The Porsche Club Championship returned to Snetterton for the first time since 2007 – and the runners were rewarded with two exciting races that saw overall wins for Marcus Carniel and Pete Morris. The first race was halted early by a red flag after Mark McAleer and Kevin Harrison clashed at the Esses, ending both driver’s race day.
The Class Two runners had their own race once more running with the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge field – Chris Dyer adding another two wins to his tally after some close early racing.
Qualifying
With the track drying after a short shower, the times dropped as the session went on, Pete Morris finally claiming pole with a series of laps quicker than the rest. Mark McAleer was second quickest making it an all 968 CS front row.
“My ambition this weekend is to get on the podium – the competition in this series is just so tight now, “ said Morris. “It was greasy out there at first, you just had to wait for a dry line. The pit boards were telling me I was fourth – turns out they were lying to me to make me go quicker!”
Marcus Carniel was third and quickest of the rear-engined racers, with the similar 964 C2 of Richard Lambert alongside. Paul Follett was fifth – his best ever qualifying in the series.
The Class Two runners qualified with the GT3 runners, Chris Dyer heading returnee Tim Bates and Cieran Brewer.
Race One
McAleer went round the outside of Morris into the first corner to take thelead – but the Yorkshireman was down in ninth by the end of the lap having lost second gear. It was Carniel in the lead, with Morris in close attendance, and a storming first lap from Richard Ellis seeing him up to third.
Carniel was under pressure from Morris, and soon it became a train of cars at the front, David Botterill going past Miles Maserati for fourth on lap five, then Ellis and Botterill demoting Morris a lap later. Botterill was flying on new tyres, takings second from Ellis, but the latter fought back and then moved into the lead on lap 12.
The order at the front was then shuffled by a series of stop-go penalties for exceeding the circuit limits – first Morris was called in, then Ellis was forced to pit from the lead for a similar penalty. That put Carniel back at the front, but he was soon confronted with red flags after McAleer and Kevin Harrison came together at the Esses, McAleer’s car stranded across the track and bringing the race to a halt.
With the results wound back a lap and the cars that caused the red flag excluded – Botterill was a worthy second ahead of Maserati, with Follett fourth.
“I was under a lot of pressure not to make mistakes,” said Carniel. “I did make some, but luckily didn’t lose any places. I was able to get past Mark McAleer on the opening lap, When Richard went past I was having to battle – then I saw the black flag for him. It was a bit of a downer to see the last lap board, and then to see the red flags at Sear. I started thinking ‘what’s up?’ – then I realised I had won.”
“The car felt good this morning, particularly in the damp,” said Botterill. “I started on new tyres, but they didn’t feel balanced so I put old ones on for qualifying. I put the new ones back on the race and it felt really good all the way. I was with Marcus and thought that some of the others had gone into the distance. It was only when I got into second I realised we were battling for the lead! It was a good race, had some battles with Richard Ellis, but Marcus was just getting the power on at the right times.”
“I was trying to stay out of trouble!” said Maserati. “I was at the back of the lead pack, every time they pulled away I was able to get back with them, but a very pleasing result. The cars here are just so equal it’s a great championship to race in.”
Tim Bates had his 911 in the lead early in the Class Two battle, but was forced out by a driveshaft problem and Dyer went back to ahead to claim another win.
“Tim Bates kept me honest right at the start, it was good to battle with him,” said Dyer, “he was pushing me hard. After he pulled off it was about conserving my tyres and relaxing a bit.”
Race Two
McAleer and Harrison were missing from the grid, their cars too damaged to continue, leaving Morris with the front row to himself. He was under pressure from Carniel from the start, and the race one winner got ahead, only to spin as they dived into Russell at the end of the opening lap, falling down to eighth. It was the 964 C2 of Lambert that emerged in the lead, with Morris third behind Maserati and Ellis fourth.
Lambert extended a gap with a series of fastest laps, while Maserati and Morris battled over second – the pair going up the pit straight side-by-side on lap seven as Morris finally found a way past. Eager to make amends for his earlier penalty, Morris in turn was setting fastest laps as he closed on Lambert, the pair together in the final laps as they dived past back-markers.
Just as it looked like Lambert would hold on to take his first outright Porsche Club Championship win, his 964 started suffering fuel surge as they turned into Coram, Morris taking advantage on the very last lap to slide inside Lambert and take his first win of 2010 after an exciting lead battle.
Maserati was a secure third, with Botterill fourth ahead of Ellis and Follett.
“After the black flag from race one I was determined to do well, said Morris. “Somehow, I was more relaxed in the race, I have been trying to get decent points and had a cracking race. The battle with Richard was great, but then he got some fuel surge right at the end and I was able to get under him. A fantastic race.”
“I seemed to suddenly have some performance,“ said Lambert who had been down on power all day. “I wasn’t expecting to come anywhere, so I didn’t put much fuel in, and in the last few laps was getting fuel surge. I pulled away early and thought everyone was going to catch me, but they didn’t – and it was only Pete closing in.”
“It’s been a good day,” said Maserati, “when Pete got past me I thought I could stay with him, but he was just too quick and he was flat out, I knew I was holding him up early on. A good points score today.”
Dyer took his second Class Two win in their race, the Yorkshireman extending his lead at the top of the overall points table. After a close battle in the early laps with a Class Three GT3 Cup car and his rivals.
“That was a good battle,” said Dyer, “I was able to get past Peter Erceg and keep the others behind. The car is vibrating now, I think the wheel bearings have gone, it has been a hot and hard day – but thoroughly enjoyable.”
Porsche Club Championship Class One Race One: 1 Marcus Carniel (964 C2) 17 laps in 23m22.832s (85.15mph); 2 David Botterill (964 C2) +0.949s; 3 Miles Maserati (968 CS); 4 Paul Folleett (968 CS); 5 Richard Lambert (964 C2); 6 Richard Ellis (993 C2); 7 Peter Penfold (968 Cs); 8 Malcom Jones (911). Fastest Lap: McAleer 1m20.570s (87.21mph).
Class Two Race One: 1 Chris Dyer (944 S2) 19 laps in 26m42.678s (83.30mph); 2 Cieran Brewer (944 S2) +7.102s; 3 Richard Bennett (944 S2).
Race Two: 1 Morris 19 laps in 26m00.219s (85.57mph); 2 Lambert +0.136s); 3 Maserati; 4 Botterill; 5 Ellis; 6 Follett; 7 Carniel; 8 Mike Salmon (968 CS); 9 Jones; 10 Penfold. Fastest Lap: Morris 1m20.490s (87.30mph).
Class Two Race Two: 1 Dyer 19 laps in 26m37.006s (83.60mph); 2 Bennett; 3 Brewer.
Next Races: Oulton Park, Cheshire, August 14th.
