Tricky conditions on the Donington Park Grand Prix layout made for some exciting racing as all three of Porsche Club Motorsports race series were in action, and with every point now vital it was Jake McAleer and Simon Clark who took Porsche Club Motorsport Championship with Pirelli wins, while the Am Championship category saw Oliver Chatham take race one and Jason Brown, making the perfect tyre choice, claim race two.
It was a win apiece for Max Watt and Bertie Bream Porsche Club Motorsport Boxster Cup, on a race day that has set the scene for an exciting final two races at Snetterton next month.
Porsche Club Motorsport Championship with Pirelli &
Porsche Club Motorsport AM Championship with Pirelli
Race One
Ed Hayes had his Cayman on Porsche Club Motorsport Championship with Pirelli pole for the first race of the day but was slow away on a track still damp from earlier rain so it was Mark McAleer ahead at the end of lap one. Jake McAleer was initially third but got past Simon Clark at the Fogarty Esses with Hayes next up and Mark McAleer led until lap four when Jake went past at the Melbourne Hairpin, the lead four all close.
Jake McAleer began to pull away at the front, Clark pushing hard to find a way past Mark McAleer, Hayes staying with them. Clark finally found a way past with a move at the hairpin with two laps to go, as Jake McAleer claimed win six of the season and Mark McAleer just held off Hayes to take third.
“I wasn’t feeling that great this morning, so I certainly wasn’t expecting a win”, said Jake McAleer. “Really happy with that, just gutted my dad lost places in the last couple of laps. On pole for race two so hoping for a similar result.”
“Happy with second, we were having some great battles into the Melbourne hairpin, four cars into one sometimes,” said Clark. “Happy to get through that unscathed, it’s a good result for us, I’ve got loads of guests here today so pleased to get a result for them”.
“I didn’t make a great start but went well after that,” said Hayes. “Good to hang around with these guys as they are so quick, really good fun and happy to be on the podium.”
It was Oliver Chatham who was quickest of the Porsche Club Motorsport AM Championship with Pirelli field on practice and duly led them away at the start, Barrington Darcy, making his AM Championship debut running second ahead of Andrew Porter. Chatham opened a gap that Darcy was then able to hold constant, while behind Porter teammates Darren Labbett and Wayne Gregory were running close together.
Chatham stayed clear to take his third win in a row, Darcy a fine second as he made his debut on slick tyres in the series. Labbett got past Porter in the latter part of the race and crossed the line in third only to be demoted in the results due to a yellow flag infringement, Porter thus third with Tom Andrew coming through for fourth.
“That’s three on the trot, not bad,” said Chatham. “We got two green flag laps as the conditions were different which was a great call by the clerk of the course, and I got a good getaway. I wanted to pull away, but they were always just behind waiting for a mistake.”
“That was anything but easy, a solid learning experience,” said Darcy. “It was really greasy and that put me through my paces, I was trying to keep Ollie in sight.”
Race Two
It was a damp track and tricky conditions for race later in the day, Jake McAleer on pole but the man on the move on the opening lap was Clark, who moved into second at the start and into the lead through Coppice on lap one to head the field. Hayes was also quick early on and climbed into second, Jake McAleer third from Father Mark as everyone explored the grip levels on their slick tyres.
Clark was on fine form and pulled away, only to see his lead evaporate at the end of lap six when the safety car came out with a car in a gravel trap. Released again to race as they headed into lap nine, he once more pulled away to take the win, Hayes second and Jake McAleer third. Pete Morris claimed fourth while Julain Morris was fifth Club Championship car home.
“We always go well in those conditions, that as just perfect,” said Clark. “I was trying to keep some heat in the car under the safety car, I lost the lead but the 997 was superb and I could pull away again.”
“The car was good, you could find more grip by staying offline,” said Hayes. “A good day, hopefully just the start of a good run.”
“If you had asked me at the beginning of the day, I’d have taken a first and a third,” said Jake McAleer. “Simon always goes well in these conditions, I had to look at the bigger picture and score points, I was so surprised to look in the mirror and see an AM class car right with me!”
A superb start by Jason Brown saw him blast past the rest of the AM Championship runners from ninth on the grid and come round fifth overall at the end of lap one amongst the Club Championship front runner’s courtesy of an inspired decision to go for wet weather tyres. Chatham was best of the rest at the end of lap one, with Porter in third, but Brown had the grip and the pace.
