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Porsche GB GT3 Cup Challenge 2013

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2013 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB calendar confirmed

BTCC support slot for the GT3 Cup Challenge GB
Brands Hatch added to the schedule
Testing available before all six race weekends

Twelve races in six weekends covering Britain's best-loved tracks make up the superb calendar for the 2013 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB.

Headlining the season will be the deciding two races on the BTCC support bill at Silverstone in September, while visits to Donington Park, Brands Hatch, Croft, Snetterton and Rockingham make up the balance of the season. Importantly, general test sessions are available before the race weekend at each track to allow less experienced drivers to learn the circuits.

The season starts at Donington Park in mid-April, just a week before the Carrera Cup GB races at the East Midlands track on the BTCC schedule. Double-headers at Snetterton (May), Croft (July) and Rockingham (August) follow through the spring and summer before an all-action finish to the season in September with dates at Brands Hatch and then at Silverstone for the BTCC weekend.

At four of the tracks (Snetterton, Croft, Rockingham and Brands Hatch) general testing is available on the Friday of the race weekend, At Donington, the general test will be on the Thursday before the races and at Silverstone testing will be on the Wednesday prior to the event.

'We've listened to the feedback from our competitors and believe we have an excellent calendar," said championship co-ordinator Darioush Gheissari. 'I'm particularly pleased that testing is available before each of the race weekends."

The full schedule is:
April 13/14 Donington Park
May 11/12 Snetterton 200
July 6/7 Croft
August 10/11 Rockingham ISSC
September 21/22 Brands Hatch Indy
September 28/29 Silverstone National
 

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Newcomer Boughton for Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB

Racing newcomer Rob Boughton is the latest driver to confirm plans to step up from taking part in track days to compete in the 2013 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB.

Boughton (39) will make his graduation to racing with the ex-Peter Smallwood 911 GT3 Cup and will run with Parr Motorsport, where Carrera Cup GB race winner Ben Barker is providing coaching and encouragement alongside team boss Paul Robe.

'I've done a lot of track days with a 911 GT3RS and decided it was time to try a bit of racing," said the Sussex-based racer, who saw the GT3 Cup Challenge GB as the perfect race series for a driver in his position. 'There is a lot to learn and we're working on it. This is my third day in the car," he said during testing at Donington Park last week.

It is going to be a big year for Boughton as his partner Laura is expecting their first child in August. That means his entry for the Rockingham races (10/11 August) is uncertain, but he otherwise plans to contest a full programme in the six-event, 12-race schedule which starts at Donington Park on 14 April.

'I'm excited to hell about starting racing," said Boughton, who will be supported by Thakeham Homes, the West Sussex-based house builder with projects across Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent.


Kyle-Henney ready for Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB

Peter Kyle-Henney will step up from taking part in track days and speed events to compete in the 2013 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB with Parr Motorsport.

The Sussex-based driver has been using 911 GT3 Cup cars on tracks days and has competed successfully in sprints, but is now ready to make the step into racing. 'I'm in for the first meeting at Donington Park at the moment, but I hope to do all of the rounds," said Kyle-Henney. I've no experience of racing at all. I've always been into cars and I'm now able to start racing."

He started doing track says in 2001 and duly decided that he needed a proper race car to continue. He bought an ex-Mark Cole Carrera Cup car and ran that on track days. e He
He has since upgraded to more recent 911 GT3 Cup cars and his wife Alison has also competed in speed events.

Now firmly bitten by the motor sport bug, Peter is taking the next step with the highly successful team at Parr Motorsport. Team driver and Carrera Cup GB race winner Ben Barker is helping with coaching and Kyle-Henney's programme started at Donington Park 10 days ago.

 

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Fletcher steps up to Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB

Kelvin Fletcher has confirmed plans to race in the 2013 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB with Redline Racing. The actor, best known for his role in 'Emmerdale' intends to tackle a full season as he takes another step up the racing ladder.

'I was a complete novice when I took my ARDS test this time last year," said Fletcher, who has played the role of Andy Sugden in the series for 16 years. Last season he raced in Mighty Minis and was immediately on the pace, setting pole for his first race. He also won the Celebrity Race at last year's Silverstone Classic.

Fletcher has teamed up with old friend Tubbs Wanigasekera and they have formed TAKE Racing for the new season. Wanigasekera will return to driver management to look after Fletcher's on-track activities.

Fletcher knows that he is taking a big step forward by committing to the GT3 Cup Challenge GB. 'An opportunity came up to race a Porsche for this year," said the 29-year-old from Oldham. 'The plan is to do all six rounds in the GT3 Cup Challenge with Redline Racing. I want to give a good account of myself and its going to be a steep learning curve. It's a step up by quite a few levels, particularly with 420bhp. Hopefully I'll be a quick learner and get some testing in before the first race.

