Silverstone’s National circuit hosted the opening rounds of all three of Porsche Club Motorsport’s race series on Saturday April 19th, with the Porsche Club Motorsport AM Championship with Pirelli seeing two new winners as Richard Forber and Shiraz Khan claimed victories, and in the Porsche Club Motorsport Boxster Cup newcomer Bertie Bream impressed with two wins. Jake McAleer won both Porsche Club Motorsport Championship with Pirelli races, both featuring superb lead battles, and it looks a great season ahead for each series.
Porsche Club Motorsport Championship with Pirelli &
Porsche Club Motorsport AM Championship with Pirelli
Race One
Jake McAleer had his 997 C2S on pole for the opening Porsche Club Motorsport Club Championship with Pirelli race of the season, but a slow getaway saw him tumble down the top ten as Simon Clark made the best getaway to take the lead form the second row of the grid, Mark McAleer right behind and the Cayman of Chris Dyer third. Jake McAleer was ninth at the end of the opening lap but on a charge, up to sixth by lap five and into fifth a lap later.
Clark had opened an early gap, but Mark McAleer started to close back in from lap four onwards, and was ahead with a move down the inside into Copse corner as they started lap eight. Jake McAleer passed Dyer for third a lap later and set about chipping away at the lead pair’s advantage, passing Clark at Copse on lap 19, and passing Father Mark at the same spot five laps later to claim the comeback win, the lead three less than a second and a half apart at the end, Dyer clear of Jim Bryan to take fourth.
“I messed up the start, clutch went to the floor but all my fault,” said Jake McAleer. “I found I could get a good exit out the last corner, get a run down the pit straight and past into Copse. I caught up with my dad and saw him get blocked by a backmarker and thought ‘now’s my chance’. “
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw Jake in the mirror, and knew he had some great pace,” said Mark McAleer. “It was one of those things with the backmarkers, but a good race and a great team result.”
“The backmarkers kept us all together,” said Clark. “I was having an issue with the brake pedal and kept having to bring it back which was making me a little apprehensive about trying too much. I didn’t get the result, but that was great racing.”
Reigning champion Daren Labbett led at the end of the opening lap in the Porsche Club Motorsport AM Championship with Pirelli, with series newcomers Richard Forber and Stuart Marston right with him. Forber was under pressure from Marston in the early laps, while in fourth Shiraz Khan headed a train of cars that included the recovering Oliver Chatham, who lost ground due a spinning car on lap one.
It all changed at the front with a spin for Labbett near the end of lap 12, which moved Forber to the front from Marston, Chatham now in third having passed Khan on that lap. Forber, a former Boxster Cup champion, pulled clear to take his first win in his first race in the category, Marston second from Chatham, Khan a secure fourth at the end of the 25-minute race.
“I really wasn’t expecting that after some issues in qualifying,” said Forber. “We got through some spinning cars early on, got into third, then second and I could see Darren ahead and he went off, mega to take a win!”
“Really enjoyed that, the car felt nice,” said Marston, “a good result in my first race in the Boxster and looking forward to the second race.”
“I was ahead on lap one and a Cayman spun in front of me, went on the grass and everyone went past,” said Chatham. “Delighted to get back to third, and we have another race so we can do better again there.”
Race Two
Once more it was Simon Clark who made the best start in the Club Championship field, slotting his 997 into the lead from the second row of the grid, pole sitter Jake McAleer third behind father Mark at the end of lap one, Bryan fourth. Clark pushed hard and was three seconds clear after four laps, Jake McAleer now right with Mark and past on the next lap.
A series of fastest laps saw Jake McAleer close in, only for Clark to respond with his own new fastest time on lap eight, and it was another ten laps before it was two cars fighting for the lead. A brave move down the inside as they reached Becketts saw Jake McAleer take the lead on lap 20, but Clark stayed with him and was still right there as they took the flag at the end of the 25 laps.
Mark McAleer was a secure third, the pace of the lead trio seeing them well clear of the rest. Pete Morris claimed fourth, after battling race long with Chris Dyer and Jim Bryan, the trio swapping places seemingly all race.
“The start was a bit better than race one,” said Jake McAleer. “The car has pace and felt good, and Simon seemed quicker than race one so that was hard, flat out the whole way. Couldn’t ask for a better start to the season.”
“I made a good start and went round the outside of them,” said Clark. “I knew they would come back at me, I lost momentum due to a backmarker and Jake got past – but he has driven so well today and deserved that. Great racing, no contact.”
“A good race, I struggled for outright pace early on,” said Mark McAleer. “Then when the car came good I could match their pace but not close in.”
The AM Championship runners put on one of the races of the day with their lead dice, Khan heading the Boxster dominated category at the end of lap one, already under pressure from Forber and Chatham. Jason Brown joined the lead train after three laps with Tom Andrew also not far away.
Khan was under pressure but never offered up a clean opportunity until Forber dived past at Becketts on lap 11, only to slow after a tangle with a back marker putting Khan back at the front. Chatham was second only to also retire, and Khan reeled off the final laps to take his maiden win in fine style, Darren Labbett coming through to take second with Andrew third, Brown just over a second back to take fourth.
