The 2011 Porsche Club Championship visits Croft over the Easter weekend for rounds three and four of the 17-race season, with Mark Sumpter the man to beat at the front of the field after taking two wins at Brands Hatch a fortnight ago. Out in his trusty 911 3.2 Carrera while his new car is being completed, Sumpter held off Ben Demetriou’s 968 CS in both races, but there will be plenty of other racers keen to deny him a maximum score in the two day meeting, Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th , at the North Yorkshire Circuit.

Yorkshire’s Mark McAleer missed Brands Hatch with engine issues on his 968 CS, and the former champion will be keen to put his season back on track at his home venue. Fellow 968 runners Pete Morris and Miles Maserati also struck problems in the opening meeting, Morris rapid in the opening round till a clutch problem put him out, while Maserati was on his way to his first podium finish before a gearbox issue – and both will want to make amends at Croft.

Class One is the most tightly contested, and others to watch will be Andy Purdie, returning to the series but having missed out with an engine problem in the opening rounds, the always fast-starting Kevin Harrison, and local racer David Botterill, who will be aiming to use his Croft experience to the full. Richard Ellis provides mechanical variety with his 993 C2, most powerful car in the field but also the heaviest, while Mike Clapham makes a welcome return to the series.

Last season the outright title went to Chris Dyer, and the Yorkshireman set about the defence of his crown in style in the season-opener with a pair of in Class Two. Having worked hard on his 944 S2 over the close season, Dyer was running in the top-ten overall at Brands Hatch, and would love to show the same pace at Croft this weekend.

Qualifying for the Porsche Club Championship runners is at 09.15 on Saturday, with the opening race at 11.30 later that morning. Sunday’s race is scheduled for 16.15.