'I want to do as well as I can and I'll certainly be pushing as hard as I can. I'd love to progress further. I've got the ambitions of a 10-year-old kid who is obsessed with motor sport. I hope I can show that I've got a little bit of talent. I'm very fortunate now in that I have my first love, which is drama and acting, for a living and I'm also managing to go racing as well."

Cowne returns to GT3 Cup Challenge GB with Parr

2012 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB Class Two runner-up Mark Cowne will return to the championship for a full season with Parr Motorsport in 2013. Cowne, owner of the Kruger Cowne talent agency, started racing last year in a 996-model 911GT3 Cup before purchasing a Class One 997. Mark made the decision to move over to Parr Motorsport in time for the second half of the season and really began to find his stride with the new car.

'I'm delighted to be racing again with Parr Motorsport," said Cowne. 'The help and support they gave me during my first year in 2012 was immeasurable. Working closely with the team will greatly help me progress with my driving skills and hopefully enable me to reach a higher position in the championship this year."

'It's great that Mark is continuing with us for 2013," said Parr team boss Paul Robe. 'His 2012 season was a bit disjointed, running different cars with different teams, but now he'll have a platform on which he can build and gain consistency. We're looking forward to working with him again and we're hoping for a competitive year."

Cowne is confident that the stability of running with one team in a car he now knows and on tracks that he has driven before will only help his progress.
 

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Drift Innovation named official partner of Carrera Cup GB and GT3 Challenge

Drift Innovation, the award winning action sports technology company specialising in the capture and sharing of digital imagery, has been named the official 'Point of View' camera partner of the 2013 Porsche Carrera Cup GB.

Drift Innovation will be providing the on-board cameras for the Carrera Cup GB and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB, which will be used for TV broadcasts as well as on Origin.Porsche.com.

"The Carrera Cup GB and GT3 Cup Challenge GB are action-packed events," said Marion Barnaby, Motorsport Manager, Porsche Cars GB. 'We needed to ensure we could capture the races from inside the race cars. The Drift HD Ghost cameras performed exceptionally in testing and showed us that Drift was the right camera brand to be using this year. The multitude of functions and ease of use makes this a fantastic product for our race engineers to use. We look forward to a great year of racing and a great partnership with Drift."

Robin Parker, Founder of Drift Innovation said: "Drift is really pleased and proud to be associated with the Carrera Cup for 2013. Our Drift HD Ghost is perfectly set up to capture stunning full HD in-car footage of the races covering all the action as it happens. Both the Carrera Cup GB and GT3 Cup Challenge GB are competitive race series for the drivers and teams and we are happy to be able to be part of the competition this year."

With an industry-first two-way LED remote control with on/off indicator light, video recording/tagging capabilities in continuous loop mode, and an integrated 2-inch Gorilla Glass® LCD screen, the Drift HD Ghost is the best all-in-one camera on the market. Porsche racers and fans are a perfect fit for these innovative features to capture all the excitement of motor racing.

Hay Fisher to film Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB

The TV and broadcast package for the 2013 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB will bring coverage of each of the season's 12 races to Porsche's exciting new Trackside web platform.

The filming will be handled by the expert team at Hay Fisher Productions and the package will include a dedicated end of season review programme on Motors TV. The race films will be available on-line within a few days of each event, thus keeping the coverage very fresh and up to date.

Each race programme will include on-track action, in-car footage and the story behind the race. Exceptional on-board footage will come from Drift HD Ghost cameras, supplied by championship partner Drift Innovation.

Known as 'Trackside', Porsche's new motor sport web platform will feature a dynamic content stream, including the race films as well as reports, news, images and tweets. The address of the new site is www.Porsche.co.uk/trackside.

'This new media arrangement is excellent news for the GT3 Cup Challenge GB and will make the race footage available to a global audience," said Marion Barnaby, Porsche Motorsport Manager.

 

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Sherwood heads 2013 GT3 Cup Challenge GB opener at Donington Park

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Challenge GB will get underway at Donington Park on Sunday 14 April with the first of six double-header meetings for the fabulous 420bhp racing Porsches used in the Carrera Cup GB up to 2009.

The GT3 Cup is the perfect way for less experienced drivers or those running on smaller budgets to sample these cars and some of the drivers will have the Carrera Cup as their aim for future seasons. The following weekend (20/21 April) at Donington Park, former GT3 Cup racer Peter Smallwood will be one of the drivers on the Carrera Cup GB grid during the BTCC event.

