The Grid

Tim Harvey was crowned champion in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Brands Hatch today (Sunday 21 September 2008) after finishing second to Tim Bridgman in final race of the season. In the pro-am1 category, Nigel Rice clinched the title at the expense of Tony Gilham as the season wrapped up in style in front of a huge crowd and live on ITV4.

"I've been very close to this title before," said Harvey (Red Line Racing). "I haven't enjoyed my racing as much in years; the cars are great and the competition is brilliant," said Harvey after seeing off the title challenge of Michael Caine (Team Parker Racing). Having finished championship runner-up three times in the previous four seasons, it was an emotional result for Harvey at the end of a tough season of racing.

Rice (Red Line Racing), meanwhile, retained the pro-am1 title in the final race after a fighting drive to seventh overall to finally overtake Gilham (ReDesign Racing) in the title contest. While Rice earned the 'driver of the weekend' award, Red Line Racing was announced as the 'team of the weekend'.

Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) was the dominant race winner, converting pole position into a lead that he held for every lap of the race. With Harvey running second, and content to drive a measured race knowing that title rival Caine was behind, Bridgman was untroubled, even when his five-second lead was lost as the safety car came out.

The safety car was needed after Michael Leonard (RSS Performance) spun at Clearways and the closely following Glynn Geddie (Parr Motorsport/Apex) and Pippa Mann (Team Eurotech) could not avoid the spinning car. Gilham was very lucky to avoid Leonard and escaped the incident with a damaged door. But with three cars damaged, the safety car came out while the track was cleared.

From the restart, Bridgman swept clear once more and rebuilt his lead to over three seconds at the flag. "I wanted to dominate this race; I feel that I deserve more than I've had this season and I really wanted to prove it," said Bridgman after an emphatic victory.

Second place was more than enough for Harvey to be confirmed as champion, while Caine was third and an ever-present shadow for Harvey. "The pace of the car has been good and the support I've had from my sponsors has been tremendous," said Caine after a superb season.

Jota Sport drivers Sam Hancock and Phil Quaife were fourth and fifth, but Quaife had to battle back in front of Jake Rosenzweig (Team Parker Racing) later in the race after a long tussle.

Rice raced hard to take the pro-am1 after a dogged chase of Gilham in the points' table and finally went narrowly ahead in the concluding race of the season. "I suppose I should concentrate a bit harder at the start of the season," joked Rice after having to claw back a major points' deficit. Gilham took second in pro-am1, while Ray MacDowell (Red Line Racing) joined them on the podium.

The incident that eliminated Leonard and Geddie left the pro-am2 category to Ollie Jackson (PCGB) after an excellent drive to fend off Paul Hogarth (IN2RACING) and Graeme Mundy (RSS Performance).

Tim Harvey moved a step closer to the 2008 title when he won round 19 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Brands Hatch today (Saturday 20 September 2008). His victory over title rival Michael Caine gives Harvey a 10-point championship lead heading into the last round.

In the pro-am1 category Nigel Rice bagged a fighting sixth place overall to further close the gap to Tony Gilham in the title contest and Michael Leonard topped the pro-am2 category after a hectic race.

There was disaster for poleman Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) as the grid assembled when a broken driveshaft put him out. Instead, Harvey (Red Line Racing) dived into the lead off the line as Caine (Team Parker Racing) grabbed second from Sam Hancock (Jota Sport) on the race to the first corner. Now Harvey faced 33 laps with his title rival filling his mirrors, and the gap ranged from around a second to just a few inches as they reeled off the laps, and started working through the slower traffic.

"I just got my head down and tried to win the race," said Harvey. But mid-race, a problem developed, highlighted by a warning light, and he began to lose engine revs over the closing stages. Meanwhile, Caine started preparing for a last lap attack, recognising that his best chance was under braking for Clearways. "The car had good pace, but Michael would have got past," said Harvey after the race. But, with seven laps to run, the race was red flagged when Ollie Jackson (PCGB) spun into the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend.

"The red flag helped me a lot," admitted Harvey. "It didn't happen and it's unfortunate," countered Caine. "But we're still here," he said of the title race. Hancock ran third all the way, but could not challenge the leading pair. "We made a massive change to the car, but the gap to the guys in front was the same," he said. Running right behind Hancock to the finish with an excellent drive was Jake Rosenzweig (Team Parker Racing) after battling ahead of Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) early in the race.

Into a fighting sixth place, despite race-long pressure from Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing) came Rice (Red Line Racing), with a performance that gives him a real shot of clinching the pro-am1 title in the final race. "We're only one or two points behind now," said Rice as his pro-am1 rival Gilham (ReDesign Racing) fought through to eighth overall and second in pro-am1.

In the pro-am2 category, Leonard (RSS Performance) had to work very hard for victory, having lost a lot of places when edged wide onto the grass at Druids as Gilham overtook. But with Glynn Geddie (Parr Motorsport/Apex) and Paul Hogarth (IN2RACING) both spinning after contact at Clearways, Leonard was able to recover lost places to win the category from Geddie, Hogarth and Graeme Mundy (RSS Performance).

