TESTER TRIUMPHS IN PORSCHE CLUB FINALE
Porsche Club GB brought two grids of 911s, Boxsters and Caymans to Donington Park in order to settle rivalries that have simmered all season long.
In the main Club Championship, Simon Clark (996) and Pete Morris (997) were outpaced by Matt KyleHenney’s Cayman S in tricky qualifying conditions, but as the dampness slowly lifted, tyre choices for the afternoon’s racing were to prove pivotal.
Polesitter Kyle-Henney decided on slicks, as did Morris in third place. Clark, however, seeking championship success, opted for wets. As the red lights went out, Clark looked to have chosen wisely, Kyle-Henney’s rears spinning wildly while Morris had to cajole the powerful 997 away from the line. Clark headed the pack into Redgate while Morris immediately found himself under pressure. Kyle-Henney, on the other hand, was dropping right down the order and was soon out of the top 10.
Overall championship leader Colin Tester wasn’t faring much better. He, too, had struggled off the line and was down to fourth in the Boxster class. Meanwhile, Clark’s lead was extending comfortably until interrupted by a brief safety car period. He managed the restart well, but the slick runners had used this time to probe traction and, while there was still only one usable line, it was clear that this was soon set to change.
By the midpoint, the grip finally came. Kyle-Henney delivered a fastest lap to commence a stunning fightback, colouring the timing screens purple every time he crossed the line, and he closed in on Morris, who had got past Clark at the chicane. Tester was also making progress, picking off his rivals carefully to move into the class lead. As the clock counted down, Kyle-Henney was ever quicker, with traffic hampering Morris to bring the two just metres apart. The flag was readied but they passed with two seconds still to go, forcing a last-lap showdown. Try as he might, Kyle-Henney was countered robustly by Morris who claimed his fifth win of the year.
In the second outing, Clark’s fresh slick rubber proved too hard to beat, giving him the consolation of class honours. A controlled drive from Tester not only secured him the Boxster class but the overall title to cap a sensational debut season with the club.
The Boxster Cup produced some equally thrilling racing. Wayne Gregory won the class in both races but only by 0.03s in race two from Shiraz Khan in a dramatic sprint to the line.
Alex Champkin proved unbeatable in Clubmans
Sports Prototypes, but Peter Richings was the worthy the class of the field, bowing out after half a century of competition with a marvellous fifth place (from eighth on the grid) in his final race in the Mallock.