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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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Final 2009
Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship Standings:
Final 2009
Porsche Carrera Cup GB ‘Pro-Am1’ Class Standings:
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PORSCHE DRIVER LAWSON PIPPED TO PRO-AM1 TITLE DURING SEASON FINALE
In addition, the Bardon Aggregates and Bardon Concrete-backed driver also concludes 2009 inside the top six of the overall championship – a superb achievement. With just three seasons of car racing behind him prior to the 2009 campaign, North Yorkshire-based Robert switched to rear-wheel drive sportscar competition for the first time this year with the move into the Porsche Carrera Cup. His lack of experience proved no barrier though to some exceptional race performances and it’s also very important to point out it was JHR Developments’ maiden season in the championship too, the Steven Hunter-led squad doing a great job against teams with a wealth of experience in Porsche Carrera racing. This weekend’s season finale, which marked Robert’s maiden experience of the Kent venue’s full 2.3-mile track configuration, resulted in a best race result of sixth on the road during round 20, second in class. In the earlier 19th round, he was third in Pro-Am1 and eighth in the overall classification – a brace of stellar results to claim his 13th and 14th class podiums of the campaign. “I’m very pleased with the way the championship has gone all in all”, commented Robert, “It’s been a huge challenge to adapt from front-wheel drive racing to such powerful rear-wheel drive cars but I think we can be very proud of what we’ve achieved. Just missing out on the Pro-Am1 title in our first year and finishing sixth overall in the main championship is great and shows what we’re capable of. “Without the fantastic support of Bardon Aggregates and Bardon Concrete I wouldn’t have been able to make the move into Porsche so I’m very grateful to them for all of their backing throughout the season.” Qualifying seventh on the grid for the first of the weekend’s races, Robert made a clean getaway but a forceful pass by team-mate Derek Pierce into Druids relegated the Barton-based racer to eighth position. With positions in the second half of the top 10 shuffling a couple of times, Robert managed to end the encounter eighth on the road and third in class, just 0.386 seconds adrift of Pierce, as he chose to follow his team-mate home. In round 20 – which was screened live across the UK on ITV4 – Robert again made an excellent start from the fourth row of the grid and importantly got ahead of chief Pro-Am1 rival Glynn Geddie before then gaining a further place into fifth on the run out of Druids. Into Graham Hill Bend though an opportunist lunge from Geddie, as Robert was delayed when Michael Caine’s car turned across the front of him, pushed the JHR ace back into sixth and that’s where he remained until the race was red flagged on lap 15 following a two-car collision involving Pierce and Tony Gilham. Robert ended the race classified in sixth position, second in class.
LAWSON SECURES ELEVENTH CLASS PODIUM OF SEASON AT SILVERSTONE
More good news followed though post-race when the Bardon Aggregates and Bardon Concrete driver was promoted into fourth position on the final classification due to the exclusion of second placed Tim Bridgman, who was involved in contact with series leader Tim Harvey on the last lap. In very tricky conditions, with persistent drizzle falling at the Northamptonshire venue, Robert raced strongly at the wheel of his JHR Developments-run 420bhp Porsche and made a stunning start by climbing into the top six on the opening lap. The North Yorkshireman, who resides in Barton near Richmond, began to pressurise Tom Bradshaw during the early exchanges but as the race approached mid-distance Robert had to concentrate on his mirrors with Northern Ireland’s Karl Leonard closing in. On lap 15, Leonard managed to get ahead into sixth place but on the following tour both drivers moved up a position when Bradshaw went off the circuit into the gravel at Brooklands. Remaining close behind Leonard all the way to the finish, the pair were separated at the chequered flag by just seven 10ths of a second. The final lap, however, provided a change to the top three when Bridgman pitched Harvey into retirement as he tried to take second place at Brooklands. Bridgman continued to the flag to finish in second place but with Harvey out and the former later disqualified, Robert claimed a fine fourth place – second in class – to maintain his Pro-Am1 title challenge and his top five placing overall. Speaking after the race, Robert said: “I’m pleased with the performance, it’s great to be on the podium again and the points are very valuable for the championship standings. We made some changes to the car with the track not being completely dry and they worked fairly well. Had the race been fully dry though I think we’d have been much faster. “The back end of the car was quite loose which made things very difficult out of the final corner at Luffield so it was a case of making sure I didn’t run wide and let anyone up the inside, which is exactly what I did with Karl Leonard! I had hoped we’d be a bit quicker as in testing on Friday we were second and sixth overall in the two sessions but, other than that, I’m pleased.” Saturday afternoon’s encounter, round 15, had a disappointing outcome for Robert while dicing over eighth position with Tom Bradshaw. Fighting hard into the complex on lap two, both drivers ended up making contact which forced an immediate retirement for the pair. Reflecting, Robert commented: “After the non-score on Saturday, we needed a reasonable result in the second race. At the end of the day, we’re firmly in the hunt for the Pro-Am1 championship but we do need to work hard to up our game a bit and find more pace from the car. Hopefully, we’ll have no more bad luck either!”
