New Zealand
Third time lucky for Baird in China
Jun 14th
For the third time in as many months Kiwi Craig Baird heads to China for another learning weekend as the under-dog in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia race series against a German defending champion.
Currently second after two race events totalling four rounds, the 39-year-old Baird and his VnC Cocktails Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car again head to a venue new to the New Zealand based team. Rounds five and six (of 11) are being contested at the 4.3 kilometre Zhuhai International Circuit in China’s Pearl River Delta region this weekend (18 – 20 June).
“It’ll be about hitting the setup from the get go,” says Baird of the plan to win races and close in on the 16-point championship lead. “We need to be ahead of the pace and Christian Menzel (the series leader). Getting pole position is goal number one. Once we’ve done that the racing becomes a lot simpler and it’s really the start and tyre strategy that become variables.”
“We’ve got a good handle on the setup and are now just fine-tuning our plan on how the Michelin tyre works in these hotter climates.”
“At Beijing we had the car working better early in the race, but didn’t have enough toward the end when Menzel was making mistakes from the pressure I was applying once I’d made up the start-grid gap difference.”
With the additional reward of a championship point for setting fastest time in qualifying, Baird says the start grid illustrates the difference between first and the rest.
“The starting position between the cars is a diagonal and car length behind, so starting anywhere but on pole is a huge backward step. Even with a mega start you’re not going to make up that gap by the first turn – you need to start from the front if you’re going to do anything but win.”
“Qualifying at Beijing showed how we could influence the opposition. With three sets of new tyres available for the weekend we had Menzel’s team sitting in the pits having used two sets already in setting fastest time. They were ready to run their last set just to keep us from starting ahead of them. So we know we’re all but caught up to a defending champion who’s prepared to try anything.
The weekend’s Pan Delta Super Racing Festival will feature a 12-lap Porsche Carrera Cup Asia race on Saturday and Sunday, following an intense 30-minute qualifying shootout on the Friday. Part of the record 23-strong field, Baird says the identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars have made his job a lot more rewarding.
“We’re right out of our comfort zone. With different cultures, new venues and the extremes of temperature and humidity it’s a whole lot tougher than anything else you could do.”
The Queensland based Kiwi is joined by Triple X Motorsport’s Todd Bickerton and Ian McNabb who prepare and run the New Zealand funded VnC Cocktails Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.
VnC Porsche takes on Beijing
Jun 14th
Kiwi Craig Baird MNZM has moved to second overall in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia standings, following a pair of second placings in the VnC Cocktails Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car at Bejing’s Goldenport International Circuit on Sunday.
Climbing another step toward the top of the series podium, Baird’s result was again at a circuit he’d never previously driven. The two races counted toward rounds three and four (of 11) in the 2010 series, with Baird pleased at their forward progress compared the series opener at Shanghai in April.
“In some ways it’s been a great weekend – we went back to basics here, and the car is good in terms of setup, now we can concentrate on beating (Christian) Menzel,” said Baird.
On 66 points – 14 behind series leader Christian Menzel (GER), Baird’s best result was in qualifying when he was 0.128 second off the fastest time around the 2.4 kilometre circuit. Unable to capitalise on the front-row position alongside the defending series champion at the start, Baird instead had to follow Menzel’s bumper for the accident shortened 14 lap race (of 25).
In a repeat result for the afternoon 25 lap race, Baird could but follow the German, finishing 1.717 seconds behind at the chequered flag.
“I had a better start than in the first race, but still not good enough to get the advantage over Menzel. My car was probably better than his at the start of the race but you could see his team’s strategy of it coming on late-race is what kept him out of reach.”
Adding to his weekend, Baird was notified he’d been awarded the prestigious Jim Clark Trophy at the MotorSport New Zealand’s premier awards on Saturday evening.
“That was great news and is a very special award for any driver to have hold. So to me, to win it for the second successive year, makes it a very rewarding weekend – it’s just a shame I could be in New Zealand to uplift it. But it’s also a tribute to my team – the Triple X Motorsport guys, here with me, and the rest back home for our Porsche title. Plus the United Video PSR Racing team, including my father-in-law Gary Pedersen – who helped me to that V8 title.”
Returning to his Queensland home for a few weeks, Baird will reunite with his Triple X Motorsport team in China mid-June for round’s five and six, being raced at the Zhuhai International Circuit (18 – 20 June).
Cocktails, fashion and oysters
Jun 14th
Cocktails will be flowing on Friday night as we kick off the weekend with a Fashion Extravaganza.
The Ascot Park Hotel will be showcasing an event of the latest trends from local boutiques.
To keep the cocktails flowing we can count on VnC Cocktails who are supporting the event.
As we sip away on our cocktails and oogle over the fashion we can feel good that it’s for a great cause.
The occasion is a fundraiser for the Conductive Education Southland.
Distil, London
Jun 9th
VnC Cocktails shoook up a storm at Distil, the world’s dedicated spirits trade exhibition held at ExCeL in London from the 18th – 20th of May.
The Great New Zealander’s Dinner
Apr 26th
VnC Cocktails was a proud sponsor of the Great New Zealander’s Dinner held at NZ Central in Shanghai recently.
The dinner also coincided with the Porsche Asia Carrera Cup round in Shanghai.
Porsche Asia Cup Kicks off with Style in Shanghai
Apr 23rd
Kiwi Craig Baird has finished the first event on the 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia third overall after two races supporting the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai at the weekend.
Driving a brand-new 2010 specification Porsche GT3 type 997, and supported by VnC Cocktails, Baird faced tough opposition from 22 other teams also contesting the series.
The first time the 39-year-old Queensland-based Kiwi has raced the 5.451 kilometre circuit in China, crucial setup changes did not work as calculated. Instead Baird could do little more than chase the time difference having qualified to start the first race from fourth position.
Fourth in the first race and third in the second, the overall points currently award Baird third place in the title standings of the eleven round series.
Returning home in the interim, the team travel back to China in May for the second event on the calendar: the Beijing Goldenport circuit, 21-23 May.
VnC Manufacturing Ltd hard at work with a new shipment to the Middle East
Apr 1st
VnC Manufacturing Ltd, based in Tauranga, have been hard at work this week preparing our latest shipment of New Zealand’s best tasting, all natural, ready-to-pour cocktails, making its way to the Middle East.
BOY by Taika Waititi
Mar 24th
VnC Cocktails will be pouring cosmo’s down the red carpet of the BOY premier tonight in Auckland at HOYTS Sylvia Park.
New Zealand’s Film and Television Industry will enjoy VnC Cocktails hospitality at the cinema while they wait for the premier screening of the much talked about BOY.
Boy was one of 14 films selected from 1022 international submissions for the festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition.
The film was written and directed by Waititi, who also stars as the titular Boy’s father, and shot in his childhood home town of Waihau Bay in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
James Rolleston stars as 11-year-old Boy and Te Aho Eketone-Whitu as his younger brother Rocky.
