RACING EXPOSURE :: Club level motorsport e-magazine

Michael Caine kept the pressure on title rival Tim Harvey by taking a double pole position for rounds 17 and 18 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Donington Park today (Saturday 18 September).

Caine (Motorbase Performance) took pole for both races as Harvey (Red Line Racing) qualified second for round 17 but only fourth for round 18. It was a tremendous session for the Motorbase Performance team as it claimed five out of six pole positions with Ollie Jackson (pro-am1 pole for round 17) and George Richardson (pro-am2 pole for both races) heading their respective classes. Pro-am1 pole for round 17 went to Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing).

With rain threatening, Caine set the pace with a storming 1m08.168s lap. He then posted a second-best time of 1m08.341s to secure pole for round 18 and earn two extra championship points. “All credit to everyone who works on the car,” said Caine. “The rain could be coming tomorrow and we need it to be changeable; I’ve got to take the risks,” he added. Harvey was second for round 17, but slipped to fourth on the grid for round 18 behind Euan Hankey and Stephen Jelley from Team Parker Racing. So close is the Carrera Cup field that less than half a second covered the top 10 cars for round 17.

“This weekend it is very important to get two good finishes,” said Harvey, who goes into the opening race with his championship lead trimmed to 25 points. Hankey was third fastest for round 17 and then second for round 18 after a strong qualifying performance. “That’s a lot better than in testing,” said Hankey. “I’m happy to have good consistent pace.” Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing) was fourth and then seventh, while team mate Jelley fifth and third in the tightly packed bunch.

Pro-am1 poles were shared between Gelzinis and Jackson, with the positions reversed for the second race. “It’s very close,” said Gelzinis. “Tomorrow it might rain and I don’t like rain,” said the Lithuanian. Jackson, meanwhile, felt that he had more time to come. “I think I could have found another couple of tenths on the second set of tyres,” he said. Right in contention in pro-am1 were Tony Gilham (Collins ReDesign Racing) and Ahmad Al Harthy (Red Line Racing) with third and fourth fastest in each race.

Richardson was in fine form in pro-am2 to take both category poles, attributing his strong pace to input from team mate Caine and the Motorbase engineers on his data. “It’s a good step forward,” said the teenager. “Mr. Caine takes a lot of the credit for that; I worked with the team on the data and it paid off.” Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing) was second fastest in pro-am2 for both races. “I thought I’d done okay, but George has found a big chunk of time,” said McMenamin. George Brewster (Celtic Speed) and Mark Hazell (JHR) were right in contention in third and fourth places.

The Pinkney Motorsport team will hope to bounce back from a difficult qualifying session at Donington Park in the penultimate rounds of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.

Harpenden-racer David Pinkney had to settle for 18th on the grid after an off in qualifying damaged his Vauxhall Vectra, with the team now looking to bounce back on race day as it seeks to break into the top ten and add more points to its championship tally.

David made solid progress through the two free practice sessions at the East Midlands circuit and headed into the all-important qualifying session hoping to match the encouraging performance shown last time out at Knockhill.

However, on a damp circuit after light rain started to fall when the session got underway, David suffered a spin exiting Redgate and then hit a bump on the grass which damaged the front splitter and radiator on the car.

Forced to park his car on the side of the circuit as a result, David had to settle for 18th on the grid having been unable to set a representative lap-time before the incident.

“Going into Redgate, the back end of the car came round and I went across onto the grass,” David said. “I was simply making my way back to the circuit at low speed and there was a bump on the grass which I hit and that was it; damaged splitter and radiator and game over. We just had a lot more grip at the front end of the car than we did at the rear, and that’s the first time I’ve had the back end of the car come round on me like that.

“If the session had been dry, then I think things would have gone a lot better, so we need to see what tomorrow brings. With a mixed weather forecast, it’s a tough one to call.”

Team manager Andrew Dean was disappointed that the team had been unable to match it’s expectations during the session.

“We expected a good qualifying session after the progress we made in second practice and thought the top twelve was possible,” he said. “The spin at Redgate damaged the front end of the car and it stopped us realising the potential that there was in the car. We’re going into race day without the data we would have collected from qualifying but we have to look forwards and aim to progress up the field.”

Report: Matt Salisbury
Photos: PSP Images

Team sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport will make a welcome return to Donington Park this weekend for the penultimate round of the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.

The future of the East Midlands circuit was thrown into doubt by the aborted plans to secure the British Grand Prix, with lengthy repair work having been required to get the venue into a position where racing could resume.

With that work having been completed, Widnes-racer Paul O’Neill and Guernsey-based team-mate John George will be amongst the first drivers to race on a revised Donington Park layout after changes were made to the final chicane at Goddards – which has been moved back along Starkey’s Straight for safety reasons.

Paul heads to Donington on the back of another impressive weekend at Knockhill last time out, where he took his older BTC-spec Honda Integra to a fine fourth place finish in the final race on Scottish soil – just weeks after taking his third podium finish of the season at Silverstone.

In what is likely to be the penultimate BTCC event for the Honda before the car is phased out at the end of the year, Paul makes the trip to Donington looking to maintain his championship position and also fight for what would be a hugely popular victory for one of the smaller teams on the grid.

“After the way we performed at Silverstone and Knockhill, I really want to continue our strong form when we get to Donington,” he said. “I’m going to drive every lap as if it is my last and we know that the car is quick, so it will be interesting to see how we perform. Donington wasn’t our best weekend last year, but it seems that circuits where things didn’t go to plan last season have been the ones where we have gone well this year.

“I’m not going to be holding back at all and, as always, I will be racing to win. Tech-Speed has given me a phenomenal car all year and it will be a travesty if it doesn’t get a win before the end of the year. The Integra has arguably been the best car of its era and I’d love to give it one last victory in the final rounds and reward a team that deserves it more than most.”

Team-mate John was in impressive form once again at Knockhill after he bounced back well from a retirement in race one to fight with the likes of Alex MacDowall and Gordon Shedden for a points finish in the final race of the weekend.

Although he ultimately missed out on a deserved top ten finish, John heads to Donington Park in confident mood as he looks to convert his recent strong pace into more championship points.

“I went to Donington last week to have a look at the revised layout and I think the circuit is going to really suit the Honda,” he said. “My confidence is on a high after the last two rounds, and this weekend I want to try and convert the pace I’ve shown into some points.

“The Integra has been a great car all season and we have shown that it can still be competitive against newer machinery. I’m keen to show there is life in the old dog yet this weekend!”

The team has spent the past two weeks getting the two Hondas ready for the Donington event after a bruising outing in Scotland, with Tech-Speed chief Marvin Humphries stating he was optimistic of a strong showing from both drivers again this weekend.

“It’s great to be going back to Donington after all their troubles, because it is a venue that no-one would want to lose,” he said. “Donington was a mixed bag last year but the car should be strong and we’re quietly optimistic of a good weekend. We’ve done a lot of work on the cars since Knockhill to repair the damage we picked up there and now we hope to carry on the progress we’ve seen with both drivers.

“Paul has shown again and again that he can fight with the best and John just needs a little bit of luck to secure the points finish his recent performances have deserved.”

Sunshine.co.uk MD Chris Brown is also hopeful that the team will continue its recent strong form at Donington Park as it looks to strengthen its grip on third place in the Independents’ team standings.

“We’ve had some really good results in the last two meetings and Paul and John have been doing a fantastic job to keep us right in the mix for a top three championship finish,” he said. “Considering the fact that the Hondas are amongst the oldest cars on the grid, that is a brilliant achievement and there is no reason why we can’t continue to punch above our weight at Donington.

“Paul just keeps producing the goods on track and John has to be one of the most improved drivers on the grid this season. We’re looking forwards to seeing both fight inside the top ten this weekend.”

Report: Matt Salisbury
Photography: www.speedsnaps.co.uk

Caine tops Carrera Cup testing at Donington Park

Michael Caine was the pacesetter ahead of rounds 17 and 18 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB during testing at Donington Park today (Friday 17 September) as eight-tenths of a second covered the top eleven cars in the fiercely competitive field.

