Porsche Club Championship points leader Mark McAleer kept his 2010 unbeaten run going with victories in rounds three and four of the series at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire on Saturday. The Yorkshire racer had to battle hard for his first win, then led all the way to take the afternoon’s second round.
Chris Dyer made it a great day for Yorkshire racers with a brace of Class Two wins.
Qualifying
McAleer was quickest in the morning’s 20-minute session, which was red-flagged after Fraser Robertson speared off in his 944. Clark was second quickest, with Sumpter next up and quickest of the rear-engined cars with Carniel alongside.
“It will be a hard race, hard on the brakes and tyres,” said McAleer, “it’s not easy to overtake here, so it will all be about getting off the line.”
Dyer headed Class Two, with Robertson second-quickest despite only completing five laps.
Race One
It was the row two runners that made the best starts, Sumpter squeezing between the front row cars, and Carniel making the most their focus on Sumpter to storm round the outside of everyone and into the lead. Clark quickly recovered to second, and the order at the end of the first lap was Carniel heading Clark, McAleer, Sumpter and Harrison.
Clark was looking for a way past the leader, exploring the outside route into the Mountain on lap three, but Carniel was covering his every move. That backed up the cars behind, and soon it was a seven car train at the front, Harrison having got past Sumpter for fourth with Pete Morris now in sixth ahead of Ed Hayes.
The order was shuffled on lap seven when Clark spun, Sumpter going off in avoidance. That elevated McAleer to second ahead of Harrison and Morris, with Sumpter and Clark rejoining in seventh and eighth.
“I locked it up and went straight on,” said Clark. “I think it was driver error – but I’ll check the ECU just in case! It was good of Mark to come off in avoidance rather than hitting me.”
McAleer was with the leader on lap eight, and two laps later was alongside as they went through Mansfield before claiming the inside into the Mountain and into the lead. The Yorkshire man then set about opening a small gap, which he maintained till the flag for his third win in three races so far this season.
Carniel held off Harrison to claim second, wish Morris a close fourth. A fine run from Hayes was ended when he retired from fifth with overheating, which saw Richard Ellis move up a slot to take over fifth in his 993. Sumpter recovered to sixth, with Class Two leader Chris Dyer taking…
“The start was a disaster,” said McAleer, “I spun the wheels and everyone else went straight past – Marcus just rattled past. That made it more difficult, then Jez was right in front of me when I saw him go straight on, and Mark was gone from behind too. The race was really hard work, Marcus missed his apex at Mansfield and I just managed to edge alongside him and went past in the Mountain. Once I was in front I was able to get clear.”
“I had a plan for the start, but you never really know till the lights go out what to do,” said Carniel. “I thought Mark Sumpter had got a better start, but he got boxed and I was able to keep on it and go round the outside of them all. From then on it was hard, Jez was close but spun, then Mark was behind me and found a way past – kissing me on the way! I was running out of brakes a bit down there, and that lap I didn’t get over enough to cover him into the corner.”
“A rip-roaring race, but so hot!” said Harrison. ”I almost hit the others so many times in the Mountain section, we were all so close and you are heavy on the brakes through there. At the start the other left me with nowhere else to go, but it was a great race, and I’m happy to take third in this company.”
“I tested here yesterday as it is my first time here,” said Dyer. “The car is going well and we took time to get the car really good for this meeting. I was catching some Class One cars, but backed off a bit to save the car and the brakes.”
Race Two
Second time round the front row starters learnt from the lesson Sumpter and Carniel had taught them in race one and both got away cleanly, running side by side into the first corner where McAleer had the inside line and moved into the lead ahead of Clark. Carniel took second on the top straight from Clark, with Sumpter fourth and Harrison fifth at the end of lap one.
Harrison was into third on lap three, the first four close together through the tight Mountain section. McAleer then began to open out a gap at the front, as Morris broke free of Sumpter and Ellis and homed in on the three ahead to make it a four car dice for second.
A back marker as they headed towards Hall bends on lap 10 saw Carniel suddenly clear in second, but Harrison was lapping rapidly to close back in again, while a lock-up from Clark saw Morris take fourth.
Carniel and Harrison touched at Park on the final lap, Carniel tumbling down the order and Harrison moving into second on his first visit to Cadwell, while Clark took third from Morris on the same lap. McAleer was still clear to take his fourth win of the season, with Sumpter, who set fastest lap in both races, fifth.
A strong performance from Chris Dyer saw him take his second Class Two win of the day, and again finishing the top ten overall.
“I made a cracking start that time,” said McAleer, “I got it right off the line. Marcus was just so quick though, he was giving me a really hard time and I was having to defend down the start – finish straight where his power really tells. I was defensive, but I was better in the quicker bits of the circuit. Then I got a bit of a gap as they started dicing. Another two wins is cracking – long may it continue!”
“That was a good race,” said Harrison, “it’s really difficult round here the only way you can get past anyone round is under braking. Marcus outbraked himself and I was so close that I couldn’t stop and just tapped him. I was trying to push him hard and into making a mistake, but I didn’t want to hit him.”
“That was better than the first race,” said Clark, “but we still don’t have the brakes quite right. Had a great race with Pete Morris, I was watching him waiting for him to make a move, but he got past me fair and square. Luckily he got held up on the last lap and I nipped round the outside of him at Mansfield, he could have taken me out there but he didn’t.”
“I’m having to up my game to catch these guys!” said Morris. “Jez got past me for third place, I got stuck behind a back-marker and he took the right line to fair play to him. But what a cracking race – the standard of driving is great, a credit to the club.”
“I only made one mistake in the race,” said Dyer, “and that dropped me off the back of a train on Class One cars. It’s a great circuit and I’ve loved coming here.”
Porsche Club Championship Race One (15 Laps): 1 Mark McAleer (968 CS); 2 Marcus Carniel (964 C2) +1.875s; 3 Kevin Harrison (964 C2); 4 Peter Morris (968 CS); 5 Richard Ellis (993 C2); 6 Mark Sumpter (911 Carrera); 7 Miles Maserati (968 CS); 8 Chris Dyer (944 S2); 9 Mike Clapham (968 CS); 10 David Botterill (964 C2). Class Winners: McAleer; Dyer. Fastest Lap: Sumpter 1m42.026s (76.675mph).
Race Two (15 Laps): 1 McAleer; 2 Harrison +3.443s; 3 Jez Clark (968 CS); 4 Morris; 5 Sumpter; 6 Ellis; 7 Maserati; 8 Carniel; Dyer; Botterill. CW: McAleer; Dyer. FL: Sumpter, 1m41.741s (76.889mph).
Next Races: Silverstone, Northants.: June 26th / 27th.
