Tom Bradshaw and Pete Morris shared the overall wins at Brands Hatch on Saturday May 3rd as the 2014 Baylis & Harding Porsche Club Championship with Pirelli blasted into action. Stuart Ings took a Class Two double to head the points table after two exciting races at the Kent circuit, Morris second after Bradshaw failed to start race two.QualifyingAdrian Slater set the early pace in qualifying in his Paragon 964 C2, but Bradshaw soon moved his 996 to the front before pitting to save his tyres. He was forced back out by Morris going fractionally quicker to head the times – Bradshaw responding by setting the best lap of the session with two minutes to go.“I thought we would be quick after our race in testing yesterday, but then Pete gave me a bit of a shock!,” said Tom. “I did my first stint and parked it up, but then Pete went slightly quicker and I had to go back out.”Class Two saw a battle between Stuart Ings and Mark Koeberle, the former’s Boxster coming out on top late in the session. John Williams took Class Three in his venerable 2.7 911.Race OneBradshaw made a good start as the red lights went out, Morris slower away and Sumpter and Slater moving past. With Bradshaw already looking to open a gap, the Safety Carcame out for two Class Two cars in the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend. Rapid work from the circuit marshalls saw both cars able to rejoin, and racing again underway at the start of lap three.Bradshaw again opened a gap, Morris working his way past Slater and then Sumpter before setting off in pursuit. With the gap almost four seconds at one point, Morris closed in as the race progressed, the pair working their way through the field once they caught the backmarkers. Morris was under a second behind with two laps to go – but the gap was just too great and Bradshaw held on to open his 2014 account.“In the last couple of laps Pete as really closing as we caught backmarkers,” said Bradshaw. “It was a good race and I was comfortable when I had a good gap, but I was the first to catch any backmarker and to make them aware of us coming through. I saw the gap behind coming down and realised Pete was going quickly, I was trying to hold him off and keep the tyres in one piece for the second race.”“I’ve not finished here the last three years,” said Morris, “and I knew the 964s would be quick off the line so I wasn’t too upset when they went past. I’m happy to be on the podium, I pleased I set fastest lap chasing Tom.”“I was pushing hard but they really had the pace today,” said Sumpter. “I maybe could have got with them if they had really started battling, but the way Pete pulled away when he went past showed me how quick the 996s are today.”Behind, Sumpter was clear of the rest and took a secure third, while Slater fought off McAleer’s 996 for much of the race to take fourth. Reigning champion John McCallugh was sixth, having dived past Kevin Harrison when the latter was baulked by a backmarker at Paddock HiIl Bend.Stuart Ings started his Class Two season in style, bringing his Boxster home clear of Andy Toon’s 968. Mark Koeberle was on of the cars caught up in the first lap incident and then recovered to take third in class. John Williams brought his 911 home first in Class Three despite losing his rear anti-roll bar early in the race.“The car felt good from the start, I was battling with Chris Dyer which I didn’t really need to do!” said Ings. “A good start to the season.”Race TwoBradshaw’s hopes of a double win were dashed as he pulled into the pits at the end of the green flag lap with an issue that sidelined his 996. Morris had the front row to himself and led away, Sumpter tucking in behind, and then nosing inside the leader’s 996 into Druids to take the lead. McAleer was third with Slater right behind, Harrison in fifth ahead of McCUllagh.Heading into lap four the field were met by the Safety Car, McAleer beached in the Paddock Hill Bend gravel. Again, rapid work by the marshalls saw McAleer able to join the train of cars before racing resumed, albeit two laps down. Sumpter made a good start once set free again, Slater working hard to find a way past Morris for second.Lap eight saw Morris look to go outside Sumpter through Paddock Hill Bend, Slater taking advantage of their battle to slide past Morris at Druids to make it a Paragon one-two at the front. Morris fought back a lap later to move back into second through Paddock, and set about finding a way past Sumpter again.Another Safety Car period closed the field back up, but when racing resumed Morris was looking each lap into Paddock for a way past, but finally made his move through Clearways on lap 21, before easing away for his first win of 2014 in his Strasse-tended 996. Sumpter took second ahead of Slater, with McCullagh fourth having worked hard to almost get on terms with the lead three. Harrison took sixth with a strong drive from Paul Winter netting him sixth.“I’ve finally beaten my Brands Hatch bogie in this car,” said Morris. “That was a great race, Mark and Adrian made me work really hard for it and Mark was backing me up, but once I got past I was able to open a gap.”“I really enjoyed that race, it was good fun and the first time I have got to really race against a 996 here,” said Sumpter. “I was taking liberties with Pete and almost stopping him dead in the corners so he lost momentum. The first safety car period didn’t help as I had got away at that point, but that happens.”“It was great to race with Mark and Pete,” said Slater, “and I’ll need to go back and look at the footage to see what really happened! I’d seen the touring car guys try that at Druids and it worked, but he got back past me. It’s superb to be able to race like that, it’s why we are here.”Ings headed Class Two, Toon leading the early chase before Koebele moved into second and set about closing on the leader. With two laps to go Koebele looked to go inside Ings into Paddock, then a lap later looked to the outside there, the two touching and Koeberle ending up in the gravel. Ings took the class, with Toon second and a fine drive from Jake McAleer on his race debut saw him net third. Williams won Class Three and was a fine 11th overall, his roll bar staying connected for almost half the race this time.“That was a close race, you have a lead and the Safety Car comes out and you lose it, then it happens again!” said Ings. “First I had Andy behind and then it was Mark coming at me, but I had two good races and I couldn’t ask for more from the opening rounds.”Baylis & Harding Porsche Club Championship with Pirelli, Round One: 1 Tom Bradshaw (996 C2); 2 Pete Morris (996 C2) +0.152s; 3 Mark Sumpter (964 C2); 4 Adrian Slater (964 C2); 5 Mark McAleer (996 C2); 6 John McCullagh (Boxster S); 7 Kevin Harrison (964 C2); 8 Paul Winter (996 C2); 9 Chris Dyer (Cayman S); 10 Stuart Ings (Boxster 2.7). Class Winners: Bradshaw; Ings, John Williams (911 2.7 Carrera). Fastest Lap: Morris 51.378s (84.63mph).Round Two: 1 Morris; 2 Sumpter +1.712s; 3 Slater; 4 McCullagh; 5 Harrison; 6 Winter; 7 Dyer; 8 Ings; 9 Andy Toon (968 CS); 10 Jonathan Evans (Boxster S). Class Winners: Morris; Ings; Williams. Fastest Lap: Morris 51.884s (83.81mph).Next Rounds: Croft, North Yorkshire, May 10th.