Donington Park hosted the opening rounds of Porsche Club Motorsport’s two race championships, and the day saw a host of new race winners. Newcomers Harry Mailer and Steve Wood won the two Porsche Club Motorsport Championship with Pirelli races while Andrew Porter and Oliver Chatham shared class two honours
Porsche Club Motorsport Championship with Pirelli
Race One
Mailer was on pole for the opening Porsche Club Championship race of the season but it was a race that had to be restarted after a first lap melee left Mark McAleer and Bill Caley out for the rest of the day. From the restart Pete Morris took the lead with Mailer just behind and Neil Delargy third, James Caley in fourth.
Mailer was right with Morris and looking for a way past and had an attack into Redgate on lap five but Morris held on. By then their dice had let the rest of the field close in, six cars circulating within a second and a half of each other at the front.
Mailer finally got his Cayman ahead on lap eight and was able to ease away over the rest of the race, as Morris now came under pressure from James Caley. They finished in that order, the race stopping early due to a car off at the Old Hairpin.
“My first start was good but the second one I missed out,” said Mailer. “It was a fun drive, I was able to be so close to Pete but there was respect – the car was so good, and we were bumper to bumper what felt like the whole way.”
“Harry was quick, but that was a good battle with him,” said Pete Morris. “It’s good to race against someone quick like that and it was a fair and close race, I was trying to block later on but the track was so slippery, there seemed to be fluid down everywhere.”
A strong start saw Ross Morris heading class two early on with Andrew Porter and Oliver Chatham right with him and battling for the class lead. Morris slid off on fluid at Coppice corner on lap six, and that led Porter move ahead and even manage to put class one cars between himself and the pursuing Chatham.
“Can’t complain about that!” said Porter, “from the restart it went to plan if you can ever say you have a plan! We were with the class one cars and I knew I had to get past them as everyone in our class is just so quick I knew they would be back with me. A pole and a race win, happy with that.”
Race Two
Pete Morris was on pole for race two and again got away well, this time with the 996 of Steve Wood, making his series debut, slotting into second, James Caley third but with Mailer for close company. The order at the front changed on lap four with Mailer getting past James Caley at the start of the lap, and then Woods getting inside Morris through Coppice for the lead, Mailer also taking advantage of the off-line 997 to take second behind Wood.
Wood immediately set the race’s fastest lap as he looked to break away, and pulled a couple of seconds clear of Mailer who also had space to Morris, who was once again having to hold off James Caley and Delargy. Wood stayed clear to take the win from Mailer, Morris third less than a second clear of Caley and Delargy.
“Race one wasn’t great, so I needed to give something back to the team,” said Wood. “We’ve only managed two test days with the car, but it feels so good, the team have it set up so well. Into Coppice I could see Pete was being careful and I got past, then saw Harry coming through as well! Nice to come here and win, been talking about doing the series for a few years, and we finally made it happen.”
“I saw the two cars in front side by side, and I thought for a moment I could get both of them,” said Mailer. “We had a touch which affected by steering, but I was into second. Steve was quick but my tyres were past their best, but these cars are such fun and the level of competition is amazing.”
Porter once again set the class two pace early, running in the top ten overall, but retired his car on lap nine which saw Chatham inherit the class lead and go onto take the win.
“I had to battle hard for that one,” said Chatham, “we had strong and weak points round the circuit but it was a good fun race.”
Porsche Club Motorsport Championship with Pirelli.
Race One:
1 Harry Mailer (Cayman S) 14 Laps
2 Pete Morris (997 C2S) +4.299s
3 James Caley (997 C2S)
4 Neil Delargy (997 C2S)
5 Chris Dyer (Cayman S)
6 Andrew Muggeridge (996 C2)
Class Two:
1 Andrew Porter (Boxster S)
2 Oliver Chatham (Boxster S)
3 Harry Rice (Boxster S)
Fastest Lap: Mailer 1m15.066s (94.91mph).
Race Two:
1 Steve Wood (996 C2) 20 Laps
2 Harry Mailer (Cayman S) + 2.780s
3 Pete Morris (997 C2S)
4 James Caley (997 C2S)
5 Neil Delargy (997 C2S)
6 Chris Dyer (Cayman S)
Class Two:
1 Oliver Chatham (Boxster S)
2 Ross Morris (Boxster S)
3 Carl Hazelton (Boxster S)
Fastest Lap: Wood 1m14.026s (96.24mph).