Tim Harvey drove the race the season to win a superb round 18 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Silverstone today (Sunday 31 August). The fantastic contest, which went out live on ITV4, featured a four-way battle for the lead and it was Harvey, after starting fifteenth on the grid, who stormed through for a stunning victory and now takes a seven-point championship lead into the final race weekend.

In the pro-am1 category, Nigel Rice took another victory to further close the points' gap to Tony Gilham, who struggled home with gearbox problems. In pro-am2, Glynn Geddie completed a double win with a fine fifth overall as Steve Rance and Paul Hogarth joined him on the podium.

With a wet and very slippery track, Michael Caine (Team Parker Racing) got the jump on polesitter Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) to lead into Copse as Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) and Nick Tandy (PCGB) made contact in the crowded rush to the first corner. Bridgman had to pit for a wheel change and Tandy later slipped back with a stop after running through the gravel.

Up front, Sam Hancock (Jota Sport) edged ahead of Quaife and then dived by Caine into Becketts on the second lap. Meanwhile, Harvey (Red Line Racing) was driving a superb race and was up to fourth place in three laps. Hancock started to edge clear, but it all went wrong for him on the exit of Luffield on the ninth lap when he put a wheel onto the slippery kerb and spun onto the grass. "I just made the smallest mistake," he said later.

Now, it was Quaife leading from the recovering Hancock as Harvey edged ahead of Caine for third and set about attacking Hancock. Caine tried to go with them, but knew he simply did not have the pace to challenge for the lead. "I just didn't have the grip at the back of the car," said Caine. Nevertheless, the leading four now ran nose-to-tail in a tremendous display of exciting racing in treacherous conditions.

It was Harvey that was on the move and once past Hancock was able to move in on Quaife. It took until the penultimate lap for Harvey to make his move and he ran down the inside under braking at Brooklands to cap a remarkable drive. "I had nothing to lose from where I started and I had a very good car," said Harvey. "It was desperately slippery, but it was a brilliant finish to a weekend that started disastrously." Harvey was named 'driver of the weekend' and Red Line Racing won the 'team of the weekend' award.

Quaife gave his all to try and hold on, but could not defend from Harvey in the last two laps. "I pushed harder and harder, but it wasn't enough," said Quaife as Hancock and Caine chased him to the flag. Fifth overall and a great pro-am2 victory went to Geddie (Parr Motorsport/Apex) after tigering ahead of pro-am1 winner Rice (Red Line Racing). "That was brilliant; I really enjoyed it," said Geddie.

Steve Rance (Parr Motorsport) had a very strong run to take seventh overall and second in pro-am2, while Gilham (ReDesign Racing) battled home second in pro-am1 with his car stuck in fourth gear. Bridgman salvaged ninth place, with Paul Hogarth (IN2RACING) tenth and third in pro-am2.

Nick Tandy claimed a mighty debut victory in an action packed round 17 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Silverstone on Sunday 31 August. Tim Harvey led the chase of the VIP driver to take maximum points and move one point ahead of Michael Caine in the title race as Caine fought back to fifth after a spin.

In the pro-am1 category, Nigel Rice raced hard to close the points' gap to Tony Gilham to just eight with three races remaining. In pro-am2, a nicely controlled drive by Glynn Geddie took him to the top of the championship points as Paul Hogarth and Steve Rance chased.

Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) converted his pole position into a first lap lead as Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) edged ahead of Tandy on the run to Copse. Just behind, Caine (Team Parker Racing) battled through to fourth from Sam Hancock (Jota Sport) and Harvey (Red Line Racing) in a hectic opening lap.

Bridgman settled into second behind Quaife, but it went wrong for Bridgman as they completed the second lap. Quaife clipped one of the plastic corner markers at Woodcote, which flicked up and hit the radiator on Bridgman's car. With coolant spraying onto a front wheel he spun at Copse. "I thought I'd got a rear puncture," said Bridgman, who drove back to the pits, leaving coolant around much of the lap.

Quaife was the first to find the coolant at Becketts and ran wide, allowing Tandy into the lead, while Hancock lost time and Caine spun as he hit the slippery corner. Harvey, however, picked his way through the drama and was able to battle back in front of Hancock as they both close in on Quaife. "I had a great start and everything looked good," said Quaife. "Then the power steering pump started playing up and from then on I was just hanging on for dear life."

Lap by lap, Harvey hunted Quaife down and went ahead on lap 12 as Quaife struggled. Hancock later caught his team mate and took third after a close battle between the pair of Jota Sport cars. But up front, Tandy reeled off the remaining laps for an impressive victory, as Harvey took second on the road and maximum championship points. "They race you really hard," said Harvey of the young guns on the grid. "But it's maximum points, which is really important."

Having lost a lot of time with his spin. Caine managed to fight back to fifth despite some gearbox problems. In the closing stages he caught the battling pair of Rice (Red Line Racing) and Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing) and Caine's progress up the order was boosted when Bateman clipped the back of Rice's car and damaged a radiator. Rice duly took sixth overall and pro-am1 spoils, as well as closing the gap on Gilham (ReDesign Racing) in the points. "I could have done with Bateman finishing between us," said Rice, who is now only eight points behind Gilham.

