole, Menzel pulled away, with O’Young behind him. Starting from fifth on the grid, Baird leapt into third place at the start, passing Avila and Lee. On the third corner Lee got by Avila, setting the final order for the top five.

The title decider for the 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will be held from November 5-7 at the Zhuhai International Circuit where the series will for the first time support the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. The season finale will be a Porsche family affair, with the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, which impressed at the Nürburgring 24-hour race earlier this year, racing in the 1,000km of Zhuhai.