With plenty to race for in the remaining months of 2021, take a look at how the seasons of our regular Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships categories are shaping up. 
  

RA Cup Australia  

The RA Cup Australia had a big year planned for its 13th season as a national category with rounds at Mount Panorama, Sandown and The Bend Motorsport Park adding to its two home race meetings at Sydney Motorsport Park.  
  
Unfortunately, like many categories this year, the season has been disrupted due to border closures and state-wide lockdowns, however it hasn’t stopped two rounds from taking place already. 
  
Starting the season off at Bathurst has proven to be an unofficial tradition for the category, while the first of two scheduled visits to its home circuit at Eastern Creek proved to be quite dramatic. 
  
With a third round still on the horizon, there is still plenty to race for in a category that continues to grow in popularity. 
  

Rounds so far  

Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships – Bathurst 6 Hour – Mount Panorama 
– Race one: Peter Paddon 
– Race two: Brad Shiels 


Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships – Sydney Motorsport Park 
– Race one: Chris Perini 
– Race two: Chris Perini 
  
Rounds remaining 
TBC 
  

The Leader – Chris Perini  

The 2019 champion is doing his best to add another piece of silverware to his trophy cabinet, and after dominating the most recent round at Sydney Motorsport Park, he is definitely on the right track. 
  
The Radicals have had four races so far in 2021 and Perini has finished inside the top three in all but one of those occasions – the opening race of the season. 
  
However, since finishing fourth in the opening race, which long-term rival Peter Paddon won, Perini has climbed his way back to the top with two strong results in Sydney - building the foundations of his title charge. 
  
The New South Welshman loves competing on his home track and with Paddon having a difficult run at Sydney, it opened up the door for Perini to occupy the top of the standings. 
  
“It’s been a terrific weekend and great to be back on top in the championship,” Perini said post-Sydney. 
  
“I do feel sorry for Pete [Paddon] though; he and I really enjoy our rivalry so it was a shame he had some problems.” 

Top 10 

Chris Perini - 144 points   
Zig Fuhrmeister - 104 
Peter Clare - 102 
Peter Paddon - 98 
Kostinken Pohorukov - 90 
Brad Shiels - 75 
Greg Kenny - 67 
Bill Medland - 66 
Warwick Morris - 60 
Stephen Champion – 57 
  
With the series yet to announce confirmed plans for the remainder of the year, there is still time for more rounds to take place. 
  
And as it stands, Perini is on the box seat for another title right now. 
  
The 33-year-old has shown time and time again that he is highly consistent and with 40 points separating him and Zig Fuhrmeister, something major would have to go wrong. 
  
He is the only driver to finish in the top five for every race, while Fuhrmeister’s runner-up finish and P4 at Sydney Motorsport Park saw him charge into P2 at the expense of Peter Clare and Paddon. 


For Clare, Sydney was a decent outing but still not enough as the Shared Runway Volante Rosso Radical SR3RS driver enjoyed a podium and top five finish, while Paddon had a weekend to forget after his sixth place and DNF undid his good work at Bathurst. 
  
Very little separates the three drivers battling it out for second with six only points the difference, which will certainly add plenty of spice to the final round - should there be one. 
  
Rounding out the top five is Kostinken Pohorukov, who has had a rollercoaster season thus far. The 45-year-old began the year with a P12 and P7 in the season opener at Bathurst, before his second last in Sydney race one was converted into his first podium of the year in race two. 
  
Although Brad Shiels sits in sixth place, the 28-year-old has only attended one round, the season opener at Bathurst we he scored two podium finishes. Should he race in the final round of the season, he could have a say in the final standings.