Into seventh with an excellent debut drive came Sean Paul Breslin (Team Parker Racing), having gone ahead of Gilham when the ReDesign car spun on the fluid from Bateman's car at Luffield and stalled. "I had a job to get it started again," said Gilham after claiming eighth overall and third in pro-am1.

In pro-am2, Geddie (Parr Motorsport/Apex) always set the pace, but his team mate Rance was a constant shadow. "It was a controlled drive; I was just measuring my pace," said Geddie. However, Rance got close enough late in the race to try a dive at Brooklands, but his car spun and that allowed Hogarth (IN2RACING) through to second after an excellent run.

Sam Hancock claimed victory in a thrilling round 16 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Knockhill today (Sunday 17 August 2008) as Tim Bridgman battled through to second place on the last lap. On an action-packed final lap, Tim Harvey took third to close to within just three points of Michael Caine in the championship race.

It was also dramatic in the pro-am1 category as Tony Gilham beat Nigel Rice, but only after both had spun through the gravel after a clash at Seat Curve. Meanwhile, Rory Butcher drove another fine race in the PCGB entry to complete a double in the pro-am2 category and finish fifth overall.

This time around, Hancock (Jota Sport) was able to convert his pole position into a first lap lead and he was never headed again, but there was plenty going on in his mirrors, with Caine (Team Parker Racing) as a constant shadow. "You can't rest for a moment round here," said Hancock, who found himself coming under increasing pressure from Caine heading into the closing stages. "I was having some brake balance issues and I just wanted to get a small margin," said Hancock after taking victory. "To come away from the weekend with two poles, a second and a win is great."

However, it all went awry for Caine on the final lap. He had been battling against a soft brake pedal and Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) was getting closer and closer having earlier battled ahead of Harvey (Red Line Racing). Into Carlube Corner with less than half a lap to go, Caine's brake problem came to a head and he ran wide as Bridgman dived through. Then, at the final hairpin, Harvey dived inside Caine and Caine's can spun as they touched. "Michael made a mistake and I had to go for it," said Harvey. But the time he rejoined, Caine was down to sixth behind Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) and Butcher.

"I was just running out of brakes," said a frustrated Caine, having seen his nine-point championship lead over Harvey drop to three points over the course of the weekend. Bridgman, having started fifth on the grid, was elated to have fought through to second. "I'm really, really happy with that," said Bridgman.

The battle between Gilham (ReDesign Racing) and Rice (Red Line Racing) raged all race and came to a head as they battled side-by-side into Seat Curve with three laps to go. The cars touched and both spun into the gravel and it was Gilham who managed to get back onto the track first to make certain of victory. "I just tried to keep it spinning through the gravel. That was hard work," said Gilham.

Behind Butcher in pro-am2, Glynn Geddie (Parr Motorsport/Apex) drove a measured race to take second as Graeme Mundy (RSS Performance) battled through to third place.

Tim Bridgman pulled off a fine drive to claim victory in round 15 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Knockhill today (Sunday 17 August 2008). In an action-packed race, Bridgman set the seal on his victory by beating Sam Hancock on the rush to the first corner.

In the pro-am1 category Nigel Rice had to race very hard to beat title rival Tony Gilham, while Rory Butcher drove a tremendous race in the PCGB entry to win the pro-am2 category and finish fifth overall.

Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) got the jump on poleman Hancock (Jota Sport) and was able to dive ahead as they braked for Seat Curve. "I knew if I got a good start I could keep the lead," said Bridgman, and his plan worked to perfection. Hancock could only slot into second place at the opening corner of the race. "It felt like quite a good start, but it obviously wasn't good enough. He had three-quarters of a length on me at the first corner," said Hancock.

With Bridgman and Hancock settled into the top two places, Michael Caine (Team Parker Racing) ran third on the opening lap but was almost immediately in trouble with gearbox problems. The loss of second and fifth gear left him powerless to defend his pace and Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) and Tim Harvey (Red Line Racing) both swept ahead over the opening lap.

Next to edge Caine back was his team mate Charles Bateman, but it all went wrong for Bateman when he missed his braking point into Seat Curve on lap ten. The hefty impact damaged the tyre wall and though Bateman was unharmed, there was a long safety car period while the car was moved and the tyre wall rebuilt.

From the restart, just four racing laps remained and Bridgman controlled the race to take a polished victory. "It was just a case of not making a mistake," said Bridgman. "I needed that one." Hancock was second, but frustrated not to have converted pole position into a race win. Making it two Jota Sport drivers on the podium was Quaife, who had raced hard to fend off a typically determined challenge from Harvey. "It's hard work to keep Tim behind, but I just stayed calm in the car," said Quaife.

Harvey was right on Quaife's tail at the flag, and set fastest lap in the process to pull back three points from Caine's championship lead. "Phil drove a very tight race where he needed to," said Harvey. Into a fine fifth overall and pro-am2 victory came Butcher, with a very impressive performance in his first Porsche race. "That's an awesome achievement; that's just what I wanted to do before the weekend," said the young Scot.

Over the line in sixth went a frustrated Caine, but the damage to his championship lead could have been far worse. From a nine-point lead over Harvey going into the race, Caine had lost only three points.

