Harvey heads Carrera Cup testing at Knockhill

On a day when the rain got heavier and heavier, Tim Harvey set the testing pace ahead of rounds 13 and 14 of the 2009 Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Knockhill  (Friday 14 August 2009).  Glynn Geddie topped pro-am1 while George Brewster headed pro-am2 to make it a good day for the strong contingent of Scottish racers.

Harvey (Red Line Racing) set the standard for the day early in the first session when the track conditions were less wet. As the day progressed, the track became increasingly waterlogged and many drivers elected not to push hard in the second session. "I'm very pleased to be seven-tenths of a second faster," said Harvey. "I've been quick all day and if we get rain tomorrow we're ready. Qualifying is super-important here."

Behind Harvey came Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing), who had set the pace in mid-week testing. "There was no point in risking the car today," admitted Bridgman. "The track is very waterlogged and I need the car in one piece for qualifying." James Sutton (Red Line Racing) completed the top three times while Michael Caine (Motorbase Performance), the fourth of the key title contenders, was hampered by gearbox problems and ended the day tenth fastest.

Fourth overall and top of pro-am1 was a fine result for Geddie (Team Parker Racing) on his home track. "It went okay and we were just trying different set-ups on the car," he said. "There was no point going out this afternoon and putting the car off." Close behind Geddie in pro-am1 were Tony Gilham (Red Line Racing) and Ollie Jackson (Motorbase Performance). "It's been a good day; very productive," said Gilham, who had missed the mid-week test session. Meanwhile Jackson was driving the Porsche at Knockhill for the first time. "It was definitely a learning curve," said Jackson. "The car felt brilliant and this afternoon I did three laps and parked it up."

Seventh and eighth fastest overall were Tom Bradshaw and Charles Bateman from Team Parker Racing and Bradshaw was pleased to be second fastest in the afternoon session. "We put some new wets on this afternoon to get a feel for the conditions and had a good run," said Bradshaw ahead of his first race at the Scottish track.

In the highly competitive pro-am2 category, Brewster (Celtic Speed) set the pace in the faster morning session. "It was busy out there with a lot of traffic," said Brewster. "The track just got more and more treacherous," he added. Second fastest to Brewster was his team mate Bob Lyons, who ran just four laps in the morning session before an oil leak pitched him into the gravel. Firmly in contention in pro-am2 were Glenn McMenamin (Parr Motorsport) and Paul Hogarth (IN2Racing). "It was just crazy wet and I didn't want to push my luck," said McMenamin.


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