Porsche Carrera Cup GB 2014 Race 8 & 9 Croft

Porsche Carrera Cup GB heads for Croft

The Croft circuit in North Yorkshire is the setting for rounds eight and nine of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB (28/29 June) as the championship returns to the BTCC programme after a sensational race at Le Mans last time out.

The latest Type-991 911 GT3 Cup will make a spectacular sight at the challenging track as drivers return to domestic competition after a truly memorable event in France. At Le Mans, Ben Barker rejoined the championship with Parr Motorsport and took a magnificent overall victory in a weekend away from his campaign in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup.

Now, it is back to the UK for the next two rounds of the Carrera Cup GB and the focus will turn to the title race as Michael Meadows (Samsung UHD TV Racing) bids for a third straight title. Inevitably, Meadows is the championship benchmark and with five maximum scores from seven races to dates he heads the points' table. A year ago, the Croft weekend was a troubled one for Michael, though not of his own making, and he will want to keep his title bid firmly on track this time around.

However, Meadows has a growing threat in the form of 2014/15 Carrera Cup GB Scholarship driver Josh Webster (Redline Racing), who won in the rain at Donington Park and battled ahead of Meadows during a mighty performance at Le Mans. Josh is now only 14 points behind Meadows and there is a long way to go yet in this title contest. The result at Le Mans will have been a timely boost to Josh's confidence and he rightly earned the 'driver of the weekend' award after battling from 18th on the grid to seventh at the flag.

Leading the pursuit of Meadows and Webster are popular Spanish racer Victor Jimenez (Redline Racing) and Paul Rees (In2 Racing) and both of them are contenders for overall victory. Rees really turned a corner at Le Mans when he demonstrated impressive pace and he will head to Croft with renewed confidence as his experience in the Porsche continues to build.

With Pro-Am1 points leaders Karl Leonard (Team Parker Racing) and Graeme Mundy (In2 Racing) due to miss the Croft weekend, the way is open for Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) to claw back the points' gap in the category. Sherwood was a double winner at Croft a year ago in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge.

Some of the best competition this season has been in the Pro-Am2 category, with three winners to date. A fine victory at Le Mans has helped Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) to a 20-point lead heading to Croft, but he has strong opposition from Peter Kyle-Henney (Parr Motorsport), Kelvin Fletcher (Redline Racing) and Will Goff (In2 Racing), while championship newcomer Paul McKay is a welcome addition to the grid with In2 Racing. The race between Liquorish and Kyle-Henney at Thruxton was a real season highlight and that contest will be rejoined at Croft. Meanwhile, Goff will be eager to get his title challenge back on track after missing the last two events.

Pepe Massot joins Carrera Cup GB at Croft

Pepe Massot will graduate to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB with Parr Motorsport for the remainder of the season, starting with rounds eight and nine at Croft this weekend (28/29 June). The Spaniard will make the mid-season switch to complete the season in the Pro-Am1 category of Carrera Cup GB.

Pepe will get his first experience of the new type-991 shape GT3 Cup at Croft on Friday during official testing. He will drive Parr's 30th anniversary chrome and red car, fresh from its success at Le Mans in the hands of Ben Barker.

'Porsche has always been the dream," said Massot. 'For my father in particular it has been his dream since I started racing, just because of what Porsche means for him. It has always been the ambition for me so we thought about my future and felt that Porsche was the right way to go.

'We have experienced a lot of mechanical problems this year and it has not played out as we had hoped," said Massot. 'So we looked at the situation and decided to make the switch. We will treat it as a learning year to work with the team and get to know the car. I think I will still have a chance at getting good results in Pro-Am1 and going for the title. It will be good preparation for a full season in 2015."

The 18-year-old from near Barcelona started racing karts and has centred his racing career in the UK, where he has been a race winner in the Ginetta Junior Championship and Ginetta Supercup. Currently, he is living in Sheffield.

