The second weekend of the RAFA Racing Club Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB season saw Sebastian Job (East Grinstead) and Josh Thompson (Isle of Man) resist increasing pressure from the chasing pack to each secure overall victories. A digital recreation of the 1.98-mile Donington Park National circuit saw a grid of 27 Pro and Am category sim racers battle during two exciting virtual races on Sunday 28 January – broadcast live via the Porsche Twitch channel (twitch.tv/porsche).

Job left his best run until the final seconds of qualifying to snatch pole position, he led at the start of the weekend’s first race but came under intense pressure from newcomer Luke McKeown. Despite sitting only a few car lengths adrift of Job throughout the race, McKeown could not mount an attack, the pair stayed ahead of the pack with Job taking his second win of 2024. Also maintaining his form from the Silverstone opener, Luke Pennington (Bideford) topped Am with another confident drive to category victory.

Thompson benefitted from reverse grid pole position to lead Alexander Davidson (Menstrie), Graham Carroll and McKeown during a closely contested second race that was packed with action, Thompson delivered a faultless drive to defend his advantage to the flag. Meanwhile, Pennington underlined his dominance with a fourth Am category win from four races. Job now enjoys an early 11 point cushion at the top of the Pro category points table but the Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing driver has a long fight ahead.

Qualifying
A handful of different drivers assumed provisional pole position in the first half of the 10 minute qualifying session which would determine the grid order for the third race of the season. Credible attempts from Matt Emery (Nutfield), Carroll, Pennington, Davidson and McKeown could have been enough for pole position as 2021 and 2023 champion Job languished down the order. In Am, Pennington was the pacesetter with Scott Moakes (Meppershall) and Crofton Woodhatch (Bath) giving chase.

In the closing minute of the session just three tenths of a second covered the top 11, Davidson improved to top the timing screen with a 1:04.700. However, Job produced a perfectly timed flying lap, his 1:04.696 securing pole position, Davidson was relegated to second with McKeown third – less than one tenth of a second covered the top six. The Am starting order was Pennington from Daniel Martin (Weymouth) and Moakes.

Race one
The third race of the season saw all 27 drivers get away cleanly at the start, Job led into Redgate for the first time and quickly began moving off line to ensure his rivals could not gain a slipstream tow. Davidson and McKeown battled for second while Pennington resisted Moakes to stay ahead in Am. An almost unbroken queue of cars stretching from first back to P17 soon formed, but as the order settled one of the closest fights on track was between leader Job and the chasing McKeown in second.

With 18 minutes of the timed race remaining, McKeown moved closer than ever to Job. This forced the double Esports Carrera Cup GB champion to drive defensively as they approached Coppice, however McKeown did not attempt to pass. There was drama when Luke Bennett (Bromsgrove) was involved in an incident at Redgate dropping him down the order. Next, Peter Berryman (Corby) made a move to the inside of Davidson at Redgate for third; Davidson attempted a cut back but the idea did not work. Carroll was soon on Davidson’s tail and an overtake quickly materialised at Coppice relegating Davidson to fifth. That left the order at the front of the race as Job from McKeown with Berryman running third.

With less than 10 minutes left on the clock, a battle for P13 intensified between Pro category driver Daniel Sedgley (Sandbach) and Am leader Pennington, the latter emerging ahead. Jack Sedgwick (Stockport) and Leo Gariboli (Hemel Hempstead) also engaged in a thrilling scrap for ninth overall, Sedgwick was initially ahead but Gariboli produced a skilful move down the outside of the Craner Curves to get the position. As they entered the last lap of the race their battle was still raging leading to contact at the final corner.

Further up the road Job completed his mission having resisted McKeown all race long, he took his second win of 2024 with McKeown finishing a very close second and Berryman third. Pennington, Moakes and Martin formed the Am podium. Thompson took sixth overall giving him reverse grid pole position for the day’s second encounter.

Race two
The grid for the second race was determined by reversing the top six finishing positions from race one. Thompson started on pole position with Davidson alongside, Carroll and Berryman formed the second row with McKeown ahead of Job on row three. When the lights went out Thompson was able to stay ahead, but there was action all the way through the field as drivers battled for position. Davidson lost out early on as Carroll overtook, Bennett’s weekend went from bad to worse when he was hit by Tague, Oliver Ettridge (Nuneaton) and Chadwick were also involved.

Job ran wide at McLeans shortly before Daniel Cofield (Doncaster) and Thomas Cope (Sheffield) suffered spins, the former colliding with Tague, and there was contact between Jacob Tofts (Hatfield Heath) and Pennington. On the second lap Emery and Berryman came together at Redgate. Carroll soon attacked Thompson for the race lead but the attempt backed him into the chasing Davidson. Momentarily slowed, Davidson came under fire from McKeown who snatched third and then set after the compromised Carroll. Carroll stayed ahead until the run through McLeans and Coppice where McKeown nosed in front, they ran side-by-side down the back straight, but it was Davidson who ultimately emerged ahead to retake second, Carroll was now third with McKeown fourth, Job a distant fifth.

Thanks to the swapping of positions behind, leader Thompson now found himself with a comfortable gap of two seconds back to Davidson in second, meanwhile the order in Am was Pennington from Moakes and Martin. With 17 minutes remaining on the clock Higgins was slow, an issue that would be repeated and lead to his retirement from the race. Another casualty was Woodhatch as he found the wall following contact with another car in the run down to the chicane. However, Thompson was soon under pressure again, the leading quartet of Thompson, Davidson, Carroll and McKeown covered by less than one second with 12 minutes of racing remaining.

In the closing stages of the race Davidson felt the need to drive defensively, this gave Carroll a look around him but the status quo remained. Entering the final lap McKeown launched his car down the inside of Carroll at Redgate but the latter got back ahead. The action allowed Job to get a run on the pair; he was alongside McKeown in his quest for fourth and they lent on each other’s cars in a fierce dice for space. However, Thompson crossed the finish line first to take victory, he was joined on the virtual Pro category podium by Davidson and Carroll. Job was fourth with McKeown taking the flag in fifth. Pennington took his fourth Am category win from four races, Martin was second with a maiden podium result for Tim Darracott (Hensall), however with post-race penalties applied Dylan Platt (Bangor) would be promoted to the final Am podium place.

Following the race, for the incident on the opening lap between Nathan Tague, Luke Bennett, Oliver Ettridge and William Chadwick, 10 seconds was added to the race time of Tague. For an incident between Jacob Tofts and Luke Pennington on the first lap, five seconds was added to the race time of Tofts. For an incident between Tague and Daniel Cofield on lap one, 20 seconds was added to the race time of Cofield. For an incident between Gareth Higgins and Luke McKeown on lap five, five seconds was added to the race time of McKeown. For an incident between Tim Darracott and Adam Holloway on lap 19, five seconds was added to the race time of Darracott.

Rounds five and six of the championship take place on 11 February at a simulated Snetterton 200 circuit. Keep up to date with RAFA Racing Club Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB news via the dedicated Instagram and Twitter feeds: @PorscheRaces_GB

Championship positions:

Pro
1st - Sebastian Job - 37
2nd - Luke McKeown - 26
3rd - Peter Berryman - 24

Am
1st - Luke Pennington - 44
2nd - Scott Moakes - 25
3rd - Daniel Martin - 21