Heading the GT3 Cup field is local ace Justin Sherwood who lives almost within sight of Donington Park and brings extensive experience to his second season in a Porsche. The former British F3 racer will surely set the mark on home ground as he opens his 2013 campaign. Ranged against Sherwood will be his Team Parker Racing team mate Steven Liquorish, who is another race winner and strong title contender. With Stuart Parker's team based at Leicester and enjoying long-established links with Donington Park, this really is a home event for the squad.

Joining the grid to make his Porsche with Redline Racing debut is Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher. Fletcher is making a big jump up the racing ladder this season but showed superb pace in his debut season of racing last year and starred with a mighty performance in his first race at Donington last spring. The step from a Mighty Mini to a Porsche is very, very big, but he clearly has good natural talent.

Having their first ever races will be Parr Motorsport's Rob Boughton and Peter Kyle-Henney, although both have shown good pace in pre-season testing and the team headed by the hugely experienced Paul Robe will be the perfect place for the two racing novices to learn about racing. Both drivers have track day experience and Kyle-Henney has competed successfully in speed events with a 911 GT3 Cup car.

Back for a second season are Harrogate-based Guy Riall (Almara Racing) and Irish racer Tom Hallissey (ASK Racing), while Mark Cowne (Parr Motorsport) will start his second season of racing after a climbing a tremendous learning curve in the 2012 GT3 Cup Challenge.

The Donington event will be busy for the teams and drivers with qualifying and two 25-minutes races all on Sunday. Qualifying starts at 10.40 with the races scheduled for 13.45 and 16.05.
 

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The 2013 season kicked off at Donnington today. Unfortunately, only seven cars on the grid - and 2 were novices. However, at least this year they are all 997's

Race one was won by Justin Sherwood, followed by Steve Liquorish & Kevin Fletcher. I think Peter Kyle-Henney could have nicked that 3rd if he hadn't spun at the beginning, but he did a brilliant job to recover from the back to move up the field again.

Race 2 was Justin Sherwood followed by Steve Liquorish again, but this time Peter Kyle-Henney grabbed 3rd. An impressive drive.

Lets hope we get more entries as the season goes on.......


I'll be back at Donnington next weekend for the Carrera Cup following the BTCC :thumbs:
 
Sherwood takes GT3 Cup Challenge GB Donington double

Double victory for Justin Sherwood
Kelvin Fletcher and Peter Kyle-Henney star
Team Parker Racing takes early teams' lead

Two wins for Justin Sherwood and two second places for Steven Liquorish made it a perfect day for Team Parker Racing as the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB opened at Donington Park today (Sunday 14 April). Meanwhile, Kelvin Fletcher and Peter Kyle-Henney starred by claiming podium finishes on their first day of Porsche racing.

Qualifying

Sherwood made his intentions clear in qualifying with a classy performance to take pole position for both races. 'I was just getting used to the new tyres," said the local ace, 21 years on from starting his racing career at Donington Park. Also focusing his attention were strong winds blowing the across the track, making things particularly tricky down the Craner Curves.

Second fastest for both races was Liquorish, but it took a late push in qualifying to dislodge Fletcher (Redline Racing) from second spot. 'Could do better is the report from qualifying," reported Liquorish. 'There's still more time there," he added.

Fletcher was very impressive on his Porsche debut to qualify third and then fourth for the two races, but he was frustrated to lose six-tenths of a second at the chicane on his best lap. Just as impressive ahead of his first ever race was Kyle-Henney (Parr Motorsport), who took fourth and then third grid places for the two races. 'It's incredibly difficult when you go out there with these guys," he said.

Guy Riall (Almara Racing), racing newcomer Rob Boughton (Parr Motorsport) and Mark Cowne (Parr Motorsport) packed out the next grid places.

Round one

Sherwood got the jump on his team mate Liquorish to head the field into Redgate in the opening race, with Fletcher third and Kyle-Henney fourth. While the leading two drivers quickly got into their stride, Kyle-Henney chased Fletcher but then had a spin at the chicane on the fourth lap. He dropped to the tail of the field, before starting a stirring recovery drive.

At the head of the race, Sherwood took control and drove faultlessly to work clear of Liquorish. The gap was never too great, but Sherwood was controlling the pace and monitored the gap to his chaser. 'It's never easy and I was managing the tyres later in the race," said Sherwood. 'My pit crew was giving me the gap to Steven."

Liquorish admitted that he had let Sherwood escape in the early laps, but the gap was still only five seconds after more than 25 minutes of racing. Completing the podium after an impressive start to his Porsche racing career was Fletcher. 'That's a great result," he said. 'Every time I pushed I made a couple of mistakes and it was a big learning curve," said Fletcher.

