Caine completes Carrera double

at Oulton ParkMichael Caine completed a perfect weekend at Oulton Park (Sunday 27 July) with victory in round 14 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. With a perfect score of 43 points from the weekend, he moved nine points ahead of title rival Tim Harvey.In pro-am1 Nigel Rice took a second win of the weekend, while Ed Pead topped the pro-am2 cars in the PCGB entry. Caine's mighty weekend earned him the 'driver of the weekend' award, while ReDesign Racing were named 'team of the weekend' for their efforts in tending the pro-am1 car of Tony Gilham.Caine (Team Parker Racing) knew the start was all-important and got away perfectly to head the pack into the first corner, as Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) edged ahead of Sam Hancock (Jota Sport) to take second place. Initially, Caine built a lead of up to a second, but Bridgman gave stern chase and was biding his time as he started to close the gap mid-race.However, on lap eleven the lead gap suddenly started to grow again. "I was catching Michael steadily, but there was a dislodged tyre in the track at Knickerbrook and that damaged part of the front splitter," explained Bridgman. "I kept pushing in case Michael had a problem, but he drove a mega race."Sure enough, Caine reeled off the laps to complete a great weekend and one that could prove to be very significant as the championship heads for the final six races of the season. "That's a fantastic result for the whole team. It gets us back on the right step for the rest of the season," said Caine.Hancock (Jota Sport) ran third for much of the race, but was forced into retirement with a rear puncture with four laps to go, so it was Harvey (Red Line Racing) who took third, despite a problem with the brake bias adjuster. "I had too much oversteer in the race; it wasn't my day," said Harvey. Hancock's retirement also elevated Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing) into fourth after a strong drive, while Pead (PCGB) tigered through to fifth overall and pro-am2 victory.Initially, Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) and Paul O'Neill (PCGB) battled for fifth, but Quaife later suffered a rear puncture and O'Neill pitted with some bodywork damage, which put Pead through fifth. "Awesome! I'm really happy with fifth; I'd love to do some more Carrera Cup races," said Pead. Having battled with major damper problems in the opening race, Quaife had been on his way to a top five finish until the rear tyre deflated.Despite losing a lot of time at the start as other cars faltered, Rice (Red Line Racing) drove a fighting race to work back to sixth overall and take pro-am1 spoils. "I had a storming start and had to hit the brakes," said Rice. "I was nearly last into the first corner." Rice's progress to pro-am1 victory was aided when Tony Gilham (ReDesign Racing) spun at Knickerbrook after contact.


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