Round Ten Porsche Club Speed Championship

Round 10 Harewood Hillclimb
 
I'm writing this report in absentia as I wasn't actually at Harewood this weekend. However, with helpful details provided by Jon Baldock, I can report that during an often overcast and blustery day on the Yorkshire hill our drivers shone with some great times and as ever close results across the power classes.
 
Harewood Hillclimb is less than ten miles from Leeds town centre, however it couldn't really feel further away set as it is in a picturesque valley with Red Kites often flying over the cars in the paddock and a track that passes directly between farm buildings!
 
The Porsche Speed Championship with NINEMEISTER group were at the venue on Sunday 5th July and many had grabbed the opportunity to practice by entering a non-scoring round the day before. Would that deliver an advantage? Time would tell!
 
One practice run was available and the two P4 (>220Hp) class runners, Stephen Jory and Jake Cartwright ended that practice less than two tenths apart, Stephen in the modified 944 coming out on top.
 
Six cars were in P3, and all were trying hard. Graham Rose went off to view the Yorkshire scenery in his supercharged 924 S, and Jon Baldock was greedy at the final corner, running wide and only just escaping the welcoming arms of Harewood's most popular gravel trap!
 
Jon was second quickest P3 despite the drama and with a 68.02 second time in his Boxster he was around three tenths of a second slower than Sadek Malik who was quick in his road going 996.
 
The P2 class modified Boxster of Andy Fagan was the quickest of all the Championship cars recording a very strong practice marker time of 65.73 seconds while in P1 Wayne Helme took 66.46 seconds in practice to lead that class by a little under 1.5 seconds from Karl Lupton in his supercharged 944 S2.
 

Timed Scoring Runs
Three timed scoring runs would give plenty of opportunity for the drivers to try new lines, to brake that little bit later and to push on up the final section of the climb to the last corner with its ever-present gravel trap quietly waiting!
 
In P1 (>360Hp) Karl Lupton found a little under a 1.5 second improvement across the three runs to end the day with a best of 66.41 seconds. Wayne Helme was quicker than his earlier practice run, with 1.64 seconds gained to take the P1 class win his 718 GT4 completing the climb in a quick 64.82 seconds.
 
The Championship has target times for events it has been at before. If a driver manages to better that time he or she would get a small additional points score. Useful when the numbers are added up at the end of the year.
 
Andy Fagan managed to better the previous record on all of his three scoring runs to grab another P2 (280-360 Hp) class victory from Wayne Eason, also in a modified Boxster. Wayne had a big spin at the final corner (yes, just before that same gravel trap). As Jon suggested to me when reporting the day there did appear to be a theme forming at that point!
 
The six P3 (220-280Hp) drivers all found decent improvement in the scoring timed runs. Mark Joynson Bickerstaffe found over three seconds, and Graham Rose a hatful of seconds after his earlier visit to the grass. That was enough for Graham to end the day third in P3. Runner up slot in the class went to Chris Milne in his road going Boxster, a swift 66.61 second best run, that achieved after a big oversteer moment at the final corner (that corner again!). However, in the end Jon Baldock secured another P3 class win with a brilliant 65.85 second best time on his last attempt of the day.
 
And finally, to the P4 (>220Hp) runners, Stephen Jory, so often the class winner in his 944, and Jake Cartwright whose off season work on his Boxster has seen him close the gap with the quickest cars in the class this year.
 
Stephen appeared to be heading for another win when his first scoring run was around half a second up on Jake's time. But as often happens a slip can unsettle things and a spin on, (well let's guess) yes, the final corner left him needing to put in another quick time on his third run as Jake was putting on the pressure. That third run, a 66.13 second time, although great for a P4 car wasn't quite enough as Jake had taken his Boxster to a four tenths advantage and the P4 Class win, a great result.
 
One off the split times drivers can see is the initial 64 feet time, in effect the launch. It's a point of driver pride to be one of the quickest launch time holders and of course with results as close as they can be a better launch might be all it takes to win the class. One of the real masters, is Geraint Evans in his 911. Geraint managed an excellent 2.16 second 64-foot time, ... watch and learn!  
 
Our next round is on 25th July at the iconic Prescott Hillclimb where we expect a big turnout of Championship drivers, see you there?
 
Simon Wilson
Championship Coordinator
Porsche Club GB
simonwilson@porscheclubgb.com