Newcomer Joe Marshall from Crewe, Cheshire, took a maiden victory in the first Porsche Sprint Challenge GB race of the Donington Park weekend on Saturday. Thomas Bradshaw, from Bolton in Greater Manchester, overtook Marshall to win Sunday morning’s race, but in Round 12 Marshall was back on top with another impressive victory. Meanwhile, two podium results in Derbyshire were enough to see Max Coates, from Scorton in Yorkshire, adopt the lead of the RS Pro category championship for the first time this season.

Newcomer Marshall takes maiden win in RS Pro
Saturday’s qualifying session was conducted in wet conditions. Joe Marshall (Rob Boston Racing) was the pacesetter throughout – he emerged ahead to take his maiden pole position, starting ahead for the weekend’s first and second races. Marshall fended off those behind at the start of Round 10, with Thomas Bradshaw (Toro Verde GT) and Will Jenkins (Team Parker Racing) moving ahead of Sebastian Hopkins (Team Parker Racing) on the opening lap. Jenkins soon advanced on Bradshaw in their battle for second, but the positions remained the same.

On lap five, Max Coates (Team Omologato with Graves Motorsport) attacked Ethan Hammerton (Team Omologato with Graves Motorsport) for fifth, and a lap later he found a route through. Robert Cronin (Parker Classic Works) slipped backwards and came under fire from Oliver Cottam (Xentek Motorsport) – he took to the pit lane with less than five minutes of the race remaining. Back at the front, Marshall pulled a 1.5-second gap to the chasing Bradshaw, taking the checkered flag to secure the first victory of his Porsche racing career, in only his second weekend with the championship. He was joined on the overall podium by Bradshaw and Jenkins.

Marshall led from pole position at the start of the weekend’s second race on Sunday morning, Bradshaw was second with Coates up to third. As Hopkins attacked RS Am category leader Jacob Tofts (Graves Motorsport) for fourth overall, Hammerton attempted to capitalise and there was contact at the Melbourne Hairpin – Hopkins slipped backwards as a result. The fight for the overall lead saw Bradshaw overtake Marshall, leaving Coates just behind. Coates soon pressured Marshall but he could not mount a pass. In the closing stages of the race, a recovering Hopkins gained an overlap on Toby Trice (Clean Racing) at the hairpin, however, there was contact sending Hopkins into the gravel trap. Bradshaw crossed the line to take his third win of the season, joined in the overall podium celebrations by Marshall and Coates.

In the final race of the weekend, Marshall accelerated into the lead using the inside line to pass Bradshaw into Redgate. Jenkins went to the outside of Bradshaw in his own move, leaving Marshall leading Jenkins and Bradshaw. It wasn’t long before Coates passed Bradshaw for third but a Safety Car period soon neutralised the race. At the restart, Hopkins went on the attack, overtaking Tofts before setting after Bradshaw. After several attempts to pass, Hopkins capitalised on an error from Bradshaw at the hairpin, snatching fourth overall. Marshall drove to a second win of the weekend, joined on the final podium at Donington Park by Jenkins and Coates. With Marshall not eligible to score championship points, Coates was able to move into the lead of the RS Pro category championship for the first time this season.

Kyle-Henney closes on Tofts in RS Am
Tofts mastered a drying track in qualifying to emerge from the session as the fastest in RS Am – he would start ahead of his category rivals in the weekend’s first two races. Edward Stanton (Toro Verde GT) got ahead of Tofts in the opening laps of Round 10, with Oliver Meadows (Parker Classic Works) giving chase. Reece Somerfield (Breakell Racing) made for the pit lane at the end of the second lap – he would later rejoin at the back of the pack. Matthew Kyle-Henney (Clean Racing) made a good pass on RS Pro racer, Cronin, then closed on Meadows for the final RS Am podium place, but the order would remain unchanged. Stanton, Tofts and Meadows created the first RS Am category podium of the weekend.

