Porsche Open - Preview, Rounds 3 and 4, Castle Combe, Wiltshire

COMBE HOSTS OPEN BANK HOLIDAY DOUBLE HEADER

·           Two races in a day for powerful Porsches

Castle Combe on Bank Holiday Monday (May 1st) sees the Porsche Open runners taking on a brace of races at the rapid Wiltshire circuit. With the Open featuring a range of exotic and exciting Porsche machinery, Combe should provide a great day's racing for the 20-car plus field.

Rupert Lewin's mighty 911 GT2R won the opening race at Snetterton two weeks ago, but then pulled off when leading the second race with engine problems. Rupert's team will be working flat out to get him on the Castle Combe grid, and if they make it the silver machine should be spectacular.

Lewin's demise gave race two victory to the 996 GT3 of Peter Morris. Second behind Lewin on round one, Morris is the form man in Class Two - the only class in the series to feature a points structure. New for 2006, the highest scoring eligible driver from that class will have the opportunity to race the guest car in a round of 2007 Porsche Carrera Cup.

Mark Stephenson and Steve Russell head the chase of Morris in Class Two, but a driver worth noting is Malcolm Spendlove who took a creditable ninth overall from the back of the grid at Snetterton in only his second ever race.

Other to watch for include Gerry Harrison and Brian Robinson battling in Class One in a 996 GT3 and 993 RS respectively, and Mike Johnson who took Class Three honours in both races at Snetterton. Richard Chamberlain - who dominated in the series last year in his 935 - returns at Combe alongside John Allen, the pair having a race apiece in a 993 in Class Three.

Re-joined at Combe should be the Class Four battle between the 944s of Charles Winterhalder and Frank Cortes that enlivened the second round of the series. Last year at Castle Combe Winterhalder claimed second in class ahead of Cortes, and that tussle should be resumed over the two races this Monday.

Porsche Open qualifying is at 9.55am with the first of the two 20-minute races at 2.00pm and the second scheduled to start at 5.10pm.