Sebastian Hopkins from Chichester mastered wet-weather conditions to win the first encounter of the Silverstone weekend. The race also saw Elle Davis from Worthing take a Clubsport Am category podium result on her racing debut. Thomas Bradshaw from Bolton in Greater Manchester won Round 14, while Will Jenkins from Stafford drove to a maiden overall victory in Round 15.

The Silverstone weekend, which saw 50 cars entered between Sprint Challenge GB and Carrera Cup GB creating the largest Porsche paddock yet, established an exciting season finale. Porsche Sprint Challenge GB championship battles in all four driver categories – RS Pro, RS Am, Clubsport Pro and Clubsport Am – will go down to the wire at Brands Hatch in October.

Jenkins enjoys breakthrough win in RS Pro
Saturday’s qualifying session was conducted in dry and sunny conditions. Sebastian Hopkins (Team Parker Racing) was the early pacesetter, but Will Jenkins (Team Parker Racing) snatched pole position for Round 13 in the dying seconds. Jenkins maintained his lead at the start of the weekend’s first race despite tricky wet conditions. Thomas Bradshaw (Toro Verde GT) and Joe Marshall (Rob Boston Racing) ran side-by-side in their fight for third, but Bradshaw nosed ahead, and Marshall soon came under attack from Max Coates (Team Omologato with Graves Motorsport).

Hopkins closed on Jenkins for the lead, but he was soon overtaken by Bradshaw when the latter got a better exit out of Luffield. On lap seven, Hopkins grabbed the lead from Jenkins with a move at the final corner, and Coates finally passed Bradshaw for third on the Wellington Straight. In the closing stages of the race, the leaders were delayed as they lapped traffic. This allowed Coates to secure second, leaving Jenkins in third. Hopkins enjoyed his fifth win of the season to bolster his championship chances.

Jenkins led into the first corner in Round 14 with Bradshaw moving up into second place, and Hopkins was relegated to third. Coates set after Hopkins for third overall, and when he slid wide at Brooklands, then again at Luffield, Coates pounced. Marshall quickly tried the same move on Hopkins, replicating the pass just one lap later to leave Hopkins in fifth. As Bradshaw closed on race leader, Jenkins, Coates used the opportunity to gain on both.

With eight minutes of racing remaining, Jenkins was slow through Woodcote allowing Bradshaw to mount a pass for the lead. Coates also got through for second and began challenging Bradshaw. With four minutes left, Marshall attacked Jenkins, and they swapped places twice in their fight for third, but when Marshall received a five-second time penalty for track limits he fell down the order on corrected time. In the final laps, Coates got alongside Bradshaw and took the race lead. They ran side-by-side on two occasions, but Coates went deep at the final corner allowing Bradshaw to cross the line ahead for his fourth win of the season.

Mixed weather conditions saw 11 cars on the grid opt for slick Michelin tyres at the start of Round 15, with the rest of the field on grooved wet-weather tyres. Coates made a good start and pulled clear of the pack at the start, he was chased by Jenkins and Bradshaw, however, the latter soon ran wide allowing Ethan Hammerton (Team Omologato with Graves Motorsport) to move into second. Jenkins wasted little time in retaking the spot, and Bradshaw then passed Hammerton on the inside at Luffield. However, the order was soon reinstated, with Coates leading Jenkins from Bradshaw.

Jenkins mounted a new challenge on Coates, snatching the lead at Copse as the rain began to fall heavily once more. Bradshaw got ahead of Coates for second as Marshall suffered a spin. Jenkins stayed in front during the second half of the race to record the first win of his Porsche Sprint Challenge GB career. He was joined on the overall podium by Bradshaw and Coates, the latter increasing his championship advantage at the top of the standings.

Three different winners in RS Am
Jacob Tofts (Graves Motorsport) was impressive throughout qualifying and would start Rounds 13 and 14 as the fastest RS Am driver. As Tofts stayed ahead in the weekend’s first race, Matthew Kyle-Henney (Clean Racing) was passed by Reece Somerfield (Breakell Racing) for second, however the latter would fight back. As Kyle-Henney looked to return fire, Oliver Meadows (Parker Classic Works) joined the scrap. In the final two minutes of racing Kyle-Henney retook second place in the category, while Tofts crossed the finish line for his sixth RS Am win of the season – an impressive fourth overall.

Kyle-Henney led Tofts who passed newcomer Jamie Osborne (Parker Classic Works) at the start of the weekend’s second race, which was also conducted in difficult wet conditions. In the first five minutes of racing Osborne got back ahead of Tofts, however, later in the race Osborne slipped backwards, allowing Somerfield to take third. On the final lap, Kyle-Henney came under an intense attack from Tofts as the pair encountered traffic, but Kyle-Henney managed to hang on to secure RS Am category glory.

