‘Harper seals Porsche title’
Gamble takes a double win after inspired tyre call in changeable conditions
When Pro-am racer Karl Leonard qualified third overall after a dry session, it was clear this was going to be a topsy-turvy Porsche Carrera Cup GB event.
But the unusual results were not enough to prevent Porsche Junior Dan Harper sealing the title with three races to spare.
As with Croft earlier in the season, where Leonard took an overall race win, rain was the cause of the randomness. After four laps of the opener, the order was headed by the returning Ross Wylie, with Am drivers Justin Sherwood (who later sealed the class title) and Peter Kyle-henney second and third, George Gamble fourth, and debutants Aaron Mason and Lucky Khera completing the top six. All of these drivers had chosen to use wet tyres on a track far from dry after earlier rain, Gamble opting to switch from slicks at the end of the formation lap.
Gamble duly went on to pass the Ams and grabbed the lead from Wylie at Brooklands on lap 18 of the 28, as he took an impressive win.
“On the warm-up lap I couldn’t get any heat in the tyres,” Gamble explained.
“I just thought at the last-minute I would dive into the pits and it paid off. It just didn’t dry out and I managed to build a gap.”
Of the slick-shod runners, Harper and 2014 champion Josh Webster had a brilliant battle throughout, with Harper edging clear late on to take seventh and third in the Pro class – more than enough to secure the title.
“Within a lap the guys who started on wets further back were ahead so it was hard to keep calm and stay out of trouble because they had so much pace,” said the new champion. “It was great fun battling with Josh and I was just making sure nothing went wrong.
“It’s a very special feeling – it feels like a long time since I was a champion! Porsche gave me a top opportunity and it was nice to pay them back, the pressure was on.”
Gamble started sixth on the partially reversed-grid for race two but it didn’t take him long to pass polesitter Khera and take the lead, going on to take another win and complete a perfect weekend.
“It was a brilliant race – I just went for it and got the gap,” said a delighted Gamble.
But the driver of the race had to be returning champion Tio Ellinas. After contact put him out of the opener, he started down in 17th. But that didn’t stop him from surging through the order, grabbing second with a bold dive down the inside of Harper at Brooklands.
Webster passed Harper too but it didn’t matter – the teenager had already done the hard work in the opening six weekends.