King left deflated as Martin and Wylie surprise
PORSCHE CARRERA CUP GB
Harry King’s dominant streak continued at Thruxton, but his winning run ended thanks to not one, but two left-rear-tyre blowouts on the bruising Hampshire speedbowl that allowed fellow series rookie Will Martin and Ross Wylie to take surprise wins.
King was absolutely miles in front in the opener when, on the 18th lap of 20, his Team Parker Racing machine got its first puncture. Martin had got the better of front-row qualifier Lorcan Hanafin into the Complex on the opening lap, with series veteran Josh Webster following him through. A frantic mid-race battle between Martin and Webster ended in the Ginetta Junior graduate’s favour and, once King’s tyre had failed, the youngster held off Webster to the finish, with Hanafin third.
King’s first-race drama put him seventh on the partially reversed grid for race two, but by the end of the 10th lap he had passed the In2 Racing car of early leader Wylie to move in front. Four laps later, his left-rear exploded at Allard to end a miserable day.
Webster had made progress in his Parker entry and was catching Wylie, only for him to suffer a puncture on the penultimate lap. And, with Redline Racing pairing Scott Mckenna and Matthew Graham also getting blowouts, that enabled the low-key Hanafin and Martin into second and third.
“Hindsight’s a horrible thing and you think, ‘Should I have backed off?’” said a dejected Webster. “But I was dead set on catching Wylie. We have to look at whether we come here again.”