The battle for the pro-am1 category between Rice (Red Line Racing) and Gilham (ReDesign Racing) raged race long and the decisive moment was when Rice edged ahead at the hairpin at the end of the second lap. "I was glad of the safety car because it would have been hard work for 32 laps," said Rice. "I was biding my time to re-challenge and then the safety car came out," said Gilham. Right behind Rice and Gilham, and finishing second in pro-am2 was Glynn Geddie (Parr Motorsport/Apex).

Michael Caine completed a perfect weekend at Oulton Park today (Sunday 27 July) with victory in round 14 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. With a perfect score of 43 points from the weekend, he moved nine points ahead of title rival Tim Harvey.

In pro-am1 Nigel Rice took a second win of the weekend, while Ed Pead topped the pro-am2 cars in the PCGB entry. Caine's mighty weekend earned him the 'driver of the weekend' award, while ReDesign Racing were named 'team of the weekend' for their efforts in tending the pro-am1 car of Tony Gilham.

Caine (Team Parker Racing) knew the start was all-important and got away perfectly to head the pack into the first corner, as Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) edged ahead of Sam Hancock (Jota Sport) to take second place. Initially, Caine built a lead of up to a second, but Bridgman gave stern chase and was biding his time as he started to close the gap mid-race.

However, on lap eleven the lead gap suddenly started to grow again. "I was catching Michael steadily, but there was a dislodged tyre in the track at Knickerbrook and that damaged part of the front splitter," explained Bridgman. "I kept pushing in case Michael had a problem, but he drove a mega race."

Sure enough, Caine reeled off the laps to complete a great weekend and one that could prove to be very significant as the championship heads for the final six races of the season. "That's a fantastic result for the whole team. It gets us back on the right step for the rest of the season," said Caine.

Hancock (Jota Sport) ran third for much of the race, but was forced into retirement with a rear puncture with four laps to go, so it was Harvey (Red Line Racing) who took third, despite a problem with the brake bias adjuster. "I had too much oversteer in the race; it wasn't my day," said Harvey. Hancock's retirement also elevated Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing) into fourth after a strong drive, while Pead (PCGB) tigered through to fifth overall and pro-am2 victory.

Initially, Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) and Paul O'Neill (PCGB) battled for fifth, but Quaife later suffered a rear puncture and O'Neill pitted with some bodywork damage, which put Pead through fifth. "Awesome! I'm really happy with fifth; I'd love to do some more Carrera Cup races," said Pead. Having battled with major damper problems in the opening race, Quaife had been on his way to a top five finish until the rear tyre deflated.

Despite losing a lot of time at the start as other cars faltered, Rice (Red Line Racing) drove a fighting race to work back to sixth overall and take pro-am1 spoils. "I had a storming start and had to hit the brakes," said Rice. "I was nearly last into the first corner." Rice's progress to pro-am1 victory was aided when Tony Gilham (ReDesign Racing) spun at Knickerbrook after contact, but he recovered to finish eighth behind Karl Leonard (RSS Performance) who was also second in pro-am2.

Michael Caine scored a superb victory at Oulton Park today (Saturday 26 July) in round 13 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. In pro-am1 Nigel Rice took a fine victory while Michael Leonard came through to win the pro-am2 category.

Caine (Team Parker Racing) took the lead off the start and was able to edge clear of Harvey (Red Line Racing) on the opening lap. Caine then drove a perfect race to fend off his title rival and erase memories of losing victory at Oulton Park a year ago with a last lap error. "It's great to be on the top step of the podium at Oulton Park after last year," said Caine. "We really had to come here and do it. The guys at Team Parker Racing have done a fantastic job."

Harvey, who suffered a broken clutch in the rush off the line, was always chasing his rival but accepted that second was the best that was available to him. "The clutch was dragging off the line and it made me a bit more cautious through the race, but Michael drove a good race."

The battle for third place raged race long between Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) and Sam Hancock (Jota Sport). Bridgman was left struggling when he lost the front splitter after a trip over the grass at Knickerbrook. "I had a mushy brake pedal and went straight on," explained Bridgman. With the car understeering badly, he had to defend very hard to keep Hancock at bay. "I had to drive the most defensive race of my life," said Bridgman after completing the podium. Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing) chased them home in fifth, having been well in touch for much of the race.

Rice (Red Line Racing) always had control of the pro-am1 category, and raced with some of the pro category racers in the process, but only one place behind at the flag was Tony Gilham (ReDesign Racing) who took second in pro-am1. "I got tagged on the opening lap and lost three places," said Gilham who beat Alex Mortimer (Team RPM) to the line by just 0.001s as Mortimer battled through from the back of the grid.

In pro-am2, Glynn Geddie (Parr Motorsport/Apex) was out before the start with a broken driveshaft and Ed Pead (PCGB) ended his strong run in the gravel, so it was victory for Leonard (Ken Bolger Motorsport) from Graeme Mundy (RSS Performance).

Tim Harvey completed a near-perfect weekend with another victory in round 12 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Snetterton on Sunday 13 July, and as a result moved level with Michael Caine at the head of the championship standings.

Tim Harvey scored an emphatic victory in round 11 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Snetterton today (Sunday 13 July) as his title rivals Michael Caine and Tim Bridgman both hit trouble.

