Cameron Hill approaches this weekend’s Townsville round of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup series with an astonishing 130-point lead after the opening two rounds.
The CHE Racing Team driver has opened the season in career-best form, with five wins on the trot following a runner-up finish in the first race of the year. At The Bend, Hill also secured his third successive round win in Carrera Cup Australia, a feat only achieved by five other drivers, all of whom are now series champions.
Townsville marks the first street circuit on the calendar for 2021, with Albert Park and the Gold Coast also slated to appear later in the season. Hill says the confines of a street track call for a different approach to the weekend.
“It’s best to start with a bit up your sleeve so you don’t over step the mark,” Hill said.
“We’ll make sure we are keeping the car in one piece and then we can build up the speed and find the limit. Ultimately bravery will be the key to finding the speed up at Townsville.
“Fortunately, there’s 50 minutes of practice time this weekend which is pretty good.”
In terms of his early championship advantage, the Canberra racer is not letting it affect his driving.
“Every time you go racing, there’s opportunity. It was a weak track for us back in 2019 but since then we’ve got a much better understanding of the car and we’ve evolved as a team.
“We’ve had a little luck on our side this year, but we’ve put ourselves in a position where we’ve been able to capitalise. The series is super competitive and small mistakes can have big consequences. At Townsville especially, it will be important to qualify well and stay at the front.”
Last week, Hill and his father Colin both made a dash across the Queensland border with the car and truck to ensure their availability to compete amidst COVID-19 outbreaks and restrictions.
“Looking back, we made the right decision as we didn’t know whether the ACT was going to impose some form of restriction or lockdown,” Hill said.
“The way it has all played out, it looks like the rest of our team from down there should be able to join us. Our engineer has been on holiday in Queensland with family so he’s all good to go which is fantastic.”
Round three of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Series takes place from July 9-11 as part of the NTI Townsville 500.
Event Schedule
Friday, 9 July
9:25am – Practice 1 (25mins)
1:05pm – Practice 2 (25mins)
Saturday, 10 July
9:55am – Qualifying (25mins)
1:45pm – Race 1 (17 laps)
Sunday, 11 July
8:50am – Race 2 (28 laps)
12:45am – Race 3 (17 laps)
