Ian White and Andy Purdie kept the Rockingham crowd on their toes during the Michelin Porsche Club Championship at Rockingham on Sunday (3 July). Wheel-to-wheel battles in each race resulted in an equal share of the victory spoils as Frazer Robertson and Tom Segrue shared class two wins and Ben Demetriou took a class three double.Qualifying"I always get on well with Rockingham," said White after taking pole position on Saturday in his 3.2 Carrera. Second fastest fell to Andy Purdie's similar car as he got to grips with the track for the first time. "I love the banked section." Reckoned Purdie.
The pace of White and Purdie in qualifying suggested that they would edge clear of the pack, but class two was wide open as Robertson (944S2), Colin Ingram (911SC) and Marcus Carniel (911SC) were very closely matched. Ingram was fortunate to escape major damage to his car when he spun at Turn 1 just after the chequered flag. Luckily, damage was limited to the rear bootlid!Race oneWhite led race one from pole, with Purdie, Lewis Tootell (968CS) and Robertson slotting in behind. The 3.2 Carreras of the lead pair started to go clear on the second lap, while Carniel shot past Mark Lillington’s 968CS for fifth into Deene. Purdie made his first serious challenge for the lead into Tarzan and they continued to run nose to tail for the next couple of laps. Back in third Tootell, had been caught by Robertson, while Carniel had eased closer to them both.
Purdie then changed tack and started to attack White under braking for Deene and had a big moment under braking on lap five. Robertson’s pursuit of Tootell finally paid dividends on lap six when he slipped into third place, and Tootell now had to keep an eye on the closing Carniel.
However, Tootell responded and charged ahead of class two leader Robertson to reclaim third overall into Deene. Carniel now started to slip back from the third place battle, but at the front Purdie still had all guns blazing in his dogged pursuit of White.
After repeated attacks into Deene, he finally made it stick on the ninth lap. Despite another lock-up he went down the inside to lead on the exit. But White fought back immediately and retook the lead through Tarzan. Lillington also picked off Carniel at the same spot to retake fifth.
"He made a bit of an aggressive dive so I had to make one back," said White. Over the final three laps White asserted some authority and left Purdie to settle for second. "It was great but Ian showed his experience. I enjoyed it more than my win at Donington. That’s how racing should be," said Purdie. Meanwhile, Tootell and Robertson had two further exchanges before Tootell finally secured third. "I can’t really remember much of what happened I was so pumped up," said Tootell. "I reckon I was better after they knocked my mirror off," reckoned class two winner Robertson.
Lillington consolidated fifth place over Carniel and Tom Segrue’s 944S2 took second in class two over Colin Ingram’s 911SC. Finally, Demetriou was never headed in class three.Race twoIn the second race later on Sunday afternoon, Purdie’s attempts to snatch and early lead from White briefly dropped him into third behind Tootell. But through Gracelands, Purdie charged back and was straight onto White's tail. Lillington and Carniel headed the chasers, while Robertson lost ground at the start but was back to sixth at Tarzan on the second lap, taking Ingram on the inside.
Purdie pushed to the limit in his pursuit of White and ran out to the grass a couple of times on the infield section. But they were nose-to-tail again on lap four, with Tootell still in touch too after shaking off Lillington. Carniel lost the class two lead to Segrue on lap six, and then started to come under attack from Robertson. As the intensity of the lead duel continued, Tootell almost sneaked inside Purdie at Tarzan on the ninth lap. A lap later through Gracelands Purdie shot ahead, but ran wide out of Tarzan and White retook the place. But through Chapman there was contact between the two leaders and Purdie battled his way back ahead before moving ahead for victory.
"I drove out of my skin," said Purdie after his third win of the season, though White was troubled by the late-race contact. Tootell, meanwhile, held on to a strong third. "I was waiting for them to make mistakes. I changed the set-up after the first race and it was much better," he said. Segrue secured a fine class two victory, with Robertson and Carniel trading places before Robertson secured second in class. Demetriou was the only class three finisher after Chris Stewart parked his 911E on the opening lap.Results race one – 12 laps:1 Ian White (911 Carrera) in 23m05.820s (76.15mph); 2 Andy Purdie (911 Carrera) +2.762s; 3 Lewis Tootell (968CS); 4 Fraser Robertson (944S2); 5 Mark Lillington (968CS); 6 Marcus Carniel (911SC); 7 Tom Segrue (944S2); 8 Colin Ingram (911SC); 9 David Botterill (924 Carrera GT); 10 Chris Milne (911SC). Class winners: White; Robertson; Ben Demetriou (911SC). Fastest lap: White 1m54.028s (77.12mph).Results race two – 12 laps: 1 Purdie 12 laps in 23m13.296s (75.74mph); 2 White +0.948s; 3 Tootell; 4 Lillington; 5 Segrue; 6 Robertson; 7 Carniel; 8 Ingram; 9 Richard Harrison (911 Carrera); 10 Steve Bridgewood (911SC). Class winners: Purdie; Segrue; Demetriou. Fastest lap: Purdie 1m53.803s (77.28mph).The next rounds of the championship are at Thruxton on 20/21 August.
