Restoracing Round 3: Brands Hatch

08/7/2019

The third round of the Porsche Classic Restoracing Championship 2019 took place at Brands Hatch on Sunday 7 July on the shorter Indy Circuit.

A wet start to the morning at Brands Hatch was bit of a worry for Scot after he had practiced in dry conditions on Friday. On Saturday, Porsche Centre Chester’s Boxster clashed with a Porsche 911 Class 2 car in practice. There was one less rival on the grid for qualifying as the car could not be repaired in time.

The damp track posed a problem right from the start of qualifying. Nottingham spun on the first corner, but their driver adeptly caught the car on the way out of the spin and continued on with the race. Unfazed by the wet conditions, Porsche Centre Bournemouth’s car was leading the pack and laying down impressive lap times.

The return to a familiar track was a welcome sight for the Porsche Centre Cardiff team and Scot climbed into ninth place before making a pit stop. Qualifying was a good chance to work out some issues with the car, such as tyre pressure and why it was stepping out on corners. The two pit stops meant that we dropped to 13th place, but with a fastest lap of 59.2 seconds, Scot and the team were pleased with the result and ready for Race 1.

Race 1

With the Chester car now race ready, the grid was back up to 15 Restoracers.

Our Fletcher Aviation inspired Boxster did well to avoid a collision between Swindon and Hatfield’s cars on the first corner. The sun had dried the track, but this didn’t prevent the safety car making another appearance as Swindon’s car was taken off the track, not to return that day.

When racing resumed, Nottingham spun again, this time re-entering the race directly in front of Cardiff’s car, which unfortunately slowed Scot’s lap time.

But Scot drove steadily and was rewarded for his patience when Glasgow made a failed attempt to advance up the grid and ended up driving through the gravel trap. Scot slipped through the cloud of dust and cleverly avoided Glasgow’s car as they re-entered the track. Glasgow was unable to continue with the damage to their wheels as a result, and when they pulled off the track, Scot gained a position.

Cardiff’s Boxster moved quickly, trying to bridge the gap between them and the Chester car in front. Up ahead, the Shorade and Hatfield cars spun out creating another dust cloud and bringing debris onto the track. The safety car was out once again.

As the race drew to a close, Cardiff’s calm and collected approach resulted in them finishing in eleventh position.

Race 2

After a grid walk with the 911 Class 2 cars and with the sun beginning to shine, the drivers were excited to get back into their racing seats.

Scot started in 12th place, but dropped back into 13th on the turn into Druids. Glasgow was back in the race, but struggling to keep-up after the damage to their wheels in Race 1, so Scot knew he needed to keep the Scottish competitor at bay.

At the front of the pack, the Pink Pig continued his battle with Wally’s Jeans for third and fourth places. The Premier Panel car, driven by Matt Bird from Pistonheads, was giving the Porsche Centre Bournemouth team a run for their money. The first few laps of racing went without incident, but the fierce competition meant that this did not continue for long.

Silverstone’s Gulf and Wilmslow’s Salzberg Boxsters were putting pressure on the Shorade Rothman’s Boxster. Silverstone came out on top when Shorade and Wilmslow spun off the track, meaning that Scot gained two places.

There was a shock exit for the Wolverhampton Pink Pig when his radiator blew up, leaving coolant on the track. Shortly after, the Bournemouth car drifted over the line and upon re-entering, he brought some gravel onto the track. 

With 17 minutes to go, Scot was in tenth place. The safety made another appearance as the marshals cleared up the debris left behind by Wolverhampton and Bournemouth. Premier Panels car was fending off Bournemouth to keep first place. With nine minutes to go, Scot slipped back into 12th as Shorade and Wilmslow tried to claim back the places they had lost. Scot managed to stay ahead of the Glasgow car and finished in 12th place after an eventful day of racing.

The next challenge for Scot will be a new track at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk on Saturday 27 July.

Please call 02920 606 520 or email info@porschecardiff.co.uk for more information.