Porsche Carrera Cup GB – the fastest single-marque GT racing championship in the UK – travelled to Thruxton for the third weekend of the 2023 season. Dutchman Robert de Haan (Richardson Racing) delivered a confident lights-to-flag victory in the weekend's first race, while Charlies Rainford (CCK Motorsport) resisted a late charge from returnee Josh Malin (Rosland Gold by Century Motorsport) in round six to secure the second overall win of his Porsche racing career.

In Saturday's qualifying session, de Haan produced a blistering lap time of 1:11.808 to cement his maiden Carrera Cup GB pole position. A handful of drivers challenged the 16-year old's dominance, Malin getting closest and joining him on the front row of the starting grid for the weekend's first race. Porsche Carrera Cup GB 2022 / 2023 Junior Adam Smalley (Duckhams Yuasa Racing with Team Parker) started third. Will Aspin (Team Parker Racing) emerged as the fastest Pro-Am driver with Max Bird (Team Redline Racing) and Ollie Jackson (JTR) coming next in the category order. Justin Sherwood (Parker Classic Works) was the quickest Am.

The weekend's first race took place in dry and sunny conditions. de Haan made a perfect start to lead into the first corner while Smalley and Malin fought over second, the Junior staying ahead. Jake Giddings (Parker Classic Works) took the reins in Pro-Am while Sherwood was leading in Am. As de Haan built an impressive gap at the front of the race, one of the closest battles was between Pro-Am drivers Bird, Aspin and Jackson – ultimately resolved in that order. At the flag de Haan took his third win of the season with Smalley second and Malin a close third. Giddings topped Pro-Am with Sherwood ahead in Am.

Rainford led into the first corner at the start of the weekend's second race after taking reverse grid pole position, but there was drama when de Haan's car struggled to pull away at the start which called out the Safety Car. After the restart Rainford built a comfortable lead, but in the closing stages of the race he came under intense pressure from Malin, Rainford resisting to cross the finish line just 0.250 seconds ahead of the returnee with Smalley coming home in third. Giddings completed his perfect weekend with another Pro-Am category win while Sherwood added to his record-breaking tally of Am category victories.

Qualifying
Saturday afternoon's 30-minute qualifying session took place in dry and sunny conditions. The early pacesetter was Smalley who set a time of 1:12.495, chased by Edgerton and Rainford. Stirling suffered a spin at the Club chicane before continuing while Harry Foster (Duckhams Yuasa Racing with Team Parker) and Matthew Graham (Redline Racing) moved up the order to second and third respectively. In Pro-Am it was Giddings leading Aspin from Ratcliffe, while in Am Stirling and Fairbrother chased Sherwood. With 18 minutes of the session remaining de Haan went fastest with a time of 1:12.369.

In the second half of the session all of the drivers pitted for fresh Michelin slick racing tyres before attempting their final runs. With six minutes left on the clock de Haan set a blistering time of 1:11.808, moments before McFadden spun at the exit of the final chicane where he was stranded for a short time. In the last five minutes of the session Rainford improved to sit second overall and Edgerton went third, but in the dying moments Malin slotted into third making the final top three de Haan from Rainford and Malin. Aspin, Bird and Ratcliffe formed the order in Pro-Am, Sherwood topped Stirling and Fairbrother in Am.

Following the session several cars had their fastest lap times deleted as they were deemed to have been set under yellow flag conditions while McFadden recovered. The revised grid order was de Haan from Malin with Smalley third and Foster fourth, row three formed by Rainford and Graham. The 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup GB weekend format meant that de Haan earned two championship points for his maiden pole position, as did the top qualifiers in their respective categories: Bird (Pro-Am) and Sherwood (Am).

Race one
The weekend's first race took place in dry and sunny conditions, although prior to the start of the race Edgerton withdrew from the weekend which left a gap on the grid in his place. When the lights went out de Haan led into Allard while Smalley and Malin battled for second through the Campbell, Cobb and Seagrave complex – Smalley emerging ahead while Foster slotted into fourth and Rainford fifth. In Pro-Am, Giddings launched himself ahead of his rivals while in Am Sherwood led Fairbrother and Stirling.

A close fight for tenth overall developed between Stanley, Aspin, Bird and Ratcliffe, the quartet all jostling for position. Kellett closed on Rainford for fifth, grabbing the inside line at Goodwood and powering ahead. Graham then closed on Rainford for sixth, trying to get a cutback through Campbell, Cobb and Seagrave, but he was denied. Just three laps later Foster drove to the inside of Kellett at Campbell to take fourth, moments later Graham replicating the move on Rainford at the same corner to snatch sixth spot.

