Hard work pays off for Harri

MCELRAE Racing’s young gun Harri Jones spends his weekends behind the wheel of a Porsche GT and his weekdays on the books.

The 21-year-old speedster has spent the past three years working his way through an intensive engineering degree and splits his time working on the tools for sponsor Helimods. Helicopter engineering is one of the most intensive courses offered by the University of Queensland, but Jones believes it is a workload that gives him an advantage on the track.

That advantage was on full display as his Mcelrae Racing Carrera proved unstoppable on the Reid Park circuit to finish with two wins and a second in the Townsville Tin Tops support category. It was a battle of the front two with Jones fighting for the speed advantage over racing supremo Tony Quinn in his Keltic Racing Aston Martin super sport.

The pair were neck and neck through the weekend’s racing, with a late safety car in the final race forcing a tight battle over the final two laps.

With Jones’s lead being cut by seconds, the 21-year-old took a defensive approach into the sharp second turn to hold on to his lead. But that was the extent of his defensive tactics.

“It was fun, the traffic was interesting and it created a different element to the races. It was awesome to have that split in the field, but up against the Aston Martin, that thing was bloody quick and kept me on my toes,” he said.

“We had a few battles in that final race and that was fun.

“I had (a lead) but Tony has a bit of pace on me around this track so he would have caught up anyway. The safety car didn’t hurt us but it didn’t gain us. I think I timed it pretty well to start late and not let his horsepower get the better of us on turn two.

“I definitely went defensive into turn two after the safety car, but that was the only move e I really made in the race. I haven’t done a whole lot of street circuits so any opportunity you get you have to grab with both hands.

“In a Porsche we are all reliant in the corner speed so if you go too defensive, you lose your advantage. Ultimately you have to go in attacking, brake as late as you can and not let the guy behind you get in your mind.”