The Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship thrilled the crowds around the picturesque Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire at the weekend,
and saw Michael Meadows take two wins that moved him into the Championship lead. The identical 450 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars created a colourful spectacle as they raced through the parkland setting in the summer sunshine, with the distinctive sound of the flat-six engines adding to the evocative atmosphere.
Round seven
Michael Meadows claimed an emphatic victory in round seven on Saturday with a determined Dan Lloyd and Dean Stoneman in hot pursuit. After a post-race penalty demoted Stoneman, Karl Leonard achieved a hugely impressive third overall to win Pro-Am1, and Peter Smallwood topped Pro-Am2.
Meadows (Reading) got the start he wanted to head the field into Old Hall as Lloyd (Huddersfield) slotted into second from the battling Rory Butcher (Kirkcaldy) and Stoneman (Southampton). Stoneman took third on the road after contact sent Butcher into a spin, and the leading trio ran flat out to the flag with the gaps fluctuating but never growing large. Lloyd maintained a relentless chase of Meadows and the margin was only 0.8secs at the flag, while Stoneman stayed firmly in touch. However, Stoneman was later penalised for the incident with Butcher, and dropped to fifth overall in the final results.
Jonas Gelzinis (Lithuania) suffered a front puncture and fell back to ninth after pitting for a fresh wheel, and this left Leonard (Ireland) to sweep to Pro-Am1 victory in what became third place overall. In his wake, Redline Racing team mates Dan De Zille (Jersey) and Victor Jimenez (Spain) had a cracking contest for second in Pro-Am1, which was only resolved when De Zille missed a gear while running down Cascades and dropped back behind the Spanish racer. Smallwood (Towcester) took Pro-Am2 spoils after a big effort from the team to get the car ready after an accident in qualifying.
Michael Meadows (Samsung Smart Motorsport) first:
“We’ve been quick all weekend and you’ve got to capitalise on weekends like this. It was not as convincing as in qualifying, but we were never going to win it by a lot.”
Daniel Lloyd (Team Parker Racing) second:
“That was really good and I’m very happy with the result. It’s great for the second race tomorrow as it gives us confidence about our race pace.”
Karl Leonard (Team Parker Racing) first in Pro-Am1:
“I could see the top three Pros for most of the race. I was so far ahead in Pro-Am1 that I didn’t want to push too hard. There was nothing in it when Rory Butcher was chasing me and my car was really good.”
Victor Jimenez (Redline Racing) second in Pro-Am1:
“It was a very good fight with Dan De Zille: 100% all the time. It was much better with the weather today; more like Spain!”
Round 7 results:
Pro category: 1 Michael Meadows; 2 Dan Lloyd; 3 Karl Leonard
Pro-Am1 category: 1 Karl Leonard; 2 Victor Jimenez; 3 Dan De Zille
Pro-Am2 category: 1 Peter Smallwood
Round eight
Meadows made it a perfect weekend with victory in round eight on Sunday with Lloyd and Butcher joining him on the podium. Leonard and Smallwood also completed weekend double wins in Pro-Am1 and Pro-Am2 respectively.
Meadows got the start he wanted from pole position and grabbed a lead he would never lose. With a blistering opening lap, Meadows established a crucial margin with Lloyd heading the chase. Behind them, Butcher and Stoneman battled mightily with the latter diving ahead at Island Hairpin. However, on the penultimate lap Stoneman locked a front wheel into the same corner and Butcher slipped back in front.
Gelzinis ran home fifth as Leonard took Pro-Am1 victory in sixth place overall. In a re-run of their battle in round seven, Redline Racing team mates De Zille and Jimenez ran neck-and-neck for second in Pro-Am1 and this time De Zille was able to fend off the Spaniard for a fine runner-up spot. Smallwood claimed Pro-Am2 spoils once more.
Meadows was awarded the ‘Driver of the Weekend’ award, while the Ghost HD ‘Team of the Weekend’ went to Team Parker Racing.
Michael Meadows (Samsung Smart Motorsport) first:
“Fantastic! That was really excellent and we’re certainly going in the right direction. The guys keep giving me a good car.”
Daniel Lloyd (Team Parker Racing) second:
“It’s been a great weekend. We didn’t have the pace to keep with Michael and he had a mega first lap. It was very hot inside the car!”
Rory Butcher (Celtic Speed) third:
“I got a really good start, but I knew that Dean Stoneman was on new tyres. Then I was just trying to find my rhythm. I saw him make a mistake at the hairpin and I got him back.”
Karl Leonard (Team Parker Racing) first in Pro-Am1:
“Two wins is a great result. I just made a few mistakes in the first couple of laps and that was when the gap came to the Pro drivers. But I was catching them at the end.”
Dan De Zille (Redline Racing) second in Pro-Am1:
“I kept Victor behind this time! It was always hard work, but the car felt a lot better. I could see Karl Leonard and was maintaining the gap. I made a mistake at Old Hall and that let Victor catch up again.”
Round 8 results:
Pro category: 1 Michael Meadows; 2 Dan Lloyd; 3 Rory Butcher
Pro-Am1 category: 1 Karl Leonard; 2 Dan De Zille; 3 Victor Jimenez
Pro-Am2 category: 1 Peter Smallwood
The next round of the 2013 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship takes place at the Croft circuit near Darlington, North Yorkshire, on 22 – 23 June.
