Carrera Cup - Snetterton preview

The long straights and fast corners of Snetterton are the next challenge for drivers and teams in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB as rounds 13 and 14 of the championship run at the Norfolk venue over the weekend of 12/13 August.With just seven points between them, Damien Faulkner (Team Parker with SAS) and Tim Harvey (Motorbase Performance) are battling mightily for the title and their rivalry is set to intensify as the title battle plays out over the final right races of the season. Faulkner is defending his 2005 crown, while Harvey is chasing the title that has just stayed out of his reach for the past two seasons.However, the dynamics of the title battle will change at Snetterton following the decision made by Richard Westbrook and Team IRWIN with Red Line Racing to keep Danny Watts in their car for the balance of the season. Initially, Westbrook was due back for the last four non-clashing weekends following his Porsche Supercup title victory, but recognising that Watts still has a chance of a strong championship position, they have now decided to allow Danny to finish the season.Realistically, the 50-point gap between Harvey and Watts is too big for Danny to claw back, but if Faulkner or Harvey has a bad weekend, it could all change dramatically. All that Watts can do is win races and see what happens, and he's now won his last six races on the trot.Vying with Watts for third in the table is Richard Williams (IN2RACING), the only driver to have scored points in each of the 12 races to date. Williams is also showing pace to rival the front runners, and he could feature ever more significantly over the closing races of the year. Other leading contenders in the pro category include Jason Templeman (Team Parker with SAS) and Michael Caine (Motorbase Performance), and they are both podium contenders. Caine will be racing at his home track and will also mark his 37th birthday on Sunday, so he will be hoping for more reasons to celebrate.The new pro-am category has delivered some great racing and it is Phil Quaife (Motorbase Performance) who heads to Snetterton with a handy 34-point lead over Sam Edwards (Team Parker Racing). If Quaife can continue the type of form he has enjoyed just about every time out this season, he should stay ahead, but Edwards is proving a gritty competitor and will never stop chasing.Ranged against the young guns of the pro-am category are seasoned racers Nigel Rice (Red Line Racing), David Ashburn (Trackspeed) and Jason Young (Red Line Racing), while Mike Richards (IN2RACING) had his best weekend to date last time out at Donington to join the pro-am podium celebrations. Adding depth of quality to the pro-am category are Mark Hazell (Team Parker Racing), Andy Purdie (RH Motorsport with Paragon), Pete Osbourne (Team O) and Paul Hogarth (IN2RACING).With a pair of 24-lap races over the weekend, this could be a very significant weekend in the Carrera Cup GB. It is Faulkner versus Harvey for the title, but Watts is going to be a real thorn in their sides!

Related Motorsport Articles

85,969 articles