Sebastian Hopkins from Chichester defeated three other championship contenders to be crowned Porsche Sprint Challenge GB champion for 2024. In the closest season yet, Hopkins triumphed by a single point over Max Coates from Scorton in Yorkshire. The championship battle went down to the final race of the season, with Will Jenkins from Stafford taking a hat-trick of wins at Brands Hatch.

On a weekend that marked the debut of Scottish Formula Woman winner, Jodie Sloss, the finale in Kent also resolved battles in three other driver categories. There were celebrations on Sunday for Jacob Tofts from Harlow who took RS Am, Oskar Dix from Haywards Heath was triumphant in Clubsport Pro, while Jonathon Beeson from Crewe came top in Clubsport Am. Meanwhile, Team Parker Racing from Leicestershire took the championships for RS Clubsport and Clubsport Entrants.

Jenkins takes three wins in RS Pro
Will Jenkins (Team Parker Racing) was the early pacesetter in Saturday’s qualifying session, but Sebastian Hopkins (Team Parker Racing) ended up ahead with pole position for Rounds 16 and 17. The top four in the championship would start the weekend’s first two races in the top four positions on the grid, with Hopkins and Jenkins ahead of Thomas Bradshaw (Toro Verde GT) and Max Coates (Team Omologato with Graves Motorsport). At the start of the opening race Jenkins was quick away as Coates bogged down. Jenkins led Hopkins and Bradshaw through the first corner, and Coates recovered to fifth in the run through to Graham Hill Bend.

Coates soon closed on Marshall for fourth, and as the latter struggled for grip through Sheene Curve and Stirling’s Bend, Coates capitalised – drawing alongside out of Clearways to complete his overtake at Paddock Hill. With 10 minutes remaining, Ethan Hammerton (Team Omologato with Graves Motorsport) took a trip through the gravel at Sheene, losing his sixth place as a result. The race would soon be interrupted by the arrival of the Safety Car, and it would end under neutralised conditions.

Jenkins made another good start to lead the penultimate race of the season. Coates battled Hopkins but slipped backwards after contact at Druids – Jenkins now headed Hopkins and Bradshaw. With 13 minutes remaining on the clock, Hopkins closed on leader Jenkins but he could not find a route through. Next, a struggling Coates came under fire from RS Am racer Matthew Kyle-Henney (Clean Racing), and with five minutes left on the clock Coates lost the position. Jenkins drove to his second win of the weekend, joined on the podium by Hopkins and Bradshaw. The result meant the overall championship would be decided in the final race.

Jenkins was ahead again at the start of the finale, with Marshall in second and Hopkins fighting Hammerton for third before the former took the position. Bradshaw rolled to a halt on the opening lap with an issue, ending his championship chances, while Coates advanced to fifth. With 16 minutes to go, Hopkins attacked Marshall for second place, but shortly afterwards light rain began to fall, leaving the drivers to cope with mildly slippery conditions. Jenkins, undeterred, took the flag to record a hat-trick of wins, his fourth consecutive victory following his result at Silverstone in Round 15. Marshall finished second, while third place was enough to secure Hopkins the championship by a single point from a disappointed Coates in fourth.

Meadows wins as Tofts triumphs in RS Am
Matthew Kyle-Henney (Clean Racing) initially had the measure of championship rival, Jacob Tofts (Graves Motorsport) in qualifying, but Tofts would improve to start the first two races as the highest placed RS Am. Tofts stayed ahead at the start of Round 16 as Kyle-Henney slipped down four places – that left the category order as Tofts from Edward Stanton (Toro Verde GT) and Reece Somerfield (Breakell Racing). With 10 minutes on the clock, Kyle-Henney passed Oliver Meadows (Parker Classic Works) for fourth in the category, but he could not progress any further. Under Safety Car conditions Tofts took his seventh RS Am win of the season.

Tofts led again in the second race of the weekend, with Meadows second and Kyle-Henney in third. Tofts was doing enough to secure the championship in Round 17 until the penultimate lap of the race when he was delayed following contact with Meadows. Meadows drove on to claim a maiden category win, while Kyle-Henney finished second with Tofts relegated to third. The category championship battle would be decided in the final race of the season.

