The new pro-am category introduced into the Porsche Carrera Cup GB for 2006 proved an instant success when the season started at Brands Hatch over the weekend (8/9 April).Created to give non-professional drivers a chance to compete for points and prize money within the championship, Red Line Racing duo Nigel Rice and Jason Young each claimed £500 for winning the new category and it was Young who ended the weekend with an early pro-am points' lead.However, it was Rice who took the honour of being the first race winner for the new category, with a fighting drive in Saturday's opening race. "There are plenty of people who won’t win anything in overall terms this season," said Rice. "This suits us very well and means we're not just making up the numbers. Getting onto the podium is special for any driver, and the prize money helps!"The opening races featured the biggest field in the history of the Carrera Cup GB covering 21 of the stunning new 997-model 911GT3 Cup cars and the field split roughly in half between the professional and pro-am categories. The total season-long prize money allocated to the pro-am category is close to £50,000.Mike Richards, Phil Quaife and David Ashburn all visited the pro-am podium during the weekend at Brands, while Ashburn also picked up the £500 cheque for the 'driver of the weekend'.