At the start of the weekend’s second race, RS Am category leader Tofts was chased by Kyle-Henney and Meadows. Tofts became engaged in a battle with RS Pro racer Hopkins, but importantly he maintained his category advantage. Stanton soon attacked Meadows for third, but he could not find a way through. And as a result, the order remained the same to the flag, with Tofts, Kyle-Henney and Meadows taking to the RS Am category podium steps.

Tofts set off ahead in the final race of the weekend, but as he came under attack from RS Pro category driver Hopkins, he was left defending from Kyle-Henney, and Somerfield was in third. At the midpoint of the race, Kyle-Henney passed Tofts, the latter immediately driving to the pit lane before later continuing his race. The new category order was Kyle-Henney from Somerfield and Stanton, and it would remain that way to the flag. Kyle-Henney enjoyed his third RS Am win of the season, and in doing so closed to within four points of Tofts in the championship standings.

Harvey and Mulryan share Clubsport Pro spoils
Samuel Harvey (Xentek Motorsport) set the pace in the Clubsport Pro category during qualifying and maintained his advantage at the start of the first race at Donington Park. Ben Mulryan (Race Car Consultants) and Oskar Dix (Team Parker Racing) swapped places just behind, with Dix emerging ahead and maintaining the position to the flag. Harvey was able to take his fourth category victory of the season, joined on the podium by Dix and Mulryan.

Mulryan was initially ahead of Harvey and Dix at the start of Round 11, however, Harvey moved into the category lead in the first half of the race, only to come under fire from Mulryan in the latter stages. Despite closing in, Mulryan could not mount a challenge, leaving Harvey to take his second Clubsport Pro win of the weekend, with Mulryan second and Dix third. In the final race at Donington Park, Harvey, Mulryan and Dix reignited their tight battle. Once again, in the closing stages of the race, Mulryan gained on Harvey, this time he used the outside line at the hairpin to grab the position, securing his fourth category win of 2024, with Harvey second and Dix third.

Beeson takes the lead in Clubsport Am
Jonathon Beeson (Graves Motorsport) overcame an early challenge from Karim Sekkat (Breakell Racing) in qualifying to start Rounds 10 and 11 ahead in Clubsport Am. Beeson led Darelle Wilson (AALCO with JWB Motorsport) at the start of the first race, and Sekkat suffered a spin before continuing. In the opening laps, Wilson snatched the category lead, but in the closing stages he came under attack from Beeson. The pair exited the last corner in a drag race to the finish line, with Wilson taking victory by just 0.021 seconds.

Beeson was able to lead Sekkat in the weekend’s second race, but there was drama for Paul Porter (Team Parker Racing) and Wilson as they retired to the pit lane early into the race. With his lead unchallenged, Beeson was clear to score his third win of the season. Beeson was the benchmark once more in the final encounter of the Donington Park weekend, chased by Wilson and newcomer William Rochford (Total Control Racing). In the latter stages of the race, Porter was able to assume the final category podium place, joining winner Beeson and Wilson in the podium celebrations. With his results in Derbyshire, Beeson now leads the category championship battle with Wilson relegated to second.

Championship battles will intensify in all four categories when Porsche Sprint Challenge GB travels to Silverstone on the weekend of 21-22 September, there it will be joined once more 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 - 92
Sebastian Hopkins - Team Parker Racing - 86
Thomas Bradshaw - Toro Verde GT - 76

RS Am:
Jacob Tofts - Graves Motorsport - 95
Matthew Kyle-Henney - Clean Racing - 91
Edward Stanton - Toro Verde GT - 85

Clubsport Pro:
Oskar Dix - Team Parker Racing - 99
Samuel Harvey - Xentek Motorsport - 92
Ben Mulryan - Race Car Consultants - 80

Clubsport Am:
Jonathan Beeson - Graves Motorsport - 102
Darelle Wilson - AALCO with JWB Motorsport - 88
Karim Sekkat - Breakell Racing - 70