While Caine (Motorbase Performance) and his title rival Tim Harvey (Red Line Racing) topped the times, the chasing pack was firmly in contention as Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing), Charlie Bateman (Motorbase Performance), Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing) and Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing) all lapped within half a second of Caine’s best time.

In pro-am1, Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing), Ahmad Al Harthy (Red Line Racing) and Ollie Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase) were covered by less than a fifth of a second, while in pro-am2 Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing) led the times over title rival George Brewster (Celtic Speed).

“The car feels that there is a bit more time to come,” reckoned Caine after dipping to a 1m08.408s best in the closing moments of the afternoon test session. “We went out on new rubber at the end of the session.” Having completed a race run on old rubber earlier in the afternoon session, Harvey also made the switch to new tyres for the last 10 minutes and chased Caine around to go second fastest just as the chequered flag came out. At the start of the day, Harvey had won a free set of tyres in the Michelin tyre draw and he used them at the end of the session. “The free set of tyres was most useful,” said Harvey. “We changed the car before the second test and the race run was absolutely fantastic,” he added.

Geddie was a very strong third and was on a better lap still when the red flag came out after Tony Gilham (Collins ReDesign Racing) spun into the gravel. Meanwhile, Bateman also showed excellent pace without using new tyres. “We sorted out a brake problem this morning and the car felt brilliant,” said Bateman.

Packing out the top eight were Jelley, Meadows, Tom Bradshaw (JHR) and Euan Hankey (Team Parker Racing), with Bradshaw running well on his return to the championship after missing the previous two race weekends.

In pro-am1, the stage is set for some tremendous race action with Gelzinis, on his debut at Donington, just ahead of the flying Al Harthy and championship leader Jackson, while Gilham was fourth fastest despite his trip into the gravel.

Topping pro-am2 was McMenamin after a good performance. “I put in a couple of really good laps and I’ve been on old tyres all day, so I’m pleased with the pace,” said McMenamin. Brewster and George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) were second and third in pro-am2, which currently features the closest title contest in the championship.

Triple Eight Race Engineering is finalising plans to enter the Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2011.

The team, which has won 20 British Touring Car Championship titles over the last decade, has been keeping an eye on the Carrera Cup GB for some time. Following discussions with Porsche Cars GB and various drivers, the team has decided to enter the Carrera Cup GB in 2011, subject to the allocation of cars.

Ian Harrison, Chairman of Triple Eight Race Engineering said: “Our vast experience in British Touring Cars means that we have the technical expertise as well as the knowledge of all the tracks where the Porsche Carrera Cup GB races. We have been looking at entering this series for a while now and with the introduction of the new model 911GT3 Cup car for 2011, we feel that the time is right for us to take part in what is a very competitive championship.”

Further discussions are currently on-going with several potential drivers to front this assault on the championship and the team hopes to be able to announce more about this exiting new venture before the end of the 2010 season.

The eleventh programme in the dedicated television coverage of the 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup GB will be broadcast in the Motorsport UK programme on ITV4 at 5pm on Tuesday 14 September, on ITV1 on the night of Sunday 19 September and will also be repeated on ITV4 on Saturday 18 September.

The Motorsport UK series, which features hour-long programmes, is covering all of the Carrera Cup GB action again this season. Round 13 of the season at Silverstone will feature in this programme.

Motorsport UK will be broadcast as follows:
Tuesday 14 September at 5pm on ITV4
Saturday 18 September at 1pm on ITV4
Monday 20 September at 3.25am on ITV1

Viewing figures from Motorsport UK in 2009 showed a typical total programme audience of between 300,000 and 500.000 viewers. Motorsport UK can also be watched at itv.com and is available for viewing for 28 days after the initial broadcast date.

The penultimate race weekend of the 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup GB season at Donington Park (18/19 September) takes teams and drivers back to one of the most popular venues on the schedule as the title contests head into the closing stages.

With all four titles still to be decided, there will be great action throughout the grid as drivers and teams battle for vital points and every driver on the grid relishes the prospect of a return to racing at Donington Park.

In what is proving to be the best season yet for the Carrera Cup GB, Harvey stormed the first half of the season to win nine out of 10 races and take a 40-point championship lead. But the balance of power has changed since the mid-season break and Caine has now won four of the last six races to trim the margin back to 27 points.

For a driver of Harvey’s class, that is still a pretty comfortable situation and he showed in the opening race at Knockhill that’s he not prepared to sit back and cruise to the title. He battled ahead of Caine in that race but then had the escape of the season in the second Knockhill race. Coolant on the track at the start of the second lap sent Harvey slithering off the road. “It’s not often you go through the gravel, hit the wall, loose the splitter and flat spot the tyres and still finish fourth,” he said later.

Caine’s team boss at Motorbase Performance, David Bartrum, could scarcely believe it. “Even when he has a bad day, Tim still gets good points,” said an incredulous Bartrum. In reality, it will now need a non-finish for Harvey if Caine is to get close enough to really fight for the title.

But this is not just a two-way contest. Adding to the mix in the pro category will be Stephen Jelley, Euan Hankey, Glynn Geddie, Michael Meadows and Charlie Bateman and all of them are chasing a first Carrera Cup win. Jelley is on home ground this weekend and has shown fine pace, while Hankey was right back on the pace at Knockhill.

Beyond the overall title race, three more titles are still to be decided. In pro-am1, Ollie Jackson has a firm grip on the title, but cannot relax just yet as Jonas Gelzinis and Tony Gilham are still challenging. Jackson is both quick and consistent and stretched his remarkable Carrera Cup point-scoring sequence to 36 races in Scotland last time out. But a great double win north of the border went to Tony Gilham, one of the hardest working drivers on the grid. Gilham battles to raise the money to keep racing and was rewarded with a double at Knockhill, which has taken him closer to Lithuanian racer Gelzinis in the points. As usual, Jonas and his team mate Tautvydas Barstys will have to learn the Donington track during Friday’s test sessions.

In pro-am2, it is getting very close as dropped scores come into play and Glenn McMenamin now heads George Brewster by only two points. Drivers in pro-am2 count only their best seven weekend scores, so the permutations are many and varied, as George Richardson and Mark Hazell lead the chase.

Finally, in the battle for the coveted team title, Red Line Racing leads Motorbase Performance by only eight points as Harvey and Meadows score points for Red Line and Caine and Bateman fly the Motorbase flag.

After qualifying at 14.40 on Saturday, round 17 will start at 10.45am on Sunday, while round 18 will be at 3.45pm and will be broadcast live on ITV4 during the extensive BTCC programme.

Red Line Racing will be back to a six-car team in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Donington Park next weekend (18/19 September) with Turkish racer Yucel Ozbek joining the squad to race the car driven by Archie Hamilton earlier in the season.

Ozbek, from Istanbul, is a front runner in the GT3 Cup Challenge Eastern Europe but will now make a big step forward to the Carrera Cup GB and also plans to take in the two final races at Brands Hatch.

Team boss Simon Leonard is delighted to be able to run the Turkish racer over the final four rounds of the championship. “Yucel wanted to race in Britain this season and we are very pleased to bring him into the team,” said Leonard. “He’s done well in the GT3 Cup Challenge in Eastern Europe, and this is now a fresh challenge. We’re running him in a test next week and I hope he’ll settle in very well in the pro-am1 category.”

Ozbek (45) currently lies third in the points’ standings for the GT3 Cup Challenge Eastern Europe and was runner-up in the 2009 Porsche Cup Turkey. He has also raced Porsches in international GT races.

LATEST ARTIST’S IMPRESSIONS OF NEW NGTC PROTOTYPE RELEASED BY BTCC

Advanced artist’s impressions of the British Touring Car Championship’s new ‘Next Generation Touring Car’ prototype have been released.

The development car, being built by GPR Motorsport in Buckingham and based on the Toyota Avensis, will soon be testing ahead of its public track debut at the Dunlop-backed series’ Finals Day fixture at Brands Hatch (9-10 October). Former double BTCC Champion James Thompson has been designated as championship organiser TOCA’s official test and development driver.

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow commented: “These artist’s impressions, rendered from the actual vehicle currently being built, show what a great looking car the new regulations will produce. I’ve no doubt that a lot of people will be very impressed when they see the actual car at Brands Hatch.”