'We've been keeping an eye on Pepe for a while," said Parr team boss Paul Robe. 'I was therefore really happy that we could do a deal and get him onboard. The type-991 is very different from what he is used to but he's committed and we'll work with him so I'm sure he'll be competitive. He's an exciting talent and clearly wants to make a name for himself, so I think he'll go well."

Ollie Millroy to race guest car in Carrera Cup GB

Ollie Millroy will join the Porsche Carrera Cup GB to race the guest car at Croft this weekend (28/29 June) in rounds eight and nine of the championship. The former single-seater and current international GT racer will drive for Redline Racing.

Millroy (24) from Esher in Surrey is contesting the Asian Le Mans Series this season, but the race schedule does not start until 20 July, so he jumped at the chance to race the latest type-991 911 GT3 Cup at the North Yorkshire track.

The former Formula Renault racer had a very successful karting career before winning races in Formula BMW and Formula Renault and then switching his career to sports and GT racing. Earlier this season he got a late call to contest a round of the Malaysian Super Series at Sepang and promptly dominated the race.

Millroy has very limited experience in a Porsche, having driven the type-997 911 GT3 Cup as one of the four finalists in the Carrera Cup GB Scholarship in October 2011.

'It's amazing," said Millroy of the Croft opportunity. 'I'm absolutely buzzing about it and can't wait. I thought the old car was fantastic and I'm told the new one is even better. I had a couple of podiums in Formula Renault at Croft, so I'm really looking forward to racing the Porsche there."

Millroy says the chance to race the Porsche will be another boost for his build up to the start of his main programme. 'I've done some testing and the race at Sepang, but this will give me some good seat time. I massively appreciate the opportunity I've been given."

Meadows tops Carrera Cup GB test at Croft

Meadows sets the testing pace at Croft
Victor Jimenez and Josh Webster run second and third
Pepe Massot and Steven Liquorish top Pro-Am1 and Pro-Am2


Michael Meadows asserted his authority on the Porsche Carrera Cup GB during testing at Croft today (Friday 27 June) by lapping seven-tenths of a second clear of the rest of the pack at the North Yorkshire track. Championship newcomer Pepe Massot was impressive as he headed Pro-Am1, while Steven Liquorish topped Pro-Am2.

Although there was a threat of rain, both test sessions were run on a dry track and Meadows (Samsung UND TV Racing) set a mighty pace during his new tyre run towards the end of the afternoon session. In a session shortened after an off for Paul McKay (In2 Racing), Meadows shot to the head of the times with a best lap of 1m21.380s.

Very closely matched in second and third positions were Redline Racing team mates Victor Jimenez and Josh Webster, while fourth fastest was guest racer Ollie Millroy, also part of the strong Redline Racing squad.

Fifth fastest overall and first in Pro-Am1 was a great start for championship newcomer Massot (Parr Motorsport), while Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) set the Pro-Am2 pace but was chased by another impressive debutant, Paul Donkin (Redline Racing).


Michael Meadows (Samsung UHD TV Racing) first overall:
'That's not too bad and a good start to the weekend. I don't think we've got too much to change and we've arrived here on a good base. There are a couple of things we can try and improve but not by much."

Victor Jimenez (Redline Racing) second overall:
'It is okay: Croft is very different to Le Mans! I had a little mistake on my fastest lap. I felt very strong and I hope it will be close in qualifying."

Josh Webster (Redline Racing) third overall:
'I made a mistake in the morning and clipped the tyres at the chicane, and I only got three laps. So I was playing catch-up in the afternoon. There's a lot more time in the car."

Pepe Massot (Parr Motorsport) first in Pro-Am1:
'It was alright, but I got traffic on my new tyre run and then the chequered flag came out. The pace is there and I'm just doing my job."

Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) second in Pro-Am1:
'I've not been in the car since qualifying at Thruxton and it was just a bit scruffy, really. I didn't get the best out of the new tyres."

Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) first in Pro-Am2:
'That was a bit scrappy and I went rally driving in the gravel at Clervaux. I didn't get the best out of the new tyres and there is more time to come."