Kyle-Henney fought back from his spin to take fourth. 'It was absolutely fantastic, but it could have been a lot easier," he said of his debut race. Riall was a strong, if lonely, fifth, while Boughton just fended off Cowne to take sixth.

Results: round one:

1 Justin Sherwood; 2 Steven Liquorish; 3 Kelvin Fletcher; 4 Peter Kyle-Henney; 5 Guy Riall; 6 Rob Boughton. Fastest lap: Sherwood 1m10.940s (100.43mph).

Round two

Sherwood made it two wins from two races with a commanding victory in the second race and made his escape on the opening lap as Liquorish battled to overcome the fast-starting Kyle-Henney. Their contest for second, and the pace of racing newcomer Kyle-Henney was the talking point of the race.

Up front, however, Sherwood was peerless and quickly established a handy lead as spots of rain started to fall. But nothing was going to unseat Sherwood and he rattled off the remaining laps for a second victory of the afternoon and an immediate championship advantage. 'I was trying to monitor the amount of rain: Donington has its own weather," said Justin. 'I enjoyed the race; these cars are superb to drive."

Behind Sherwood, things were far from settled as Kyle-Henney fended off Liquorish for the first lap. Into Redgate for the second time, Liquorish dived through, but Kyle-Henney belied his lack of racing experience by staying on the tail of his rival and mounting a series of attacks. Eventually, as the rain increased slightly, Kyle-Henney opted for a safe third and dropped back a little.

'I got a bad start," reported Liquorish. 'I thought it was Kelvin coming up the inside of me. It was a good battle," he said of the contest with Kyle-Henney. A mid race brush at Redgate showed how close the battle had been. 'My apologies to Steven," said Kyle-Henney on the podium. 'Coming into the first races, we just didn't know where we were going to be," he said after being elated to take a podium finish.

Fletcher and Riall had clear runs to take fourth and fifth while Boughton was sixth, but only after a tussle with Cowne in the opening laps. Once he had edged through at Redgate, Boughton was able to consolidate the place.


Results: round two:
1 Sherwood; 2 Liquorish; 3 Kyle-Henney; 4 Fletcher; 5 Riall; 6 Boughton. Fastest lap: Sherwood 1m10.906s (100.48mph).

Provisional points after round two:
1 Sherwood 44; 2 Liquorish 36; 3 Fletcher and Kyle-Henney 30; 5 Riall 24; 6 Boughton 20.

Next rounds: Snetterton 11/12 May
 

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Opening GT3 Cup Challenge race coverage on-line

The TV coverage from the opening two races in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB is now on-line and can be watched via Porsche's massively popular YouTube channel.

The film, produced by Hay Fisher Productions, covers the story of the first two rounds of the season at Donington Park when Justin Sherwood took an impressive double victory. Narrated by David Addison, the programme also looks behind the scenes of the GT3 Cup Challenge GB and at the drivers and teams involved in the championship.

 
Sherwood heads GT3 Cup Challenge GB to Snetterton

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Challenge GB switches to the Snetterton circuit in Norfolk over the weekend of 11/12 May with the second of six double-header meetings for the fabulous 420bhp racing Porsches used in the Carrera Cup GB up to 2009.

Heading the GT3 Cup field is Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) after a commanding pair of wins at the season-opening meeting at Donington Park in mid-April. Now Sherwood will strive to extend his winning run to four races.

The former British F3 racer will surely set the standard again on the Snetterton 200 circuit but he faces a clutch of rivals, most notably his own team mate Steven Liquorish. Steven is one of the most experienced Porsche racers in the championship but had a mixed start to his season at Donington as he battled to a brace of second places. He will be determined to fully take the fight to Sherwood at Snetterton.

Competing with Redline Racing is Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher, who has made a big jump up the racing ladder this season but showed excellent pace at Donington Park to open his campaign with a visit to the podium. The experience gained in the pair of races at Donington will serve him well as the schedule moves to Snetterton.

The revelation of Donington Park was racing newcomer Peter Kyle-Henney who scored a memorable third place in round two for Parr Motorsport. Having only previously taken part in track days and speed events, Kyle-Henney raced superbly and battled with Liquorish in the second race before settling for an impressive third. Alongside the Hampshireman at Parr Motorsport will be Rob Boughton, another driver to make his race debut at Donington Park after stepping up from track days.

Back for a second season in the GT3 Cup Challenge are Harrogate-based Guy Riall (Almara Racing) and Mark Cowne (Parr Motorsport), while Irish racer Tom Hallissey (ASK Racing) rejoins the grid this weekend after missing the Donington races.

Qualifying at Snetterton starts at 13.55 on Saturday, with the 25-minute races scheduled for 12.15 and 16.05 on Sunday.
 