‘NGTC’ is the BTCC’s new formula of touring car that will be eligible to run in the series from next year. Although the Avensis – for which the base vehicle (pictured) was generously donated by Toyota UK – is TOCA’s own NGTC demonstration model, teams of course are free to choose the car/engine they wish to build and develop to the new regulations from 2011.

Calendar: 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (provisional)

1) – 2-3 April – Brands Hatch, Kent

2) – 16-17 April – Donington Park, Leicestershire

3) – 30 April-1 May – Thruxton, Hampshire

4) - 4-5 June – Oulton Park, Cheshire

5) – 18-19 June – Croft, North Yorkshire

6) – 6-7 August – Snetterton, Norfolk

7) – 3-4 September – Knockhill, Fife

– 17-18 September – Rockingham, Northamptonshire

9) – 1-2 October – Brands Hatch, Kent

10) – 15-16 October -Silverstone, Northamptonshire

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow commented: “Thanks to all our circuits and the British Automobile Racing Club for enabling us to be so ahead of the game in informing our competitors, partners, the media and public of next year’s BTCC calendar. By doing so, we also hope other high-profile motor sporting events can plan around these dates and hopefully avoid some of the ridiculous clashes that in recent years have proven to be highly frustrating for both fans and organising clubs, whose resources have been stretched to breaking point.”

He added: “Above all, the BTCC in 2011 will continue to race at the premier motor sporting venues around the country – a geographical spread that is of huge importance to sponsors and which also enables hundreds of thousands of fans from almost every corner of the UK to see the BTCC in action in their own back yard. We very much look forward to seeing them again in 2011.”

Caine wins Carrera Cup round 16 at Knockhill

George Brewster, pro-am2

Michael Caine won a dramatic round 16 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Knockhill today (Sunday 5 September) to narrow the gap to championship leader Tim Harvey to 27 points with four races to run.

Harvey rescued a potentially disastrous non-finish to claim fourth place after a trip through the gravel and into the tyre wall. In pro-am1, Tony Gilham completed a tremendous weekend double and guest racer Rory Butcher also wrapped up a second win in pro-am2 as George Brewster took maximum points.

There was action from the start when a multi-car tangle at Duffus Dip on the first lap delayed Stephen Jelley and sent Karl Leonard, Liam Griffin, Jonas Gelzinis and Tautvydas Barstys to the pits. Although none of the cars were left at Duffus, there was coolant dropped on the track and that was to provide more drama when the leading pack arrived on lap two. Caine (Motorbase Performance) scrambled through but Harvey slid wide at the following Scotsman Corner and ran across the gravel and nudged the tyre wall. He then scrabbled out of the gravel trap and bounced over the grass before rejoining, but lost his front splitter in the process. Meanwhile, Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing) followed Harvey through the gravel and the safety car was sent out to allow the marshals to treat the slippery track.

From the restart, Caine swept ahead as Charlie Bateman (Motorbase Performance) ran second from Euan Hankey (Team Parker Racing). While Caine pulled away to score a resounding win, Bateman and Hankey battled all the way to flag and Hankey took second after making the decisive move into Clark on the 13th lap. “I just got my head down after the safety car and looked after the car,” said Caine. “That was one for the team and a good birthday present for my mum,” he said.

Hankey was delighted to be back on the overall podium after a strong race, while Bateman earned the ‘driver of the weekend’ award for his fighting third place. “It was a great result and I think I had the pace to beat him. But I made a small mistake and he got through,” said Bateman. Remarkably, Harvey claimed fourth after running with team mate Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing) on his tail. “It’s not often you go through the gravel, hit the wall, loose the splitter and flat spot the tyres and still finish fourth,” said Harvey after a vital recovery drive in title terms.

Into a great sixth overall and first in pro-am2 went Butcher (Celtic Speed), who had Geddie in pursuit over the closing laps. “It shows that Celtic run a great car,” said Butcher after a superb weekend, which earned Celtic Speed the ‘team of the weekend’ award. Into eighth, after a tough race with Ollie Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase) went Gilham to win pro-am1 for the second time in the day. “I struggled after the re-start to get the tyres working, but it’s been a great weekend,” said Gilham.

Top scorer in pro-am2 was Brewster (Celtic Speed) after a fine race, having had George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) as a constant shadow over the first half of the race. “That might be a defining moment in the championship,” said Brewster after points’ leader Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing) retired with a water leak after an early knock.

Michael Caine and Tim Harvey battle it out for race 1 honours

Harvey wins Carrera Cup round 15 at Knockhill

Tim Harvey scored one of the most important wins of his 2010 title campaign when he clinched round 15 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Knockhill today (Sunday 5 September).

While Harvey battled ahead of early leader and title rival Michael Caine, some tremendous battling all the way down the field led to victories for Tony Gilham in pro-am1 and guest racer Rory Bucher in pro-am2. But the biggest winner was Harvey, who maintained his title lead with five races left to run.

Off the line, Caine (Motorbase Performance) got the lead as Harvey (Red Line Racing) settled into second place. Behind them, Glynn Geddie and his Team Parker Racing team mates Euan Hankey and Stephen Jelley battled for third and initially Geddie went after the two leaders.

On lap four, the fierce battle between Hankey and Jelley came to a head as they dived into Duffus Dip and contact pitched Jelley onto the grass. “It was a wild ride trying to get it stopped on the grass,” said Jelley. While Hankey retired with a damaged radiator, Jelley rejoined well down the order and faced a tough race now that the car was missing its front splitter.

Up front, Harvey shadowed Caine for 15 laps and could easily have settled for a safe second place and important championship points. But Harvey had other ideas and saw where Caine was struggling before attacking on the run out of the Hairpin to take the lead as they sprinted past the pits. Once ahead, Harvey steadily eased away for a very significant win. “That was about pride,” said Harvey. “It would have been easy to follow Michael but I wanted to win for the team. It was a special win.”

Caine accepted that he did not have the pace to re-challenge Harvey. “Out of the hairpin was a real struggle; the engine was flat and Tim just drove past me,” said Caine who took a secure second place while Geddie bagged third after a strong drive on his home track. “After a few laps I was struggling for traction,” said Geddie, as Charlie Bateman (Motorbase Performance) battled into fourth. “Hankey and Jelley made it easier for me, but I struggled in the last part of the race,” said Bateman.

A tremendous fifth overall went to Butcher (Celtic Speed), who was the leading pro-am2 racer although not eligible for points. “I’m just delighted,” said the local ace. “The car was working so well.” Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing) and the recovering Jelley were next up before pro-am1 winner Gilham (Collins ReDesign Racing), who dived ahead of Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing) in the final two laps. “I had the pace all race and it was a now or never move into the Hairpin,” said Gilham. Ollie Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase) completed the pro-am1 podium, with Ahmad Al Harthy (Red Line Racing) right on his tail at the finish.

While Butcher dominated pro-am2, maximum points went to George Brewster (Celtic Speed) after he fought ahead of George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) as Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing) chased throughout. “Excellent,” said Brewster. “It worked out perfectly and George kept it absolutely clean.”

Caine tops Carrera Cup qualifying at Knockhill

Michael Caine, Qualifying

Michael Caine claimed a double pole position ahead of rounds 15 and 16 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Knockhill today (Saturday 4 September).

Caine topped an incredibly close qualifying session at the Scottish track to head the grid for both races, while Jonas Gelzinis set the pro-am1 pace and Rory Butcher led the pro-am2 times for each race. However, with guest racer Butcher not scoring points this weekend, George Richardson and George Brewster shared the points for pro-am2 poles.

After a troubled day in testing, Caine (Motorbase Performance) jumped to the head of the time sheets as less than a second covered the fastest 13 cars around the challenging Fife circuit. The qualifying results also allowed Caine to trim two points from Tim Harvey’s championship lead. “After the first run I thought pole would be in the 50s bracket,” said Caine. But his best lap of 51.041s was the fastest of the session. Importantly for Caine, title leader Harvey (Red Line Racing), who qualified third and then second fastest, has a gaggle of quick drivers around him.