Paul Donkin (Redline Racing) second in Pro-Am2:
'The red flag really hindered me because I just need time in the car. But we're building on it and it's going well so far."

McKay and Donkin join Carrera Cup GB at Croft

Championship newcomers Paul Donkin and Paul McKay have joined the Porsche Carrera Cup GB this weekend at Croft (28/29 June). Donkin is racing with Redline Racing while McKay is driving for In2 Racing.

Both drivers are running in the Pro-Am2 category and showed encouraging pace in the official test sessions on Friday at the North Yorkshire track. Both ran close to the Pro-Am2 pace.

Donkin, from nearby Bishop Auckland, has taken part in many track days at Croft and started racing last season in the Atom Cup. He finished runner-up in his debut season and is missing the Atom races at Cadwell Park this weekend in order to achieve an ambition to race the latest type-991 911 GT3 Cup.

'I really wanted to do this race weekend," said Donkin. 'The Porsche is so different to what I've done before, but Redline Racing is a great team." Former Carrera Cup champion James Sutton is working with Donkin to help him progress through the weekend.

McKay, meanwhile, became involved in the sport as a sponsor of BTCC racer Gordon Shedden. He has raced for three seasons in the Scottish Legends Cup and is using the weekend as a toe-in-the-water exercise ahead of a possible bigger future involvement in the championship. Edinburgh-based McKay is currently racing in Legends with his sons Daniel and Euan. 'This is just to see how we get on with the Porsche and there is the potential to get Daniel in the car later in the season," said McKay.

Rees and Webster share Carrera Cup GB poles at Croft

Paul Rees and Josh Webster each claim a pole position
Championship leader Michael Meadows hits major trouble
Pepe Massot and Paul Donkin head Pro-Am1 and Pro-Am2


Paul Rees and Josh Webster shared the pole positions in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Croft today (Saturday 28 June) in a dramatic qualifying session that proved disastrous for championship leader Michael Meadows. Meanwhile, championship newcomers Pepe Massot and Paul Donkin set the pace in the Pro-Am1 and Pro-Am2 categories respectively.

The session started on a dry track but with the threat of rain. After only one flying lap, Ollie Millroy (Redline Racing) went off at Clervaux and out came the red flags. While the session was halted, rain started to fall and it was only in the closing 10 minutes of the re-started session that conditions improved enough for faster times to be posted.

The battle for pole raged between Rees (In2 Racing), Webster (Redline Racing) and Meadows (Samsung UHD TV Racing) and Webster lost his best lap time for exceeding the track limits at Clervaux. Ultimately, Rees claimed his first Carrera Cup pole for round eight and Webster did the same for round nine. Meadows posted two third places before running wide onto the grass at Tower. As he tried to rejoin the track, the front of his Porsche hit a step up onto the asphalt and the front of the chassis was damaged. The car will need to go to a bodyshop overnight and so the current championship leader will miss round eight on Saturday afternoon.

Newcomers Massot (Parr Motorsport) and Donkin (Redline Racing) coped remarkably well with tough conditions to set the pace in Pro-Am1 and Pro-Am2, although Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) pressed Massot hard. Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) was second fastest in Pro-Am2 for round eight despite clipping the barriers on his out-lap after the red flag.


Paul Rees (In2 Racing) fastest and second fastest overall:
'When the rain came at the start of qualifying, I thought I was doomed. Then I sat in the pits for a lot of the session. As soon as we saw that the times were getting close we went out and got pole. I really want to thank In2 Racing; they got it 100% right. I just need to capitalise on it now."

Josh Webster (Redline Racing) second and first fastest overall:
'I lost my best time because I was running wide on the exit of Clervaux: I was just too fast into the corner. But I'd rather have pole for race two and the rolling start. The conditions were really, really tough."

Michael Meadows (Samsung UHD TV Racing) third fastest overall:
'There was a big step back onto the circuit from the grass and I hit it as I tried to rejoin. Maybe I should have stayed on the grass. I'll have to miss the first race."