While Caine battled home fifth without the front splitter on his car, Bridgman spun down to eleventh place. In pro-am1 Nigel Rice turned in a great performance to win, while Glynn Geddie topped the pro-am2 category with a sensational fourth place overall.

Harvey (Red Line Racing) made a great start to jump into second behind Sam Hancock (Jota Sport) on the opening lap and was soon challenging for the lead. Hancock knew he did not have the pace to contain Harvey and down to the Esses for the fifth time, Harvey edged ahead. Once through, Harvey was able to stretch clear and win in commanding style. "The car was great and it had the pace," said Harvey after an important result for his championship bid. "You can't afford to race conservatively in this championship as you'll finish seventh."

Hancock came under increasing pressure from Team Parker Racing team mates Charles Bateman and Bridgman, but on lap 13 the chasers touched and spun at Coram. "I was trying to find a way through, and Charles was held up with a backmarker so we went three wide into Coram," said Bridgman. Bateman was denied an overall podium after a tremendous performance and rejoined to finish ninth, while Bridgman eventually took eleventh after a pit stop to check for damage.

Phil Quaife came through to third behind his Jota Sport team mate Hancock. "The car wasn't quite right," said Hancock. "Tim was quicker, but I caught a backmarker at Sear and that made me slow onto the straight," said Hancock. Quaife was pleased to make it a double podium for Jota Sport, while Geddie (Parr Motorsport) moved up to a tremendous fourth overall and pro-am2 victory. "That was good; no problems at all," said Geddie.

Caine (Team Parker Racing), meanwhile, had a torrid race after running onto the grass on the first lap to avoid his spinning team mate Jake Rosenzweig at Sear. The trip over the grass knocked the front splitter off his car and left Caine struggling with very poor handling. "That was a very long race," he said after taking fifth, fending off Rice (Red Line Racing) in the process. "The team showed me the 'cool' board," said Rice, as he elected to make certain of pro-am1 victory rather than try and attack Caine.

Into seventh came Jack Clarke (PCGB) with a fine drive after starting at the back of the grid due to a tyre change before the race, while Rosenzweig and Bateman recovered for eighth and ninth, with Andy Neate (Red Line Racing) tenth.

After a first lap spin, Tony Gilham (ReDesign Racing) battled back into second in pro-am1, only to be forced out with a detached hose, so Neate completed the pro-am1 podium with Rice and Clarke. In pro-am2, Steve Rance (Parr Motorsport) came back from an early spin to take second from George Mackintosh (RSS Performance).

Stefan Hodgetts scored a dramatic victory in an enthralling round ten of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Croft today (Sunday 1 June) as changing weather conditions made tyre choice a critical factor. Second place on the road to Hodgetts to take maximum points championship points was Michael Caine, while Tony Gilham won pro-am1 and hugely impressive newcomer Glynn Geddie won pro-am2.

With the track drying out after heavy rain earlier in the day, tyre choice was crucial as the field headed to the grid. Eventually, seven cars dived into the pits for slick tyres, while five others lined up on the grid to start on wets. “It was so obviously not wet,” said poleman Tim Harvey (Red Line Racing), while others heading for the pits included Caine (Team Parker Racing), Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) and Hodgetts (PCGB). Meanwhile, Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) and Sam Hancock (Jota Sport) were the leading drivers to stay on wets.

Some rapid pit work by the PCGB crew had Hodgetts onto slicks first and to the end of the pit lane at the head of the queue of seven cars, joining the race after the other cars had gone by. Initially, Bridgman headed the race, but after two or three laps it was very clear that slicks was the right call as Hodgetts headed Caine, Harvey and Quaife in the slick-shod contest.

By lap five Hodgetts had caught Bridgman and swept ahead to take a lead he would retain all the way to the flag, scoring a hugely impressive victory on his first weekend of Carrera Cup experience. “I’ve never felt better,” said an elated Hodgetts. “I’m just hoping the phone rings now. I really want to be in this championship; the cars are fantastic to drive,” said Hodgetts.

While Bridgman was powerless to stop his slide down the order as his wet tyres struggled badly on the dry line, Caine had to work hard to fend off Harvey and take an extended points’ lead into the six-week mid-season break. “It was the right call to come in for slicks,” said Caine. “I don’t think I’d have caught Stefan, but the race wasn’t with him, it was in my mirrors,” said Caine after fending off title rival Harvey.

Quaife was never far away from the Caine/Harvey battle to take fourth, while a superb fifth overall and pro-am2 winner was Geddie in the PCGB entry. Driving with a pace and style that belied his age and experience, the 17-year old was the revelation of the weekend. “It’s been a brilliant weekend,” said Geddie, who was almost caught on the line by Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing). Over the line the cars were side-by-side and Geddie was ahead by just a hundredth of a second.

Bridgman struggled home seventh, while Hancock took eighth having stopped mid-race to change to slicks. Gilham (ReDesign Racing) battled home on his wets to take pro-am1 victory after Nigel Rice (Red Line Racing) went out with a damaged radiator after clipping the back of Bateman’s car in the frenetic early laps.