“I need the other boys up there,” said Caine, knowing that he needs other drivers taking points from Harvey if the championship gap is to come down sufficiently for Caine to challenge over the final six races of the season. “It’s safer at the front,” added Caine. Second for race one was a good result for Euan Hankey (Team Parker Racing). “That’s so much better; we’re back to the car feeling good and I hooked up all my sectors,” said the Carrera Cup Scholarship driver. Hankey was third fastest for race two, while Harvey will start from third and second places. “I think the car was capable of being on the front,” said Harvey. “I’ve just got to keep my nose clean in the first race,” he added.

Fourth on the grid for both races will be Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing) after a strong session, while Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing) and Charlie Bateman (Motorbase Performance) each posted a fifth best time.

In pro-am1, Gelzinis (Juta Racing) clinched both pole positions, despite being further down the overall times than he had been in testing on Friday. “I had a spin on my first set of tyres, which was not so good,” said Gelzinis, who had category rivals Tony Gilham (Collins ReDesign Racing), Ollie Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase) and Ahmad Al Harthy (Red Line Racing) very close behind for what promises to be a pair of great races in pro-am1. “Today was my first run on new tyres and there’s more time to come,” said Gilham.

In pro-am2, Butcher (Celtic Speed) set a fierce pace, ending the session with eighth and tenth places overall. “We’ve made up a lot of time since testing and I’m now up where I’d hoped to be,” said the young Scot. The points for pro-am2 poles, however, went to George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) and George Brewster (Celtic Speed), with category leader Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing) also well in contention as a tenth of a second covered the three title contenders on the grid for round 15. “Our engineer Patrick said to park it; we weren’t going any quicker,” said Richardson of the later stages of qualifying.

Jelley tops Carrera Cup testing at Knockhill

Stephen Jelley was the pacesetter ahead of rounds 15 and 16 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB during testing at Knockhill today (Friday 3 September). In an incredibly close set of times, the top four cars were covered by seven-hundredths of a second, while the fastest 12 cars were all within one second.

As Jelley (Team Parker Racing) topped the times, Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing) was a superb third fastest overall to head the pro-am1 category and Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing) set the pro-am2 pace in a fine 12th place overall. The Knockhill weather, which can so often be troublesome, was perfect with zero wind and an ambient temperature of 20 degrees, while the track temperature was up at 35 degrees when the afternoon test session started.

Though he narrowly topped the times, Jelley felt he could have gone a little faster on his new tyres. “I out-braked myself on my best lap and so I think I’ve got a couple of tenths in my pocket. We’ll see,” he said. Tim Harvey (Red Line Racing) was fastest in the morning session and ended the day second, despite not using new tyres. “I’m very happy with that,” said the championship leader. “We did a bit of a race run this afternoon and we’re looking very good,” said a confident Harvey.

Sharing the same time to be third and fourth were Gelzinis and Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing). Gelzinis was even higher up the order than usual, having for once not had to learn the track during Friday’s testing. “I had one more day to learn the circuit,” he said, after running at Knockhill on Wednesday along with most of the leading drivers. “It’s quite a tricky circuit and you have to be brave in some corners,” said the Lithuanian racer.

Meadows continued his strong form of the second half of the season to match the time of Gelzinis, with Michael Caine (Motorbase Performance) fifth fastest before the second of the pro-am1 drivers. Sixth overall, on his first experience of Knockhill, was Ahmad Al Harthy (Red Line Racing) with an excellent day’s work. “I’m really delighted with that,” said the Oman racer. “We know we have the pace to do it and we can build on that for tomorrow,” he said after making it three Red Line Racing cars in the top six overall.

Euan Hankey and Glynn Geddie were next up for Team Parker Racing, before Charlie Bateman (Motorbase Performance), while third and fourth in pro-am1 were Addison Lee Motorbase duo Ollie Jackson and Liam Griffin.

McMenamin just edged locals George Brewster and Rory Butcher (Celtic Speed) to top the pro-am2 times. “It eventually came,” said McMenamin of his best time. “It’s all about commitment here and I was just pushing and pushing,” said McMenamin.

Double Carrera Cup action in Britain

A little piece of Porsche racing history was made over the weekend (4/5 September) when two different Carrera Cup competitions ran in the same country. While the Porsche Carrera Cup GB had a pair of races at Knockhill, the Carrera Cup Germany was in action at Brands Hatch as a support race to the DTM.

The global Carrera Cup concept runs in seven countries or regions, with championships in Asia, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and Scandinavia. The Carrera Cup GB was established in 2003 and is a leading support race to the MSA British Touring Car Championship.

With 23 cars at Knockhill and 17 racing at Brands Hatch, a total of 40 911 GT3 Cup cars raced in Britain on Sunday.

At Brands Hatch, British racer Nick Tandy used his local knowledge to win and close the gap to championship leader Nicolas Armindo to just seven points with two races to run.

Meanwhile, at Knockhill there was a win apiece for Tim Harvey and Michael Caine as the points’ gap between these two long-established rivals reduced to 27 points with four races left to run.

The Carrera Cup GB continues at Donington Park on 18/19 September for rounds 17 and 18 of the 20-race season.

Team sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport secured another three top ten finishes in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship during the annual trip to Scotland for the eighth round of the year at Knockhill.

Widnes-racer Paul O’Neill battled back from on-track incidents in the opening two races of the day, which ultimately left him lower down the results than his performances had deserved, to storm through the grid from tenth to fourth in the final race of the weekend.

Paul started the opening race from sixth on the grid although he lost two places to the LPG-powered Fords off the line. However, he soon got ahead of Tom Onslow-Cole and remained seventh through to the deployment of the Safety Car on lap 14. On the restart, Paul was one of a number of drivers to be blocked by debutant Jeff Smith, despite the Triple Eight driver being a lap down after an earlier pit-stop. Contact between Paul and the Vauxhall at Scotsman saw his Honda Integra go off across the gravel and led to damage to the steering, which meant he had to settle for eighth place.

Paul retained eighth place following the opening lap of race two and after an early safety car period, he moved up to seventh with a forceful move on the Chevrolet of Alex MacDowall at the hairpin. Paul then closed on the Ford of Onslow-Cole to move into sixth and set about chasing down the five cars ahead – consistently lapping as the quickest driver on track as the race wore on. However, having caught up with Tom Chilton and Steven Kane, Paul was in the wrong place at the wrong time when the pair collided, with Kane’s out of control BMW tipping Paul into a spin. Although he resumed, the time lost saw him drop down to tenth place at the finish.

Starting from the same position for the final race of the weekend, Paul was in fine form when the lights went out and quickly fought his way through to sixth place, where he was running when the Safety Car was deployed after Dave Pinkney went off track. When the race resumed, Paul soon got ahead of James Nash into fifth place before taking advantage of an error from Andy Jordan to go inside the Pirtek Racing man into Clark’s to move up to fourth.

Although he briefly dropped behind Mat Jackson, Paul soon found a way back ahead of the Airwaves BMW driver to finish just outside the podium positions in fourth place.

“Today is what racing is all about,” he said. “It’s been a real rollercoaster ride where we were up one moment and down the next, but the guys kept working hard and gave me the quickest car on track for race three. That was a fantastic result for us from tenth on the grid and is almost as good as the second place at Silverstone because it is so tight round here and difficult to pass.

“It might have been different if we’d not had the incidents earlier in the day but I don’t look at what might have been – I just go out there and do the best with what has been thrown at us. John was quick again in the final race of the weekend as well and it shows the good work the team continues to do with the car and the pace that the Honda Integra has.”

Guernsey-based team-mate John George qualified 14th on the grid at the wheel of the sister car, but his hopes of building on the impressive speed he showed last time out at Silverstone took a blow when he was forced to retire from the opening race early on.

Contact from the SEAT of Tom Boardman heading into turn one saw John go off across the gravel, which damaged the front of his car and forced him back to the pits. Lining up from the back of the grid for race two as a result, John battled his way through to 13th at the chequered flag, having spent much of the race stuck behind Boardman’s SEAT despite having a quicker car.

The final race of the weekend saw John once again show the way in which he has improved this season as he battled his way forwards into the points scoring positions; climbing as high as ninth when he got ahead of the works Chevrolet of Alex MacDowall on lap 17. A mistake at Clark’s saw John run wide and drop back to twelfth before a late race fight with home hero Gordon Shedden saw John briefly get ahead of the Honda driver.

