It was a day of double wins as the Apex Tubulars Porsche Open visited Castle Come, Nick Staveley taking both race wins, while Steve Rance had a Class Two double and Mark Chilton doubled up in Class Three. Despite having missed qualifying, Mike Johnson took second in both races - even though he went into the Camp barriers in race two.QualifyingPole position for race one went to Staveley' 997 GT3, a second and half ahead of the rest on his first visit to Combe for four years. Rance was second quickest and headed Class Two, but his 996 returned to the paddock on a tow rope after a clutch problem stopped him on the circuit. Paul Livesey and Craig Wilkins filled the second row, Mark Chilton eighth overall and quickest in Class Three.
"I didn't know what times I was doing," said Staveley, "as I think I had the dash on the wrong mode. I knew I was overtaking lots of cars so was fairly sure I was doing OK!"
"The clutch blew and some of the shrapnel took out an oil seal," said Rance. With the first race four hours away, the crack Parr Motorsport crew set to removing the gearbox and changing the clutch on the GT3.
Silverstone race winner Mike Johnson was one driver to be caught out by Castle Combe's stringent noise restrictions, missing qualifying while efforts were made to quieten his 996, the Yorkshireman qualifying out of session and having to start the first race from the back of the grid.
Race One
Staveley moved into the lead at the start, but the car to watch was Johnson's yellow 996 which made a storming start to be third exiting the second corner and second by the end of the lap. The leader responded to a fastest lap from Johnson with a series of new quickest marks of his own, holding the gap at around three seconds.
As the lead pair reached backmarkers, it seemed to be Johnson who lost ground in the their early encounters, Staveley staying clear till the end of the race - which had been reduced to 15 minutes after delays earlier in the programme.
"I knew Mike was starting from the back and I would see him at some point - but not at the end of the first lap," said Staveley. "I thought it might be an easy race, but when I saw him there I knew I had to push hard on every single lap. It is good to be pushed in a race, without Mike I wouldn't have seen anyone else, good to take a win, and he is starting next to me in race two."
"The best thing to do at a start is just keep your eyes closed!" joked Johnson. "If you can get a good start you need to go outside, inside, whatever, just keep moving forward and overtaking people,. Nick was in front, and I was catching a bit, then it stabilised, and I started getting a little ragged. Then I got caught by backmarkers when he got past them cleanly, and he drove smoothly and did the business."
Livesey was in third, giving an outing to the 993 GT2 he debuted at Brands Hatch, while Craig Wilkins claimed fourth just ahead of Class Two winner Steve Rance, who was under orders from his team to race for class position not outright honours.
"It could have gone better, but then again the tyres are three years old," said Livesey. "I enjoyed it, but the car is a long way from where it should be. We only brought it here as a shakedown but it is going better than we expected, it is just as we bolted it together. We are going to put the boost up for the second race."
"Craig and I were dicing," said Rance of his battle with Wilkins, "I decided I wasn't going to get alongside him on the brakes, and he had more power than me out the corners. We had a good fair race, no blocking and I needed the win - or my mechanics were going to hang me."
Chilton headed Class Three, having battled with Robin Clark for most of the race.
Race TwoStaveley led away in race two, Livesey's car jumping out of gear on the line and was last away - the field streaming past his 993 on either side. The front two broke away, Johnson slipping a second behind Staveley, while Rance and Wilkins disputed third five seconds further back.
Livesey was on a recovery drive, up to fifth by lap four, and closing on the Rance and Wilkins tussle. At the front Staveley and Johnson were pushing hard, two seconds a lap quicker than the rest of the field, Johnson just unable to match the pace of the newer 997.
A mistake from Wilkins at Bobbies saw him slip away from Rance, and closer to Livesey, who was with him as they started lap eight, only to slow out on the circuit, stop, then rejoin. Johnson began to close on Staveley with five minutes left, suddenly taking around half a second a lap out of Staveley and setting a new fastest lap.
Into Camp at the end of lap 11 Johnson looked outside of Staveley, only to run wide onto the grass and damage the rear of his car on the tyre barrier. Their lead was enough that Johnson rejoined still in second and took the chequered flag a lap later - Staveley taking his second win of the day, with Rance claiming third overall and first in Class Two.
"I made a much better start this time and made a break from Mike," said Staveley, "and then he started to gain on me, so that by the end he was really close - then he got over-excited! It was a good race - it's fantastic to take two wins."
"I was going down too many gears into the last corner," said Johnson, "and I started trying to take it a gear higher and taking a different line. It was starting to pay off and then Nick came up to backmarkers and I started to reel him right in as he got caught up. I got off line and went wide, got onto the slippy stuff - and that was it. I kept going, I don't know where I came...but I had wanted first."
"The team said that if I was in front of someone I could race them properly," said Rance, "so it was a good battle with Craig. The car is fantastic now and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I think Craig lost ground at a chicane."
Chilton made it a Class Three double with seventh overall.
Race One - 15 Minutes (13 laps): 1 Nick Staveley (997 Supercup GT3) 15m30.572s; 2 Mike Johnson (996 GT3R) 15m35.759s. 3 Paul Livesey (993 GT2); 4 Craig Wilkins (996 Cup); 5 Steven Rance (996 GT3 Cup); 6 Paul Winter (996 GT3 Cup); 7 Mark Albutt (GT3 Cup); 8 Robin Clark (996 Cup); 9 Mark Chilton (928 GTS); 10 Andrew Tate (997 GT3). Class winners: Staveley; Rance; Chilton. Fastest lap: Staveley 1m10.182s (94.896mph).
Race Two - 15 minutes (13 laps): 1 Staveley 15m27.156s; 2 Johnson 15m42.060s; 3 Rance; 4 Wilkins; 5 Albutt; 6 Clark; 7 Tim Speed (996 GT3 Cup); 8 Chilton; 9 Bertie Carruthers (GT3 Cup); 10 Anthony Oliver (993 RS). Class winners: Staveley; Rance; Chilton. Fastest lap: Johnson 1m09.600s (95.690mph).
Next rounds: Donington Park, East Midlands, September 1st and 2nd