PORSCHE STAR LAWSON TAKES MAIDEN OUTRIGHT PODIUM AT KNOCKHILL
Absolutely delighted to secure a place on the overall rostrum, the result saw the Richmond-based racer also finish second in Pro-Am1. He went on to achieve his 10th class podium of the year in round 14 to consolidate fifth place in the main championship and the class lead in the Pro-Am1 standings. “It’s been a very good weekend, we’re very pleased”, commented Robert, “We started the weekend off well by doing a great job in qualifying and to then go on to take my best finish of the season with an outright podium was fantastic. Overall we bagged a lot of points and came back with a car pretty much in one piece. All in all it’s been a great event for us.” The first of the weekend’s races at the Fife track, widely regarded as possibly the best Porsche encounter of the season, was all about tyre choice due to earlier rain and opinions were divided with half of the runners electing to use wet weather rubber and the other half taking slick tyres. Robert and his JHR Developments team decided to run on slicks after taking the view the track would dry sufficiently part way through the race and the choice proved to be the perfect one, the Porsche Carrera Cup GB rookie finishing just nine seconds shy of race winner Michael Caine. Lining up an excellent fifth on the grid for round 13 after qualifying with a time of 56.687 seconds (80.73mph) during Saturday’s session, Robert sensibly allowed a few of the drivers on wet-weather tyres to pass him early on in the race but as soon as his slicks were up to temperature he started to scythe his way through the upper order in his Bardon Concrete and Bardon Aggregates-backed car. By lap nine he was up into the top seven and at the mid-point of the race he moved into the top six as lap times tumbled further and further. As the front-running cars on treaded tyres struggled more and more for pace, Robert climbed into the top four and then looked set to take third from Pro-Am1 rival Glynn Geddie into lap 17. As the pair crossed the start/finish line side by side, Robert was forced to put two wheels off the track on the inside following contact which meant he had to drop back into fourth position. Literally a few hundred yards later, second placed Tim Harvey fell into their clutches and with both cars getting ahead of the reigning champion it meant Robert was now in third place overall. Remaining in third all the way to the chequered flag on lap 30, Robert produced superb pace to clinch his best ever Porsche Carrera Cup GB result and in doing so he also posted the third quickest lap of the race with a time of 52.694 seconds – two 10ths of a second faster than the best managed by winner Caine.
Speaking after the race, Robert said: “The Porsche races are very long
and if you make the wrong call on tyres it really will punish you. We
always thought we would go on slicks. Our plan was to just keep the car
on the track early on and allow a few of the drivers on wet-weather
tyres to pass if they tried. Then, when our tyres were up to temperature
and the track dried, we could attack.” Robert ended the race in ninth position overall after struggling with a damaged car, the result of contact from Geddie again, but he did enough to finish third in the Pro-Am1 battle to secure his 10th class podium of what is turning out to be a truly outstanding debut season in the championship.