Although he finished the race outside the points in twelfth, his performance was a further indication of the progress made over the course of the year.

“That last race was great!” he said. “To get ahead of Gordon Shedden like that ticks a box for me and I’d had a good race before that with the likes of Andy Neate and Alex. The car was really sorted and the team did a great job to repair it after the damage earlier in the day.

“It’s fantastic to be out there racing these guys and showing that my recent pace hasn’t been a one off. But more than anything, it is great to put in a good performance for the team as they continue to give me a fantastic car. I just want to repay them.”

Tech-Speed chief Marvin Humphries was quick to praise both drivers for their performance on race day, with the older BTC-spec Hondas again taking the fight to more modern machinery on track.

“It was a good effort in the final race and Paul and John both drove well,” he said. “John might have missed out on the points but he has a smile on his face and put in a really good performance that we’re pleased with. He had a tough start to the day but the result in race three shows how he has improved. Paul’s drive through from tenth to fourth was also a great way for him to end the day and he was right on the pace.

“Things definitely haven’t rolled out way today but Paul showed in that last race that he has the pace to run at the front. The boys have done a great job again with the cars to get them out on track for all three races and we’ll head to Donington keen to keep fighting.”

Sunshine.co.uk MD Chris Brown was also delighted with the way the weekend came to an end after difficult times earlier on race day.

“Race one and two were a bit frustrating, but the final race was great,” he said. “It’s bit like Snetterton and Silverstone, where we ended things on a high.

“Paul was fantastic again and even though his fourth place in race three was a brilliant result for him and the team, he deserved more from the day. After retiring at the start of race one, John fought back really well and he showed again that he is quick enough to fight for a points-scoring finish. We can be confident for the rest of the season.”

Report: Matt Salisbury
Photography: www.speedsnaps.co.uk

David Pinkney and his Pinkney Motorsport team enjoyed success and frustration at Knockhill for the latest round of the British Touring Car Championship.

PINKNEY ENJOYS ‘BEST QUALIFYING’ AT KNOCKHILL

The Pinkney Motorsport team enjoyed a strong qualifying session at Knockhill ahead of the eighth round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.

Harpenden-racer David Pinkney secured 13th on the grid during the Scottish qualifying session after the team made drastic changes to its Vauxhall Vectra over the course of the day in an effort to find more speed in the car.

The weekend started with David setting the 13th quickest time in the opening 40 minute practice session before the NGTC-powered Vectra ended FP2 two places back in 15th, despite an improvement in lap times.

In a closely fought qualifying session, David again improved his times to post a best lap of 53.920secs and earn a place on the seventh row of the grid – just nine-tenths of a second away from pole.

“When you look at some of the cars on the grid, like the Chevrolet and the Ford, you know it will be difficult to get into the top ten,” he said. “But we’ve done a good job today and have made good progress. We made massive changes to the car during the day and have gone quicker in each session, but we just need to find that last little bit as the car still isn’t quite to my liking; it’s a bit too loose.

“I think we have good race pace as we have been consistent in our times today, so we’ll see how race day goes.”

Team manager Andrew Dean said he felt the Scottish session marked the team’s best qualifying of the season after it made large strides over the course of the day.

“In terms of progress, that is our best qualifying of the year,” he said. “After practice, we looked at the data to see where we needed to find the time and if you then overlay the information from second practice and qualifying, you can see that we found it. There was maybe another tenth of a second that we could have had as David didn’t manage to string his best lap together, but it’s been a solid performance from us.

“We have genuine pace to run with the midfield pack tomorrow and the likes of Andrew Jordan and Mat Jackson are just ahead of us, so it’s all good.”

SCOTTISH FRUSTRATION FOR PINKNEY ON KNOCKHILL RACE DAY

Harpenden racer David Pinkney suffered a frustrating end to the weekend at Knockhill after being forced to retire from two of the three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races on Scottish soil.

The Pinkney Motorsport driver started the first race of the weekend from 13th on the grid after a solid performance in qualifying and held his place through the opening laps of the race, setting a series of quick and consistent laps to keep in touch with the cars ahead. When James Nash and Rob Collard then went off the road in separate incidents, David moved up to eleventh and was well placed to battle his way into the points.

With a huge battle for position ahead, David took advantage of a clash between Mat Jackson and Andrew Jordan to climb as high as ninth, but on the penultimate lap of the race, he ran slightly wide through the John R Weir Chicane and put a wheel in the gravel; with the subsequent delay dropping him back to eleventh at the chequered flag.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on a points-scoring finish, David headed into race two in a strong position on the grid, but his race came to an early end when his Vauxhall got out of shape through the SEAT Curves on lap one. David went into a spin across the grass before collecting the BMW of Rob Collard as his car came back across the circuit at Scotsman and the damage sustained was more than enough to put him out on the spot.

With the car suffering heavy damage to the front end, the team faced a race against time to try and get David out onto the grid for the final race, but the battle-scarred Vectra took its place at the back of the field for race three. Making up places on the opening laps, David found himself running in 13th place behind the SEAT of Tom Boardman but his hopes of climbing further up the field were ended on lap nine when he was fired into the gravel at Scotsman by debutant Jeff Smith and forced to retire for the second successive race.

“That’s the second time in the BTCC that I have been knocked off at that corner by a driver named Smith,” David said afterwards. “It’s an annoying way to finish the day after the way the guys worked to get the car out for the final race and even more annoying that Boardman retired just after me as my car was quick; he’d just been holding me up.

“The car was good in the first race but in the second, I just got onto the marbles and there is no margin for error here. I didn’t think we’d be back out for the final race and it’s poor reward for the guys that that was the way it ended.”

Team manager Andrew Dean shared in David’s disappointing that a race day that started well had ended without the team securing any points to add to its championship tally.

“It’s a very frustrating way to finish the weekend,” he said. “We made a good start to race day with eleventh and we looked like we were set up for some good results. However, the incident in race two put us to the back of the grid, although the guys did a fantastic job in the time available to make sure we were even able to take the start for race three.

“The car was probably handling better than it had done all day but David was just unable to find a way past Tom Boardman as it isn’t easy to overtake round here – unless of course you can drive straight past on the straight as Tom Chilton did to both us and Boardman in the final race! Then, a manoeuvre by an obvious BTCC rookie, who attempted to go for a gap that wasn’t there, took us out of the race. It’s a shame as I think we could have come from the back to finish inside the top ten.”

Reports: Matt Salisbury
Photography: PSP Images

Caine completes Carrera Cup double at Silverstone

Michael Caine made it a perfect weekend by winning round 14 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Silverstone today (Sunday 22 August). Caine had to fight ahead of Tim Harvey to make sure of victory, but a hard-earned second place keeps Harvey at the head of the title race with six races to run.

Jonas Gelzinis won pro-am1 despite big pressure from Ollie Jackson, while Glenn McMenamin completed a tremendous day by winning pro-am2 for the second time.

Harvey (Red Line Racing) made a great start from pole and went clear on the opening lap as Caine (Motorbase Performance) fended off Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing) to take second. But it was soon clear that Caine had exceptional pace as he closed in on Harvey and they ran nose-to-tail until lap nine when Caine saw his chance at Luffield and squeezed through into the lead.

Once ahead, Caine quickly built his lead while Jelley reeled Harvey in, as Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing) and Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing) ran in Jelley’s wheel tracks. Rather than try and go after Caine, Harvey had to concentrate on the growing challenge. Then, on lap 15 the safety car was deployed while Paul Mace’s car was moved clear.

Caine shot clear again at the re-start, but Harvey now had a queue of cars behind him and spent the rest of the race under intense pressure. Jelley even dived ahead as they braked for Brooklands, but with the medical car on course after Richard Denny (Parr Motorsport) went off at Luffield, Jelley dropped back in behind Harvey until they cleared the incident. That was how they finished, with Jelley, Meadows and Geddie crossing the line in close formation behind Harvey.

However, Caine had been the dominant force of the weekend. “We just had the best car out there,” said Caine. “It’s a bit easier when your car is so good.” Caine earned the ‘driver of the weekend’ award for his performance. Harvey had to fight to the line for second and the championship lead, while Jelley claimed another podium finish. “Our car was really good and we had the pace for second,” said Jelley.

