Tom Bradshaw continued his winning ways with another pair of overall wins as the Porsche Club Championship with Pirelli held rounds 11 and 12 of the 2013 season at Oulton Park on Saturday September 7th, the Bolton-based racer having his win tally matched by Class Two leader and title rival John McCullagh after an eventful day's racing.QualifyingMark Sumpter was quickest in the morning's 20-minute qualifying session, the Paragon 964 C2 driver quick again at Oulton Park but only thousandths of a second quicker than Marcus Carniel's Hartech Boxster, Carniel on the pace at his local track. For the first time since the opening meeting of the year it was not Tom Bradshaw on pole, the championship leader battling with an engine issue causing his car to bog down at times - but still able to go quick enough for third on the grid.

"We guessed a bit about settings as testing yesterday was pretty much wet all day," said Sumpter. "I managed to get a good lap, no traffic, the only car I passed got out the way, so pleased with the time, but I think the race might be a bit different, anything can happen round here."

Adrian Slater was fourth quickest in the second Paragon 964, while Pete Morris and Mark McAleer made it an all 996 third row. John McCullagh once more was quickest of the Class Two runners, eighth overall and well clear of the rest of the class.

Race OneSumpter got away well and led the pack into the first corner, with it very close behind, Slater nudged into Bradshaw as they jostled for position. At the end of the opening lap it was Sumpter leading from Bradshaw and Carniel, Slater next up ahead of Morris and McAleer.

Slater moved past Carniel for third on lap two, and then a lap later Bradshaw managed to get inside Sumpter through Cascades to take the lead. Bradshaw immediately pushed hard in his Boxster S, setting the quickest race lap as he opened a gap on the rest. Behind, Sumpter was under pressure from Carniel with Slater in close attendance, and Carniel looked to the inside into Old Hall on lap four, losing places at the exit as Sumpter held on.

Bradshaw had eased out a five second lead by the lap eight, Sumpter in turn moving clear of the battle for third that was brewing up behind him. Slater and Carniel were trading places for the position, Morris right with them and McAleer next in the train of cars. The battle came to a head with two laps to go as Carniel looked to go through as they reached the Knickerbrook chicane, Slater ending up using the escape road and rejoining the track still in third place.

Bradshaw claimed his eighth win of the season with Sumpter second, Slater third across the line but later moved to fourth in the results, Carniel elevated to the final podium position. Morris was fifth ahead of McAleer

"I was determined to take that win," said Bradshaw. "I had a brake issue early on and then we had a couple of little engine niggles that we thought had gone away but reared their head in the race, but other than that the car was mega. There was a bit of argey-bargey at the start, it was a good all-round race."

"That's all we can do, it was a bit of a banzai qualifying lap and we were realistically a bit out of position on the grid," said Sumpter. "I should be happy to have taken second place and still be able to see the back of Tom's Boxster, but you are always disappointed to lose places after starting on pole. It was a good fun race."

"Tom nearly took me out into the hairpin at the start," said Carniel, "but luckily we stayed apart and it was a bust race with lots going on. Once Adrian went past by missing the chicane it got a bit awkward as I knew that was a penalty for him and I didn't need to pass him, but I didn't want to let the guys behind past either. Thankfully we finished in the right order and the correction was made to the results."

"There was plenty going on in that race, I never had a moment's peace," said Slater. "I got pushed onto Tom at the first corner, but then everyone got through it and it was a good battle. I was alongside Marcus and had nowhere to go at Knickerbrook, I couldn't blend in and let him past as the other cars were so close to him."

McCullagh ran in eighth early in the race, but sensibly left the Class One cars to their own battles to bring his 968 CS home tenth overall, four places clear of class rival Mark Koeberle.

"I got a clean start and away from the class two pack, then battled with some of the class one guys," said McCullagh. "After that the race settled down and I was happy to bring it home in one piece."

Race TwoBradshaw had Hartech team-mate Carniel alongside on the front row for race two, and the pair were side-by-side on the run down to the first corner, Bradshaw claiming the inside line, and Sumpter looking to make it three abreast as they turned in. Carniel held Sumpter wide and he had to settle for third, the lead group all close they headed down to Cascades.

In a repeat of his race one tactic Bradshaw put in some very quick laps once ahead to break free, Carniel heading a train of five cars with Slater, Morris and McAleer right with Sumpter. There was then a gap to the next battle, class two leader McCullagh with Steve Cheetham and Richard Ellis right with him.

Going into lap nine Sumpter got alongside Carniel braking into Old Hall corner, but Carniel held him wide and Slater was able to move inside his team-mate and into third to take up the challenge on Carniel. Such was the ferocity of the battle for second that both the Paragon 964s were running out of brakes, Slater nudging Carniel into Knickerbrook, and Sumpter going straight on at Cascades on lap nine, having to slow the car on the gears before touring round to the pits brakeless.

Into Lodge on lap 12 and Slater looked to go inside Carniel and the pair touched then skated off into the gravel trap, Carniel for good and Slater able to drive back out and rejoin. That elevated McAleer to second with Morris close behind, and gave Bradshaw an even bigger lead that he duly controlled to the flag to take another pair of wins.

"It was good to have my team-mate right there as he acted as a bit of a rear-gunner and I was able to get away," said Bradshaw. "I was just enjoying it and tried to go as fast as I could early on, then settled into a rhythm but thought there was more left and I wanted to push and see what I can get out of the car. The car was spot on, none of the issues we had earlier in the day, great to have had such a good day with all our sponsors and friends here."

"I had a good dice with Pete Morris early on," said McAleer, "I didn't see a lot of point in putting too much pressure on him in case the front four got away, but he missed a gear and I went past. We closed on the Paragon cars which looked to be having brake issues, and then was second at the end."

"I was suffering with the tyres from about lap four, but it is my fourth race on this set," said Morris. "I didn't defend to much when Mark McAleer went past as I didn't want to let the others get away too much, and I could see it was all getting a bit close up ahead, so I sat back and picked up a third place at the end."

Slater crossed the line fourth but was later excluded by the stewards, Ellis then fourth in the results having won his duel with McCullagh and Cheetham,

"I got a good start then got caught up in a great battle," said McCullagh. "I really enjoyed that, it's important to be careful and bring the car home, but I set myself the goal of being first front-engined car and I achieved that twice today. The car has been great, gives me a lot of confidence in what I can do with it."

Porsche Club Championship Round Eleven: 1 Tom Bradshaw (Boxster S); 2 Mark Sumpter (964 C2) +4.191s; 3 Marcus Carniel (Boxster S); 4 Adrian Slater (964 C2); 5 Pete Morris (996 C2); 6 Mark McAleer (996 C2); 7 Mike Johnson (996 C2); 8 Richard Ellis (993 C2); 9 Steve Cheetham (Boxster S); 10 John McCullagh (968 CS). Class Winners: Bradshaw; McCullagh. Fastest Lap: Bradshaw 1m 51.527s (86.89mph).Round Twelve: 1 Bradshaw; 2 McAleer +15.429s; 3 Pete Morris; 4 Ellis; 5 McCullagh; 6 Cheetham; 7 Kevin Harrison (964 C2); 8 Mike Johnson; 9 Gary Marsh (996 C2); 10 David Botterill (964 C2). Class Winners: Bradshaw; McCullagh. Fastest Lap: Bradshaw 1m51.301s (87.07mph).Next Rounds: Silverstone, Northants., September 21st ad 22nd.