Meadows was ahead at the start of Round 18, Kyle-Henney was second, and Stanton in third. As light rain begun to fall, Kyle-Henney attacked Meadows for the category lead. Meadows defended forcing Kyle-Henney to try the outside line at Stirling’s Bend, but in the melee RS Clubsport Pro racer Oliver Cottam (Xentek Motorsport) was able to pass both cars to snatch sixth overall. Kyle-Henney took the final category win of the season, with Meadows and Stanton joining him on the podium. However, with his results, Tofts was crowned RS Am champion by a single point.

Dix is Clubsport Pro category champion
Ben Mulryan (Race Car Consultants) set the two quickest times in qualifying and would start Rounds 16 and 17 ahead of his category rivals. Mulryan stayed in front of Sam Harvey (Xentek Motorsport) and Oskar Dix (Team Parker Racing) at the start of Round 16, and the order would remain the same to the flag which fell under neutralised Safety Car conditions.

Mulryan initially led Dix from Harvey in the penultimate race of the season. With 14 minutes remaining, Harvey moved to the inside of Dix at Surtees but ran wide before recovering. Soon Mulryan made an error at the exit of Graham Hill, and Harvey was able to attack on the inside at Surtees. Mulryan went off, making contact with the barriers before retiring from the race. The new category order was Dix from Harvey and William Rochford (Total Control Racing). Before the flag fell Rochford would advance to second, with Dix taking his fifth Clubsport Pro win of 2024.

Dix was ahead of Rochford and Harvey at the start of the final race, however Harvey overtook Rochford, relegating his rival to third in the category battle. At the flag, Dix recorded another victory, which was enough to see him become category champion. He was joined on the final podium of the season by Harvey and Rochford.

Wilson wins as Beeson claims Clubsport Am
Jodie Sloss (Eden Race Drive) made an impressive debut, taking Clubsport Am category pole position for the weekend’s first race. Championship hopeful Jonathon Beeson (Graves Motorsport) secured the top starting spot for Round 17. Sloss fell back in the first race, leaving Darelle Wilson (AALCO with JWB Motorsport) leading Beeson from Karim Sekkat (Breakell Racing). With 14 minutes left, Sloss recovered to second, however her race soon ended in the gravel trap at Sheene Curve scrambling the Safety Car. Wilson, Beeson and Sekkat created the Round 16 category podium.

Wilson led Sloss from Sekkat at the start of Round 17. Wilson, Sloss, Sekkat and Rochford then bunched up together in a close scrap. In the latter stages of the race, Sloss and Sekkat made contact – Sloss spun at the exit of Graham Hill Bend before continuing her race. As a result, the penultimate category podium of the season was formed by Wilson, Sekkat and Beeson, with the winner enjoying his eighth Clubsport Am victory of the year. Following a post-race penalty for Sekkat, Sloss was promoted to the final podium spot, becoming the second women to achieve a Clubsport Am category podium in 2024.

In Round 18, Wilson was once again the driver to beat in Clubsport Am, he led Paul Porter (Team Parker Racing) from Sloss in the final encounter. However, while Wilson stayed ahead until the flag, Sloss slipped backwards which allowed Sekkat through for second, and Beeson to third, and they would create the last podium of the year. With his results Beeson was confirmed as category champion.

Following the season finale, Porsche Sprint Challenge GB will crown its champions at the annual Porsche Night of Motorsport prize ceremony in November. And Porsche will soon look ahead to the 2025 season, which commences at Donington Park in April with a full calendar of 18 races taking place across six weekends. 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:
Sebastian Hopkins - Team Parker Racing - 187
Max Coates - Team Omologato with Graves Motorsport - 186
William Jenkins - Team Parker Racing - 178

RS Am:
Jacob Tofts - Graves Motorsport - 198
Matthew Kyle-Henney - Clean Racing - 197
Reece Somerfield - Breakell Racing - 162

Clubsport Pro:
Oskar Dix - Team Parker Racing - 204
Samuel Harvey - Xentek Motorsport - 194
Ben Mulryan - Race Car Consultants - 120

Clubsport Am:
Jonathan Beeson - Graves Motorsport - 201
Darelle Wilson - AALCO with JWB Motorsport - 194
Karim Sekkat - Breakell Racing - 170