Gelzinis (Juta Racing) had to work hard to get ahead of Euan Hankey (Team Parker Racing) and then ran a fine sixth overall chasing Geddie while defending his place from pro-am1 rival Ollie Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase). “It’s been a difficult day and I tried a few times to overtake Euan Hankey,” said Gelzinis. Jackson was close behind at the flag to maintain his pro-am1 title lead. “I lost two places with a terrible start,” said Jackson. “I tried to get past Gelzinis when he was behind Hankey,” said Jackson as Ahmad Al Harthy (Red Line Racing) completed the pro-am1 podium.

McMenamin (Red Line Racing) completed a great day by leading pro-am1 throughout, keeping George Brewster (Celtic Speed) and George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) at bay. “I can’t ask for more than that; it’s been a big day for the championship,” said McMenamin. “Luckily I got away cleanly at the re-start,” added McMenamin as Brewster held off Richardson for second. Celtic Speed took the ‘team of the weekend’ award.

Caine takes Carrera Cup round 13 at Silverstone

Michael Caine scored an emphatic victory in round 13 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Silverstone today (Sunday 22 August). While Caine dominated the race, Tim Harvey maintained his championship lead with second place as he scored his 100th Carrera Cup GB podium.

With fierce battling all the way down the superb 27-car field, Ollie Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase) claimed another pro-am1 victory and Glenn McMenamin withstood race-long pressure to win pro-am2.

The biggest challenge to Caine (Motorbase Performance) came on the opening lap when he had a poor start and had to fight with Harvey (Red Line Racing) over the first two corners. Slight contact between the two cars left Harvey contending with tracking that was out of line and he struggled for pace. However, Caine was in stunning form and pulled clear at the head of the field to score a resounding win, his third of the season.

“I didn’t get a very good start and had to brace it out on the first lap,” said Caine. “But when I got my head down the pace was good,” he said after stretching his lead to nearly seven seconds at the flag. Second place for Harvey was good for his championship bid, but over the final lap he had to fend off Stephen Jelley (Red Line Racing). “I’m pleased with the result but not with the pace,” said Harvey. “When you can’t take the win, you take the best you can.”

Jelley drove a fine race to battle ahead of Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing) after a long contest. Once into third, Jelley set off after Harvey and was right on the championship leader’s tail at the finish. “The car was mega; even when the tyres were old,” said Jelley.

Meadows ran home fourth to repeat his strong qualifying form, but had pro-am1 leader Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase) as a constant shadow. “I probably had the pace to have a go at Michael, but pro-am1 points were more important,” said Jackson. “The car was absolutely spot on all the way through the race,” he added. Behind Jackson, Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing) turned in a superb recovery drive having twice had to take to the grass on the opening laps to avoid other cars. From 14th place, he fought back to sixth at the flag.

Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing) ran second in pro-am1 for much of the race, but then spun at Luffield and hit the car of Bob Lyons (Celtic Speed), who was trying to stay out of the way. With a damaged wheel, Gelzinis was forced out and that promoted Tony Gilham (Collins ReDesign Racing) and Michael Leonard (Team Parker Racing) to the pro-am1 podium.

Pro-am2 was the focus of a race-long battle as McMenamin (Red Line Racing) had to withstand constant pressure from George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) and George Brewster (Celtic Speed). “That was absolute pressure from the outset,” said McMenamin. “The two Georges were at me all the time,” he added. But with a faultless drive, McMenamin held off his challengers for a fine win. Richardson ran second initially, but an error at Luffield allowed Brewster the opportunity he needed to grab the place.

Photo: www.speedsnaps.co.uk

Team sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport enjoyed a stunning weekend at Silverstone to secure a third podium finish of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.

Widnes-racer Paul O’Neill secured a fine second place in the final race of the weekend to add to podium finishes at Thruxton and Rockingham, while Guernsey-based team-mate John George enjoyed his best weekend of racing in the BTCC even though he was unable to add to his points tally.

Paul qualified seventh at the wheel of his Honda Integra and finished in the same position in race one having spent the entire 22 laps fixed onto the rear of Rob Collard’s BMW.

Having held position at the start of race two, Paul was then embroiled in a heated battle for position with Matt Neal that saw the pair swap places through the final laps as they duelled for fifth place. Matt eventually won the battle after pushing Paul wide exiting the final corner of the race to take fifth, although sixth gave Paul pole position for the final race of the day.

Photo: www.speedsnaps.co.uk

A good start allowed Paul to hold the lead into Copse, with contact between Neal and Jason Plato allowing him to break away from the chasing pack, only to lose his advantage when the Safety Car was deployed following an accident further down the order.

With the two LPG-powered Fords behind, Paul faced a battle to retain the lead but successfully kept Tom Onslow-Cole behind for two laps after the restart before the Ford blasted past. However, Paul was able to keep Tom Chilton at bay in the sister car and broke away from the chasing pack as he followed Onslow-Cole home for a hard-earned second place finish.

“Without the Safety Car, we had a chance to win that race but we lost the best of the tyres when it was deployed,” he said. “We knew the Fords were going to be quick but I just went out there and raced my own race. I got my best start of the year and was able to defend well and second place is almost as good as a win. The fact I was able to pull away from Chilton is testament to the Tech-Speed for the job they have done in giving me a great car.

Photo: www.speedsnaps.co.uk

“We don’t have a big budget like some of the other teams, but every time I go out on track, the team tells me to do my best. That’s exactly what I did and a podium is a great result.”

Team-mate John enjoyed a fine day in the second car even though a mechanical issue robbed him of a points finish in the final race of the weekend.

Having qualified 15th, John finished the first race in 17th place having been delayed on the opening lap but he then enjoyed two of the best races of his BTCC career – although he wasn’t rewarded with the points he deserved.

From 17th on the grid, John made up four places on the opening lap and then moved into twelfth before closing onto the rear of James Nash’s Vauxhall. However, contact from the following BMW of Mat Jackson turning into Brooklands on lap eleven saw John suffer a spin that dropped him to the rear of the field.

Refusing to let his head drop, John battled back up to 14th place at the finish and took the start of race three looking to break into the points.

A solid first lap saw him make up two places off the line and the forward progress continued as John climbed into the top ten. Having battled for ninth with Phil Glew, John was overhauled by the Chevrolet of Jason Plato but was unable to try and battle back into the points when a mechanical issue forced him out.

“I knew all weekend that we had the pace in the car and it was great to be on it,” he said, “even if it’s disappointing not to be able to score a point. This has been my best weekend ever when it comes to my own performance at the wheel of the car as I was able to dice with the likes of Jackson and Plato on track.

“The incident with Jackson in race two soured it a little bit as he touched me a few times and didn’t need to do that, but overall I can go away from the weekend happy with how I’ve performed.”

Tech-Speed chief Marvin Humphries said he was pleased with the return to form after a difficult time at Snetterton two weeks earlier.

“That makes up for Snetterton a bit,” he said. “We’ve done a good job here and it went well, aside from the issue for John at the end. Paul was probably the only person who really gave the gas cars a race today and that was a great result to end the weekend with. Three top tens and a podium isn’t bad in this company.

“John did really well this weekend and you can see he is getting more confident in the car as he is out there racing with some good drivers. It was disappointing that he got put into a spin in race two and then had the problem in race three as two drivers in the top ten would have been a fantastic result for the team.”

Sunshine.co.uk MD Chris Brown was also delighted with a return to the podium even though he admitted to mixed emotions at John’s performance going unrewarded.

“I didn’t think Paul would be able to fight the Fords but he did brilliantly,” he said. “I kept expecting Chilton to find a way through, but Paul was able to drive away from him as he chased Onslow-Cole and second is a fantastic result. The second place at Rockingham was good, but here you could see he was hanging on for dear life and getting everything from the car; it was brilliant.

“I’m gutted for John as he was driving like a demon today. I honestly believe he is one of the most under-rated drivers out there. He really applied himself well on track and it is only through bad luck that his performance hasn’t been rewarded with some points. Tech-Speed have once again done a brilliant job with the cars and the drivers have done us proud.”