Never threatened by anyone in his class Brown was giving the Club category cars a hard time mid-corner and stayed clear to take a fine AM Championship win. Labbett found a way past Porter to take third at the end, Wayne Gregory fourth.
“We made last minute call for wets,” said Brown. “It was worth a gamble, and it paid off, I really didn’t want the safety car but I was able to stay away. I was amongst the Club cars, they had more power on the straights, but I could make up time in the corners.”
“He stole it!”, joked Chatham, “seriously though, an amazing call by Jason I thought he might win the whole thing. It was fun with the car in those conditions on slicks, the car was really good fun. “
“It was a challenge just staying on the track, said Labbett. “I saw Jason just tear off into the distance but I’m happy to take third and score points.”
Porsche Club Motorsport Championship with Pirelli
Race One:
1 Jake McAleer (997 C2S) 14 Laps
2 Simon Clark (997 C2S) +2.705s
3 Ed Hayes (Cayman S)
4 Mark McAleer (997 C2S).
Fastest Lap: Mark McAleer 1m41.142s (88.53mph).
Race Two:
1 Simon Clark 12 Laps
2 Ed Hayes +8.348s
3 Jake McAleer
4 Pete Morris.
Fastest Lap: Clark 1m56.548s (76.83mph).
Porsche Club Motorsport AM Championship with Pirelli
Race One:
1 Oliver Chatham (Boxster S) 14 Laps
2 Barrington Darcy (Boxster S) +6.258s
3 Andrew Porter (Boxster S)
4 Tom Andrew (Boxster S)
Fastest Lap: Chatham 1m44.960s (85.31mph).
Race Two:
1 Jason Brown (Boxster S) 12 Laps
2 Oliver Chatham +16.322s
3 Darren Labbett (Boxster S)
4 Wayne Gregory (Boxster S)
Fastest Lap: Brown 1m59.557s (74.89mph).
Porsche Club Motorsport Boxster Cup
Race One
From the outside of the front row of the Porsche Club Motorsport Boxster Cup grid it was Bertie Bream who led as pole sitter Max Ward slipped to third and Ben Grewcock came through in second. Watt was into second on lap two and the top three opened a gap as behind a train of dicing Boxsters was headed by Brendan Haffner, who was holding off the next four cars.
On lap four Watt got inside Bream at Coppice, but Bream fought back immediately and regained the lead at the next corner. The lead pair ran close for the next few laps before Bream pulled a couple of seconds clear and led over the line, only to be hit with a five second track limits penalty that dropped him to second in the final results.
Watt thus took his sixth win in a row, Grewcock third as Mike Thompson came through the midfield battle to take fourth.
“That was a tough one,” said Watt, “We had no ventilation in the car and I was getting hot and trying my hardest to get past Bertie. It was a little bit slippery at first and you had to stay off the kerbs but delighted to take six in a row.”
Race Two
It was a confusing start for race two as Watt jumped the start, slowed, and was swamped by the rest of the field as the lights went out Bream leading from Haffner and Grewcock. Watt fought his way back to the front only to spin going through the Craner Curves and fall back down the order once more.
With Bream in control at the front, Haffner looked to have second sealed up but in the latter laps his car kept slowing letting Grewcock into second. Bream duly took the win, Grewcock second with Stuart Warner also getting by Haffner late on to claim the final podium slot.
“It seemed conditions were changing by the lap,” said Bream. “You just had to stay cool and drive every lap like it was really wet. I was trying to be consistent and didn’t need to pull a massive gap, just stay out front.”
“Pleased with that,” said Grewcock. “Brendan was quick but had a problem and Max spun, so I had to keep it steady with no mistakes and hold off Stuart at the end.”
“I was being pushed hard all the way it seemed,” said Warner. “Delighted to be on the podium with my teammate Bertie, glad to do the job ibn those conditions.”
Porsche Club Motorsport Boxster Cup
Race One:
1 Max Watt (Boxster S) 14 Laps
2 Bertie Bream (Boxster S) 0.481s
3 Ben Grewcock (Boxster S)
4 Brenden Haffner (Boxster S).
Fastest Lap: Watt 1m46.657s (383.95mph)
Race Two:
1 Bertie Bream 12 Laps.
2 Ben Grewcock +4.627s
3 Stuart Warner (Boxster S).
4 Perry Darling (Boxster S).
Fastest Lap: Watt 1m54.640s (78.10mph).
Final Races: Snetterton, Norfolk, October 11th, 2025.