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Sherwood's GT3 Cup Challenge GB quartet

Two more wins for Justin Sherwood to make it four from four
Steven Liquorish and Peter Kyle-Henney claim double podiums
Team Parker Racing builds early teams' lead

Justin Sherwood extended his championship lead by taking both wins at Snetterton (12 May) as the Norfolk circuit hosted rounds three and four of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB. There was a brace of second place finishes for Steven Liquorish to keep him firmly in the championship hunt while Peter Kyle-Henney also claimed two podium finishes.

Qualifying
It was Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) who took pole position for both races with a dominant display in qualifying that saw him on pole by almost half a second on ultimate pace, and by eight tenths on second fastest times.

'I had a bit of instruction from Stephen Jelley yesterday; it helped me get a bit more confidence in my braking, which has been a bit of an achilles heel in the faster stuff and it really helped me dial in some faster laps today. I'm pleased with the car," he said.

Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) was second for both races but left it late, snatching a place on the front row of the grid for the first race with his final lap of the session. 'Steve made a great pace and I don't think I'd have matched that but second is a good place to start the races," he said.
Sherwood's last gasp effort denied Kyle-Henney (Parr Motorsport) a front row start for the first time in his GT3 Cup Challenge career but he was nevertheless pleased with two third position grid slots.

'It was exciting stuff. You don't expect as a novice to get anywhere near being on the front row of the grid, I suppose it's satisfying to know you could have got second but the quicker man got there in the end," he said.
Kelvin Fletcher (Redline Racing) was fourth fastest ahead of Guy Riall in fifth (Almara Racing) with Rob Boughton (Parr Motorsport) completing the top six.

Round three

After an overcast start to the day, the sun began to break through the clouds as the cars formed on the grid for the opening race of the weekend. When the lights went out Liquorish made a poor start from pole position while in contrast Sherwood made a perfect getaway to lead the pack into the first corner, Riches. Kyle-Henney slipped past Liquorish to be second but further around the lap Liquorish retook the position and chased after Sherwood.

By the end of the second lap Liquorish was on the tail of Sherwood and shadowed him for the remainder of the race. Try as he might he could not find a way through as the pair exchanged fastest laps in the early stages of the race, with Liquorish eventually winning that particular battle, scooping the bonus championship point in the process. In the second half of the race Sherwood began to break away before Liquorish came back at him in the closing stages but was forced to settle for second. At the chequered flag the pair was separated by just 1.6 seconds after a fascinating contest.

'I made a great start, revs, clutch bite, everything perfect," said Sherwood of the decisive moment in the race. 'I saw Peter had got in front of Steve so I tried to get my head down and then Steve got Peter back on the first lap and he was relentlessly in my mirrors all the time so it was just a matter of driving as fast as I could and making as few mistakes as I could," said Sherwood.

Liquorish was left to bemoan his start after showing good pace during the race. He said: 'I think Justin got a good start, I got a bad start again. It was a case of trying to get onto Justin and chase him but he drove a great race, didn't put it on the dust at all he's very consistent. Good race from Justin, all credit to him."

Kyle-Henney completed the podium after a long battle with Fletcher who followed him closely for much of the race and put him under immense pressure but could not find a way through. Fletcher failed to finish after making a mistake at Nelson with four laps remaining, spinning into the barriers and out of the race. This promoted Boughton to a career best fourth placed finish and Riall to fifth.

Results: Round three:

1 Justin Sherwood; 2 Steven Liquorish; 3 Peter Kyle-Henney; 4 Rob Boughton; 5 Guy Riall. Fastest lap: Liquorish 1m14.439s (95.95mph).

Round four

Sherwood completed his double victory with a dominant drive in the second race of the day. Light rain fell shortly before the start and continued as the cars took to the grid however the track surface was not wet enough to warrant wet tyres so the entire field ran on slicks.

Liquorish made a much better getaway from pole than in the first race but Sherwood again made an excellent start and the pair ran side-by-side as they headed towards Riches. Sherwood swept around the outside as the pair braked for the corner and took a lead that he would not relinquish for the rest of the race.

Sherwood charged clear to lead Liquorish by 2.5 seconds after just three laps and continued at a similar pace for much of the race, extending his lead to almost five seconds by half distance. It was only when the rain began to fall a little more heavily over the closing laps that he eased off, allowing Liquorish to cut the gap to just under four seconds at the flag.
Sherwood said: 'I got a reasonable start with Steve, we were side-by-side into Riches, fortunately Steve gave me a bit of room on the outside and then it was just trying to find the grip every lap, because every lap seemed to be different. I was glad to see the chequered flag in the end. A fantastic weekend, I gained the pace over the two races," he concluded.
Liquorish said: 'All credit to Justin again; he drove a very good race in proper testing conditions."