Tim Bridgman continued his fight back up the championship standings by winning round nine of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Croft today (Saturday 31 May). While Nigel Rice (pro-am1) and Glynn Geddie (pro-am2) took category victories, Bridgman’s fifth win of the season took him to within 10 points of championship leader Michael Caine.

The order at the front of the pack was shuffled right from the start as poleman Tim Harvey (Red Line Racing) made a poor start and dropped to third behind Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) and Stefan Hodgetts (PCGB). “The start; it didn’t go,” said Harvey, who slotted into third as the pack rushed into the first corner.

Up front, Bridgman knew that he had been gifted a big opportunity. “Once I got ahead at the start, I knew that 90% of my plan was done,” he said. With Hodgetts between him and championship rival Harvey, Bridgman was able to control the pace as Harvey set about challenging Hodgetts.

With the cars so evenly matched, Hodgetts was able to defend his place, although Harvey mounted several attacks. “I had a couple of looks and I knew the move had to be something fairly committed,” said Harvey, whose biggest move came at the Hairpin on lap six. As Hodgetts closed the door, the cars touched and Harvey suffered bent steering as a result. “After that, I couldn’t risk another attempt to pass,” admitted Harvey who ran home third.

“It’s really hard to pass round Croft and I was just trying to hang on to Tim Bridgman,” said Hodgetts. “I enjoyed the race.” As the race developed, Bridgman built his lead to nearly two seconds, although lapping backmarkers later on reduced his lead and he was just under a second ahead at the flag.

Sam Hancock (Jota Sport) ran fourth throughout and was close to Harvey over the opening laps as the top four cars running nose-to-tail made an impressive spectacle. But as the race developed Hancock wasn’t able to challenge Harvey and settled into a secure fourth as Michael Caine (Team Parker Racing) ran fifth. “We just struggled like we did in qualifying; we’re getting way too much heat in the tyres,” said Caine.

Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) and Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing) took sixth and seventh before pro-am1 winner Rice (Red Line Racing) finished eighth. However, Rice had to work hard for his victory after bogging down at the start and dropping behind Tony Gilham (ReDesign Racing). Gilham stayed ahead until a quick spin at the Hairpin on lap three cost him the lead and delayed Rice enough to allow Geddie to get ahead.

Rice then battled back to pass Geddie, but the 17-year old from Aberdeen still made an impressive Carrera Cup debut as he took ninth overall and pro-am2 victory in the PCGB entry. “It’s a lot different at this level,” he said after a major learning experience. Bob Lyons (Apex Tubulars) and Tommy Dreelan (Qserv) completed the pro-am2 podium.

Sam Hancock completed a tremendous weekend double victory by winning round eight of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Thruxton today (Sunday 18 May). In a race full of action and drama, Hancock moved through to win after early leader Michael Caine hit trouble, while Tony Gilham took pro-am1 spoils.

Caine (Team Parker Racing) got ahead on the opening lap as Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) and Hancock (Jota Sport) disputed ground into the first corner. Once ahead, Caine was able to control the gap to Hancock as Tim Harvey (Red Line Racing) battled ahead of Bridgman and moved in on Hancock.

Into Campbell for the eighth lap, Harvey touched the back of Hancock’s car and that had a dramatic effect on the race outcome. Although the contact was slight, it damaged the radiator on Harvey’s car and he immediately backed right off and limped back to the pits. Unfortunately, he was dropping coolant and that made the entry to the chicane especially slippery.

First to arrive at the chicane on his ninth lap was Caine and he had a big slide on the coolant. His car pitched up over the kerb and damaged the front splitter in the process, which immediately drastically upset the handling of his car. “It was looking so good,” said Caine after the race. “You couldn’t see the coolant on the track and I just tried to hold the slide.”

Hancock was close behind Caine and also had a big slide, but managed to avoid the kerbs while the following cars all slithered through. “I thought we were all going off; it was one of those hairy moments,” said Hancock. Now with an ill-handling car, Caine was powerless to fend off Hancock and started to fall back as Hancock settled into the lead from Bridgman.

Up into third came Duncan Tappy (PCGB) after a big battle with Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing), but Tappy went out four laps from the flag when a tyre deflated and sent him into a spin at Church, which put Bateman into third on his way to a first overall podium finish in the Carrera Cup.

Up front, Hancock controlled the pace to the flag for his second win in two days. “Happy is an understatement; racing is all about winning,” said Hancock. Bridgman was a close second and knew that it had been a good result for his title bid. “We didn’t have the pace this weekend, but championships are all about being good on your bad days,” he said.

“That was a tough old race,” said Bateman after the best result of his career to date. “It’s all about tyre management here.” Caine salvaged fourth by fending off Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) to the flag, but was desperately frustrated about his weekend. “We’ve been fastest here all weekend and had a fourth and a fifth place,” he said.

With Nigel Rice (Red Line Racing) out after an early clash with Quaife, which also dropped Quaife to the tail of the field, it was Gilham (ReDesign Racing) who came through to sixth overall and pro-am1 victory. “I just kept my head down and kept going,” said Gilham after upping his pace throughout the weekend.

Sam Hancock claimed his first win of the season in round seven of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Thruxton today (Saturday 17 May) as Tim Bridgman fended off Tim Harvey for second place. Nigel Rice topped the pro-am1 category after battling among the pro drivers.

