THRILLING PORSCHE SPRINT CHALLENGE GB SEASON OPENER SEES ROBERTS THE EARLY CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER

Porsche Sprint Challenge GB arrived at Donington Park for the first weekend of the 2023 season. As part of a three-year agreement starting this year, it runs exclusively on the TOCA package. On six race weekends, the championship will race in support of the British Touring Car Championship, four of those – including the season-opener – also alongside Carrera Cup GB.

Saturday morning’s qualifying session on the 1.98-mile National circuit saw returnee Toby Trice (Redline Racing) take pole position, while Callum Davis (CCK Motorsport) was the pacesetter in the Am category.

Race one was packed with close but considerate racing, with all 19 starters making it to the chequered flag. Max Coates (Team Omologato by Graves Motorsport) stalled on the grid, putting him into last place, but a dazzling drive saw him work his way up to finish in 11th. Warhurst chased Trice in a thrilling attack, but Trice‘s defence was too strong, and he’d take the win with Warhurst in his slipstream, then Roberts. A battle also raged between Warren and Davis for the Am lead, but Davis came out ahead in the closing stages of the race.

It was a change of conditions for the second race, the track looking decidedly damp. Trice and Warhurst went side by side through the Craner Curves, but Warhurst emerged ahead, before Roberts made his way past Trice. Conditions got the better of Armstrong at the Craner Curves – he found his way into the gravel at the Old Hairpin. On the restart, Davis found a way past Robert Cronin (Parker Classic Works), putting him right behind Am leader Warren. Roberts and Warhurst were side by side down the Craner Curves with Roberts getting through for the lead.

Roberts took the win with a healthy lead of nearly three seconds, followed by Warhurst, while Coates made it up to third. In Am, Davis led from Warren and Cronin.

The final race of the weekend saw even wetter conditions. Hammerton made a brilliant start, first passing Trice, then going around the outside of Coates at Redgate. Neil Tofts (Redline Racing) and White came together at Coppice, sending them both into the gravel. Coates went past Hammerton on the inside at the Hollywood, for third position, while Trice managed to get his car up the inside of Hammerton on the way in to Coppice, promoting him to fourth place. In the closing stages, Coates took second place. Roberts took the flag with a commanding lead of 4.6 seconds, ahead of Coates and Warhurst. In Am, Davis led from Warren from Kyle-Henney.

Qualifying
Saturday’s 30-minute qualifying session took place in dry and mild but overcast conditions. Drivers spent the first few laps reacquainting themselves with the circuit following Thursday’s practice session, and warming up their tyres, and by the time they were on their third laps competitive times started appearing on the timing screen.

Kyle-Henney, Danny Dwyer (Xentek Motorsport) and Callum Davis showed initial pace, all posting times in the 1.11s, but soon Warhurst topped the tables with a 1.09.191, followed by Matthew Armstrong on a 1.09.237. By 10 minutes into the session, the Pro class order was Warhurst, Trice and Armstrong, while in Am, Kyle-Henney led Davies and Marc Warren.

Roberts then joined the battle, posting the fastest time of 1.09.133, before Trice responded with a 1.08.939. At half time, the top seven drivers were within spitting distance of each other, all in the high 1.08s or 1.09s. But an excursion into the gravel trap at the Old Hairpin for Roberts would halt proceedings, drivers having to return to the pits as the red flags came out. The session restarted with 12 minutes to go, and Coates and Hammerton – who were both yet to set times – were immediately on the pace, rising to fifth and ninth respectively.

In the final stages of qualifying, Trice regained the top spot from Warhurst, with a 1.08.727. As the session ended, Warhurst was in second position (1.08.855) and Armstrong third (1.08.926). In Am, Warren was first and eighth overall (1.09.220), immediately followed by Kyle-Henney and Warren.

A driver’s fastest- and second-fastest laps are used to form the grid for races one and two, with the grid for race three determined by the finishing positions of race two.

Race one
The first of the weekend’s three races took place in dry conditions on Saturday afternoon. The grid got away and rounded the first corner cleanly, apart from Coates – who lined up in fifth – stalling, putting him in last place by the time he got his car rolling. Jenkins got past Hammerton for sixth, while Warren, Dwyer, Rupert Laslett (Raceway Motorsport), Reece Somerfield (Breakell Racing) and John White (Parker Classic Works) also gained places during the lap.

On the start of lap three, Roberts looked for a way past Armstrong at Redgate but was unable to make it stick. However, into McLeans, Roberts emerged ahead of Armstrong, Armstrong then also losing a place to Jenkins. Jenkins would continue his attack the following lap, swapping places with Roberts on the approach to the chicane. At the back of the field, Coates, starting his recovery drive, had already made three places.

Trice maintained his lead, but Warhurst was hot on his heels, setting the fastest lap of the race so far on lap four, a 1.09.291. In the Am category, Warren took the lead from Davis, putting him seventh overall. Trice responded on lap seven, with a 1.09.253, but the gap between them would start to diminish.

At the race’s half way point, Jenkins ran wide exiting the final chicane, allowing Roberts through. Hammerton attacked the recovering Jenkins into Redgate, but couldn’t quite find a way past, and in the process he lost a place to Armstrong.

Armstrong would find a way past Jenkins at the chicane on the following lap, but then conceded places to Jenkins and Hammerton at Hollywood the lap after, before Armstrong came back past Hammerton.

