Stefan Hodgetts scored a dramatic victory in an enthralling round ten of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Croft yesterday (Sunday 1 June) as changing weather conditions made tyre choice a critical factor. Second place on the road to Hodgetts to take maximum points championship points was Michael Caine, while Tony Gilham won pro-am1 and hugely impressive newcomer Glynn Geddie won pro-am2. With the track drying out after heavy rain earlier in the day, tyre choice was crucial as the field headed to the grid. Eventually, seven cars dived into the pits for slick tyres, while five others lined up on the grid to start on wets. “It was so obviously not wet,” said poleman Tim Harvey (Red Line Racing), while others heading for the pits included Caine (Team Parker Racing), Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) and Hodgetts (PCGB). Meanwhile, Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) and Sam Hancock (Jota Sport) were the leading drivers to stay on wets. Some rapid pit work by the PCGB crew had Hodgetts onto slicks first and to the end of the pit lane at the head of the queue of seven cars, joining the race after the other cars had gone by. Initially, Bridgman headed the race, but after two or three laps it was very clear that slicks was the right call as Hodgetts headed Caine, Harvey and Quaife in the slick-shod contest. By lap five Hodgetts had caught Bridgman and swept ahead to take a lead he would retain all the way to the flag, scoring a hugely impressive victory on his first weekend of Carrera Cup experience. “I’ve never felt better,” said an elated Hodgetts. “I’m just hoping the phone rings now. I really want to be in this championship; the cars are fantastic to drive,” said Hodgetts. While Bridgman was powerless to stop his slide down the order as his wet tyres struggled badly on the dry line, Caine had to work hard to fend off Harvey and take an extended points’ lead into the six-week mid-season break. “It was the right call to come in for slicks,” said Caine. “I don’t think I’d have caught Stefan, but the race wasn’t with him, it was in my mirrors,” said Caine after fending off title rival Harvey. Quaife was never far away from the Caine/Harvey battle to take fourth, while a superb fifth overall and pro-am2 winner was Geddie in the PCGB entry. Driving with a pace and style that belied his age and experience, the 17-year old was the revelation of the weekend. “It’s been a brilliant weekend,” said Geddie, who was almost caught on the line by Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing). Over the line the cars were side-by-side and Geddie was ahead by just a hundredth of a second. Bridgman struggled home seventh, while Hancock took eighth having stopped mid-race to change to slicks. Gilham (ReDesign Racing) battled home on his wets to take pro-am1 victory after Nigel Rice (Red Line Racing) went out with a damaged radiator after clipping the back of Bateman’s car in the frenetic early laps.