Poleman Michael Caine (Team Parker Racing) led the opening lap but ran fractionally wide on the exit of the chicane and over a bump in the grass, which pitched his car into a spin in front of the pits. He avoided the pit wall, but dropped to eighth place before he could get going again.

That put Hancock (Jota Sport) ahead from Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) after they ran side-by-side on the opening lap. Hancock had grabbed second place as they raced through Church for the first time and then moved into the lead when Caine spun. With Harvey (Red Line Racing) shadowing Bridgman, Hancock was able to build his lead a little each lap and even a mid-race sprinkle of rain did not upset his rhythm.

“Luck was finally on my side today,” said Hancock after a tyre went down as he cruised around on the slowing down lap. “Over the second half of the race I was nursing the car home and I had a little bit in hand if I had needed it,” said Hancock after scoring the first Carrera Cup win for Jota Sport.

Bridgman had to race hard to hold off Harvey and only in the final three laps did the gap between them grow to more than a second. “Sam drove a great race and I was just trying to keep Tim at bay,” said Bridgman. “I picked up a vibration about four laps from the end and just backed it off,” said Harvey of his closing laps.

However, Harvey was able to get to the line ahead of Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) and the recovering Caine. For many laps Quaife had battled hard to fend off a determined challenge from Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing) and two laps from the end Bateman made a bold move down the inside under braking for the chicane. “I could see Michael Caine coming up behind us, so I went for it,” said Bateman. However, he spun across the grass and bumped the tyres, which put him out of the race.

That left Caine chasing Quaife through the final two laps and there was only half a second between them at the flag after a dogged recovery drive from Caine. In the early laps, Rice (Red Line Racing) ran strongly up with the pro drivers and ahead of Duncan Tappy (PCGB), but when Caine squeezed ahead of Rice into Allard it also allowed Tappy to move past the pro-am1 leader. Tappy duly took sixth place, with Rice seventh and Tony Gilham (ReDesign Racing) eighth and second in pro-am1.

Tim Bridgman scored his fourth victory in a row in a thrilling sixth round of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Donington Park today (Sunday 4 May). In tricky weather conditions, six cars put on a fabulous contest in front of a big crowd and live TV cameras and it was Phil Quaife who battled through to take the flag first from Tim Bridgman and Michael Caine, while Nigel Rice completed a double victory in pro-am1. However, Quaife was later penalised for passing under a yellow flag and dropped to third in the amended results.

With rain threatening, tyre choice was an issue before the race but all except John Quartermaine (PCGB) went to the grid on slicks. There was an early safety car period after a first corner brush sent Nick Whale (Team RPM) into the gravel at Redgate. As the cars completed the opening lap, just before reaching the safety car, the top four were incredibly close after Bridgman ran wide at the chicane and delayed Caine as Quaife and Charles Bateman dived up alongside. The clerk of the course later ruled that Quaife had passed under a yellow flag, and the resulting penalty would change the results.

As the cars toured behind the safety car, more rain fell and conditions were incredibly difficult over the opening laps of the restart.

From the green flag, Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) led, but the track was very slippery and drivers were struggling for grip at every corner. It made for a fantastic spectacle as the top six cars ran nose-to-tail for lap after lap, rapidly increasing their pace as the track started to dry once more.

It was Quaife (Jota Sport) who took the fight to Bridgman, but right behind were Caine (Team Parker Racing) and Sam Hancock (Jota Sport), while Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing) and Tim Harvey (Red Line Racing) completed the tightly packed top six.

The critical moment came under braking for the chicane on lap 12 when Quaife pulled off an audacious passing move on Bridgman. “I did a pretty crazy move on Bridgman into the chicane and I only just made the corner,” said Quaife. “I thought there was no way he would make the corner,” said Bridgman. However, Quaife found enough grip to get his car slowed down and through the corner, now ahead as Bridgman, Caine, Bateman, Harvey and Hancock chased.

The six cars still ran nose-to-tail and produced a superb spectacle, but up front Quaife held on with a fine performance to take the flag ahead of Bridgman and Caine. “Phil drove a great race and was prepared to take the risks; I was pushing all the time,” said Bridgman, who later discovered that he had taken over as race winner. Caine chased them home. “I’d got the championship to think about,” said Caine, who moved to second ahead of Quaife in the amended result.

Bateman drove a superb race to claim fourth from Hancock and Harvey, as less than three seconds covered six cars at the end of half an hour of flat out racing. Rice had a straightforward run to pro-am1 victory and seventh overall after Callum MacLeod (PCGB) retired after making a change to wet tyres when the track was at it’s worst. Tony Gilham (ReDesign Racing) headed the chase of Rice in pro-am1.

Bateman clinched the ‘driver of the weekend’ award for his outstanding pace, while Jota Sport was confirmed as ‘team of the weekend’.

Tim Bridgman completed a hat-trick of victories at Donington Park today (Sunday 4 May) in round five of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. With a faultless performance for Team Parker Racing, Bridgman made it three wins from three races as Tim Harvey (Red Line Racing) headed the pursuit. Nigel Rice claimed pro-am1 spoils for Red Line Racing.