SUPERB LAWSON NAMED ‘DRIVER OF WEEKEND’ AFTER DOUBLE
CLASS WIN
Extending his lead in the Pro-Am1 driver standings to 21 points over nearest rival Tony Gilham, the category newcomer also solidified fifth position overall in the main championship chase with an outstanding top four in a rain-lashed round 10. More celebrations followed at the conclusion of the second race when Robert was also named the Porsche Carrera Cup GB ‘Driver of the Weekend’. As one of the most important events of the year for the JHR Developments driver with Croft’s 2.12-mile track situated just a stone’s throw from his home in the village of Barton, he coped with the added pressure superbly well and enjoyed by far his most successful outing of the season. “It’s been a perfect weekend”, said Robert, “It’s fantastic to race at your home circuit but there’s that added pressure to perform. I’ve been very fortunate during the last two visits to Croft, in SEATs last year we had a good weekend with a race victory and this year everything’s gone really well for us again. To take a pair of class wins today and to finish fourth overall in race two was fantastic. “I’m really pleased with the results and I appreciate all of the support I’ve had at Croft, there have been a lot of people here cheering me on so I want to thank them. When the weather changed and the rain came before the second race started I thought we’d be ok in those conditions but it’s always a bit of a lottery when it’s like that. The biggest problem, of course, was vision but it all worked out.” Lining up seventh on the grid for a bright and sunny round nine at the wheel of his Bardon Concrete and Bardon Aggregates sponsored car, Robert was thankfully not involved in a multi-car tangle at Clervaux and out of the chicane on lap one he was up into the top six and leading Pro-Am1. Under pressure early on from Ollie Jackson, Robert coped well and as the race passed mid-distance he managed to pull out a gap and took the chequered flag on lap 15 in sixth place three seconds ahead of his nearest pursuer who, by this point, was Lewis Hopkins. Round 10 was a much different prospect for the drivers with rain prior to the race meaning all 16 drivers would have their tyres changed to treaded rubber. Once again Robert made a good getaway from the fourth row of the grid and in the blinding spray he moved up into the top six before the end of lap one. Pressuring Jackson into lap two, Robert was driving fantastically well in the conditions and didn’t put a wheel wrong. Fifth placed Jackson, however, did make a mistake as he headed into Tower Bend and this gave the JHR man opportunity to pass on the inside. Robert’s next target was Pro-Am1 rival Glynn Geddie in fourth and as he closed onto the tail of the Scot, Geddie then pitted with problems. Maintaining a clear fourth all the way to the finish on lap 12, the North Yorkshireman produced a sparkling performance and his best race lap of 1m36.845 seconds was actually faster than that managed by reigning Porsche Carrera Cup GB Champion, and third place finisher, Tim Harvey.
LAWSON TAKES CLASS WIN DOUBLE AT SUN-DRENCHED OULTON PARK
Opening up an 11 point lead in the Pro-Am 1 class standings, the North Yorkshire-based racer is also a clear fifth in the overall championship battle behind the experienced top four of reigning champion Tim Harvey, race winners Tim Bridgman and Michael Caine and 2007 champion James Sutton. “Two class wins and two fifth places overall is a good weekend for us, it shows JHR are doing a good job and I’m pleased we’re moving forward with everything”, said Robert, “I made my weekend more difficult than it needed to be by not qualifying as strongly as we should have but that’s all part of the big learning curve we’re on.” Although disappointed not to have extracted more performance out of the car in qualifying on Saturday, 30th May, Robert produced an outstanding performance in round seven where he surged through from ninth on the grid to take a richly deserved top five finish and the class win in Pro-Am 1. Gaining two places on lap one, the Bardon Aggregates and Bardon Concrete-backed racer looked quick and was intent on getting by his JHR team-mate Derek Pierce as quickly as possible in order to stay on terms with the top five. During the first half of the race Pierce provided stern and robust defence and with Oulton Park not the easiest of circuits on which to overtake, the delay did cost Robert a lot of time. On lap nine, the breakthrough came as he managed to get ahead of Pierce into sixth place at Knickerbrook Chicane with a determined pass. On lap 12, Robert then gained another position to move into the top five when front-runner Michael Caine crashed out at Cascades following contact from a backmarker. Remaining in the position all the way to the chequered flag on lap 18, the category rookie was very happy to net another class victory but disappointed he didn’t have the opportunity get past Pierce’s Porsche sooner. “It slowed us up being behind Derek for so long and by the time I got through, the rest had managed to pull too far ahead”, explained Robert, “I’m sure we would have had the pace to maybe even run in the top four but fifth place from ninth on the grid is a good result for us.” At the beginning of round eight on Sunday, 31st May, Robert moved into the top six as everyone negotiated their way through Old Hall Corner and as the cars headed down The Avenue and into Cascades, the JHR racer was tucked up close behind Porsche Carrera Cup veteran Harvey. On lap three, Harvey got by Karl Leonard when the former ran wide at Cascades so now the Irishman was Robert’s target and on lap five, also at Cascades, he made his way past Leonard with a very well timed move. After a short Safety Car period, the race re-started on lap nine and after slipping behind Tom Bradshaw at Island Bend, Robert grabbed the place back at Druids to finish in fifth position. Robert added: “We’ve still got a lot of room for improvement but I’m very pleased with what we’ve achieved so far, especially for my sponsors Bardon Aggregates and Bardon Concrete who have made all of this possible. It’s nice to reward Bardon with some good results. Next up is our home circuit, Croft, so we’ll have plenty of support there – I’m very much looking forward to it.”