“It was pressure all the way, the team have done so well to get the car back to where it should be,” said Khan. “I got a good start and led the race, they were there all the time, it felt like everyone had a go! I’m really pleased, never led before – can’t believe I won it!”
Porsche Club Motorsport Boxster Cup
Race One
Matt Gough was on pole for the opening Porsche Club Motorsport Boxster Cup race of the season, and led at the start, fellow front row starter newcomer Max Watt slow away and getting swamped by cars from the next few rows. A spin for Gough at the start of the second lap was a reminder of the tricky track conditions and saw teenager Bertie Bream, in his first Boxster Cup race, take the lead.
As Bream eased away at the front places changed all down the order with drivers being caught out by the damp track, Barrington Darcy up from tenth on the grid to claim second from Brenden Haffner on lap before, losing the position to Perry Darling, another to lose ground early on as they started lap nine. A few laps later Darcy was another to spin, dropping to fifth, Max Watt taking over in third.
Bream stayed clear to claim an impressive win on his debut, Darling a secure second. Behind, Darcy was right back with Watt with three laps to go and duly claimed third, his first podium finish in the series, Watt fourth ahead of Mike Thompson.
“It was all about keeping it smooth out there,” said Bream, “Once I had a around ten seconds advantage, I knew I had it. The conditions changed so much almost lap by lap and it was all about planning ahead and reacting to how the track changes – well happy with that.”
“I spun early on and was out of shape a couple more times,” said Darling. “Conditions were so greasy, the car was just snapping away, pleased to get back to second and a good start to the season.”
“That was entertaining!” said Darcy. “I had to get back up with them, it seemd to be raining on and off all race and towards the end was really slippery, pleased with my first podium!”
Race Two
It was a dry track for race two later in the afternoon and again Gough made the best start but at the end of lap one it was Bream who was ahead, from Gough and Thompson, Scott Evans fourth from 11th on the grid, having missed race one due to damage from a qualifying collision. Thompson was into second by lap three, with Evans up to third and Gough now under pressure from Watt.
Thompson was pushing hard and setting new fastest race laps in his pursuit of Bream, Evans staying with him in the first part of the race. Watt was at this point caught up in a battle with Darling for fourth, Darling finally getting past down the inside into Copse on lap 11, the pair having been side-by-side down the pit straight.
Having closed to within a second Thompson had seen the best of his tyres and from lap 15 the gap at the front opened up again, Bream taking his second win of the day in style. Thompson held on to take second from Evans, Darling fourth with Watt next up, the race featuring some entertaining battle all down the order.
“I saw Mike Thompson coming and he kept me on my toes,” said Bream. “I was trying to be consistent from the moment I had the lead, great to take two wins.”
“I’d run out of tyres by the end,” said Thompson. “The car was starting to slide, and I knew I’d need some tyres to get past him but I just didn’t have them. I just sat back and had to settle for second.”
“It took a lot of work by the crew to get out for this race,” said Evans, “we knew we weren’t going to make race one, but the boys did a sterling job, sorted the sub-frame, drive shafts and more. So pleased with that, the car is quick when it goes well, and they deserved that result.”
Porsche Club Motorsport Championship with Pirelli
Race One:
1 Jake McAleer (997 C2S) 25 Laps
2 Mark McAleer (997 C2s) +0.929s
3 Simon Clark (997 C2S)
4 Chris Dyer (Cayman.2 ).
Fastest Lap: Jake McAleer 1m01.293s (96.35mph).
Race Two:
1 Jake McAleer 25 Laps
2 Clark +0.392s
3 Mark McAleer
4 Pete Morris (997 C2S)
Fastest Lap: Jake McAleer 1m01.252s (96.25mph).
Porsche Club Motorsport AM Championship with Pirelli
Race One:
1 Richard Forber (Boxster S) 24 Laps
2 Stuart Marston (Boxster S) +4.870s
3 Oliver Chatham (Boxster S)
4 Shiraz Khan (Boxster S)
Fastest Lap: Richard Forber 1m04.240s (91.93mph).
Race Two:
1 Shiraz Khan (Boxster S)24 Laps
2 Darren Labbett (Boxster S)+7.652s
3 Tom Andrew (Boxster S)
4 Jason Brown (Boxster S)
Fastest Lap: Oliver Chatham 1m04.129s (92.09mph).
Porsche Club Motorsport Boxster Cup
Race One:
1 Bertie Bream (Boxster S) 20 Laps
2 Perry Darling (Boxster S) +20.101s
3 Barrington Darcy (Boxster S)
4 Max Watt (Boxster S)
Fastest Lap: Bertie Bream 1m13.175s (80.70mph).
Race Two:
1 Bertie Bream (Boxster S) 23 Laps
2 Mike Thompson (Boxster S) +7.282
3 Scott Evans (Boxster S)
4 Perry Darling (Boxster S)
Fastest Lap: Max Watt 1m07.102s (88.01mph).
Next Races: Trac Môn, Anglesey, 10th May 2025