Starting from pole position, Bridgman led the pack into Redgate as Harvey edged ahead of Michael Caine (Team Parker Racing). “When I hooked second off the line, there was a big bang and I thought second gear had gone; that’s when Tim got me,” said Caine.

Up front, Bridgman set about building his advantage. “I got an okay start and managed to pull a gap. Then I just pushed hard for the whole race,” said Bridgman. “The hat-trick of wins is great, but we’re just taking each race as it comes.” Harvey never stopped chasing, and was able to ease clear of Caine. By setting fastest lap, Harvey also ensured that he took over the championship lead from Caine.

“It was a case of job done,” said Harvey. “I’m very happy with that race.” With no apparent gearbox problem, Caine ran a strong third and brought the gap to Harvey back down to 1.5s at the flag. “I started taking a bit of time off Tim towards the end, but I’m sure he was backing off,” said Caine.

Fourth belonged to Sam Hancock (Jota Sport) and at one stage he was shadowing Caine for third. But as the race developed, Hancock dropped away and slipped into the clutches of Callum McLeod (PCGB). Into the final lap there were nose-to-tail, but Hancock held on to secure fourth. “We’ve still got some work to do; it’s just little bits everywhere,” said Hancock. MacLeod drove a strong race to work through to fifth as his experience of the 911GT3 Cup car grew lap by lap.

Phil Quaife (Jota Sport) took sixth, but had to battle ahead of pro-am1 leader Rice, who ran as high as sixth place overall after a rocket start. “It’s really good fun just driving the car,” said Rice after settling into seventh place and a commanding pro-am1 lead. Out of contention after running fifth on the opening lap went Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing) after picking up a rear puncture in the opening stages.

Behind Rice in pro-am1, Tony Gilham (ReDesign Racing) had to push hard in the early laps to fend off Nick Whale (Team RPM). However, as the race developed, the gap grew to a few seconds. “It took a couple of laps to get heat into the tyres in the early laps,” said Gilham.

Bridgman storms to victory at Rockingham

Tim Bridgman was the winner of round three of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Rockingham today (Sunday).It was Bridgman's first win in the series On his way to his first victory in the championship, Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) saw off the early challenge of Tim Harvey to take a stylish win.

The start was all-important and the leading drivers were evenly matched as they raced through Turn One and down the Deane hairpin. “I managed to get a good start and pull out a gap in the early laps,” said Bridgman after a faultless performance. Harvey (Red Line Racing) chased hard for many laps, but over the closing stages the gap grew as arvey found his car struggling for pace. “Tim drove a really tidy race,” said Harvey of his rival. “My car was consistent all the way through,” said Bridgman.

Michael Caine completed a perfect double weekend victory at Brands Hatch today (Sunday 30 March) by winning round two of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB to give his title bid the very best start.

Caine repeated his victory from the previous day with another faultless drive, grabbing the lead away the grid and fending off an early challenge from Team Parker Racing team mate Tim Bridgman to sweep to victory. Unfortunately, the race was shortened after Bridgman later crashed at Paddock Hill Bend after suffering a puncture.

In the early laps Caine led from Bridgman as Tim Harvey (Red Line Racing) made it a three-way lead pack. Bridgman kept the pressure on Caine for many laps, but with Harvey working up into contention in third, Bridgman had to watch his mirrors for attacks from Harvey. Finally, through Surtees on lap 17, Harvey saw his chance and set up a classic passing move up the inside line into McLaren to grab second.

By now, Caine was clear and well on his way to his second win in two days. “I thought Tim Bridgman was going to come back at me in the early laps, but once he’d got Tim Harvey on his tail, I was able to go clear. It’s been an unbelievable weekend!”

Once through to second place, Harvey was able to ease away from Bridgman. “It was good to pass Tim, but I honestly couldn’t close Michael down. I’m happy with the result,” said Harvey. Unfortunately things did not end so well for Bridgman, who spun heavily into the barriers at Paddock Hill Bend. Though unharmed, he was winded and the safety car was deployed and then the race was later halted with five laps left to run.

Chasing after Bridgman over the closing stages was Phil Quaife (Jota Sport), who had gradually eased clear of his team mate Sam Hancock. “Our pace isn’t quite there yet, but towards the end of the race I had better pace than Tim Bridgman,” said Quaife. Hancock struggled with a lack of grip at the front of the car, but took fourth while Nigel Rice (Red Line Racing) fended off Charles Bateman (Team Parker Racing) to take a fine fifth and pro-am1 victory.

“I’d worked my tyres hard so I was pleased to see the red flag,” admitted Rice, who had worked hard to fend off constant attacks from Bateman. “That makes up for not finishing yesterday,” said Rice who had ended Saturday’s race in the gravel trap.

Andy Britnell (Porsche Motorsport) took seventh, but accepted that the fierce pace at the head of the field was tough to match, while Fergus Campbell (Red Line Racing) took second in pro-am1 after Tony Gilham (ReDesign Racing) lost time with a trip through the gravel trap at Paddock Hill Bend and slipped to third.

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Provisional 2008 driver championship points positions

1. Tim Harvey 340

Provisional 2008 team championship points positions