The Porsche Club Championship visited the high-speed Thruxton circuit for the first time since 2005 this weekend – and it was two wins each for the title challengers, Ben Demetriou winning both races outright and heading the Class One rankings, with Jeremy Clark claiming both Class Two victories and getting on the overall podium in each of the weekend’s ten-lap races. Demetriou edged just one point closer to Clark in the standings, now 35-points behind the leader with six races remaining.
Qualifying
Scott Kavanagh’s 993 headed the field after the 15-minutes of qualifying, times tumbling through the session despite light rain as drivers got used to the circuit, several front runners having never competed at before. Kavanagh had learnt the way round Thruxton in a track day, and it paid off as he took the first ever pole for a 993 in the series.
“The car felt loose everywhere, I’m surprised I am on pole!” said Kavanagh. “We can go quicker if we can calm down the back of the car, the track day paid dividends.”
Demetriou claimed second, less than a tenth of a second behind Kavanagh, with Clark, another Thruxton rookie, third quickest and well clear of the other Class Two runners. Mark McAleer, whose first taste of Thruxton was on a bicycle the evening before qualifying, was fourth quickest.
“Scott was obviously quick, so I let him past to see what lines he was taking,” said Demetriou. “It is so long since I have been here and there are no reference points here, so it was like starting from new. There is a lot to come yet, I am still braking too early in some places.”
“I’ve never been here before so I was learning the circuit as I was going along,” said Clark. “By the third lap it was starting to flow a bit – but there is still loads of time to come from the car and from me.”
Race One
Kavanagh was at the front as the field powered through Allard at the start of Saturday afternoon’s race, with Demetriou slotting into second and Clark holding third on the opening lap. A fastest lap from Demetriou on lap two saw him close on the leader, and a lap later McAleer went past Clark on the entry to Church to take third place.
The top four were running close together, McAleer looking to repeat his Church move on Demetriou on lap five but to no avail. It all changed a lap later, as Kavanagh appeared to run wide on the exit to Church, allowing Demetriou past, and Clark made a move on McAleer for third on the way into the same corner.
McAleer took back third on the run up to the chicane on lap six, and with Demetriou beginning to open a gap at the front closed on Kavanagh in second. McAleer had a big look down the inside of Kavanagh into Allard as they started lap eight, but it took until the final lap for him to find a way past, getting inside Kavanagh into Allard, the two then running side-by-side into the complex with McAleer snatching second and setting off after Demetriou – who was too far ahead and had the race safely in his grasp.
“That was one of my most enjoyable races ever,” said Demetriou. “I was worried that Scott was pulling away, but I was quicker than him out the back, and I looked to go inside him, think I distracted him, and he ran wide at Church. I could see Mark edging towards me, so I was glad it as just a ten-lap race.”
“The race wasn’t long enough for me to catch him!” said McAleer. “I was getting better as the race went on, I got Jeremy into Church, he left the door open so I had to take the opportunity. Ben and Scott were dicing, and then Jeremy got back at me. It was a great race – very enjoyable, at the end Scott and I were side-by-side all the way through the first corner and the complex.”
Clark took Kavanagh at Noble, taking third overall and easily heading the Class Two runners at the flag.
“It was an awesome race,” said Clark, “the more it went on the more I learnt the track. I was able to take corners almost flat and getting used to how the car moved on the track. I had a good battle with Mark, then saw Scott struggling with his tyres and went past him on the last lap. One drink tonight – then think about how to go quicker tomorrow.”
Behind the lead four, Kevin Harrison held off Marcus Carniel in the later laps to take fifth, while Richard Higgins, who had got boxed in on the first corner and lost ground, was right with the battling pair at the end.
Race Two
Demetriou was on pole for Sunday’s race, with Kavanagh alongside and McAleer and Clark on row two. Demetriou made a good start, but Kavanagh’s engine cut out on the line and the field streamed past the stranded 993, the race one early leader finally getting underway at the back of the field – only to be a superb sixth by the end of the first lap.
“The engine just died on the line,” said Kavanagh. “I had a good couple of laps, then the throttle kept sticking open and I just had to park the car.”
At the front, Demetriou led from McAleer and Clark, McAleer right with the leader and looking for a way past. A better exit from Church saw McAleer alongside the leader up Woodham Hill to the chicane on lap five, and he took the lead round the outside of Demetriou as they turned in.
With the front two edging clear of Clark in third, and Carniel running alone in fourth, all the attention was on the lead battle as Demetriou sought to regain the front position. On lap eight it was his turn to make the better run up the hill, and he got inside McAleer as they reached the braking point and took back the lead – staying in front to claim his third double victory of the season.
“An unbelievable race,” said Demetriou, “as good as yesterday’s. I made one of my best starts all season, then got on it, but Mark was all over me. He went past me down the straight and I thought he was quicker, but I learnt from what he was doing and did the same to him.”
“I’m disappointed not to win,” said McAleer, “but I enjoyed it, a good clean race and really good fun. Ben could have stuck his nose in on me when I went past, but I have raced against him long enough to know he wouldn’t do that.”
Clark claimed third ahead of Carniel, with Higgins fifth, taking the place from Richard Ellis on lap four.
“On the first lap I thought I had a real chance of taking the lead,” said Clark, “the car was good on colder tyres, but then they pulled away and I couldn’t pull it back. It was a bit hotter today and they tyres were going off quickly – I had two wheels on the grass at one point, but it is great to finish so high up.”
Porsche Club Championship, Round Nine, Ten Laps: 1 Ben Demetriou (968 CS) 15m05.438s (93.67mph); 2 Mark McAleer (968 CS) +1.756s; 3 Jeremy Clark (944 S2); 4 Scott Kavanagh (993 C2); 5 Kevin Harrison (964 C2); 6 Marcus Carniel (964 C2); 7 Richard Higgins (968 CS); 8 Richard Ellis (993 C2); 9 Paul Follett (968 CS); 10 Peter Erceg (968 CS). Class Winners: Demetriou; Clark. Fastest Lap: Demetriou 1m29.164s (95.12mph).
Round Ten, Ten Laps: 1 Demetriou 14m58.917s (94.35mph); 2 McAleer +0.636s; 3 Clark; 4 Carniel; 5 Higgins; 6 Richard Ellis; 7 Harrison; 8 Follett; 9 Adrian Stock (968 CS); 10 Erceg. Class Winners: Demetriou; Clark. Fastest Lap: Demetriou1m28.084s (96.28mph).
Next Rounds: Castle Combe, Wiltshire, August 31st.
