Nigel Rice took both Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge races at Croft on Easter weekend, the Yorkshire racer making a successful return to the track after a lay off. Oly Mortimer headed into Croft having won both races to date this season, but a retirement in race one dented his points challenge, though sterling work from his team saw him back out on Sunday and claiming second position.
Qualifying
Mortimer set the quickest time in Saturday morning’s 25-minute qualifying session, the Scot half a second quicker than the experienced Rice. The second row saw Harris just outpacing Mundy, with Yucel Ozbek fifth quickest on his fist visit to Croft ahead of Simon Blanckley.
Race One
Rice made one of his trademark quick starts as the red lights went out, beating Mortimer into Clervaux corner and heading the field on the opening lap. Mundy slipped into third, but into Tower on lap two Harris lanced down the inside and demoted him to fourth.
Rice had opened a gap at the front in the early running, but Mortimer looked to be closing in, when the latter’s car failed to come round to start lap 12.
“I said before I went out I would quite happily finish third,” explained Mortimer, “but when you get out there and I was catching the leader you go for it. It was just lack of experience, and going through the chicane I clipped the tyres just enough to burst a radiator, and had to park the car to avoid any further damage.”
Having inherited second, Harris proved himself worthy of the slot as he set off on a chase of the leader, closing in as the laps counted down. As they took the chequered flag at the end of the 30-minutes Rice still had over a second in hand, Harris well clear of Mundy in third.
“I’m known for getting good starts, said Rice, “I’d have been disappointed if I hadn’t! I could see Oly closing in, but was watching what he was doing, then Chris Harris was closing, but closing is one thing, getting past is another.
“I think I underestimated how well the tyres would last,” said Harris, “I was careful in the middle part of the race to give myself something towards the end, but there was more left than I expected. It was great fun, I needed to qualify and race, but I didn’t have the pace to get past Nigel. You forget how technical this circuit is.”
“Good fun!” said Mundy, “I just didn’t quite have the pace to run with the front guys. We had our tyre pressures low and I thought the pressures would come in, but it just gave us more and more understeer. I was trying to stay within a second, but it just got worse as the race went on.”
Ozbek claimed fourth, after Blanckley had spun down the field and recovered to take fifth ahead of Steven Liquorish.
Race Two
When the red lights went out, one again it was Rice who made the best getaway, Mortimer slotting into second, and Ozbeck depriving Mundy of third at Hawthorn. Rice opened a gap in the early running, as Mundy lost another place when Blanckley went by early on lap two.
Rice was from then on controlling the gap back to Mortimer, reacting when the young Scot upping his pace when necessary to hold the gap pretty constant. With these two clear of the rest, Rice went on to claim his second win on his return to racing after a two season lay off, Mortimer happy to take second after his non-finish in race one.
“I was able to control the gap back to the car behind,” said Rice “I might be going to Donington for the next round now.”
“I’m pleased with that – it’s a much better result than yesterday,” said Mortimer. “I’m not going to make the same mistake as yesterday, and as far as I know Nigel isn’t intending to do all the championship, so there was no point in chasing him, and I think he was toying with me anyway. He has so much experience, I was trying to learn stuff off him.”
Blanckley closed in on Ozbeck, taking third on lap 14 to seal his first podium in the GT3 Challenge, Ozbeck having to settle for a pair of fourth place finishes on his first visit to Croft. Mundy was next up, his pace hampered by a gearbox issue, while Liqourish bought his ill-handling 997 home sixth.
“I got Yucel through the chicane when he went on the grass,” said Blanckley, “I seem to get faster towards the end of the race – which is the wrong way round! Getting from fifth to third in the race in these cars is like going from 30th to fifth in what I am used to, it’s hard work.”
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Race One: 1 Nigel Rice (997) 21 laps; 2 Chris Harris (997) +1.279s; 3 Graeme Mundy (997); 4 Yucef Ozbeck (997); 5 Simon Blanckley (997); 6 Steven Liquorish (997). Fastest Lap: Rice 1m25.748s (88.165mph).
Race Two: 1 Rice 21 laps; 2 Oly Mortimer (997); 3 Blanckley; 4 Ozbeck; 5 Mundy; 6 Liqourish. Fastest Lap: Rice 1m25.365s (88.561mph).
Next Races: Donington Park, East Midlands, May 14th and 15th.
