Pitstop: Reid nails deal

New Zealander Jonny Reid has secured a deal for the remainder of the 2012 Porsche City Index Carrera Cup Australia season after negotiating a full-time drive in the Hunter Sports Group Porsche GT3 Cup car. Having finished second in last year's title, Reid was picked to substitute for Nathan Tinkler in the No5 Porsche for the season's second event at Albert Park. Halliday in GT1 New Zealand racing driver Matt Halliday has signed to drive in the FIA GT1 World Championship for the Exim Bank Team China Porsche team. The two-car team will contest the Championship in the new 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup R against the world's top manufacturers and drivers in the sports car category. See Driven for a full interview. Offroad racing round Mangawhai, north of Auckland, holds a round of the offroad racing national championship this weekend with 60 teams taking part. The second round of the series features stadium-style short course racing and a full endurance race, offering North Island drivers the toughest weekend of racing in the championship until the national final in late October. Aussies chase kart titles Six Australian karters are targeting more Kiwi kart titles at the 2012 KartSport New Zealand National Sprint Kart Championship meeting in Hamilton during Easter weekend. Close to 200 entries have been received from New Zealand and Australia with 125cc Yamaha Light the best-supported senior class with 30 entries. Whiddett leads way Auckland-based international drifter Mike Whiddett leads the D1NZ National Drifting Championship points standings heading into the final round of the series at Hampton Downs today. Whiddett is one of five drivers with a mathematical chance of winning the 2011/12 title. Under the hood The opening round of the MotoGP championship is this weekend in Qatar. Ducati have gone 13 races without a podium finish, since Valentino Rossi was third at the French GP last year. This will be the ninth occasion that a Grand Prix event has been held at the Losail circuit and the fifth under floodlights. Aussie Casey Stoner has been on pole for the MotoGP race in Qatar for the past three years.