Michael Caine made it three winners from four races in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Thruxton yesterday (Sunday 26 April 2009) in a tremendous round four of the championship.

While Tim Harvey and Tim Bridgman battled mightily for second, Caine made good his escape for a fine victory. Meanwhile, Tony Gilham drove an excellent race to claim pro-am1 spoils as Paul Mace completed a weekend double in pro-am2.

Caine (Motorbase Performance) got a great start to beat Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) into Allard, with Harvey (Red Line Racing) third. Initially, Caine was under intense pressure from Bridgman and knew that he had to defend his lead over the opening laps. "I knew my car wasn't as good as Tim's in the early laps, so I just held on. But then my car was very good mid-race."

Sure enough, by lap 10 of 21 Caine was extending his lead as Bridgman came under increasing pressure from Harvey. As the race entered the closing stages, and with Caine now well clear, the battle between Bridgman and Harvey made a fantastic spectacle as they raced wheel to wheel. It finally came to a head when Harvey got the inside line on the approach to the high-speed Church Corner. Bridgman tried to hold on around the outside but slid wide and bounced across the grass, losing the car's front splitter in the process.

Caine stroked home to a clear victory, but Harvey was now under attack from his team mate James Sutton and the defending champion just held on for second place. "All credit to the guys at Motorbase," said Caine of his victory. Harvey, meanwhile, was thrilled at his battle with Bridgman. "It was great fun! We were falling over each other like a pair of junior kart racers," said Harvey. "It was great racing."

Behind Sutton, Jake Rosenzweig (Team Parker Racing) completed a good weekend by moving ahead of Bridgman, who brought his ailing car home fifth after struggling with increasing oversteer as the race developed.

Sixth overall and a superb pro-am1 victory went to Gilham (Red Line Racing), but he again had to work very hard for the result. "I had to be patient at the start, but then the car came in and I was getting quicker and quicker," said Gilham. He moved into the pro-am1 lead with a great opportunist move at the chicane as Tom Bradshaw (Team Parker Racing) and Robert Lawson (JHR) battled. They slowed each other in the middle of the chicane and Gilham swept past both of them on the run past the pits. Once ahead in pro-am1, Gilham was secure in sixth overall as Bradshaw took seventh and Lawson, after a quick spin, dropped a place at the last corner to Ben McLoughlin (Porsche Motorsport). Lawson still took second in pro-am1.

Tenth overall and third in pro-am1 to mark his 25th birthday was Ollie Jackson (Motorbase Performance), but he had to race hard to see off a determined challenge from Derek Pierce (JHR). While Lawson's pro-am1 victory in race one earned him the 'driver of the weekend' award, JHR bagged the 'team of the weekend' award for their efforts on a first visit to Thruxton with the Carrera Cup cars.