Ashley Seward Motorsport teammates Geoff Emery and Dean Cook enter the final round of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Championship first and second in the points standings. The duo are joined by Scott Taylor who is excited for an energised home race.
Geoff Emery is seeking redemption from the 2021 Pro-Am title he was controversially denied, while Dean Cook is on target to better his previous best championship result of third which came last year. The 2022 Pro-Am fight has been incredibly competitive with just 22 points separating the ASM duo, with just another 10 points back to third placed Liam Talbot.
Emery has won eight races this year, more than any other Pro-Am driver, while by contrast Cook has yet to win a race with his consistency earning him six podium finishes. Prior Gold Coast experience favours Cook who has raced Carrera Cup on the iconic streets on three prior occasions, earning five podiums, two wins and never finishing lower than fourth. Emery has the advantage of experiencing championship pressure around the track, after he clinched the 2019 Australian GT Championship on the Gold Coast streets.
“Managing the kerbs will be the key to success this weekend, and it’s something I’ll need to learn very quickly,” said Emery.
“I ran here in 2019 in an Audi GT3, where we basically drove around the kerbs so I need to forget about that and really attack them in this Carrera Cup car. It will be a test of bravery really to see who comes out on top.
“Dean and I respect each other and if I don’t win, I want it to be him, we wont run into each other but we’re here to win and we both know that. He’s not the only one in contention either so I know it’s not going to be easy. I’ll keep doing what I’ve done all year and may the best man win,” concluded Emery.
“I love this place, the Gold Coast is a track I feel more confident at than anywhere else in the country,” said Cook.
“I’ll need to go hard in qualifying to put myself up the front, it’s going to be extremely hard to overtake so I can’t rely on making overtakes in the race. I’ve got a new visor for my helmet as well ready to combat the sun up there, it’s going to be bright and scorching weekend.
“We’re not the only ones in contention but I truly think it’s between Geoff and I. Geoff is a fierce competitor and I’m wary of the challenge he poses but this really is a track I love and I have full belief that I can get the job done,” concluded Cook.
For Taylor the weekend is not the pressure cooker that it is for his teammates, but he is excited to put on a show at his home race in front of friends and family.
“The Gold Coast event itself is a great spectacle and it’s a mind-blowing track that demands a different sort of skill set to navigate successfully. It’s a very tight circuit and the kerbs are the biggest we see on the calendar; you really need to have your wits about you to get through cleanly,” said Taylor.
“A bit like Adelaide, this weekend really puts on a show for everyone so I can’t wait to get on track and be part of the spectacle.”
The Pro-Am title fight draws to a conclusion on the streets of the Gold Coast from October 28-30 in the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Championship.
Pro-Am Standings:
1. Geoff Emery – 785
2. Dean Cook – 763
3. Liam Talbot – 753
4. Sam Shahin – 707
5. Rodney Jane – 647
6. Stephen Grove – 605
7. Matthew Belford – 570
8. Adrian Flack – 542
9. Tim Miles – 492
10. Marc Cini – 419
12. Scott Taylor – 325