Fan-funded race team YourRacingCar.com enjoyed an impressive debut in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone, with Phil Glew securing three finishes for the team at its home race.

Having agreed a deal with Special Tuning UK to move into the BTCC for the Silverstone weekend as part of bigger plans to compete in the series full-time in 2011, YRC enjoyed a successful outing both on and off track, even though a penalty in the final race prevented Phil from securing a point-scoring finish.

Aside from a seat fitting prior to the weekend, opening practice marked Phil’s first time at the wheel of the Special Tuning-run SEAT Leon, fitted with the BTCC’s Next Generation Touring Car engine. After finishing first free practice in 16th place, Phil improved to 15th in FP2 – ahead of Tom Boardman in the sister car, which continues to run a normally aspirated SEAT engine.

While confidence was high heading into qualifying, it would end in disappointment for the YRC crew when a driveshaft issue prevented Phil from setting a time and left him at the rear of the field alongside Martin Depper and Martin Johnson – both of whom missed the qualifying session.

Race One (P14, Fastest Lap 1:01.512):

The issues in qualifying meant Phil started the opening race from 19th on the grid, with the VW Golf of Shaun Hollamby having been withdrawn from the weekend due to an engine issue.

Despite the fact he hadn’t been able to practice a race start in the car, Phil got away well to make up places off the line and completed the opening lap in 15th – having made up four spots in the first mile and a half of racing!

Lapping consistently and without problems in the first race for the car, Phil dropped a position to Gordon Shedden on lap six as the Honda driver recovered from an incident on the opening lap, with Phil then closing onto the rear of the BMW of Andy Neate. Having made up one position through the retirement of David Pinkney’s Vauxhall, Phil then made a move stick on track as he got ahead of Neate on lap ten and then pulled out an advantage of nearly five seconds over the BMW before the chequered flag flew.

Encouragingly, Phil finished the race within 20 seconds of winner Tom Chilton despite the unproven package of the SEAT and NGTC engine and picked up an Independents’ points finish.

Race Two (P13, Fastest Lap 1:01.473):

Phil started the second race of the weekend from 14th on the grid and held his position through the opening lap before climbing to 13th on lap two. Having been briefly knocked back a place, Phil continued his forward progress to climb as high as twelfth despite an issue with the gearbox on his car.

Crossing the line just behind Tom’s normally aspirated SEAT, Phil secured two Independents’ points and set a fastest lap just three-tenths of a second behind race winner Tom Chilton.

Race Three (P13, Fastest lap 1:01.650):

A chaotic start to the final race allowed Phil to climb up to tenth place at the end of the opening lap as he targeted a points scoring finish to the weekend. The SEAT then moved into ninth place when an incident ahead saw Andrew Jordan retire and Phil was lapping strongly and well placed to end YRC’s first weekend in the BTCC with a solid top ten.

However, that all changed when Phil was handed a drive-through penalty for running off-track at Copse – despite a number of other drivers having done the same repeatedly throughout the day without penalty. That meant he dropped down to 13th place at the finish although he still secured more Independents’ points towards his tally.

Quoteboard:

Phil Glew – Driver: “It had definitely been a productive weekend for us. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy and it was frustrating to start with as we had some niggles with the car, but we have done well to get into a position where we were able to fight for points. It’s just disappointing that we have been penalised for running wide when others have done the same and nothing happened. Personally, there was nothing I could do to prevent it as we were suffering from understeer with the car and I was drifting wide as a result.

“I hope my performances have been well received by the YRC members and I think things have gone better than we expected them to from the weekend as a whole. It’s just disappointing that we didn’t get a points finish to reward the team and everyone who has worked so hard in recent weeks to make this happen.”

Hannah James – YourRacingCar team manager: “The result of the final race is a disappointment as I feel like we were robbed of a top ten finish, but the weekend as a whole has been everything that we hoped for from the BTCC and more besides. The support from the YRC members has been fantastic and the sponsors who have been with us for the weekend have all been impressed by what they have seen. The guys from Special Tuning have been brilliant with the car and Phil has done exactly what we expected behind the wheel.

“We owe massive thanks to Talent Works, Glasurit, WD-40, 3 in 1, SEATCupra.net, Special Tuning and all the YRC members – old and new – for making this possible. We will now sit down and look at what we have learned from this weekend and continue to work on our plans for 2011 but this isn’t the last you’ll see of YRC in the BTCC!”

Neil Purcell – MD Talent Works International: “The weekend has been phenomenal. We’ve been involved in sponsorship before but it was exciting to be so involved with the team and be a real part of things. It’s a shame that the decision in race three meant there was no top ten finish, especially for Phil for the job he did behind the wheel and for Hannah. They deserved more.”

Photos: MW Motorsport Media
Report: Matt Salisbury

For the second race weekend in a row, Michael Caine and Tim Harvey shared the pole positions for rounds 13 and 14 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB during qualifying at Silverstone today (Saturday 21 August).

While Harvey (Red Line Racing) and Caine (Motorbase Performance) each took an overall pole at the head of a superb 27-car field, Ollie Jackson (Addison Lee Motorbase) twice posted a top five overall time to head pro-am1 for both races. In pro-am2, Paul Mace (GT Marques) bagged an impressive double pole.

Although there was the threat of rain in the air as qualifying started, the session remained dry. Most of the best laps came early in the half-hour session, as the track seemed to loose pace as the session went out. In a fabulously close field, less than a second covered the first 14 cars on the grid for round 13 with Caine clinching pole by 86-hundredthds of a second from Harvey, with Michael Meadows (Red Line Racing) an excellent third fastest.

In the line-up for round 14, based on second best lap times, Harvey headed Caine by less than a tenth of a second as Meadows again posted third fastest time. “It’s a stalemate,” said Caine of his on-going battle with Harvey. “The track lost its edge through the session,” he added after failing to match his early pace when he went out later in the session on his second set of tyres.

“As soon as I went out on the second set of tyres I knew the track was slower,” confirmed Harvey. “It’s the same qualifying result as at Snetterton and if we get the same race result I’ll be happy,” he added, after each driver took a win and a second at the Norfolk track. “This weekend is a bit of a worry for me as we’re all on the same pace,” said title leader Harvey. Meadows continued his strong recent form with two third places. “We were quick straightaway this weekend and it’s great to be mixing it with Tim and Michael,” said the Carrera Cup Scholarship driver.

Fourth and fifth fastest for each race were Jackson and Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing), with the positions reversed for round 14. “That was pretty spectacular,” said Jackson after a hugely impressive session. “It’s always good to be in the top five overall.” Second in pro-am1 was Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing), although a gaggle of pro category racers separated the pro-am1 leaders. “I think I’ll catch him in the races,” said Gelzinis. Tony Gilham (Collins ReDesign Racing) and Michael Leonard (Team Parker Racing) each took a third place on the pro-am1 grids.

Mace clinched pro-am2 pole for both races by a very small margin from Glenn McMenamin (Red Line Racing). “That’s very good; being fastest in pro-am2 is all I can do,” said Mace of his poles after limited running in testing on Friday. McMenamin was frustrated by traffic as he chased Mace’s time and was relieved to be second in pro-am2. Meanwhile, George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) and George Brewster (Celtic Speed) each took a third slot in the category.

Photo: PSP Images

David Pinkney will start the opening Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race of the weekend at Silverstone from 14th on the grid after qualifying at the Home of British Motorsport.

The Harpenden-racer headed to Silverstone looking to build on his top ten finish last time out at Snetterton and was an encouraging tenth quickest in the opening free practice session – just three-tenths of a second behind Tom Chilton’s Ford Focus.

While David then went quicker than he had in practice during the all-important qualifying session, the pace at the front was such that the gap to the LPG-powered Ford’s increased to 1.5 seconds, although the times were closer through the rest of the field.

Despite being little more than half a second slower than Andrew Jordan in sixth place, the Pinkney Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra will start the opening race of the weekend from the seventh row of the grid with David admitting there was some frustration at the way qualifying had panned out.

Photo: PSP Images

“If I’d set that time in first free practice it would have been good enough for fourth place,” he said. “While we found time during the day, the others were able to find more. The car is good and I was on the limit, but it’s frustrating when you do a lap that feels awesome in the car and then find the cars at the front are so far ahead.”

