Rounds One and Two - 6th April 2013Pete Morris took two race wins as the 2013 Porsche Club Championship season kicked off in front of the Motors TV cameras, the races beamed live to 38-countries. With thirty cars on the grid for each round the Club put on a fine show, newcomer Tom Bradshaw making his mark with second in race one and fastest lap in both races the meeting the first on the new Pirelli slick tyres adopted for this season and Bradshaws final mark almost three second under the previous best lap time round Donington Park..John McCullagh claimed Class Two in the opening race, but was sidelined while leading in round two and Andy Toon came through to take his first class win, having had his first race at the Clubs opening fixture last season.QualifyingTimes had tumbled during the session as drivers worked at getting the grip from the new slick Pirellis, but it was Morris who topped the times in his EMC 996 C2 after the 15-minute qualifying on the chilly Saturday morning, going 3.2-seconds under his own lap record. Sumpter was second quickest despite a transponder issue, with Bradshaw announcing his arrival with third overall in the Hartech Boxster.
That was great, but it is going to be close in the races, said Morris. I heard a bit of a noise from the diff so backed off, then saw the chequer flag, so I could maybe have gone quicker. Mark Sumpters car should get off the line quicker than me, so Ill be mixed up with the 964s at the start of the race.McCullagh headed the 13 Class Two runners, an impressive tenth overall, with Toon second and Mark Koeberle next up.Race OneTemperatures had risen by the time of the first race, and it was Sumpter who made the hottest start in his Paragon 964 C2, outdragging Morris on the run down to the first corner to claim the lead. Bradshaw and Mark McAleer were side-by-side in the battle for third, the Boxster just holding off the 996 C2 as Bradshaw filled the slot at the end of the opening lap.Marcus Carniel was initially fifth, but Craig Wilkins, out in Pete Morris race-winning 2012 996, and Sumpters team-mate Adrian Slater were both past on the second lap. Into the fourth lap the top four were together, and Morris got inside Sumpter into McLeans to take the lead. At the end of the lap Bradshaw dropped a wheel on the grass at the exit of the chicane and tumbled down the order, coming round sixth a lap later.Morris started to ease away at the front, as Sumpter came under pressure from McAleer, who in turn had Wilkins closing on him. Their battle came to a head as they crossed the line three abreast going into lap 10, and just as it looked like a cracking dice was underway, Wilkins suddenly slowed as he tried to go outside the pair at Redgate, pulling off with a broken throttle pedal.As Morris looked to be controlling the gap to second and the cars behind were dicing, it was the fast-moving Bradshaw who benefited, up to fourth on lap ten, he then started to close in on Sumpter and McAleer. He went inside the latter at McLeans for third on lap 13, and three laps later was past Sumpter exiting the chicane for second.The gap to Morris was reducing, Bradshaw setting fastest lap in his pursuit, and Morris car was trailing wisps on smoke in the latter laps. The leader could see the Boxster closing, and pushed hard in the final lap to stay out of reach and for Morris to open is 2013 account with a win. Sumpter took third with McAleer fourth, Adrian Slater taking fifth on this Porsche Club Championship debut in the second Paragon 964. Worthy of note was the lengthy battle between Kevin Harrison and Richard Ellis for sixth Harrison holding swayMark Sumpter beat me off the line, so I though I would tuck in behind him and keep Tom Bradshaw at bay - we all know he is quick said Morris. I got past Mark and got a few seconds lead, but was easing off and could see Tom coming back at me, so had to push on a bit. I think the smoke was just an oil catch tank, nothing to worry about.It was interesting to see the differences between the cars over the race distance, said Bradshaw, the 911s have good traction but my car seemed more consistent on its tyres. I was able to be quick all race, it was a case of being smooth, keeping the tyres in one piece and picking them off as I worked my way back up after my early mistake a really good race.I made a good start, but I really needed them battling harder behind me! said Sumpter. They got their act together and caught