Porsche Carrera Cup GB – the fastest single-marque GT racing championship in the UK – got the second half of its 2023 season underway in style at Scotland’s spectacular Knockhill circuit. Gus Burton (JTR) made the best possible return to the championship, taking pole position and driving to victory in the weekend’s first race. James Kellett (Rosland Gold by Century Motorsport) mastered tricky wet weather conditions to win the weekend’s second race.

The weekend’s first race on Sunday morning was interrupted by a Safety Car, but Burton controlled the pack perfectly to produce a lights-to-flag win. Porsche Carrera Cup GB 2022 / 2023 Junior Adam Smalley (Duckhams Yuasa Racing with Team Parker) and Matthew Graham (Redline Racing) fended off the challenges of those behind to join the returnee on the overall podium. Local racer Wylie (Team Redline Racing) enjoyed Pro-Am glory with Ryan Ratcliffe (Team Parker Racing) second and Josh Stanton (JTR) taking his maiden category podium result. Sherwood (Parker Classic Works) maintained his unbroken run of Am wins with Fairbrother (Toro Verde GT) grabbing second.

Kellett got a good start from reverse grid pole position to lead the weekend's second wet race – he successfully navigated a Safety Car restart to clinch the second win of his Porsche racing career. Just behind, a thrilling fight for second spot saw Graham finish ahead following incidents for Charles Rainford (CCK Motorsport) and Burton. 2021 Pro-Am champion Ratcliffe returned to winning ways while Sherwood continued his record-breaking form in Am.

Practice
The weekend’s first 50-minute practice session took place in clear and sunny conditions following an earlier downpour. Smalley was the early pacesetter, chased by Rainford and Malin. Returnee Burton soon began to make his presence felt – the JTR driver set the morning’s quickest lap. When the checkered flag fell, Burton would end the session 0.129 ahead of Graham with Smalley a close third. Max Bird (Team Redline Racing) remained top in Pro-Am with Oliver White (Redline Racing) second and Wylie third. Sherwood headed Am with Scotsman David Stirling (Redline Racing) getting the better of Fairbrother in the final order.

Rainford set the pace at the start of the afternoon’s 45-minute session, however, Burton soon became the driver to beat – his time of 48.718 topped the timing screen early on. With less than 15 minutes remaining, Rainford improved on his earlier effort, however, Burton soon moved the goalposts out of his reach, the returnee bettering his initial lap of 48.460 with a time of 48.455 to become the fastest driver of the day. At the flag, the top three in the Pro category were Burton from Rainford and Graham, in Pro-Am Bird led Will Aspin (Team Parker Racing) from Ollie Jackson (JTR). The order in Am was Sherwood from Stirling and Fairbrother.

Qualifying
Saturday afternoon's 30-minute qualifying session took place in dry conditions with dark clouds gathering overhead. Keen to set a competitive lap time in dry track conditions, all of the drivers took to the circuit immediately running on slick Michelin racing tyres. Burton’s set the early benchmark for pole position, but Smalley soon usurped his time. Burton responded by setting the fastest lap of the session.

With 21 minutes remaining on the clock the red flag was flown due to an incident for Stirling. When the track returned to green flag conditions, Burton was leading Smalley from Graham. Heavy rain soon began to fall, forcing the field to pit for grooved wet weather Michelin tyres, and there were no further improvements in lap times. Burton therefore secured the third pole position of his Porsche racing career – he would start the first of the weekend’s two races alongside Smalley, with Graham and Rainford on the second row of the grid. In Pro-Am, Wylie was ahead of category rivals Bird and Ratcliffe, and the order in the Am battle was Sherwood from Stirling and Fairbrother.

The 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup GB weekend format meant that Burton earned two championship points for his pole position, as did the top qualifiers in their respective categories: Wylie (Pro-Am) and Sherwood (Am).

Race one
The weekend's first race took place in dry conditions on Sunday morning. Burton appeared to make a false start before the lights went out, but he stopped behind his grid slot ahead of the lights changing. He led into the first corner with Smalley giving chase, while Graham and Rainford battled side by side for third through Leslies. Wylie came under attack from Harry Foster (Duckhams Yuasa Racing with Team Parker) but maintained his Pro-Am category lead, with Bird and Ratcliffe following behind. In Am, Sherwood stayed ahead while Fairbrother got by Stirling. Early into the race, Angus Whiteside (Century Motorsport) was forced to make a pit stop with a puncture before continuing his race.

Bird and Stanton soon engaged in a close scrap in Pro-Am. The former left the track at McIntyres before rejoining the track, which made the new category order Wylie from Ratcliffe and Stanton. On the seventh lap, Jake Giddings (Parker Classic Works) left the circuit and ended his morning in the gravel trap, and as a result the Safety Car was scrambled, neutralising the race. The action resumed at the start of lap 13, Rainford wasting little time in mounting an attack on Graham for the final podium spot, however, he could not find a route through.

