Class One rivals Mark McAleer and Ian White took a win each at Brands Hatch this weekend, with series returnee Kevin Harrison getting on the podium on both days in a one-off return to the Porsche Club Championship. James Hilliard took his first Class Two win on Saturday, while reigning champion Tom Segrue came through to win on Sunday, as Chris Berry took a Class Three double to keep his class points lead.
QualifyingKevin Harrison made it five different pole position winners in 2006 when he was quickest in Saturday's 25-minute qualifying session. Making it a pair of Porsche 968s on the front row was series regular Mark McAleer, with championship leader Ian White third quickest.
"That was hot work!" said Harrison. " The car felt good, but the hard bit will be getting off the line quickly in the race."
"There was no grip anywhere," said McAleer, "it felt awful so I am surprised to be so quick."
Fraser Robertson headed up Class Two in sixth overall, just ahead of James Hilliard and Richard Lambert. Having rolled his own car at Castle Combe in May, Robertson was competing in a car bought for his son.
"I've only borrowed the car," said Robertson, "I bought it for my son, but he is only 15 and doing grass track racing and my wife won't let him drive it!"
Quickest in Class Three was Alex Eacock, surprised to be so quick: "it felt horrendous out there, no grip just as if the tyres were going off."
Race OneThe heavens opened just before the start and soaked the track, some drivers switching to wet tyres, though the normal treaded Michelins used in the series seemed to cope well with the conditions. Lewis Tootill, back in the championship after taking his university exams, was missing from the grid with a cylinder head problem, with conditions wet enough for one car to spin on the green flag lap.
Harrison led the field into Paddock Hill Bend, while a great start from Richard Lambert saw him slot into fifth from ninth on the grid. Harrison opened a gap on the chasing McAleer and White, but Alan Newbold spun his 944 on the way up to Druids on lap two bringing out the Safety Car for three laps.
At the restart, with 21-minutes of the 30-minute race remaining, White looked inside McAleer at Paddock for second, the pair staying side by side all the way through Druids, McAleer holding on as they came down the hill to Graham Hill Bend. A fastest lap from McAleer as he chased Kevin Harrison was immediately matched by the leader. The lead battle was closed up as the Safety Car emerged again after Marcus Carniel and Richard Harrison spun in unison into the Paddock Hill Bend gravel.
The field were released on lap 15, the track now starting to dry, and two laps later McAleer was ahead as Harrison went wide at Graham Hill Bend, sliding onto the grass as his rival went past. McAleer stayed clear to take the win, Harrison close but being left no clear opportunity to go by.
Class Two leader Lambert had been closing in White in third, but was another to get caught out by the changing grip levels of the drying track and went wide at Druids, rejoining but allowing class rival James Hilliard past. Hilliard then closed on White, going past with two laps to go to claim third overall.
"I made my usual bad start," said McAleer, "and he was very quick in the opening laps. Ian White was pushing hard in the early laps, but it was drying towards the end and that helped me. That was a good race."
"I had the right tyres on," said Harrison, "and I had it easy until the second Safety Car period, then I went on the grass. I was waiting for a mistake from Mark but it never happened."
"I just couldn't see out the windscreen at the start," said Hillaird, still in his first season of racing, "and there was lots of spray - I didn't see the Safety Car boards at one point."
"It was very hard to see," agreed Lambert, "but then I just threw it away at Druids."
With spins and slides all down the field, the Class Three battle was a see-saw affair, Chris Berry coming out on top over Alex Eacock to take the Class win. "That was wet but good fun," said Berry, "it was a question of just driving the car and staying on the track. I was close with Alex several times but we never touched, and it was nice to come home ahead - that keeps it interesting."
Race TwoSunday's race was in dry and hot conditions, and from the second row of the grid White made a storming start to lead into Paddock Hill Bend, with McAleer and Harrison right behind. On lap two Harrison moved into second, these three rapidly pulling clear of the rest.
Harrison stayed right with White until making a mistake on lap ten, McAleer sliding back into second, but White was giving neither of his pursuers a sniff of an opportunity despite the constant pressure. McAleer and Harrison continued to swap places until the former spun at Surtees, rejoining in third but leaving White and Harrison to fight over the lead.
The lead pair continued to circulate nose to tail, with McAleer setting quickest race lap as he closed back in during the final laps. They crossed the line with White still ahead, the Yeovil-based racer having with stood 30-minutes of constant pressure for a fine win. Harrison was later given a 0.4 second penalty by the stewards, dropping him behind McAleer in the final results.
"I made a good start, then just had to keep my concentration for the whole race," said the winner, "and not to give them an opportunity. After three consecutive third places I needed a win today."
"That was good fun," said Harrison. "Ian made a great start, and I didn't want to get sandwiched between him and Mark so I slotted into third and let them fight it out for a bit. When I was with Ian he never gave me a clear opportunity to get past - I tried to get a run on him but it never came off."
"Ian defended really well," said McAleer. "I went wide at Surtees and the car just snapped away. I chased them down, but needed another five minutes to really get with them. I'm pleased with the weekend overall."
Hilliard ran in fourth early on, but spun when dicing with Ian Oliver at Druids on lap 11. Hilliard was then collected by Class Two rival Richard Lambert, the two losing ground before rejoining. Oliver pitted trailing smoke, and Fraser Robertson moved into the class lead and fourth overall.
On a charge from down the field was Tom Segrue, his car blighted with brake problems over the weekend but now back on the pace. He went inside Robertson along the pit straight and into Paddock Hill Bend on lap 26 to take the class lead and come home fourth overall.
"Our problems started in qualifying," explained Segrue, "when we fitted some new discs that turned out to be warped. We borrowed a grinder to get things sorted, and the car went well in this race - I was able to get the power down really early out of Clearways."
"That was hot work," said Robertson. "I saw Tom coming and I'm not battling for the championship so I wasn't going to take any risks. I'm just happy to finish, the car has been good - and we should be out at Silverstone. "
The Class Three battle saw another close race between Chris Berry and Alex Eacock, Berry making it a double win over the weekend. "That was a lot harder than yesterday," said Berry. "I had to let the leaders past and hold off Alex at the same time. I could do with a big drink now!"
Results Race One - 27 Laps:
1 Mark McAleer (968) 30m05.644s (66.04mph); 2 Kevin Harrison (968 CS) +0.400s; 3 James Hilliard (944 S2); 4 Ian White (Carrera); 5 Richard Lambert (911 Carrera 3.0); 6 Tom Segrue (944 S2); 7 Ian Oliver (911 Carrera); 8 Colin Ingram (911 SC); 9 Chris Milne (911 SC); 10 Fraser Robertson (944). Class Winners: McAleer; Hilliard; Chris Berry (911E). Fastest Lap: Harrison 1m00.452s (73.02mph).
Results Race Two - 32 Laps:
1 White 30m26.181s (77.38mph); 2 McAleer +0.522s; 3 Harrsion; 4 Segrue; 5 Robertson; 6 Hilliard; 7 Lambert; 8 Milne; 9 Marcus Carniel (911 3.0 SC); 10 Ingram. Class Winners: White; Segrue; Berry. Fastest Lap: McAleer 55.497s (79.54mph).
Next round: Silverstone, September 8 / 9
