No podium at Sepang 12 hour 2009

Practice through the week proved troublesome with some minor engine problems. The team were still confident for the weekend.

Barton 6th on Bathurst Carrera Cup debut

Bathurst is the highlight of the season for any racing driver in Australia. The sensation generated along 6.2km of public road that winds up and down the side of Mount Panorama is like no other. To do it in a Porsche 997 Carrera Cup Car is truly amazing. In his first visit to Mount Panorama in a “Tin Top” Barton finished 6th in the final race of the weekend posting him seventh on points for the round.

In qualifying Barton posted a time of 2:13.626 to position himself 10th for the start of Race 1.

Race 1 showed how dramatic the weather at Mount Panorama can be. Just as the field was gridding up there was a rain shower across the top of the mountain. With the whole field on slicks it took every bit of skill to keep the 400 horsepower Cup Car under control. Barton kept with the bunch on the opening lap and picked up positions when David wall and team mate David Russell spun in the tricky conditions. Barton crossed the line in 8th spot.

“Wow! In my first Carrera Cup car race to have a dry bottom half of the circuit and wet top half was really interesting. We created a dry line across the top by the end of the race though” commented Barton.

Barton steps on podium at Sepang 12 hour

Barton Mawer finished 3rd at the 2008 Petronas Primax 3 Merdeka Millenium Endurance (MME) at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia on the 30th August. In a field of 77 cars it was an impressive endurance racing debut for the young charger.
Joining the Australian team of Wall Racing with Damien Flack and fellow Cup Car racer David Wall the team was the highest placed Australian entry which was littered with Australian racers in various classes including Alex Davison, Craig Baird and Karl Reindler. The level of machinery was impressive also with 2 works Petronas BMW Z4’s, numerous Porsche 2008 spec 997 RSR’s, Porsche 997 Cup S and similar older Porsche 996 RSR’s as used by the Wall Racing team.

After qualifying 7th the team set a consistent pace early on and slowly worked their way up to 3rd by the halfway point only to have to pit to replace a driveshaft assembly due to grease leaking out of a C.V joint. Once resumed in the race the team dropped to 7th and 3 laps down from 3rd position. This is when the real fight began with David and Barton given the duty to haul the car back into contention.

Barton endures tough weekend at Willowbank

Round 6 of the Carrera Cup championship held at Willowbank, Ipswich Queensland on the weekend did not look after Barton and the #27 Cup Car as he suffered from various incidents in all 3 races.

Qualifying was always going to be tight. Barton was 6 tenths off the fastest time and in 9th position.

In race 1 Barton held that position directly behind Sandown race winner David Wall for 12 of the 14 lap race, before experiencing a punctured right rear tyre, limping the car home to the finish line in 20th.