Mark Sumpter kept up his winning ways at Croft as the Porsche Club Championship visited the North Yorkshire circuit, taking victory in both races and continuing his unbeaten record, having taken all four rounds so far in 2011 to add to his wins in the final three races of 2010. Pete Morris chased him home in race one, after Mark McAleer hit problems in his newly built-up 968, but in race two McAleer claimed the runner-up slot despite continued electrical issues.

In Class Two reigning champion Chris Dyer also stayed unbeaten in 2011, but had to work hard in race two after coming under pressure from Anthony Oliver.

Qualifying

The 30-minute qualifying session saw a battle between Sumpter and McAleer, the latter in his brand-new 968 and Sumpter in his venerable 911 3.2, in possibly its last race. McAleer was quickest early on, but Sumpter put in a quick lap late in the session, only to then deposit his car in the Clervaux gravel.

“That was hard work, and the car has come back covered in gravel!” said Sumpter. “I was expecting the tyres to be at their best early on, but I wasn’t as quick as I expected and I had to cool them down and go for it again. I thought there was some time left in the car and pushed hard.”

“We didn’t know whether the car was on the pace or not,” said McAleer, “so we are over the moon to be on the front row.”

Row two saw Pete Morris ahead of Miles Maserati, with the similar 968s of Ben Demetriou and Mike Clapham on row three.

Race One

Sumpter made the best start, the traction on his rear-engined car winning out, and he opened a gap in the opening two laps before McAleer started to close back in. Just as it looked like the battle would be on at the front, McAleer slowed coming out the chicane and slowed almost to a halt, before picking up speed again, albeit well down the order.

“The car just cut out,” said McAleer of his new mount, which had only been finished two days before the race, “then I was trying all the switches and it just fired up again.”

With a handy lead at the front, Sumpter looked in control, but Morris, now in second, began closing in. By lap 14 they were together as they sliced through backmarkers, the gap changing as the encountered slower cars, and in the final laps Sumpter used the better traction of his car to gain an advantage on the straights and deny Morris a clear win and take his third victory of 2011.

“Mark gave me a hard time to start with,” said Sumpter, “then I had a gap in the middle to look after the tyres and brakes before Pete Morris was on me. There was a lot of pressure and it was hard through the backmarkers holding him off. Our cars had strengths and weaknesses on different parts of the circuit. Great to win – and that’s six in a row if you include the end of last season!”

“His car was good on the straights,” said Morris, “There were only a couple of places where I could get past and he had those covered.”

Maserati looked under threat from the flying David Botterill in the middle part of the race, but eased away towards the end to take his first podium of 2011. Paul Follett claimed fifth behind Botterill, with Mike Clapham sixth.

“I just couldn’t stay with the guys at the front,” said Maserati, “I was suffering with understeer on my car. I had to work hard when I saw David Botterill coming up from behind.”

Dyer continued his domination of Class Two, the local racer coming home ninth overall and heading series returnee Anthony Oliver.

“I was with the 968s for a while,” said Dyer, “but then had to be careful as the tyres went a bit off and the temperatures went up and I was just going for the class win.”

An early race casualty had been Demetriou, who broke a driveshaft on his green flag lap start.

Race Two

Once again it was Sumpter who made the best start, the 911 heading a pack of 968s down to the first corner. McAleer was second, ahead of Morris who had Follett right with him, while Maserati had been forced wide on lap one and tumbled down the order.

With a gap to the leader the next three were close, with Demetriou reeling them in from fifth. He passed Follett for fourth on lap six, while some quick laps from McAleer saw him right back with the leader.

Over the next laps Sumpter never offered the local driver a way past, his car good on traction leading onto the two straights in the first part of the lap. The gap fluctuated in traffic, then suddenly opened out as McAleer’s electrical maladies from race one returned, his car beginning to cut out briefly.

With Sumpter now secure at the front and able to seal his fourth win of the season, McAleer had Morris and Demetriou right with him. Demetriou had dived down the inside of Morris into Tower on lap 18, only for Morris to sit it out round the outside and hold the advantage on the exit of the corner, the order staying the same as they took the flag a lap later.

“I’m getting a bit of luck now,” said Sumpter, “my start wasn’t the best and I had to block Mark up the inside after I missed a gear. My pace is pretty much constant, whereas Mark was able to charge for a few laps and there wasn’t always much I could do. It’s been a fantastic weekend.”

“With about six laps to go,” said McAleer, “for three laps in a row the engine just kept stopping. Into Tower it would just cut out, but I was able to get it going, which was frustrating as the car has the pace.”

“It was great,” said Morris, “Mark Sumpter’s car is so quick, but we should be able to get back at him next time out at Donington. I settled for third, but Ben came up at me and he had a big move on me, I need to thank him as it was all done fairly and we both had racing room.”

“After the weekend I have had that was damage limitation,” said Demetriou, “and I’m pleased with the result. I was worried if we had the pace, but I drove the wheels off the car, the temperatures were in the red, but we got away with it. I wanted to see what Pete would do if I went down the inside, but he was fair and I wasn’t going to take any risks.” 

Follett took fifth to round off a strong weekend, with Botterill coming home sixth after coming off best in a battle with Strasse team-mate Richard Ellis.

Dyer continued to rack up the Class Two points, this time battling with Oliver in the first part of the race.

“Anthony gave me a bit of a scare early on,” said Dyer, “then his pace dropped off and I was able to pull away a bit. I kept looking in my mirrors in the early laps and he was always there, but it was an enjoyable weekend.”

Porsche Club Championship Race One: 1 Mark Sumpter (911 3.2 Carrera) 19 laps; 2 Peter Morris (968 CS) +0.963s; 3 Miles Maserati (968 CS); 4 David Botterill (964 C2); 5 Paul Follett (968 CS); 6 Mike Clapham (968 CS); 7 Richard Ellis (993 C2); 8 Mark McAleer (968 CS); 9 Chris Dyer (944 S2); 10 Anthony Oliver (944 S2). Class Winners: Sumpter; Dyer. Fastest Lap: Morris 1m35.358s (79.131mph).

Race Two: 1 Sumpter 19 laps; 2 McAleer +2.612s; 3 Morris; 4 Ben Demetriou (968 CS); 5 Follett; 6 Botterill; 7 Ellis; 8 Clapham; 9 Mark Koeberle (968 CS); 10 Richard Bennett (968 CS). Class Winners: Sumpter; Dyer. Fastest Lap: McAleer 1m35.220a (79.395mph),

Next Races: Donington Park, East Midlands, May 14th and 15th.