Kyle-Henney was third but was once again put under pressure by Fletcher but just as in the first race, a late spin for Fletcher gave the Parr Motorsport driver a lonely last couple of laps. 'It's only my second weekend racing so two podiums is absolutely fantastic," said Kyle-Henney, reflecting on his weekend.

Fletcher managed to re-join the circuit after his spin, to finish fourth with Riall once again claiming a top five finish in fifth.

Results: Round four:

1 Justin Sherwood; 2 Steven Liquorish; 3 Peter Kyle-Henney; 4 Kelvin Fletcher; 5 Guy Riall. Fastest lap: Justin Sherwood 1m15.448s (94.66mph)

Provisional points after round four:

1 Justin Sherwood 85; 2 Steven Liquorish 75; 3 Peter Kyle-Henney 62; 4 Guy Riall 48; 5 Kelvin Fletcher 44; 6 Rob Boughton 34; 7 Mark Cowne 18. Next rounds: Croft, 6/7 July.
 

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Next GT3 Cup Challenge race coverage on-line

The TV coverage from rounds three and four of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB is now available.

The film, produced by Hay Fisher Productions, covers the story of two races at Snetterton when Justin Sherwood took an impressive double victory. Narrated by David Addison, the programme also looks at the weekend through the eyes of racing newcomers Peter Kyle-Henney and Rob Boughton, who have stepped up to racing this season after taking part in track days.

 
GT3 Croft

Sherwood does GT3 Cup Challenge GB double at Croft

Justin Sherwood takes double win in rounds 5 and 6 at Croft
Steven Liquorish takes two seconds
Kelvin Fletcher bags a double podium

Justin Sherwood maintained his perfect record in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB with two more wins at a hot and sunny Croft today (Saturday 6 July). Sherwood won both races from the front as Steven Liquorish led the chase from Kelvin Fletcher.

Qualifying

With ambient temperatures already climbing, Team Parker Racing team mates Sherwood and Liquorish battled hard at the head of the times and ended up with one pole position each after proving very evenly matched.
Sherwood claimed pole for the opening race by a tenth of a second, but Liquorish turned the tables by an even smaller margin for the second race. Liquorish was relieved just to be on track following an incident in pre-race testing on Friday when a clash with a BMW sent him spinning into the barriers on the run to Tower.

Running strongly to each take a third slot were Peter Kyle-Henney (Parr Motorsport) and Kelvin Fletcher (Redline Racing) as they both made their race debuts at Croft. Meanwhile, chasing hard in fifth was Guy Riall (Almara Racing).

Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) pole for round five
'Steve pushed me hard. It's very hot out there and I was trying to do as few laps as possible."

Round five

Sherwood got just the start he needed to dominate the opening race and make it five wins from five rounds. He led into Clervaux and when second-placed Liquorish put a wheel on the grass coming out of the chicane moments later, Sherwood was able to make good his escape.
Liquorish had to defend hard from Fletcher on the opening run to Tower, but succeeded as Fletcher soon came under attack from Kyle-Henney.

With the leading pair secure, Fletcher was under pressure and Kyle-Henney boldly dived through under braking for Tower on the fourth lap. Kyle-Henney then consolidated third until he spun at the chicane on lap 13 and gifted the place back to Fletcher. To compound his problems, Kyle-Henney spun into the gravel and out of the race at Clervaux with three laps to run. Riall moved up to take fourth after an early spin at the chicane.

Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) first
'I saw Steve put a wheel on the grass at the chicane and I just got my head down for the first couple of laps. The last few laps were really tough and the sweat was stinging as it ran into my eyes."

Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) second
'I lost the clutch with about four laps to go and I had to be a bit brutal with the gearbox. I hope the guys can change it before the second race."

Kelvin Fletcher (Redline Racing) third
'Peter had better pace than me. I thought he was going to gain on me, but then he disappeared. I did enjoy the race, but those last five laps were really tough."

Round five results:
1 Justin Sherwood; 2 Steven Liquorish; 3 Kelvin Fletcher; 4 Guy Riall. DNF: Peter Kyle-Henney. Fastest lap: Sherwood, 1m27.106s.

Round six

Sherwood squeezed ahead of poleman Liquorish at the first corner and as they ran side-by-side Liquorish bounced over the kerb and lost momentum. That ensured Sherwood had a clear run at building his lead on the opening lap as Liquorish had to fend off the challenge of Fletcher.
The race then settled down with Sherwood and Liquorish clear and Fletcher running a strong third as Riall held off Kyle-Henney for fourth.