With five minutes of racing to go, leader Trice and Warhurst were seperated by one third of a second, but a battle also raged between Warren and Davis for the Am lead, with Davis finally passing Warren at McLeans on lap 15. On the final lap, Rupert Lasslett passed Somerfield under braking into Redgate.

Despite the continued pressure, at the flag, Trice retained his lead from Warhurst, the cars crossing the line barely more than a quarter of a second apart, with Roberts in clear air in third. In Am, Davis took victory in his third-ever motorsport weekend, followed by Warren and Kyle-Henney. A stunning performance from Coates saw him climb eight places to 11th.

For recording the fastest lap in each of their respective categories, Trice (Pro) and Davis (Am) each received one additional championship point.

Race two
The weekend’s second race took place on Sunday morning. After a drizzly start to the day, the rain stopped before the race, but the surface was still wet. As the lights went out, all cars got a clean getaway, and into Redgate secord-place driver Trice tried a move around the outside of pole-sitter Warhurst. The two went side by side through the Craner Curves, but Warhurst emerged ahead. Trice would go from predator to prey, as third-place Roberts made his way past and up into second. Edward Stanton (Toro Verde GT) had a particularly impressive start, making up six places putting him third in the Am class, while Cronin gained five. However, Armstrong put a wheel on the grass on the inside of the Craner Curves, spearing him off to the outside of the circuit and into the gravel at the Old Hairpin, and bringing out the Safety Car.

Racing resumed with 13 minutes left on the clock. At Redgate, Trice was being attacked, this time from Jenkins, but he successfully defended. At McLeans, Davis found a way past Cronin, putting him right behind Am leader Warren. On lap six, Roberts came around the outside of leader Warhurst at Redgate, and they went side by side through the Craner Curves, but Warhust held on to top spot. But Mundy’s excursion into the gravel at Redgate would bring out the race’s second Safety Car.

With eight minutes to go, the Safety Car pulled in and the action resumed. The following lap, Warhurst took a defensive line into Redgate to hold off the attacking Roberts, and Jenkins did his best to keep Coates at bay, but Coates found a way through at the Craner Curves. Roberts was bumper to bumper with Warhurst, and Trice closed in, too. Two laps later, Roberts and Warhurst were side by side on the Craner Curves once again, this time Roberts getting through. It put Trice on the tail of Warhurst, and while the two jostled for position, Roberts started to build a gap.

On the next lap, Trice passed Warhurst at Starkeys, but he’d run wide on the kerb at McLeans, letting not just Warhurst back through, but Coates as well. Lap 13 proved unlucky for White, who came off the track but managed to return to the circuit unscathed. Hammerton overtook Jenkins for fifth position while, in Am, Davis went round the outside of Warren at Hollywood to take the class lead.

At the chequered flag, Roberts took the win with a healthy lead of nearly three seconds, followed by Warhurst and Coates. In Am, Davis led from Warren and Cronin. For recording the fastest lap in each of their respective categories, Roberts (Pro) and Davis (Am) each received one additional championship point. For an incident on track, Stanton was disqualified and received a four championship point deduction. For his incident Mundy received a two championship point deduction.

Race three
The last race of the weekend took place on Sunday afternoon following another rain shower, resulting in wet conditions on circuit – and causing teams to make the last-minute switch to their grooved Michelin wet-weather tyres.

All cars got off the line safely, with Hammerton making a brilliant start, first passing Trice, then going around the outside of Coates at Redgate. Tofts and White came together at Coppice, sending them both into the gravel, bringing out the Safety Car.

The race resumed with 11 minutes remaining. Coates put the pressure on teammate Hammerton, looking down the inside at Redgate and again at Coppice, while Trice caught up with the duelling pair. The trio stayed nose to tail until, on lap nine, Coates went past Hammerton on the inside at the Hollywood. In the Am category, Davis led, well clear next best Am drivers Warren and Jenkins, who was battling with Cronin. Mundy spun at Coppice, but managed to rejoin the circuit, now in 16th place.

Coates ran wide at the Old Hairpin but hung on to his third position. Ahead of him, Roberts extended his lead on Warhurst to more than two seconds. Trice managed to get his car up the inside of Hammerton on the way in to Coppice, promoting him to fourth place. Further back, Jenkins and Cronin fought for ninth place. Coates was now on the back bumper of Warhurst and applying pressure, but unable to find a way past. On lap 13, he got a better exit from Coppice and could hold the inside line into the final chicane, giving him second place. Warhurst tried to get back at Coates at Redgate but couldn’t make it stick. In the last moments of the race Trice looked for a gap to get past Warhurst, but to no avail.

Roberts took the flag with a lead of 4.6 seconds, ahead of Coates and Warhurst. In Am, Davis led from Warren from Kyle-Henney. For recording the fastest lap in each of their respective categories, Roberts (Pro) and Davis (Am) each received one additional championship point. For an incident on track, White received a two championship point deduction.

With his results from the opening weekend, Roberts takes an early Pro category championship lead over Trice and Warhurst. Three wins out of three for Davis sees him top the Ams, followed by Warren, with three second place finishes, and Kyle-Henney, with three thirds. The championship travels to Norfolk on 20-21 May, where Snetterton hosts rounds 4, 5, and 6.

Championship positions*

Pro:
Steve Roberts – Redline Racing – 28
Toby Trice – Redline Racing – 23
Joe Warhurst – Team Parker Racing – 22

Am:
Callum Davis – CCK Motorsport – 35
Marc Warren – Raceway Motorsport – 24
Matthew Kyle-Henney – SW Engineering – 18

Source. Porsche