Pepe Massot (Parr Motorsport) fastest in Pro-Am1:
'I tried a couple of things and I just needed one or two more laps. I was getting to grips with the conditions and then there was more rain on the way down to Tower. I braked as early as I could and went onto the grass. Fortunately, it was not too bad."

Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) second in Pro-Am1:
'It was tough through the fast bits in the damp conditions. Perhaps I should have put the new tyres on, but I decided not to."

Paul Donkin (Redline Racing) fastest in Pro-Am2:
'I've never driven in conditions like that before. I just stayed out for most of the session and it came together right at the end."

Round 8 grid:
Pro category: 1 Paul Rees 1m24.058s; 2 Josh Webster 1m24.175s; 3 Michael Meadows 1m24.358s.
Pro-Am1 category: 1 Pepe Massot 1m25.185s; 2 Justin Sherwood 1m25.974s.
Pro-Am2 category: 1 Paul Donkin 1m26.894s; 2 Steven Liquorish 1m27.887s; 3 Peter Kyle-Henney 1m31.445s.

Round 9 grid:
Pro category: 1 Josh Webster 1m24.331s; 2 Paul Rees 1m24.636s; 3 Michael Meadows 1m24.919s
Pro-Am1 category: 1 Pepe Massot 1m25.941s; 2 Justin Sherwood 1m26.184s.
Pro-Am2 category: 1 Paul Donkin 1m27.714s; 2 Peter Kyle-Henney 1m32.291s; 3 Paul McKay 1m34.747s.

Webster wins Carrera Cup GB round eight

Josh Webster heads Paul Rees for victory
Webster takes overall championship lead
Pepe Massot and Paul Donkin win Pro-Am1 and Pro-Am2


Josh Webster swept to victory in round eight of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Croft today (Saturday 28 June) and moved ahead in the overall championship as Michael Meadows missed the race following an incident in qualifying.

Paul Rees and Victor Jimenez mounted a determined chase of Webster, while Pepe Massot took Pro-Am1 victory in fourth overall and championship newcomer Paul Donkin scored an impressive debut win in Pro-Am2.

The decisive moment of the race came on the first lap as the pack headed towards the chicane. Webster (Redline Racing) and Rees (In2 Racing) ran side-by-side and Rees, on the dirtier side of the track, had to back out as Webster swept ahead. Meanwhile, Jimenez (Redline Racing) slotted right in behind Rees as Webster edged a little way clear. Over the course of the race, the three leaders ran in close formation and were very evenly-matched, but stayed in the same order as Webster clinched his second win of the season.

While the fast-starting Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) retired with a clutch problem, Massot (Parr Motorsport) dominated Pro-Am1 and fended off race-long pressure from guest racer Ollie Millroy (Redline Racing).

In Pro-Am2, Donkin (Redline Racing) belied his lack of Porsche experience to drive a great race and win the category as his early rival Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) went out with suspension damage after clipping the tyres at the chicane. Peter Kyle-Henney (Parr Motorsport) took up the pursuit of Donkin but had to deal with the increasingly rapid Paul McKay (In2 Racing) over the closing stages of the race.

Josh Webster (Redline Racing) first overall:
'I had to be decisive on the first lap as I thought that was my best chance. I'm happy to be leading the championship but it's a bit hollow to take the lead from Michael in this way."

Paul Rees (In2 Racing) second overall:
'To start on pole and finish second is never what you want. We were side-by-side into turn two and we weren't both going to get round. But I know we have the pace to win."

Victor Jimenez (Redline Racing) third overall:
'There were three cars in-line at the front of the race fighting all the time. The cars are very closely matched. This is a good result for Redline in the team championship."

Pepe Massot (Parr Motorsport) first in Pro-Am1:
'I got a crap start and lost three or four places and then I cooked my tyres. I was rally driving round the back and had to change my technique. It is a learning curve every time I get in the car."