However, Kyle-Henney was nursing a slow front puncture and eventually the tyre came off the rim and he had to pit for a wheel change.
Up front, Sherwood was peerless on his way to win number six, but it very nearly went wrong for Liquorish on the final lap. A fuel leak left the car running empty and he just coasted over the line in second before Fletcher arrived.

Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) first
'It was very tight with Steven at the first corner and I held on round the outside. Once I was in front it was pretty straightforward. It wasn't quite as hot as in the first race and it's great to make it six wins from six races."

Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) second
'I had to go up over the kerb at the first corner and that bounced the car around. I could smell fuel in the car from the parade lap and it started to cut out at Sunny on the last lap. I had to coast it through the Complex and just made it to the line."

Kelvin Fletcher (Redline Racing) third
'That was much better: I was more relaxed, but I was still struggling a bit at Hawthorns. On the last lap I saw Steven crawling along and thought he was going to pull over."

Round six results:
1 Justin Sherwood; 2 Steven Liquorish; 3 Kelvin Fletcher; 4 Guy Riall; 5 Peter Kyle-Henney. Fastest lap: Sherwood, 1m26.301s.

Provisional points after round six:
1 Sherwood 128; 2 Liquorish 112; 3= Fletcher and Riall 76; 5 Kyle-Henney 74; 6 Rob Boughton 34. Next rounds: Rockingham, 10/11 August


 

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GT3 Cup Challenge GB heads to Rockingham

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Challenge GB switches focus to the Rockingham Motor Speedway in Northamptonshire this weekend (10/11 August) for the fourth of six double-header meetings for the fabulous 420bhp racing Porsches as used in the Carrera Cup GB up to 2009.

To date it has been a perfect season for Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) who has been unbeaten across the first six races to take a 16-point championship lead. Sherwood has not put a wheel wrong so far and will now head to Rockingham aiming to extend that mighty sequence to eight races. With drivers counting the scores from their best five of the six race weekends, Sherwood has a handy cushion but he would love to finish the season with a perfect 12 victories.

The man most likely to upset Sherwood's plans is his team mate Steven Liquorish, one of the most experienced Porsche racers in the championship. The Oxford racer has finished second to Sherwood in all six races to date and would love nothing more than to see the chequered flag before his team mate. Liquorish has taken three pole positions to date, so his pace is clearly very strong.

Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher has made a big jump up the racing ladder this season to join the GT3 Cup Challenge and showed excellent pace last time out at Croft when he scored a brace of podium finishes to record his best weekend of the season to date. Fletcher races with Redline Racing, one of the leading teams in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB.

Racing newcomer Peter Kyle-Henney has been the revelation of the opening three race weekends, taking three podiums for Parr Motorsport. Having previously taken part in track days and speed events, Kyle-Henney has raced superbly despite his lack of prior racing experience, although he will head to Rockingham seeking to make up for a mixed weekend at Croft.

Back for a second season in the GT3 Cup Challenge is Yorkshireman Guy Riall (Almara Racing), and he showed ever-improving pace last time out at his home track of Croft.
 

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Sherwood maintains GT3 Cup Challenge GB winning run

Justin Sherwood takes double win in rounds 7 and 8
Steven Liquorish takes two seconds
Peter Kyle-Henney and Kelvin Fletcher share third places

Justin Sherwood maintained his perfect winning record in this year's Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Great Britain with a double victory in rounds seven and eight of the championship at Rockingham (10/11 August). Steven Liquorish once again proved to be Sherwood's closest challenger and secured two second place finishes while there was a podium apiece for Peter Kyle-Henney and Kelvin Fletcher.

Qualifying
A tremendous duel for pole position took place between Team Parker Racing team mates Sherwood and Liquorish as they exchanged fastest times during qualifying. At one point just 0.011 seconds separated the pair, however a late surge from Liquorish clinched the fastest time of the session by a tenth and a half with less than two minutes remaining.
The positions would be reversed for the second race after Sherwood set the best second fastest time of the session to pip Liquorish by just over a tenth of a second. Kyle-Henney (Parr Motorsport) qualified third for both races, lapping within a second of pole position on his two best laps. Kelvin Fletcher (Redline Racing) was fourth fastest with Guy Riall (Almara Racing) rounding off the top five.

Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) pole for round seven
'I came into the pits and was told that it was pretty close between myself and Justin and thought 'right, new set of tyres and five minutes to go'. I did a couple of out laps and then tried and really focus on that one lap. I'm pleased with at least one pole."

Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) pole for round eight
'Steve was just that little bit quicker, we were close at yesterday's test day and this qualifying session so to share the poles is probably fair. He does seem to get the best out of the new tyres."


