The final rounds of the 2024 Porsche Club Motorsport Club Championship with Pirelli and the Porsche Club Motorsport AM Championship with Pirelli took place at Snetterton on Sunday October 6th, and now race results have been confirmed and cars in title contention checked for eligibility the 2024 Champions are confirmed as Simon Clark and Darren Labbett.
In a hard-fought season, there was drama to the very last race and the Club Championship race wins went to Jake McAleer and Bill Caley, while the AM category went to Oliver Chatham and aptly in the final race Darren Labbett.
“It’s been a fantastic season, so much credit to County Classics Racing for prepping such a good car for me,” said Club Championship title winner Clark. “I’ve had some great sponsors supporting me and the thing about this championship is the people you are driving against. It has been the cleanest year I have ever raced, I’ve enjoyed racing against every driver on the grid and with competitors you can trust to race close with cars so evenly matched you can really enjoy your racing.”
“I went into the season with the goal of a top three finish,” explained AM category winner Labbett. “The guys in the series are very good so I decided I had to be more consistent and pick up points on every opportunity I had to do so. I was on the podium in the first seven races and approached the last two meetings having scored in every race which meant the car was consistent as well, the guys at Unique Racing did an awesome job with the Boxster. This is my first ever championship win so I am absolutely delighted.”
Race One
Championship challenger Mark McAleer was on pole for the opening race, and in with a great opportunity to close on points leader Simon Clark who was fifth on the grid in his 997. Mark McAleer took the early lead, son Jake slotting into second and the Cayman of Bill Caley third.
Bill Caley came under pressure from Chris Dyer for third, the latter up from ninth on the grid and having passed fellow Cayman racer Christian Walker for fourth on lap three. The lead four were lapping quickly but the race dramatically changed on lap nine when leader Mark McAleer slowed with a suspension issue, falling down the orders as the other cars streamed past.
That left Jake McAleer in the lead, and he duly reeled off the remaining laps for the win, Bill Caley second while Dyer claimed third, Dyer giving the new for 2024 Gen 2 Cayman its first series podium. Championship leader Clark came home fifth, while the hobbled 997 of Mark McAleer was eighth in the final standings.
“That wasn’t the way I wanted to win, we were over the moon after qualifying with our first team front row of the year,” said Jake McAleer, second on the gris to Mark McAleer. “I got away well, and it was looking good, shame dad couldn’t get it over the line but I had cars with me all the way, a good race and happy with the win but gutted for dad.”
In the AM class pole sitter Oliver Chatham got out of shape on the opening lap and lost places, before working his way back up the order. He was up to third by lap six, at which point Andrew Porter had moved to the front of the category.
Chatham was into second on lap eight and past Porter for the lead a lap later, and he held on to take his fifth on of the season. Porter was second while championship contender Darren Labbett claimed third in the final results.
“All my own fault on lap one, I just turned in and the car went round,” said Chatham. “I was thinking I was going to run out of time to get back in front and I didn’t really relax again until I was leading.”
Race Two
With his car repaired it was Mark McAleer who once more led the field away for the final race of 2024, Bill Caley slotting his Cayman into second with Father James Caley third from Walker. In what proved to be a crucial move Bill Caley got past Mark McAleer on lap two to take the lead.
A sudden rain shower at that point made the track surface treacherous and the field, all on slick tyres, were fighting for grip and the order shuffled. They were greeted at the end of lap three by the safety car, and after some laps at slow speed with the condition not improving the race was stopped early. Bill Caley was the winner, James Caley second for the first Caley family one-two, Mark McAleer third while fourth was enough to see Clark confirmed as champion in his County Classics Racing 997 from Jake and them Mark McAleer in the final points table, the lead cars all running Hartech-built engines.
“Pleased to win, but I couldn’t believe how quickly it got really wet,” said Bill Caley, “there was suddenly no grip. It is also our first family one-two so that makes it really good.”
Chatham was the early AM category leader from Porter and Darren Labbett, and they too had their order shuffled as conditions worsened. As the safety car came out it was Labbett who led the pack from Chatham, and they finished in the that order with Jason Brown claiming third.
“That was a strange race, but enjoyable,” said Labbett. “It was weird, it was suddenly like being on ice and people were spinning in front of me, I saw Ollie spin and the safety car was out and I was thinking ‘thank you very much’!”
The Porsche Club Motorsport season concludes with the annual prize giving on Saturday 16th November at the Rushton Hall Hotel and Spa, Northamptonshire