A recovering Bird pushed to overtake Henry Dawes (Century Motorsport) for P17, meanwhile there was drama for Stirling as he spun at Butchers before rejoining. Jackson was another casualty as he took a trip through the gravel at McIntyres on lap 20 before continuing. Pro-Am championship leader Bird continued his offensive as he passed Aspin for P14 through the Duffas Dip, Leslies and McIntyres complex. When Dawes put two wheels into the gravel trap, Jackson regained a place following his earlier error. On lap 26, Graham closed on Smalley for second with Rainford and Kellett in pursuit creating a four-car train.

In the closing stages of the race, Foster and Malin engaged in a fight for sixth, but the reigning Porsche Sprint Challenge GB champion successfully overtook Malin to snatch the position. In the final few laps, Smalley and Graham continued their battle for second while Rainford and Kellett slipped back slightly to form a separate scrap for fourth. Burton crossed the finish line more than six seconds clear of Smalley, and Graham held on to third overall. Wylie, Ratcliffe and Stanton formed the Pro-Am category podium with Sherwood and Fairbrother completing proceedings in Am.

For recording the fastest lap in each of their respective categories, Burton (Pro), Whiteside (Pro-Am) and Sherwood (Am) each received one additional championship point. As part of the 2023 podium procedure, winner Burton selected at random the number five ball, which reversed the grid positions of the top five overall finishers from the opening race. The grid for the second race would be Kellett and Rainford on the front row, Graham and Smalley on row two, with Burton behind on row three.

Race two
The weekend's second race took place in wet conditions on Sunday afternoon. Kellett made a clean getaway from pole position, followed by Rainford and Graham as the cars filed through Duffas Dip. Jason Lockwood (EXCELR8 Motorsport) and Bird both ran slightly wide out of Butchers as the Pro-Am category order was decided – Wylie emerged ahead of Ratcliffe and White. Sherwood was the highest placed Am, with Stirling and Fairbrother slotting in behind. On the second lap, Smalley attacked Graham for third, running wide in his attempt before continuing his race.

On lap three, Bird made contact with Aspin as they fought at Duffas Dip. Further into the lap, Stanton and Jackson were involved in their own incident putting the former out of the race and resulting in the Safety Car being called into action. Racing resumed at the start of lap six. Bird and Aspin reignited their battle over fourth in Pro-Am – the pair crossed the finish line separated by just 0.059 seconds. Burton soon mounted a challenge on Graham, gaining a good exit from the hairpin and overtaking at the first corner for third. In an intensifying Pro-Am scrap, Ratcliffe passed Wylie for the category lead while Bird finally overtook Aspin for fourth.

On lap 11, the rain began to intensify but Aspin’s charge continued – he fought White for third in Pro-Am while, further back, category rivals Giddings and McFadden engaged in their own close dice for P18 overall. With 15 laps to go, it was all change in the Pro-Am category order – Ratcliffe continued to lead but Bird made his way up to second with Wylie third, and Aspin attacked the local star as a dry line began to form on the circuit. Just behind, Jackson and Whiteside were running in close formation as they contested fifth, also in Pro-Am.

Burton closed on Rainford for second, and on lap 24 moved to the inside at Duffas Dip to look past. As Rainford defended, he touched the grass on the outside at Leslies which pitched him into a spin across the track. Burton slowed to avoid the spinning Rainford but found himself on the same piece of track as Graham, the resulting contact leaving Burton with damaged steering, leading to his retirement. After the incident Kellett was still leading the race from Graham, with Smalley up to third. A change in Pro-Am saw Ratcliffe now leading Aspin and Bird.

In the closing stages of the race, Fairbrother and Ellis made contact at the hairpin. The former was left stranded on the grass following the incident, and in the melee there was another change to the Pro-Am category order, Whiteside snatching second with Bird sitting third. At the flag, Kellett took the second win of his Porsche racing career with Graham second and Smalley third. Ratcliffe made his return to the top step of the Pro-Am category podium alongside Whiteside and Bird, while Sherwood and Stirling formed the Am podium.

For recording the fastest lap in each of their respective categories, Malin (Pro), Whiteside (Pro-Am) and Sherwood (Am) each received one additional championship point.

Following the race, Aspin was given a deduction of four championship points and four category points for his incident with Stanton. Fairbrother was handed a deduction of two championship points and two category points for his incident with Ellis.

Porsche Carrera Cup GB travels to Donington Park on the weekend of 26-27 August where it is joined on the TOCA package by Porsche Sprint Challenge GB. Following the weekend in Scotland, Smalley has further extended his championship advantage to 34 points over Kellett. Meanwhile Wylie has closed to within 20 points of Pro-Am category leader Bird with three weekends remaining. Sherwood continues to accelerate towards a record fourth consecutive Am category title.

Championship positions*

Overall:
Adam Smalley - Duckhams Yuasa Racing with Team Parker - 91
James Kellett - Rosland Gold by Century Motorsport - 57
Charles Rainford - CCK Motorsport - 49

Pro-Am:
Max Bird - Team Redline Racing - 87
Ross Wylie - Team Redline Racing - 67
Ryan Ratcliffe - Team Parker Racing - 55

Am:
Justin Sherwood - Parker Classic Works - 119
David Fairbrother - Toro Verde GT - 52
David Stirling - Redline Racing - 31