Team manager Andrew Dean said the team had worked hard to improve the car over a race distance as it seeks to secure its seventh top-ten finish of the year in Sunday’s three races.

“We seem to have made 14th place on the grid our own this season,” he said. “We have gone quicker during the day, but the others have found more time than us. We made a significant change to the car before qualifying which should make the car more driveable over a race distance and we aren’t in a bad position to start race day. We have to try and work our way forwards as we did at Snetterton to try and bring home some points.”

Photo: www.speedsnaps.co.uk

Team sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport will target a return to form at Silverstone this weekend as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heads to the home of British motorsport for the seventh round of the year.

The team endured a difficult weekend at Snetterton last time out after both Paul O’Neill and John George were involved in an accident on the opening lap of race two, with the Tech-Speed team working miracles to ensure that both Honda Integras were able to take part in the final race of the weekend.

Despite the difficulties faced in Norfolk, Widnes-racer Paul heads to Silverstone still firmly in the mix for the Independents’ championship with a gap of just 25 points to current leader Steven Kane.

With his car fully repaired following the Snetterton weeekend, Paul will hope to return to the kind of form that has seen him secure two overall podium finishes and two Independent victories already this season.

Photo: www.speedsnaps.co.uk

“Snetterton was one of those weekends that happens in motorsport,” he said. “We went there expecting a good weekend and it didn’t happen, whereas we have been to other circuits and things have gone better than we thought they would.

“We had some problems at Snetterton which have now been sorted and the car will be as good as it’s ever been when we arrive at Silverstone. I’m mad for it this weekend and hope we’ll be fighting at the sharp end. I’m going to Silverstone to be near the front and get a result. I’ve got nothing to lose so I’m going to go all out to pick up some laurels from the weekend.”

Guernsey-based team-mate John once again showed impressive pace in the sister car at Snetterton a fortnight ago, even though bad luck meant he came away from the weekend without any points after the race two incident.

Despite that, John battled through the field to finish just outside the top ten in the final race and now heads to Silverstone seeking to secure his second points finish of the season to reward the team for the work it has put in throughout the year.

“Silverstone is a circuit where I have gone well in the past and I always look forward to going there,” he said. “This weekend is no different and I go there looking to get into the top ten at least once.

“If it hadn’t been for the second race at Snetterton, I feel we would have scored some points. The guys did a fantastic job to get me out for the final race after the incident and I feel I could have got into the points if I hadn’t got stuck behind Tom Boardman. Without race two, I definitely think I’d have come away from the weekend with a top ten, but our day will come.

“I really want to get into the top ten at Silverstone, not just for myself, but to reward the boys who work so hard on the cars for the part they play. The BTCC is a team game at the end of the day and I want to get a points finish for them.”

The incident in race two at Snetterton left the Tech-Speed run team with plenty to do in the two weeks between races, but Tech-Speed boss Marvin Humphries said the two Honda Integras were ready and raring to go this weekend.

“Snetterton didn’t go to plan, but the boys have worked hard to get the cars prepared for Silverstone and we go there optimistic of a good weekend,” he said. “There is no reason why we can’t run well as we know the car is better than it was last year, but as Snetterton showed, you never know what is round the corner! We’ll certainly be giving it a good go.”

Sunshine.co.uk MD Chris Brown agreed that the team was now putting Snetterton behind it as it looks to impress through the remainder of the year.

“We didn’t get the results we were hoping for at Snetterton, but we’ll be working hard to put that right this weekend,” he said. “We know it won’t be easy at Silverstone because the long straights are going to favour certain cars on the grid, but the Honda should also be strong and we go there chasing some good results.

“Paul has shown on numerous occasions this season that he can fight with the best at the front of the field, while John hasn’t scored the points he has deserved for some good performances during the year.

“They were both really impressive in the final race at Snetterton and I’m confident that they will be able to challenge for points this weekend.”

YourRacingCar to join BTCC grid

Fan-funded race team YourRacingCar.com can today reveal the exciting news that it will contest the latest rounds of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone on the weekend of 21/22 August.

YourRacingCar was initially conceived – as all good ideas are – on the back of a beer mat, with the team spending recent years competing in the Ginetta G50 Championship and Renault Clio Cup.

The main idea behind YourRacingCar has always been to allow fans to have a greater involvement in motorsport, with those who sign up as YRC members benefitting from a raft of offers while also getting their picture on the team’s race car.

In order to give those fans greater exposure – and as part of long-term plans to move into the BTCC in 2011 – YourRacingCar has now agreed a deal with the Special Tuning UK team which will see it field a SEAT Leon in the colours of YRC members at Silverstone.

It marks the most exciting move yet for one of British motorsport’s most ambitious outfits as it seeks to take the fight to some of the top touring car teams around.

With YourRacingCar electing to make such a high-profile debut in its home event, the team has taken the decision to bring in a driver with touring car experience for its first BTCC race weekend in the shape of Phil Glew.

Phil clinched the Renault Clio Cup title last season and made his BTCC debut in the opening rounds of the 2010 season in a Triple Eight Racing Vauxhall Vectra, securing two top-ten finishes from three races at Thruxton.

Phil also benefitted from working alongside multiple touring car champion Fabrizio Giovanardi over the course of the Thruxton weekend and will now hope to use the knowledge he gained to give the YourRacingCar members reason to cheer.

“This is a big jump for YourRacingCar and it is a good opportunity for me to build a relationship with YRC for the future, as the BTCC is where I want to be,” he said. “I have been successful in other championships and British Touring Cars is the next step.

“I’m the reigning Clio champion so it works well to be joining forces with a team that is moving up from the Clio Cup and it is thanks to my sponsors at Glasurit, 3 in 1 and WD-40 that we have been able to team up with YourRacingCar to make this possible.

“YourRacingCar is a fantastic and exciting concept as it gives fans the opportunity to have added involvement with a team and if we can go out there and get a good result, then it will be a massive bonus to them. If I was a fan, then YourRacingCar is certainly something I’d want to be involved in.”

As if moving into the BTCC isn’t exciting enough for YourRacingCar and its members, the team will also become the first to run the series’ Next Generation Touring Car Engine in something other than a Vauxhall Vectra.

The new turbo-charged two-litre engine is a key component in the future direction of the BTCC as the series seeks to bring down the costs involved in the sport, with YourRacingCar set to play a vital role in its continued development.

“The new engine will be an unknown for us so we aren’t completely sure where we stand going into the weekend,” Phil added. “We know it isn’t going to be easy, but it is good for us to be involved in the development of the NGTC engine as we will be the first people to run it in a car other than the Vauxhall.

“As a racing driver, I always go out on track to win, but it is important for us not to be unrealistic in our aims with what is an unproven package. Initially we want to be inside the top ten, but with hard work and some luck on our side, I believe that the top six is an achievable target.

“Our main aim for the weekend is to get good publicity for everyone – fans and sponsors alike – who are involved in the programme.”

Although Phil will be at the wheel of the YourRacingCar SEAT in its debut event, current driver Fulvio Mussi remains a key part of the YRC programme and will be present at Silverstone to meet with members during the course of the weekend.

Fulvio will continue to work alongside YourRacingCar team principal Hannah James on putting together the team’s racing programme for 2011, with the focus firmly on delivering the maximum return for those fans who have invested hard earned funds into the project in recent years.

“We’re a passionate bunch of people,” Hannah said. “The BTCC has always been the dream for YRC and all our incredibly loyal fan sponsors. It’s with thanks to every member who forked out £25 this year and the faith shown in us by Talent Works, Glasurit, WD-40, 3 in 1 and SEATCupra.net that we can do this in the way we wanted to, with a car that we believe in and we’re committed to developing for the future.

“While he might not be driving at Silverstone, Fulvio’s involvement in the team is as important as it’s ever been. He remains instrumental in our future plans and we’re all focused on securing a two car line up for 2011.”

Fans who wish to sign up to support YourRacingCar can do so by visiting www.yourracingcar.com, where they can benefit from a special BTCC offer.

For £18, fans can get their picture on the YourRacingCar SEAT Leon while also picking up an exclusive YRC t-shirt designed by Unlap.