A turbulent Donington Park meeting saw both Apex Tubulars Porsche Club Championship races interrupted by lengthy Safety Car periods - the first having a major effect on the championship as points leader Mark McAleer crashed out and is now left with a race against time to have a car ready to race at Silverstone in just five days time. Brian Robinson won race one, first Class Two car to win outright in several seasons, while Mike Clapham took his first outright race win in race two.
Richard Higgins took a second and a third place finish in his first season of racing, while of the title challengers Neil Harvey had the best day, moving ahead in the points with two Class Three wins.
QualifyingJames Neal claimed pole for the first race, half a second clear of Class One rival McAleer. Robinson headed the Class Two runners and was third overall, Higgins filling out row two on the grid.
"Mark and I were running together at first," said Neal, "and were in traffic but doing some quick laps, but both seemed to realise this was rather futile and backed off. Then I put in some really quick laps - faster than any Club car has been round here before."
"It was very slippery out there," said McAleer, "everyone was doing quick times and there was lots of traffic. It's my first time here with this car."
Neil Harvey headed Class Three, with Castle Combe race winner Charles Winterhalder second quickest.
Race One
Neal made the best start, McAleer appearing to briefly bog down off the line as he got away, while Carniel from sixth on the grid was second into the first corner. McAleer was back into second at the end of the first lap, and a fastest lap from the Yorkshireman put him right with Neal as they started lap two. Side by side through Hollywood and into the Craner Curves, the two clashed and both spun, Neal to ultimately rejoin but McAleer's 968 CS slammed into the tyre barriers, bringing out the Safety Car as the damaged vehicle was removed.
"We were close through Redgate," said Neal, "side-by-side without touching and I was forced wide and off the circuit, and as I came back on I touched Mark's car and we both spun, unfortunately he went the wrong way."
"The car was fine when I got going," said McAleer, "I got up with James, we were side by side through Redgate, and he knocked me on the back corner."
The demise of the lead pair saw Brian Robinson leading the train of cars round behind the Safety Car, ahead of Clapham, Carniel, Higgins and the Boxster of Marcus Holden. After three slow laps the field were released with just under eight minutes of racing remaining, and Robinson backed up the field before accelerating through the chicane and immediately opening a gap at the front. Clapham gave chase, as behind Carniel came under pressure from Higgins, Demetriou also closing in the final laps.
Higgins snatched third from Carniel - who was later penalised by 10 seconds for starting out of position on the grid - moving Demetriou up to second in Class Two, behind race winner Robinson who became the first overall race winner from Class Two this season.
"My car was better on the brakes," said Robinson after his win. "I have done a few re-starts and knew what I was going to do there, and after that it was an easy cruise. It's a real shame the front two took themselves out - I could have caught them and had a good race."
"Once I realised I was an easy second and it was my team-mate in front of me I decided I wasn't going to catch him and cause any problems," said Clapham.
"That was a brilliant race," enthused Higgins. "It was a good scrap and I knew I was quick today, and at one point I was side-by-side with Marcus down through the Craner Curves. It's only my first year racing - I never expected to be on the podium."
Neil Harvey added to his tally of class wins by heading home the Class Three runners, but Charles Winterhalder was closing rapidly in the final laps.
"It seems to keep opening up for me at the start," said Harvey. "I can getting going quick and gain places. I could see Charles catching me and was starting to get a bit worried, but I kept my concentration and kept it smooth. He will start right with me for the next race - so that should be a good one."
"I thought I was going to have him!" said Winterhalder. "I made an awful start, but the Safety Car helped no end and I knew I just had to clear the cars in front as quick as we could. There was just not enough time to get him at the end."
Race TwoClapham took the lead at the start, while a fast-starting Carniel rapidly gained places only to find himself boxed in and briefly taking to the air. His 911 SC escaped major damage and continued at virtually unabated pace, but one victim of the first corner melee was Robinson, who fell to the rear of the field, while Higgins moved up to third.
Higgins took second from David Botterill on lap two, with Marcus Holden fourth and close behind in the lone Boxster in the field. Higgins was looking to close on the leader, but Clapham replied with a new fastest lap.
The race totally changed on lap five when Frazer Robertson spun under Starkey's Bridge and was then collected by another car, Robertson's damaged 944 coming to rest in the middle of the track. The Safety Car was sent out, but crucially missed the lead three and picked up Holden's Boxster as the lead car of the train, leaving the front three circulating at reduced pace on their own during the lengthy clear up process with marshalls working on the circuit.
When the track was virtually clear the Safety Car started waving competitors past to get the leaders to the head of the pack, but with just two minutes of the race time left it peeled in to the pits with Holden still well off the back of the lead three. That left Clapham, Higgins and Botterill fighting over the podium positions, Clapham just holding off Higgins who had scented a win in his rookie year.
"I wasn't sure how many laps there were to go at the end," said Clapham "I just tried to stay ahead. I got a good start and all the action at the first corner was behind me. I was being cautious and didn't want to make a mistake, and felt I had a bit in hand. I didn't know where the Safety Car was, I was expecting it to be looking for me, and I wasn't sure whether to hold back or try to catch him up - but there were people working on the circuit. It's my first ever outright win - which has been an ambition of mine."
"That was fantastic," said Higgins, "David had a cracking start and went past me, but I got him back into McLeans. The Safety Car was frustrating, I felt I was catching Mike and was hoping I could have got past. I'd have loved to have a go at Mike, you don't get many opportunities for a win. This has been a brilliant way to get into motorsport for me."
"The car has been handling better over the weekend - it's been like a different car each time I have got in it," said Botterill. "It didn't want to turn in at all in qualifying, this race it was somewhere near where it should be. I'm not sure what happened with the Safety Car, but I am happy with how it turned out!"
A frustrated Holden took fourth, with Carniel winning Class Two and fifth, just holding off James Neal on the final lap, up from 12th on the grid.
"The Safety Car didn't come out in the right place," said Holden, "I was with David, we were having a great race, and my car is now running brilliantly and I could have got on the podium."
"I got a good start, then went up in the air!" said Carniel. "I was behind Higgins, then inside Brian and he turned in and I went over his front. The car is not steering as well as it was, but I got the points for the class win."
Harvey made it a Class Three double, Winterhalder close early in the race before spinning exiting the chicane on lap two.
"It was shame the Safety Car messed up everyone's race," said Harvey. "I made a bad start for once, I missed second gear. It's a good weekend for me in the points, but I do really feel for Mark McAleer."
Race One - 20 Minutes (12 Laps): 1 Brian Robinson (944 S2) 20m41.908s; 2 Mike Clapham (968 CS) 20m45.152s; 3 Richard Higgins (968 SC); 4 Ben Demetriou (944 S2); 5 David Botterill (964 C2); 6 Chris Dyer (968 CS); 7 Marcus Carniel (911 SC); 8 Marcus Holden (Boxster); 9 Carlo Bonetti (911 Carrera 3); 10 Adrian Greives (968 CS). Class winners: Clapham; Robinson; Neil Harvey (911 SC). Fastest lap: James Neal (964 C2) 1m22.596s (85.297mph).
Race Two - 20 Minutes (12 Laps): 1 Clapham 20m43.771s; 2 Higgins 20m44.287s; 3 Boterill; 4 Holden; 5 Carniel; 6 Neal; 7 Demetriou; 8 Dyer; 9 Ed Hayes (968 CS); 10 Bonetti. Class winners: Clapham; Carniel; Harvey. Fastest lap: Higgins, 1m22.872s (85.013mph).
Next rounds: Silverstone, Northants, September 7th and 8th
