Luke McKeown (Brighton) produced two storming drives at the final weekend of RAFA Racing Club Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB. Peter Berryman (Corby) took victory in the penultimate race of the season, while McKeown rose from last on the grid to finish fifth. McKeown then raced to victory in the final, securing second place in the championship standings.

Sebastian Job (East Grinstead) – Pro, and Luke Pennington (Bideford) – Am, were crowned provisional champions at the previous round, Donington Park. That didn’t stop them claiming category pole positions in 2024’s final qualifying session. Job slipped backwards at the start of the penultimate race, allowing Berryman to take his third win of the year. Daniel Cofield (Doncaster) was a new winner in Am.

McKeown started from the front row in Round 16. Despite briefly falling behind Job, McKeown got ahead to secure his second Esports Carrera Cup GB win of the season. In doing so he secured second place in the championship standings over Graham Carroll (Edinburgh). Meanwhile, in Am there was another new winner, with Daniel W Martin (Weymouth) ending his season in style.

Qualifying
Carroll and William Chadwick (Wigan) challenged Job for pole position in the first part of qualifying. However, in the dying moments of the session, the Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing star became the only driver to lap in under 1:24. Job’s time of 1:23.954 was good enough for a sixth pole position of the season. Pennington was ahead once more in Am, a credible fifth overall.

Race one
Job slipped backwards at the start of the race as Berryman and Chadwick fought for the lead at the first corner. Chadwick had the inside line for Druids allowing him to get ahead at Graham Hill Bend. An incident in the middle of the pack involving Leo Gariboli (Hemel Hempstead), Alexander Davidson (Menstrie), Matt Emery (Nutfield) and Pennington resulted in Emery and Gariboli making their retirements. At the end of the opening lap, Chadwick led Berryman from Carroll, and Cofield was now ahead in Am.

By the second lap of the race, McKeown had risen from the last row of the grid to an impressive eighth. And McKeown would soon gain two further places as he targeted Carroll for second in the championship. With eight minutes of the timed race remaining, Chadwick ran wide at Druids allowing Berryman to snatch the lead. A couple of laps later, McKeown attacked Jacob Tofts (Hatfield Heath) for fifth. Tofts ran wide at Surtees allowing McKeown and the chasing Gareth Higgins (Exeter) through.

Carroll pressured Chadwick into an error at Druids in the closing stages of the race. As Carroll took second, Chadwick blocked Job from replicating the move, leaving his rival in fourth. Berryman took the chequered flag to record his third win of the season, joined on the Pro category podium by Carroll and Chadwick. Completing his impressive drive, McKeown finished fourth. Cofield, Martin and Moakes formed the Am category podium. Entering the final race of the season, Carroll and McKeown were separated by a single point in their battle for second in the standings.

Race two
The grid for the second race was formed by reversing the top six finishing positions from race one. Higgins started from pole with McKeown alongside. Job and Chadwick shared the second row, Carroll and Berryman formed row three. When the lights went out, Job drove into the lead and chose the inside for Druids, however, McKeown emerged ahead at Graham Hill Bend. McKeown led Job from Carroll. In Am, Martin was ahead of Cofield, and Pennington was up to third in the category order.

At the halfway point of the race, Cofield and Gariboli made contact. Cofield spun leading to contact with Pennington and Woodhatch. The incident made the new Am category order Martin from Crofton Woodhatch (Bath) and Moakes. Further drama saw Tofts leave the circuit – he made contact with the barriers resulting in retirement. As McKeown built a lead approaching three seconds, Chadwick overtook Carroll at Druids for third. With clear air ahead, Chadwick set his sights on Job in second.

In the final five minutes of the race, close Am category fights developed between Dylan Platt (Bangor) and Moakes, James Parker (Bristol), Oliver Ettridge (Nuneaton) and Pennington. Moakes soon made his retirement from the race with a hardware issue, and that allowed Platt to adopt the final Am category podium spot. On the last two laps of the race, Chadwick had caught Job. Chadwick tried to mount a pass in several places, however, the champion-elect maintained second position.

McKeown crossed the finish line ahead to end his season with victory. Job took second with Chadwick in third. Martin was the second new Am winner of the Brands Hatch weekend, joined by Woodhatch and Platt on the category podium. McKeown’s result was enough to secure second in the overall championship standings, with Carroll relegated to third. Martin’s category win allowed him to leap Woodhatch for third in the final Am classification.

Following the race, Alexander Davidson had 10 seconds added to his race time for an incident with Peter Berryman on the opening lap. Davidson received a further five second penalty for an incident with Jacob Tofts. Leo Gariboli received a 10 second penalty for contact with Daniel Cofield on lap two.

Just as the Esports Carrera Cup GB season ends, Porsche Carrera Cup GB arrives at Brands Hatch for its second weekend of 2024 on 11/12 May. Keep up to date with RAFA Racing Club Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB, and Carrera Cup GB news, via the dedicated Instagram and X feeds: @PorscheRaces_GB

Championship positions:

Pro

1st - Sebastian Job - 138
2nd - Luke McKeown - 106
3rd - Graham Carroll - 102

Am

1st - Luke Pennington - 148
2nd - Scott Moakes - 109
3rd - Daniel W Martin - 73