Paul Donkin (Redline Racing) first in Pro-Am2:
'Emotional and awesome! It's obviously great to do this and to come in and win Pro-Am2 is amazing. I got a really good start and went with Pepe Massot for a few laps."

Peter Kyle-Henney (Parr Motorsport) second in Pro-Am2:
'That's absolutely brilliant; really, really good. After a couple of days we've now hooked it up and to be there pushing Steven Liquorish is where we want to be."

Results round 8:
Pro category: 1 Josh Webster; 2 Paul Rees; 3 Victor Jimenez
Pro-Am1 category: 1 Pepe Massot
Pro-Am2 category: 1 Paul Donkin; 2 Peter Kyle-Henney; 3 Paul McKay

Meadows ready for Carrera Cup GB round nine

Michael Meadows will be ready to contest round nine of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Croft today (Sunday 29 June) after a mighty effort by Redline Racing to repair his car overnight following an incident in qualifying yesterday.

The Samsung UHD TV Racing Porsche suffered chassis damage when Meadows tried to rejoin the track at Tower following a spin. The step back up back onto the asphalt caught the underside of the car and damaged the front of the chassis, forcing Meadows to miss round eight of the championship. Instead, Josh Webster (Redline Racing) won the race to take over the title lead and push Meadows back to second place.

The team took the car back to its workshops, fortunately only 20 minutes from Croft, and were joined by technicians from Road and Race in Manchester, the Porsche approved bodyshop owned by racer John Bradshaw. The Road and Race team then worked until midnight to repair the front of the car and the Redline crew finished the job early on Sunday morning.

'The guys from Road and Race and all the Redline crew have done a great job," said team boss Simon Leonard. 'I can't thank them enough for getting the car ready for today's race."

Meanwhile, Meadows says his aim is to win the race as a way of thanking the people involved. 'They've done a mega job and I want to go and get a win for them."

Meadows will start third on the grid for this afternoon's race, behind Webster and Paul Rees (In2 Racing). Following round eight, Webster now has an eight-point lead in the overall title standings over reigning champion Meadows.

Webster completes Carrera Cup GB double at Croft

Josh Webster takes second win of the weekend
Michael Meadows battles through to second
Pepe Massot and Paul Donkin win Pro-Am1 and Pro-Am2


Josh Webster completed a tremendous weekend with victory in round nine of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Croft today (Sunday 29 June) as Michael Meadows chased him to the flag. The result underlined Webster's position at the head of the championship table and marks the first time a Carrera Cup Scholarship driver has led the overall title race.

Pepe Massot claimed a fighting third place to take Pro-Am1 victory while fellow championship newcomer Paul Donkin completed a tremendous weekend by clinching Pro-Am2 spoils.

Webster (Redline Racing) swept ahead from the rolling start as Paul Rees (In2 Racing) slotted into second from Meadows (Samsung UHD TV Racing). Webster then went a little way clear as Meadows worked to find a way past Rees. The move came at the Hairpin on lap three and Meadows then went after Webster. The gap came down quickly but Webster was able to defend his lead to the flag to score an impressive win.

Rees, struggling with tyres, dropped behind Massot (Parr Motorsport) but closed back in over the final laps to make a close finish for third. Massot duly took his second Pro-Am1 victory of the weekend although Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) was never far adrift in fifth overall.

Donkin was mighty for Redline Racing to win Pro-Am2 from Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing), who worked up to second from the tail of the grid. The fast-starting Paul McKay (In2 Racing) ran second in Pro-Am2 initially before Liquorish moved ahead. Later, a spin at Tower for McKay allowed Peter Kyle-Henney (Parr Motorsport) to claim the final podium position in Pro-Am2.


Josh Webster (Redline Racing) first overall:
'That was a really, really good race. I just had to manage the tyres and Michael was doing everything he could to put me off. I hit the tyre stack at turn two a couple of laps from the end and bent the steering, so that made it more difficult."