me, Pete Morris was going really well and it was obvious he was going to overtake me. Im happy though with the result, this circuit was always going to be one of our harder ones.McCullagh led Class Two race-long, claiming eighth overall, while Toon claimed second fulfilling his seasons target of a podium class finish in the very first race.The car was going well and the new tyres were good, said McCullagh, Andy Toon was chasing me early on but got held up, and it was a good run and a great first race.I missed a gear, explained Toon, and fell back from him. I managed to stay at his pace but then the ABS started causing problems but happy to take second in the first race.Race Two
Morris made a better start as the sun shone down on race two, heading the field into Redgate. Both Paragon cars got away well, with Sumpter into second and Slater into fourth, Slater having been second early on, McAleer the filling in the 964 sandwich at the end of the opening lap. Bradshaw was fifth at the end of the opening lap, from third on the grid, but was soon with Slater and past him on four, and headed McAleer at McLeans the next lap.The leader was opening a gap at the front, McCullagh looking equally in charge of Class Two and running inside the top ten overall before he pulled off on nine with an electrical problem. That saw Morris EMC Motorsport team-mate Toon take over the Class two lead.Bradshaw had been right with Sumpter since lap five, but it took until the twelfth time around for him to finally find a way past. Morris was two and half seconds up the road, but that gap starting falling once more, Bradshaw again setting fastest race lap as he closed in, the new mark almost three seconds under the old record with the field now on Pirelli slicks.
Just as it looked like an exciting final few laps were in store, Bradshaw slowed and pitted, and exhaust issue reducing his power. Sumpter took up the challenge and closed in, but Morris had the race under control and made it two wins to start his season, McAleer third. Slater was fourth ahead of Carniel, with Wilkins rounding out the top six.We came for two wins out of two today and achieved it, said Morris. Bradshaw was pushing me again, he was coming on strong then seemed to have a problem. The last two years I have had a non-finish at the opening meeting, so hopefully I have broken that jinx and we can go for it now.I didnt get away quite as well as in race one, said Sumpter, and was alongside Pete Morris with Adrian right up behind him. I ended up going wide and lost some traction and had to tuck in behind Adrian, and got back past as he lost momentum making a move on the leader at Coppice. I think there can only have been one or two laps when I didnt have another car right up behind me, but it was a really good race. It was good for the first 15-minutes or so, then I started catching back-makers all wrong, said McAleer. at the pace we are running at the front if you lose any ground it is hard to make it back, but I enjoyed that and a good start to the season looks like quite a few cars are in with a chance this year. Some brilliant dices today.The exhaust had split and the car went into limp-home mode, explained Bradshaw. I was closing on the lead and we had some good battles today, just very disappointing at the end.Toon claimed his maiden win to take Class Two, running with Class one cars for much of the race, while it was an EMC podium clean sweep as newcomers George Mutteen and Ben Eacock claimed second and third.A fantastic weekend with my first class win, said Toon. I wanted to get a podium at some point this year, so I am overjoyed to get a first and a second at the opening meeting. I was having a couple of good battles with the Class one guys its been a really good day.Porsche Club Championsip Round 1: 1 Peter Morris (996 C2) 20 laps; 2 Tom Bradshaw (Boxster S) +1.368s; 3 Mark Sumpter (964 C2); 4 Mark McAleer (996 C2); 5 Adrian Slater (964 C2); 6 Kevin Harrison (964 C2); 7 Richard Ellis (993 C2); 8 John McCullagh (968 CS); 9 Mike Johnson (996 C2); 10 Steve Cheetham (Boxster S). Class Winners: Morris; McCullagh. Fastest Lap: Bradshaw 1m16.432s (93.21mph).Round 2:1 Morris 20 laps; 2 Sumpter +0.600s; 3 McAleer; 4 Slater; 5 Marcus Carniel (Boxster S); 6 Craig Wilkins (996 C2); 7 Paul Livesey (968 CS); 8 Ellis; 9 Johnson; 10 Harrison. CW: Morris; Andy Toon (968 CS). FL: Bradshaw 1m16.388s (93.26mph.
Next Rounds: Brands Hatch, Kent, May 4th.
