Team Parker Racing’s Porsche Carrera Cup GB team had an unforgettable experience at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, with Stephen Jelley and Sam Tordoff racing onto the podium.The second place earned by Jelley and third for Tordoff in a wet race pepped the team up after a horrific 165mph accident suffered by Euan Hankey in qualifying on Friday.In testing on Thursday, Hankey, who represents the Parker with Juta team along with Jelley, had set what would stand as the fastest time of the whole race meeting from any Carrera Cup GB competitor in the Porsche Carrera World Cup field, which totalled approximately 100 cars.In qualifying Hankey set second-fastest Carrera Cup GB time before he crashed. He was released from hospital during the evening with no broken bones, just a bruised ankle and stiff neck, but his car was too badly damaged to race.Leicester driver Jelley quickly took the lead among the Carrera Cup GB competitors but was unable to conjure enough speed to stay in front, and ultimately had to settle for second after losing the advantage on the fourth lap of six around the arduous 16-mile circuit.“I think we may have set our car up to come on strong if the track got drier later in the race – and if that had happened we’d have been looking very good,” said Jelley, who has now closed to just seven points off the championship lead. “My car was stiffer, and excellent on the Grand Prix circuit, but as soon as we got onto the Nordschleife it got a bit hairy. Still, it was an excellent result and with my major rivals mostly failing to score it’s exactly what I needed in the championship!”After returning from hospital, Somerset racer Hankey said: “The Foxhole section is flat-out, about 165mph, and at the end of it I went a little too fast. As I changed down to fifth gear I hit a kerb and went onto the grass on the right. The grass was wet so that speared me off to the left, where I hit the steel barrier and rolled two or three times. I got out of the car, hopped over the fence, and all the fans started cheering and asking me if I wanted a beer! I’m 100 per cent sure I would have been on for a really good lap time.”Team principal Stuart Parker said: “Stephen did a fantastic job. He got a bucketload of points and pulled back on all his title rivals, which is great for us in the championship. To finish first, first you’ve got to finish, especially around the Nordschleife.“Euan was the fastest guy from the British championship around here this weekend but just overdid it a little. Who knows what he could have done if that hadn’t happened. I’m just very thankful to Porsche for the strength of the car, because that was a pretty bad shunt.”TORDOFF RACES ONTO THE PODIUMTeam Parker Racing’s pair of rookie Carrera Cup Yorkshiremen took strong results from the Nurburgring, with Tordoff’s third place backed up by a fine eighth for Richard Plant from the back of the grid.Tordoff lost out in a battle for third on the road, but was given the position back after the driver in front was penalised for overtaking under yellow flags. It was the culmination of a strong weekend for the ex-Renault Clio race winner.“I would have been further up the grid but had to slow for yellow flags,” he said. “But I’m very happy with the race. This track has a unique character – it goes from being the best track in the world when it’s dry to the scariest when it’s wet! It was difficult to know how hard to push, but I needed this. I’ve had a few bad races, and this has put me back where I belong.”Ex-Formula Palmer Audi champion Plant was left at the very back of the 98-car field due to gearbox problems at the beginning of his first qualifying lap. But he made up 63 places to finish 35th overall, winning the Carrera Cup GB and claiming eighth in the Carrera Cup GB.“It was the best I could ask for,” he said. “It was good overtaking practice – especially as some of the drivers from the other championships are a bit unhelpful to say the least. Overall I’ll take this after a crazy week!”Team principal Stuart Parker added: “Sam did a cracking job and kept his nose out of trouble. He’s learned so much from this. Richard bounced back from a difficult start to the weekend and overcame adversity to race from the back.”BEST RESULTS EVER FOR PIERCE AND MARTINThe Dextra JD Pierce by Parker team was given its best results of the season, with Derek Pierce taking second in the pro-am1 class and fifth in the general Carrera Cup GB rankings, while Alex Martin was fourth in pro-am1 and ninth overall.Scotsman Pierce did a superb job to easily beat his best-ever Carrera Cup result on the most challenging circuit the series has ever visited.“That was fantastic!” he enthused. “The first two laps were absolutely mad. We were doing 160mph in the spray and, without the word of a lie, there was five metres of visibility. The second lap was better – we could maybe see seven metres ahead! I’m chuffed to bits, and the car is all square and it looked after me.”Somerset racer Martin also produced his personal best in the Carrera Cup GB after a strong race. “I had a little spin on the Grand Prix circuit,” he said, “but it was nothing major. I made up a lot of ground in the race and got held up a couple of times, but managed to make it by. The car was great and finishing was the thing – survival of the fittest.”Team principal Stuart Parker said: “You’ve got to say well done to Derek and Alex, who drove their best races of the year. Derek drove so well all weekend – he’s loved this place since his first lap – and I’m so pleased for Alex getting his best overall result.”Team Parker Racing also ran Chris Harris and Stephen Liquorish in the class for older-spec Porsche Carrera Cup machines. Motor journalist Harris finished a fine third. “It’s always great to pick up another trophy, so well done to Chris,” said Parker.The Porsche Carrera Cup GB, as part of the Carrera World Cup, enjoyed live coverage of its Nurburgring race on Eurosport. The series now moves on to the rather-less-mountainous terrain of Norfolk for the next round, at Snetterton on August 6/7.