Brands Hatch hosts the penultimate meeting of the 2021 Petro-Canada Lubricants Porsche Club Championship with Pirelli and Porsche Classic Boxster Cup season, and that means points are precious and every place gained in a race could be crucial. Reigning champion Simon Clark has had a strong season and heads class one and the overall points, but class two leader Matt Kyle-Henney is just ten points behind, and in the Boxster Cup it is Will Heslop and rookie Richard Forber in title contention.
Clark had been a consistent scorer with six wins so far, including two at Brands Hatch in May, and will be a factor today in his Cayman. Pushing him hard will be the 997s of Pete Morris and Mark McAleer, both race winners in 2021, and although they are behind Clark in the points, at season’s end drivers drop their two lowest scores, and that will currently hurt Clark more than the chasing pack.
Jake McAleer, son of Mark, has been rapid in his Cayman in recent races and has won at Brands Hatch before, while last time out at Silverstone Chris Dyer claimed a win in his Cayman S and was strong in race two. James Caley is another driver on the pace in his 997, while out at Brands will be local racer Kevin Harrison in his 996 C2, renowned for quick starts, and class two regular Kevin Molyneaux steps up a class also in a 996.
Class two is dominated by the Boxsters, and it has been Kyle-Henney who has been a constant front-runner in a very competitive class. Toby Barlow missed the opening rounds but returned in style and has won four of the last six races, while Paul Simpson has also been a race winner and with drivers such as Andy Muggeridge and Angus Archer also podium visitors, the lead group will be worth watching.
Jesse Chamberlain has been plagued by bad luck in his Boxster and deserves a strong raceday, while Carl Hazelton sits fourth in the points and is chasing his first podium finish.
In the Porsche Classic Boxster Cup, the cars run on treaded tyres as opposed to the slicks of the championship runners, and on any sort of slippery track they can be on the pace of the class two cars. It was Will Heslop in his distinctive ‘Pink Pig’ liveried Boxster who set the early season pace, but newcomer Richard Forber has gained pace by the meeting and now the duo are trading race wins and close in the points for the title.
Alistair Nelson has led the chase of the lead two and Mike Thompson has also been a podium visitor, while today Darren Labbett and Faye Noble-Evans are making their race debuts.
2021 Petro-Canada Lubricants and Porsche Club Championship with Pirelli and Porsche Classic Boxster Cup Calendar:
Donington Park, East Midlands – April 10th
Brands Hatch GP, Kent – May 1st
Snetterton 300, Norfolk – June 5th
Oulton Park, Cheshire – July 3rd
Silverstone GP, Northants. – August 14th
Brands Hatch Indy, Kent - September 5th
Snetterton 300, Norfolk – October 2nd