Kyle-Henney was ahead again at the start of the weekend’s final, wet race, Tofts was second with Meadows occupying third. With the order settled, the drivers navigated difficult track conditions as the rain fell once more. In the final 10 minutes of racing, Somerfield passed Tofts on the Wellington Straight to take second in the category, and with four minutes left on the clock he got ahead of Kyle-Henney for the lead. The order remained the same to the flag with Somerfield taking his third RS Am category win of 2024 – the weekend’s third different RS Am winner.

Dix, Mulryan and Harvey share Clubsport Pro plaudits
The Clubsport Pro category order swapped several times during qualifying, however, Ben Mulryan (Race Car Consultants) ultimately secured the quickest time. Samuel Harvey (Xentek Motorsport) was second fastest meaning he would start Round 14 on category pole. Mulryan led Harvey from Oskar Dix (Team Parker Racing) at the start of Round 13, but Dix conquered the wet conditions, eventually passing Mulryan for the category lead in the final moments of the race. Dix enjoyed his fourth category win of the season, joined on the podium by Mulryan and Harvey.

Harvey led the Clubsport Pro category racers in the second race of the day, with Mulryan second and Dix third. In tricky wet conditions, Mulryan assumed the category lead with 15 minutes of racing remaining, meanwhile Dix ran wide at Copse before rejoining – this allowed William Rochford (Total Control Racing) to move up. In the latter stages of the race, Dix was able to recover from his earlier error, joining category victor Mulryan, and Harvey, on the Round 14 podium.

Rochford was the pacesetter during the opening laps of the final race, with Mulryan in second and Harvey in third. By the midpoint of the race, Mulryan and Harvey had swapped places, and when Rochford received a five-second penalty for track limits, the new Clubsport Pro category order was Harvey from Mulryan – Rochford being relegated to third on corrected time. And that is how the order would stay to the flag.

Elle Davis makes impressive Clubsport Am debut
Karim Sekkat (Breakell Racing), Darelle Wilson (AALCO with JWB Motorsport) and Jonathon Beeson (Graves Motorsport) each topped the Clubsport Am category during qualifying. Wilson’s best was good enough for pole in Round 13, and Beeson was ahead for Round 14.

Wilson led at the start of the weekend’s first wet race, but Beeson would soon get ahead with Sekkat running second and Wilson now relegated to third. Later on, Sekkat slipped backwards which allowed Beeson to lead Wilson. In her first ever race, Elle Davis (CCK Motorsport) took the final category podium spot in the closing laps, securing an impressive result on her racing debut.

Wilson took the advantage at the start of the weekend’s second race, he led Sekkat and Beeson in the early stages. At the midpoint, Beeson was on Wilson’s rear wing as Sekkat was delayed. With nine minutes of racing remaining, Wilson ran wide and contact with Beeson followed. While Beeson survived to assume the category lead, Sekkat was now second with Porter in third. Before the flag fell Sekkat was able to take the category lead, with Beeson now second and Wilson recovering to third. Sekkat’s result was his second category win of the season.

Wilson was ahead in the final encounter with Sekkat in second and Davis running in third, Beeson later adopted the final Clubsport Am category podium position. In the closing stages of the race Sekkat moved to the category lead, conquering the difficult wet weather conditions, Wilson was now second with Beeson in third, the trio would form the final podium of the weekend.

Championship battles in all four driver categories will be decided when Porsche Sprint Challenge GB travels to Brands Hatch on the weekend of 5-6 October. It will be joined again by Carrera Cup GB. Follow the latest Porsche Sprint Challenge GB news directly from Porsche Motorsport via Instagram – @PorscheRaces_GB – where users can share experiences via the hashtag #SprintChallengeGB.

Championship positions*

RS Pro:
Max Coates - Team Omologato with Graves Motorsport - 116
Sebastian Hopkins - Team Parker Racing - 106
Thomas Bradshaw - Toro Verde GT - 99

RS Am:
Jacob Tofts - Graves Motorsport - 122
Matthew Kyle-Henney - Clean Racing - 117
Reece Somerfield - Breakell Racing - 91

Clubsport Pro:
Oskar Dix - Team Parker Racing - 122
Samuel Harvey - Xentek Motorsport - 116
Ben Mulryan - Race Car Consultants - 109

Clubsport Am:
Jonathan Beeson - Graves Motorsport - 122
Darelle Wilson - AALCO with JWB Motorsport - 107
Karim Sekkat - Breakell Racing - 97