Harvey takes Carrera Cup victory

Tim Harvey drove the race the season to win a superb round 18 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Silverstone yesterdayday (Sunday 31 August). The fantastic contest, which went out live on ITV4, featured a four-way battle for the lead and it was Harvey, after starting fifteenth on the grid, who stormed through for a stunning victory and now takes a seven-point championship lead into the final race weekend.In the pro-am1 category, Nigel Rice took another victory to further close the points' gap to Tony Gilham, who struggled home with gearbox problems. In pro-am2, Glynn Geddie completed a double win with a fine fifth overall as Steve Rance and Paul Hogarth joined him on the podium.With a wet and very slippery track, Michael Caine (Team Parker Racing) got the jump on polesitter Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) to lead into Copse as Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) and Nick Tandy (PCGB) made contact in the crowded rush to the first corner. Bridgman had to pit for a wheel change and Tandy later slipped back with a stop after running through the gravel.Up front, Sam Hancock (Jota Sport) edged ahead of Quaife and then dived by Caine into Becketts on the second lap. Meanwhile, Harvey (Red Line Racing) was driving a superb race and was up to fourth place in three laps. Hancock started to edge clear, but it all went wrong for him on the exit of Luffield on the ninth lap when he put a wheel onto the slippery kerb and spun onto the grass. "I just made the smallest mistake," he said later.Now, it was Quaife leading from the recovering Hancock as Harvey edged ahead of Caine for third and set about attacking Hancock. Caine tried to go with them, but knew he simply did not have the pace to challenge for the lead. "I just didn't have the grip at the back of the car," said Caine. Nevertheless, the leading four now ran nose-to-tail in a tremendous display of exciting racing in treacherous conditions.It was Harvey that was on the move and once past Hancock was able to move in on Quaife. It took until the penultimate lap for Harvey to make his move and he ran down the inside under braking at Brooklands to cap a remarkable drive. "I had nothing to lose from where I started and I had a very good car," said Harvey. "It was desperately slippery, but it was a brilliant finish to a weekend that started disastrously." Harvey was named 'driver of the weekend' and Red Line Racing won the 'team of the weekend' award.Quaife gave his all to try and hold on, but could not defend from Harvey in the last two laps. "I pushed harder and harder, but it wasn't enough," said Quaife as Hancock and Caine chased him to the flag. Fifth overall and a great pro-am2 victory went to Geddie (Parr Motorsport/Apex) after tigering ahead of pro-am1 winner Rice (Red Line Racing). "That was brilliant; I really enjoyed it," said Geddie. Steve Rance (Parr Motorsport) had a very strong run to take seventh overall and second in pro-am2, while Gilham (ReDesign Racing) battled home second in pro-am1 with his car stuck in fourth gear. Bridgman salvaged ninth place, with Paul Hogarth (IN2RACING) tenth and third in pro-am2.

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