Round seven
The cars lined up for the first race of the weekend under cloudy skies on Saturday afternoon. As the lights went out Liquorish made a decent start from pole but it was Sherwood who made the better getaway to pull alongside his team mate on the run towards Deene Hairpin. As the pair reached the braking point Liquorish held the lead courtesy of having the inside line, with Sherwood forced to yield and slot into second position. Behind, Fletcher made a good start to move ahead of Kyle-Henney into third.
Initially the pack ran closely together as the top four looked fairly evenly matched for pace. However, on lap four, Sherwood seized the initiative and moved into the lead with a good overtake on Liquorish at Chapman Curve.
Sherwood immediately pulled clear to be two seconds ahead of Liquorish by the end of lap five. This proved decisive as Liquorish was never able to close the gap and they remained first and second until the flag, separated by 2.4s.
Behind the front two, a thrilling battle raged for third between Kyle-Henney and Fletcher. Having dropped to fourth from the start Kyle-Henney fought his way back into third with a textbook move under braking at Yentwood and then edged clear, setting the fastest lap in the process. However, Fletcher was undeterred and soon closed back up, severely pressurising Kyle-Henney. However, Fletcher was unable to find a way through and had to settle for fourth, missing out on a place on the podium by just three tenths of a second as Riall completed the top five.

Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) winner:
'I think I was a bit quicker into the hairpin off the oval and Steve was having to defend. I got a good run out and then through turn three I got a run up the inside and then got him into turn four and then I think that delayed him a little bit because Kelvin was right there as well. I managed to open a gap over that lap and then controlled it from there. I really enjoyed the race with Kelvin, Peter and Steve: we were all together at the start and it was a fantastic race."

Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) second:
'I got a much better start this race but just perhaps didn't get my head down early enough and get those laps in. I got a couple and then I still had a mirror full of cars and Justin made a good overtake up the inside and then managed the gap well."

Peter Kyle-Henney (Parr Motorsport) third:
'I could see where Kelvin was slower around the circuit. He could obviously see where I was slower so it was just a question of picking a moment and just sussing the best place to try and do a move. I could see in my mirrors that he was doing the same on me once I'd taken him so it was nip and tuck, there was virtually nothing between us."

Round seven results:
1 Justin Sherwood; 2 Steven Liquorish; 3 Peter Kyle-Henney; 4 Kelvin Fletcher; 5 Guy Riall. Fastest lap: Peter Kyle-Henney 1m23.855s (83.28mph)

Round eight
Sherwood completed his double victory with a lights-to-flag win in the second race of the weekend. Liquorish, however, was a constant shadow and chased relentlessly after his team mate but ultimately could do nothing to prevent Sherwood securing win number eight of the season.
A good start from Sherwood allowed him to eke out a small advantage over Liquorish in the early laps which ultimately proved enough of a cushion for the remainder of the race for him to secure the victory. Liquorish refused to give up and kept Sherwood in his sights for the whole of the race. At the chequered flag they were separated by just 1.6 seconds.
Fletcher took his first podium finish of the weekend after making a much better start than Kyle-Henney who momentarily dropped behind Riall after a poor getaway. While Kyle-Henney and Riall scrapped over fourth place on the opening lap, Fletcher built a comfortable advantage over the pair which meant his place on the podium never looked under threat, even when a spin for Riall on the second lap released Kyle-Henney.

Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) winner:
'I got a good start but Steve was always there or thereabouts. I managed to pull a gap over the first lap then managed the pace through the race. I think I pushed the front tyres a bit too much at the beginning of the race and I was struggling a bit towards the end, which allowed Steve to catch up. But it was good and eight wins out of eight, I couldn't ask for any more."

Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) second:
'I think I was a bit more consistent which is what I've been aiming to do really, try and knock those bad laps out of it which is where Justin has made four or five second gaps earlier in the year. The focus for me is to try not to let him get away at the start. Hopefully I can nick a win off him before the year ends."

Round eight results:
1 Justin Sherwood; 2 Steven Liquorish; 3 Kelvin Fletcher; 4 Peter Kyle-Henney; 5 Guy Riall. Fastest lap: Sherwood 1m23.230s (83.91mph)

Provisional points after round eight:
1 Sherwood 170; 2 Liquorish 149; 3 Fletcher 106; 4 Kyle-Henney 105; 5 Riall 100; 6 Rob Boughton 34; 7 Mark Cowne 18.

Next rounds: 22 September, Brands Hatch.
 

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Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB 2013: Rounds 7 & 8

Guy Riall takes to the Rockingham Motor Speedway for Round 7 and 8 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB and continues to impress in his first full season of the championship.

As the second half of the season dawns, can Justin Sherwood continue his unbroken winning streak, or will Steve Liquorish and the other drivers put an end to his dominance?

 

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