SECOND CLASS WIN OF YEAR FOR LAWSON AT RAIN-AFFECTED DONINGTON
On a weekend which saw the majority of track action affected by rain showers at some stage, the JHR Developments driver produced two excellent race drives at the Leicestershire venue, his best result of fifth overall and first in class coming in round five on Sunday morning. Tied on 53 points at the head of the Pro-Am1 class driver standings, Robert is actually the highest placed Pro-Am1 racer in the overall Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship table in a fantastic sixth position with 50 points. Robert started the weekend very well indeed during official pre-event testing on Thursday, 14th May, when he was third fastest overall – and first in class – ahead of reigning Porsche Carrera Cup GB Champion Tim Harvey and former title winner James Sutton. Lining up ninth on the grid for round five after admitting he didn’t quite get the best out of his tyres in qualifying, Robert made a good getaway in his Bardon Concrete and Bardon Aggregates-backed car at the start and found himself up into the top six early on, ahead of class rival Tony Gilham. On lap four, Robert gained another place by passing Michael Leonard at Coppice with a great move. For round six, which all drivers started on wet tyres, the Richmond-based racer got away fairly well and managed to hold ninth place when boxed in through Redgate. Pressuring Pro-Am1 rival Gilham during the first few laps, Robert made the breakthrough on lap four at Goddards Chicane with a good out-braking move to take eighth position. Closing on Michael Leonard, he gained another place on lap 11 at Redgate with a quality pass and then started to reel in championship front-runner and multiple race winner Michael Caine as the race passed mid-distance. In a position to think about mounting an attack on Caine on lap 18 at Goddards, things almost got a little too close for comfort between the pair which resulted in the JHR driver having to take avoiding action which lost him time. He did manage to recover and retain seventh place and second in class though, holding both to the chequered flag. “We’ve had a good weekend but there’s certainly room for improvement”, explained Robert, “I haven’t got very much experience at all in the Porsche in such tricky conditions so considering that I think we did a very good job. These cars are certainly a handful in the wet, for us it was a case of going out there to try and raise the bar a bit as we got more and more track time under our belt. “I was a bit disappointed not to pass (Michael) Caine in the second race but that’s one of those things. There’s still a long way to go for us but to have achieved a first and a second place in Pro-Am1 this weekend is a good result. We’ve only got six races behind us but we’re improving and starting to mix it with the top drivers which is great.”
