R4: Top Podium Step @ Oulton

Back on the Top Step of the Podium at Porsche Carrera Cup GB R4 – Oulton Park

What started as a difficult day on the Saturday came good on the Sunday with another win in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, so I have now had 3 wins and 4 second places from 8 races. Oulton Park is a technical undulating circuit with a mixture of fast and slow corners and is quite narrow in places. I enjoy the track and have been successful there in the past in both the Ginetta and the Mini, but never in the Porsche.

Saturday was not quite as hot as it had been on the Friday and just before we started qualifying it started to spit with rain. In the first part of qualifying I initially set a reasonable time on a slightly damp track, and then pitted. The rain stopped and everyone else was going quicker and I dropped down to 17^th overall, so we changed tyres and I went out again but just as I was getting up to speed a red flag put a stop to qualifying.. On the restart with just 5 minutes left on the clock I left the pits put in one lap to warm the tyres and then set a quick lap that moved me up to 5^th overall on the grid and fastest Pro Am driver which was a great result.

In race 1 on the Saturday, I made a disastrous start and then got pushed off the circuit at the chicane to end lap 1 in 11^th place. The trip off the circuit had knocked my tracking out and I struggled to stay with the cars in front of me due to the understeer that I had and so didn’t manage to make up any places and finished 11^th overall and 4^th in the Pro Am category which was disappointing. After the race 2 drivers in front of me received penalties and so I was reclassified as 9^th overall but still 4^th in Pro Am.

Sunday was dry and warm after rain overnight and I was determined to get on the podium after my result on the Saturday. Starting 9^th, again not a great start and I lost a place off the line but regained it going into the first corner. A crash behind me in turn 1 caused a safety car that lasted 5 laps before we got racing again and I made up 1 place after 2 laps and another on the last but 1 lap to finish 7^th overall and to take the win in the Pro Am category.

So after a difficult start to the weekend I came away with another good haul of championship points and increased my lead in the championship to 26 points. The next race is at Knockhill in Scotland on Sunday 13^th August.