With all three of Porsche Club Motorsports popular race series in action at the Croft circuit in North Yorkshire this Saturday, August 24th, the large fields and high level of race action seen so far this season is sure to be once more on display.
The Porsche Club Motorsport Championship with Pirelli and Porsche Club Motorsport AM Championship with Pirelli fields have already provided many close races their visit to Croft is sure to continue that. This season marks the 40th anniversary of the club’s premier race series, and it is fitting the series make their first return to Croft since 2016.
Yorkshire’s Mark McAleer heads the points as we head into the second half of the season with two wins after the six races, but the lead battles have been close. Right with Mark McAleer in the points is another former champion, Simon Clark having taken four wins but also suffered with retirements, while just a point behind Clark is Jake McAleer, son of Mark, another double race winner so far this season.
Bill Caley took a win last time out at Anglesey in his Cayman S and sits fourth in the points, two places ahead of father James. Ed Hayes was second in the opening race at Oulton, his best finish to date on his return to the championship and has been a consistent scorer.
The Porsche Club Motorsport AM Championship was previously class two and is now its own championship, and Angus Archer heads the points having hit the ground running with two wins at the season opener at Donington Park. Andrew Porter topped the points after four races, was then a victim of a start line incident at Oulton Park but has fought his way back to second, with Jason Brown now third having taken two wins.
Darren Labbett slipped out the top three in the points after Anglesey so will be keen to score more points today, one of several drivers racing in the series at Croft for the first time. Jamie Callender claimed his first win with a fine drive in race one at Oulton Park, while Jess Wilkinson, a graduate from the Boxster Cup and getting to grips with slick tyres, sits sixth in the points.
The Woods Foodservice Porsche Club Boxster Cup has also provided high quality racing so far this season, and while each of the first four races featured a different winner the experienced Mike Thompson has now won three of the last four races.
Thompson might be the only triple winner of the season, but he sits well down the points table having failed to score at the opening rounds in April. It is Wayne Gregory who tops the points with two wins, with Ryan Charters, winner of the opening race of the season at Donington Park back in April, in second. Just a point behind Charters is Darren King, one of the men behind the Unique Racing team who tend to Gregory’s car.
It is tight at the top with Perry Darling just two points back from King, and he took his debut Boxster Cup win at Brands Hatch in May. Next up is Sarah Thomson, and the Scots racer may be seeing Croft as almost a local race after her many journeys up and down the country to compete. Having taken her first podium finish at Anglesey last month, she will be new to Croft but so will most of the Boxster Cup field.
Faye Noble-Evans, third overall in the points last season, sits seventh in the championship and was on the podium at Brands Hatch in early May. Just ahead is the consistent Ben Grewcock in the Porsche Centre Bournemouth backed car, while Graham Heard is another to take his debut win in the series this season.
Each series has two 25-minute races at Croft circuit.
Live timing via
www.smart-timing.co.uk