It’s a new season with new cars and new liveries, but the high standard of racing should stay the same in the Porsche Club Championship with Pirelli over the 14-races set for the 2016 season that starts on April 30th at Brands Hatch. An exciting feature for this year is that five outright race-winners from 2015 are back and again chasing victory – with double-champion Pete Morris the man to beat as he aims for a third consecutive title in his 996 C2.
Morris will be proudly carrying the number one on his Strasse-tended car again, and in recent seasons has been a constant presence at the front of the pack. He was pushed hard in 2015 as the experienced Mark McAleer and Craig Wilkins pushed him hard and took race wins, while Mike Johnson and Kevin Harrison both took maiden outright wins, and are back to challenge again in their 996s.
Former champion McAleer has long been a series benchmark while Wilkins has raced in international sportscars at a high-level, bringing that level of professionalism to his racing and his team’s preparation. Johnson gained pace in 2015 as the season progressed and his Sylatech team learnt about their car, and should hit the ground running this year partnered with Richard Ellis. Harrison took the first win for a County Classics prepared 996 last season, and has backed up his reputation as a fast starter with that debut victory.
Adding variety will be the Caymans of Chris Dyer and Nathalie McGloin. A key part of the Strasse squad who introduced the Cayman to the series, Dyer has become a consistent podium threat and a first race win the type could be on the cards. McGloin races a very different Cayman in her second season in the championship, her car being fully operated by hand controls and unique in featuring a PDK gearbox.
The Boxster now holds sway in class two with 2015 race winner Steve Cheetham returning in his family run carand this year is up against some experienced racers in the same model of Porsche. Series regular Paul Seagrave appeared in a newly built up Boxster at the end of last season and now former-968-runner Hugo Holmes has made the same move and will be out in a similar Boxster S
Andy Toon has been a Class Two race winner in recent years in his 968 – but has joined the exodus to the mid-engined Boxster while Jake McAleer, son of former champion Mark, will again be fititng his racing around university.
Class Three provides a low-cost route to race in the series and a way of sampling circuit racing in a controlled fashion. John Gilmore returns in his 944 S2, sole front-engined car currently competing in the series, while John Williams is bringing out his 911 Carrera to make it a competitive class.
2016 Porsche Club Championship with Pirelli Schedule (all rounds double-headers):
April 30 Brands Hatch Indy, Kent
June 5 Silverstone Arena GP, Northants.
June 18/19 Donington Park, East Midlands
July 23 Brands Hatch GP, Kent
August 13 Donington Park GP, East Midlands
August 27 Croft, North Yorkshire
Sept.3 Oulton Park, Cheshire
