Sumpter and Eacock Double Up at Casle Combe

Castle Combe saw Mark Sumpter and Pete Morris continue their battle that provided two great races at Oulton Park earlier this monththis time the pair delighting the Bank Holiday Monday crowd with Sumpter coming out ahead in both races on a wet track. Alex Eacock was a double-winner in Class Two as the large field displayed commendable skill in surviving the difficult conditions intact.

Qualifying

The 20-minute qualifying session early on Bank Holiday Monday morning provided the only dry running of the day, Sumpter taking his Paragon 964 C2 round quickest and Ben Demetriou putting in a late lap in his Boxster S to take second. Marcus Carniel almost matched his Hartech team-mate by placing his Boxster third, ahead of the 996s of Morris and Mark McAleer.

We are very pleased to take pole, said Sumpter, we made a little bit of an adjustment with tyre pressures as the car was getting a bit oversteery towards the end as we got heat into the rear tyres. Looks like it will be wet this afternoon, so its good to be at the frontbut I dont think any of us have any experience of going round here in the wet.

Mark Koeberle was quickest in Class Two, just outpacing the similar 968 CS of Alex Eacock with championship leader Paul Follett third.

Race One

The first race was on a wet track, Sumpter making a good getaway to lead at the end of lap one from Morris and Demetriou, while Carniel was tardy off the line and slipped down the order. Morris had a look inside the leader into Camp corner on lap two, while on lap four McAleer went past Demetriou for third.

Two laps later it Demetriou back in third, the lead pair now easing away from the rest. By lap eight the leaders were in backmarkers, their wipers now back on as more rain began to fall, and on lap 11 they were thick in backmarkers on the pit straight, Morris unable to capitalise. The worsening conditions tempted Morris into switching on his 996s traction control, a move which saw him fall back from Sumpter and the system rapidly turned back off.

The gap was now enough for Sumpter to cruise home, Morris a secure second with Demetriou third. Mark Proctor brought his 993 C2 through to take fourth, having fought for many laps to find a way past Carniel before going round the outside of the Boxster through Camp corner on lap 13.

Pete gave me a lot of hassle early on, said Sumpter, then I think he realised it was best to let me go so we could break away and then the battle was just for first or second. Towards the end if definitely dropped off for him, I dont know why, he went wide on one lap and I got past some backmarkersthen it was five minutes to go and I brought it home.

Mark was a little bit slow at the beginning, said Morris, so I should have pounced then, but I am here for the points and we had a great racehe blocks beautifully! I had the traction control for a while, but found it was better with it off, and then the back-markers didnt help me. Enjoyable raceanother battle between me and Mark!

Im pleased to be on the podium, but it could have been better, said Demetriou. I was expecting to make a really good start and made one of my worst of the season! But so did everyone else it seemed and we went into Quarry in the same order. Then I had my clutch pedal go to the floor and Mark McAleer got past, then I found the pedal was back up halfway and I could get back on itand was able to get past Mark.

Eacock took the Class two win, Koeberle losing ground on the opening lap but recovering to second in class.

It was a bit of a fluky start, said  Eacock, everyone seemed to get a lot of wheelspin, but I short-shifted into second and feathered it a bit, and it picked up and went. It was one of those starts when everyone seems to move out your way but a win is a win!

Race Two

Conditions were even worse for race two, Sumpter again getting away well, Demetriou suffering clutch failure form second on the grid, the rest of the field managing to avoid him as they streamed past. Morris was into second and once more the front two started to open up a gap.

Morris got inside Sumpter into Camp corner at the end of the third lap, but Sumpter sat it out alongside the 996 and had the better exit to stay ahead. The gap between the two varied in the tricky conditions and as they encountered backmarkers, Morris never again quite in a position to mount a challenge leaving Sumpter to take his second winand repeat his Castle Combe double victory of 2011.

Its good to win but some of the laps out there werent very enjoyable! said Sumpter. Pete got a good exit from the final chicane on one lap, I got wheelspin and went sideways, and he was to my right before I could defend so I thought I would keep him tight and on the straight my car had the better acceleration.

I was out on our usual treaded tyre, said Morris, but maybe it if I had wets I might have had the little more traction I needed. Our cars were moving about all over the place, I got close a couple of times but I know Mark is not at Silverstone, I think he wanted the win but I got the points I wanted.

Richard Ellis was running third in the early part of the race but Proctor found a way past, pushing his 993 hard, the car squirming under acceleration as it fought for traction exiting the quicker corners. He opened a gap to the rest but with the lead pair long gone claimed third, John McCullagh closing in the final laps, the ex-rally driver looking quick in the conditions.

The car was a handful out there, said Proctorbut I cant make any excuses and I take my hat off to Mark and Pete I could see them in the distance but they had a better pace than me, Im usually right there in the wet. Its 15-years since Ive raced here, and Im chuffed to be on the podium.

Eacock also took the double by winning Class Two again, second seeing a battle between championship leader Paul Follett and Richard Higginsthe latter taking the slot, his car running better in race two after overheating issues earlier in the day.

Again it was one of those races when everything fell into place said Eacock. Weve had two really good results, it was a case of getting your head down and trying not to spin.

Porsche Club Championsip Round 11:: 1 Mark Sumpter (964 C2) 19 laps; 2 Peter Morris (996 C2) + 6.440s; 3 Ben Demetriou (Boxster S); 4 Mark Proctor (993 C2); 5 Marcus Carniel (Boxster S); 6 Mark McAleer (996 C2); 7 Chris Dyer (968 CS); 8 Richard Ellis (993 C2); 9 John McCullagh (968 CS); 10 Alex Eacock (968 CS). Class Winners: Sumpter; Eacock. Fastest Lap: Sumpter 1m19.018s (84.28mph).

Round 12:1 Sumpter 13 laps; 2 Morris +1.138s; 3 Proctor; 4 McCullagh (968 CS); 5 Carniel; 6 Ellis; 7 McAleer; 8 Eacock; 9 Richard Higgins (968 CS); Paul Follett (968 CS). CW: Sumpter; Eacock. FL: Sumpter 1m34.099s (70.77mph).

Final Rounds: Silverstone, Northants, Sept. 21st / 22nd.


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