LAWSON NAMED PORSCHE GB ‘DRIVER OF WEEKEND’ AT THRUXTON
Capping off a great event for the 31-year-old North Yorkshireman, the result – combined with second place in Pro-Am 1 in round four – was all the more impressive considering it was his, and the JHR Developments team’s, first competitive run at the ultra-fast Hampshire circuit with the powerful Porsche 911 GT3 car, reaching speeds up to an incredible 170mph. Starting his maiden season of rear-wheel drive competition at Brands Hatch in Kent three weeks ago with a mixed outing, Robert – who lives in Barton near Richmond – made a huge step forward at Thruxton this weekend as he continues to adjust from the less powerful front-wheel drive cars he has been campaigning for the past three years. It must be remembered too, his JHR team are new to the category this year and starting from scratch in terms of set-ups and the like against teams with many years’ experience in the prestigious, demanding category. Beginning round three from an impressive fifth on the grid in his eye-catching Bardon Aggregates and Bardon Concrete-backed car, four places ahead of nearest Pro-Am 1 rival Tony Gilham, he got away from the line well but was challenged on the outside on the run into Allard Corner by Lewis Hopkins and slipped to sixth position. Leading Pro-Am 1, the 2008 SEAT Cupra Vice-Champion came under pressure early on from Jake Roszenweig but as the race hit mid-distance, Robert started to put some clear air between himself and the young American as he edged nearer to fifth placed Hopkins. On lap 20, Robert was finally able to make his move after shadowing Hopkins for about eight laps and passed the Pro class racer with a great move on the exit of the complex. Moving back into the top five, he remained there to the chequered flag to take his first class win and to end up less than six seconds shy of the outright podium. Round four didn’t go quite as smoothly for the category rookie but he still emerged with the runner-up spot in Pro-Am 1 and also the class fastest lap with a time of 1m 16.844 seconds (110.37mph). Running comfortably in the lead of Pro-Am 1 once again, Robert had no intention of pressuring sixth placed Tom Bradshaw and risking damage to his car but as the latter lost pace, and with Gilham edging closer, he had no choice but to make a move.
Nipping past Bradshaw on the run to Church, the fastest part of the
circuit, Robert headed up Woodham Hill to the chicane but Bradshaw
slip-streamed him as he tried to regain the place and this forced the
pair wide over the kerbs. Pro-Am 1 rival Gilham seized his chance and
passed both cars to take the class lead. “We should have had two class wins this weekend really”, said Robert, “We’ve taken some good points though and to win my class in race one and to be named Driver of the Weekend was great. It’s been a positive event and we’re definitely moving in the right direction. “I was delayed by slower cars in both races which was a shame but the second was the disappointing one. I had a comfortable lead in Pro-Am 1 so I thought I’d bide my time behind (Tom) Bradshaw as I didn’t need to race him. His pace dropped off though as the race wore on and with (Tony) Gilham then beginning to close in I had to make a move. “I went up the inside on the run to Church but Bradshaw got a better exit to slipstream me up to the chicane and he didn’t give me any room as we were side-by-side. He turned across me and so, rather than risk a collision, we both ended up going over the kerbs which caused the damage and allowed Gilham to get through." He added: “Over the last four laps, my pace dropped right off due to the three inch cut in the tyre from the broken bumper bracket, it was like driving a shopping trolley to be honest. We were lucky really not to have an accident or suffer a big puncture. All in all it’s been a good weekend though and we’re making great progress. Being second in Pro-Am1 this early in the season is very good.”
pics . Jakob Ebrey Photography |
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Robert
Lawson capped off an excellent maiden season in the Porsche Carrera Cup
GB Championship at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit over the weekend,
3rd/4th October, with two more class podiums to narrowly miss out on the
Pro-Am1 title – a battle he led going into the final event of the year. 
Porsche
Carrera Cup GB Championship Pro-Am1 Class title contender Robert Lawson
raced to his 11th podium finish of the season at a damp Silverstone
National Circuit yesterday, Sunday, 30th August, with an impressive
drive into the overall top five from ninth on the grid. 
North
Yorkshire’s Robert Lawson produced by far the best performance of his
debut season in the ultra-competitive Porsche Carrera Cup GB
Championship at Knockhill in Scotland on Sunday, 16th August, with a top
three finish in round 13 – his first outright podium in the category.
JHR
Developments driver Robert Lawson shone as brightly as the red-hot
sunshine at Oulton Park Island Circuit over the weekend, 30th/31st May,
to claim a memorable double victory in the Pro-Am 1 class during rounds
seven and eight of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship. 
Robert
Lawson continued his excellent progress in the ultra-competitive Porsche
Carrera Cup GB Championship at Donington Park over the weekend,
16th/17th May, with his second Pro-Am1 Class victory of the 2009 season.
Porsche
Carrera Cup GB rookie Robert Lawson secured his first ever Pro-Am 1
class victory during round three of the season at Thruxton on, Sunday,
26th April, and saw his efforts rewarded further when named ‘Driver of
the Weekend’.