Michael Meadows (Samsung UHD TV Racing) second overall:
'I caught Josh but it was difficult to make a move. I brought it home second and got fastest lap. But there was never a mistake from Josh when I thought I'd got him."

Pepe Massot (Parr Motorsport) first in Pro-Am1:
'I locked the front tyres at the first corner to try and avoid Victor Jimenez. After that the steering was bent and I was struggling in the fast corners. But I got past Paul Rees at Sunny."

Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) second in Pro-Am1:
'It took a while to get the front tyres to come in and then I was struggling towards the end of the race. But it was a good race after the non-finish yesterday."

Paul Donkin (Redline Racing) first in Pro-Am2:
'It's been unbelievable and I'll have to go back to reality tomorrow. The double win is a lifetime ambition and it would be great to come back and do some more. I can't thank Redline Racing enough."

Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) second in Pro-Am2:
'That's been a better day today. I struggled a bit with an old tyre on the front right. But it was much better than yesterday and it ends the weekend on a high note."

Peter Kyle-Henney (Parr Motorsport) third in Pro-Am2:
'Brilliant! I got what we wanted with two good finishes for the championship. I was happy to let Paul McKay go in the early laps. He was holding me up a bit but then he ran wide at Tower and I went ahead."

Results round 9:
Pro category: 1 Josh Webster; 2 Michael Meadows; 3 Paul Rees
Pro-Am1 category: 1 Pepe Massot; 2 Justin Sherwood
Pro-Am2 category: 1 Paul Donkin; 2 Steven Liquorish; 3 Peter Kyle-Henney

Webster takes Carrera Cup GB lead at Croft

Josh Webster takes the overall championship lead
Michael Meadows misses opening race
Newcomers Pepe Massot and Paul Donkin take Pro-Am1 and Pro-Am2 wins


Josh Webster moved ahead in the 2014 Porsche Carrera Cup GB with a double victory in rounds eight and nine of the championship at Croft (28/29 June) as the latest type-991 911 GT3 Cups raced in front of the biggest BTCC crowd at Croft for more than a decade.

Webster (Stowmarket: Redline Racing) became the first Carrera Cup Scholarship driver to lead the overall title race in his Scholarship season. His double win at the North Yorkshire track takes him nine points ahead of defending champion Michael Meadows (Reading: Samsung UHD TV Racing), who had a challenging weekend and missed the opening race after his car was damaged in qualifying.

Meadows rewarded the team's hard work by racing to second place in round nine, while Paul Rees (Oxford: In2 Racing), Victor Jimenez (Spain: Redline Racing) and Pepe Massot (Spain: Parr Motorsport) all claimed top three overall finishes. Rees continued his excellent form from the Le Mans race to move into third in the overall championship standings and earned the 'driver of the weekend' award. Meanwhile, In2 Racing was named as 'team of the weekend'.

Massot made an impressive championship debut and scored two Pro-Am1 wins, while equally impressive was newcomer Paul Donkin (Bishop Auckland: Redline Racing) who belied his limited racing experience to take a double win in Pro-Am2.

Steven Liquorish (Didcot: Team Parker Racing) and Peter Kyle-Henney (Romsey: Parr Motorsport) each won a set of tyres as part of Michelin's long-standing support of the championship. Before the start of testing at each race weekend, a name is drawn from a hat to receive the tyres, with a value of more than £1200 and two winners were drawn at Croft after the award was not made at Le Mans.

Provisional Carrera Cup GB championship points after round 9:
Overall: 1 Josh Webster 167; 2 Michael Meadows 158; 3 Paul Rees 125.
Pro-Am1: 1 Karl Leonard 65; 2 Justin Sherwood 49; 3 Graeme Mundy 46.
Pro-Am2: 1 Steven Liquorish 84; 2 Peter Kyle-Henney 72; 3 Kelvin Fletcher 33.
Teams: 1 Redline Racing 280; 2 In2 Racing 217; 3 Samsung UHD TV Racing 158.