Paul McLean and Peter Fairbairn shared the former’s 993 GT2 Evo at Silverstone – and took a win apiece in the final Porsche Open race, the series being replaced for 2010 by the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge. Mark Chilton was second in race one, but a transmission failure at the start of race two saw him out, and Toby Tarrant-Willis took second on his Porsche Open debut.
Qualifying
McLean was flying in practice, revelling in the handling of the 993, the powerful car well-suited to the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit and five seconds quicker than any other runner. That put McLean on pole for race one, with Tarrant-Willis’ 993 GT3 second quickest ahead of Chilton and Peter Smallwood – the latter in his first ever race meeting and heading up Class Two.
Race two’s grid was from driver’s second quickest times, and that saw the consistent Tarrant-Willis heading the times, with Hilton alongside and Fairbairn, now in the 993, third ahead of Smallwood.
Race One
McLean fired his car off the line at the start of Friday’s race one, ending the opening lap well clear of the chasing Tarrant-Willis, who had been slow away, with Chilton in third. With McLean in a class of his own at the front, the attention was on the battle for second as lap-after-lap Chilton closed in on Tarrant-Willis.
Chilton was right with Tarrant-Willis going into lap ten, and used his experience to blast past the 996 GT3 and move into second. McLean was sure-footed amongst the back-markers, and after a couple of slower laps turned up the pace again to record a fastest lap over seven seconds quicker than the rest of the field on his way to victory.
“I knew the car had the pace,” explained McLean, “and I also knew that car wasn’t going to do that lap time right at the start as we had over-fuelled it. I got into the race, the car felt good, and then managed a 1m55s – I was over the moon as the car is pretty much in the same spec as it left the factory and that was the time it was doing round here in its heyday. The car handles really well now, we got so much help from Parr Motorsport with set-up - it is so driveable now.”
Chilton stayed clear of Tarrant-Willis to take second, with Fraser Robertson fourth in his new 996 GT3 RS. A fine fifth overall and first in Class Two was Smallwood, a confident drive on his race debut. Mike Johnson took his customary Class Three win in his 911 SC.
“The car was better than I thought after our incident at Croft last week,” said Chilton, who’s 993 had ended the final race at Croft last Sunday in the tyre wall. “The front frame was bent, but the car felt good. I couldn’t believe Paul’s pace, and couldn’t live with that, but I had a good battle for second.”
“I has a slow start, but was then able to get back into it,” said Tarrant-Willis. “Mark got past me at Copse, we had a bit of traffic and down the straight he was away. It was a good race, I was getting quicker and I’m on the podium – so no complaints.”
“It was a good race,” said Johnson, “I got a good start and mixed it at the front for a couple of corners, but then they get up to pace and are gone. I kept clear of anyone else in my class and the car went as well as ever.”
Race Two
It was a short race two for Chilton, his car with a suspected driveshaft failure as it left the line, and he pulled off – the rest of the field having streamed by the stranded 993. Astonishingly, first car into Copse amidst the chaos was Johnson from the third row of the grid, the Class Three pace-setter seizing his opportunity to head the field.
On a hectic opening lap, Tarrant-Willis and Fairbairn, now in the 993 taken to victory by McLean the day before, got back past Johnson, who still held third as they started lap two, while Robertson lost ground with a spin at the back of the circuit. Fairbairn was in the lead on lap two, with Robertson already back to third. A Safety Car period closed the field right up, but Fairbairn was away well once racing resumed and stayed ahead.
Like his partner the day before, Fairbairn stayed clear and took the win, while Robertson set fastest lap in his pursuit of second, and took the position only to spin and slip down the order again and start the chase of Tarrant-Willis once more.
Tarrant-Willis was unfazed by the closing GT3 and held on to the position by less than half a second at the end. Smallwood took fourth overall, having run third until demoted by the recovering Robertson, to take a Class Two double, while Johnson clung onto the battling Class Two pair of James Fillingham and Dave Whelan on his way to seventh overall and Class Three.
“It’s great to have won, but sad that it is the last Porsche Open race,” said Fairbairn. “The conditions were tricky, it was windy, and we had a Safety Car to deal with, but the car was great. I had a good restart, it’s never easy, but I was able to build up a lead.”
“I had a big gap, then lost it when the Safety Car came out,” said Tarrant-Willis. “I could see the other RSR coming up behind and it was cat-and-mouse at the end, he was right on my tail. I really enjoyed that – a good weekend for us.”
“I was three seconds quicker than yesterday,” said Robertson, “I am getting quicker each time I get in the car. It is all about time in the car, I spun twice, you have to be inch-perfect in one of these. I almost got second at the end, I was comfortably second at one point but spun trying to chase Peter Fairbairn.”
“It has been a fantastic weekend,” said Smallwood, “the car has been great, probably better yesterday when the temperatures were higher. Into Stowe on the first lap today I had two cars spin in front of me so I had to take to the grass, then I had a restart to deal with. I was expecting the others to close on me after the restart, but I got away well and stayed clear. I’ve really enjoyed it – and can’t wait to do it again.”
“I had the chance to take the lead at the start, and just had to do it,” said Johnson. “I wanted a good start, and into second gear the torque of the car got me going. I went round the outside of Mark and kept my foot in, then moved to eh inside and l claimed the corner. After that a couple of them went past me, and it all sorted itself out.
“Two of the Class Two cars went past, then didn’t pull away, so I though I would have a go at them again.”
PMC Midlands Trophy Porsche Open: 1 Paul McLean (993 GT2 Evo) 15 laps in 34m25.139s (83.53mph); 2 Mark Chilton (993 GT2 Evo) +1m27.767s; 3 Toby Tarrant-Willis (996 GT3 RS); 4 Fraser Robertson (996 GT3 RS); 5 Peter Smallwood (996 GT3 Cup); 6 Mike Johnson (911 SC); 7 Adrian Clark (928 GTS); 8 Zubin Randeria (996 GT3 Cup); 9 Dave Whelan (993 RSR). Pole Position: McLean 1m58.009s (97.45mph). Class Winners: McLean; Smallwood; Johnson. Fastest Lap: McLean 1m55.878s (99.24mph).
Race Two: 1 Peter Fairbairn (993 GT2 Evo) 13 laps in 35m44,750s (69.70mph); 2 Tarrant-Willis +8.921s; 3 Robertson; 4 Smallwood; 5 James Fillingham (996 GT3 Cup); 6 Whelan; 7 Johnson; 8 Clark; 9 Cieran Brewer (964 C2). Pole Position: Tarrant-Willis 2m03.581s. Class Winners: Fairbairn; Smallwood; Johnson. Fastest Lap: Robertson 2m03.441s (93.16mph).