As de Haan continued to pull away from Smalley at the front, Graham closed on Foster for fifth and Giddings pressured Rainford for seventh. Graham did overtake Foster, but as the pair were momentarily delayed by their scuffle Rainford produced an opportunistic pass on both to retake fifth. On lap 13 there was contact between Stanley and Foster at Club, Foster spinning as a result before continuing his race someway down the order. A recovering Stirling homed in on Fairbrother for second in Am, but as he entered Campbell but there was contact as the Pro-Am grid looked for a way past which pitched him into a spin. He would recover before spinning again at Club and taking a trip through the pits.

In the final two laps a thrilling fight between Jackson, Bird and Aspin intensified. Jackson locked up on the way into Club allowing Bird to get a run up the inside towards Allard. Aspin was also in the mix but it was Bird who would emerge ahead, Aspin getting ahead of Jackson. At the flag de Haan took the third win of his Porsche racing career, Smalley second with Malin an impressive third on his return. Despite a five-second penalty for track limits, Giddings took Pro-Am category victory, joined on the category podium by Bird and Aspin. Sherwood finished ahead of Fairbrother in Am.

For recording the fastest lap in each of their respective categories, de Haan (Pro), Giddings (Pro-Am) and Sherwood (Am) each received one additional championship point. As part of the 2023 podium procedure, winner de Haan selected at random the number five ball, which reversed the grid positions of the top five overall finishers from the opening race. That made the grid order for the weekend's second race Rainford and Kellett on the front row, Malin and Smalley on row two, de Haan and Graham on row three.

Following the race, Stanley was deducted two category points and two championship points for the contact with Foster at Club.

Race two
The weekend's second race took place in hot and sunny conditions on Sunday afternoon. Rainford got away cleanly from the front row, but de Haan was immediately in trouble. The round five winner slowed to a halt as the rest of the grid powered away from the line. Smalley immediately went on the offensive, going side-by-side with Kellett at the Campbell, Cobb and Seagrave complex. Kellett left the circuit before rejoining towards the back of the field with an advertising hoarding covering the front of his car. The scuffle left the leading order as Rainford from Malin and Smalley. Giddings was ahead in Pro-Am with Bird and Aspin giving chase, Sherwood was once again the leading Am.

Before the end of the first lap the Safety Car was scrambled to allow for the recovery of de Haan's stricken car. At the restart 26 minutes of racing remained and Rainford quickly pulled a gap of 1.4 seconds. However, there was drama further back when Stanley made contact with Graham at Campbell, the latter spinning off the circuit while Dawes was caught up in the incident, delaying his progress. A close fight for Pro-Am glory developed between Giddings, Bird and Aspin – the trio renewing their battle from the day's earlier race. As Dawes, Kellett and Graham all began recovery drives, Stanton closed on Lockwood for P14 overall, P8 in Pro-Am. Stanton tried a switchback move in the first sector but finally made a pass stick through Noble, Goodwood and Village.

Lockwood quickly came back at Stanton, gaining a run as the pair approached Allard and nosing ahead before the corner. In the final 10 laps there was little to choose between a train of cars stretching back from Aspin in seventh to Foster in P11. Just ahead, the fight between Giddings and Bird intensified – there was now just 0.387 seconds between them. On lap 18 Whiteside overtook Ratcliffe for fifth in Pro-Am, P9 overall.

In the last three laps of the race Malin closed on leader Rainford. As they entered the final lap there was just two-tenths of a second between them, but Malin could not find a route through. Rainford took the flag just ahead to secure the second overall victory of his Porsche racing career. Malin followed him home with Smalley in third. Giddings, Bird and Aspin formed the Pro-Am category podium, while Sherwood, Stirling and Fairbrother finished in that order in Am. For recording the fastest lap in each of their respective categories, Kellett (Pro), Giddings (Pro-Am) and Sherwood (Am) each received one additional championship point.

Following the race Stanley was deducted two category points and two championship points for making contact with Graham. Kellett was given a 10-second penalty for making a false start. Aspin was given a 0.5 second penalty for missing the final chicane and gaining an advantage, which promoted Jackson to the final Pro-Am category podium position.

Porsche Carrera Cup GB travels to Oulton Park in two weeks as it enters a crucial stage in the championship battle, rounds seven and eight taking place over the weekend of 17-18 June 2023. Smalley retains his championship lead over de Haan while Rainford moves up into third in the Pro category standings. Bird continues to top the Pro-Am category table while Sherwood stays ahead in Am.

Championship positions*

Overall:
Adam Smalley - Duckhams Yuasa Racing with Team Parker - 54
Robert de Haan - Richardson Racing - 47
Charles Rainford - CCK Motorsport - 31

Pro-Am:
Max Bird - Team Redline Racing - 60
Ross Wylie - Team Redline Racing - 36
Ryan Ratcliffe - Team Parker Racing - 29

Am:
Justin Sherwood - Parker Classic Works - 71
David Fairbrother - Toro Verde GT - 38
David Stirling - Redline Racing - 23