Morris and McAleer profit in Pirelli-backed Porsches
Defending champion Pete Morris and fellow 996 C2 racer Mark McAleer shared the spoils in the opening Fuel Protect Porsche Club Championship with Pirelli races at Brands Hatch last Saturday.
However, it was double Class Two winner Tim Speed who left with an early championship lead in his Dorset Sportscars 968 CS following two races on the Indy Circuit.
Polesitter Morris defended from McAleer throughout race one with Kevin Harrison (996 C2) taking third, while Speed kept David Botterill (964 C2) at bay in Class Two. “That was a cracking race,” said Morris, “I was having to defend a lot from Mark, but you can do that really well here.”
Race two ran in reverse at the front, with McAleer defending from Morris throughout and Paul Winter (996 C2) coming home third. In Class Two Speed worked his way to the lead and avoided trouble with a backmarker for another win, this time ahead of Jonathan Evans (AFF Boxster). “It’s a great start to the season,” said McAleer. “I’m really pleased with a win and a second.”
The next rounds of the Fuel Protect Porsche Club Championship with Pirelli take place at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit on June 20.
Weston pips Bogie on Pirellis in the Granite City
Dave Weston Jr scored the narrowest of wins over chief rival David Bogie on last weekend’s Granite City Rally – round three of the MSA Scottish Rally Championship, for which Pirelli is the tyre partner.
Pirelli-shod Subaru Impreza WRC driver Weston and co-driver Paul Beaton finished tied on time with the Ford Fiesta R5+ of Bogie and co-driver Kevin Rae after 42 competitive miles through the Aberdeenshire forests. Weston, who is not registered for Scottish points, got the nod courtesy of his final fastest stage time.
“It’s been a fantastic battle with David all day long,” said Weston at the finish. “We were swapping seconds on every stage and we both pushed hard today.”
Early event leaders Jock Armstrong/Paul Swinscoe (Impreza) picked up valuable championship points in third place after an impressive showing on two short ashpalt stages at the start of the event at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.
The next round of the Scottish championship is the Kelso-based Jim Clark Reivers Rally on May 31.
Mealin makes most of Pirellis to lead F4
Lanan Racing’s Chris Mealin leads the Duo BRDC Formula 4 Championship after picking up a race win at the Rockingham Motor Speedway last weekend – with all 20 drivers putting Pirelli’s wet and slick tyres to good use in the variable weather conditions.
Rodrigo Fonseca (Lanan Racing) won race one after erstwhile leaders Will Palmer and Jordan Albert triggered a multi-car crash after the start. Thereafter Fonseca built a comfotable lead over Jack Lang (Lang Sport/Gorse Motors), who lost second place to Ameya Vaidyanathan (Hillspeed) on the last lap.
Michael O’Brien (Mark Godwin Racing) took a lights-to-flag victory in a wet race two, with Tom Jackson (Chris Ditmann Racing) climbing from 16th on the grid to take second ahead of Albert (Sean Walkinshaw Racing) and race one polesitter Harri Newey (HHC Motorsport).
Later on a dry track, Mealin (pictured top, bottom left) pulled off a daring last-lap move to beat Lanan Racing team-mate Fonseca to the final victory of the weekend, with Zubair Hoque (SWR) taking his first F4 podium finish in third. For the first time in the series’ history, the race was shown live on Motors TV.
The next rounds of the F4 series – for which Pirelli is the exclusive tyre supplier – takes place at the Silverstone GP circuit on May 30-31.
Records continue to fall in Pirelli-supplied British SuperbikesMore lap records were broken as the Pirelli-supplied British Superbike Championship enjoyed some frenetic action at Oulton Park last weekend.
The lap record was beaten twice – initially by Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) and then by Shane Byrne (PBM Kawasaki), who logged a 1m35.007s lap using the softer (SC0) Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike rear tyres.
In qualifying Brookes, on the all-new Yamaha YZF-R1, took his first pole position of the year followed by Tommy Bridewell (Tyco BMW) and Stuart Easton (PBM Kawasaki).
In race one Bridewell was dominant in fending off competition from Byrne, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW) and Brookes to take his first win for the Tyco TAS team.
Bridewell couldn’t continue his good form in race two, crashing out. Kiyonari, Byrne, Easton, James Ellison (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) and Brookes all battled for the lead, which was initially taken by Byrne. But he clashed with Kiyonaro, who lost control going into the chicane at Knickerbrook. Easton eventually took the win – his first Superbike victory since 2010.
Ellison leads the standings on 109 points, followed by Byrne on 101 and Brookes on 94. The next round is at the Snetterton 300 circuit on June 19-21.
Mardenborough leads British hopefuls in Pirelli-supported GP3Britain’s Jann Mardenborough is one to watch as the Pirelli-supplied GP3 Series swings into action at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend.
Carlin driver Mardenborough led the way in day one of pre-season testing at the same track last month with a time of 1m34.910s, although fellow Brit Seb Morris (status Grand Prix) was quickest in the afternoon session. Norwegian Pal Varhaug (Jenzer Motorsport) was quickest on day two.
Other Brits competing in this year’s GP3 Series include Matthew Parry (Koiranen GP) and Emil Bernstorff (Arden International).
Last year’s GP3 Series title was won by Alex Lynn at his first attempt, with the Briton going on to race for DAMS in this year’s GP2 Series, which is also supplied exclusively by Pirelli. Lynn and fellow Brit Jordan King (Racing Engineering) will also be in action at the same track this weekend for round two of the GP2 Series.
Coming up next time: MINI and GT Cup racing action from Brands Hatch; Dutch Supercars from Zolder.
