The CALM All Porsche Trophy’s (CAP) first ever visit to Croft was a great success with 3 terrific races on a fast and flowing circuit ideally suited to Porsches.
All 3 races were dominated by Christian Walker’s Cayman, although there was plenty of action behind him providing some great entertainment.
The majority of drivers were familiar faces, the exception being experienced rally pairing Kenny McFadden and Jamie Clarke sharing one of Colin Tester’s Boxsters. There was a new car too, Steve and Ted Potts in a recently acquired 924S, having disposed of the green 924 they previously campaigned.
The layout of Croft is ideal for more powerful cars, and it was no surprise to see the front row of the grid occupied by two SP1 cars. Christian Walker took pole almost 2 seconds ahead of Jamie McHugh’s 944 Turbo which ran well after some testing dramas had resulted in an under bonnet fire. Next up was the first SP2 car, Andrew Duce in his 987 Boxster, almost matching Jamie’s time and fractionally ahead of the second Walker family car, the Boxster driven by Jon Walker. The third row was headed by the SP3 968 of Dan Crego. An excellent performance on his first visit to Croft, and almost 4 seconds clear of the second placed SP3 968 driven by Tom McHugh. Only two SP4 cars took to the track at Croft, and it was the Potts family’s new 924S that took class pole well clear of the 2 litre car driven by Hugh Peart.
Most drivers had a trouble free run, although Kenn van Hauen’s mighty supercharged 911 was suffering from a slipping clutch and the McFadden/Clarke Boxster was smoking thanks to being overfilled with oil. Both issues were sorted in time for Saturday’s 20 minute Sprint race.
Race 1 Saturday - 20 minute
The Green Flag Lap saw the retirement of the Potts 924S with a badly knocking engine, and they would take no more part in the weekend. As the lights went out, Jon Walker made a great start to split the front row. Alas this was the extent of his race as there was nothing there when he went for second gear and he was an early retirement. Christian Walker’s Cayman took an early lead ahead of Jamie McHugh’s 944 Turbo and Andrew Duce’s Boxster, with all 3 positions remaining the same to the chequered flag. However, there was action galore behind this dominant trio. A few seconds back the two bewinged Boxsters of James Gunn Carter and James Harvey were engaged in a race long frantic duel with Dan Crego’s 968 which eventually finished a remarkable 4th overall. Sam Callahan’s Boxster was initially part of this group, but he retired after a spin left him stranded out on the circuit and minus a bumper. Sam’s dad Mark also had a spin in solidarity with Sam in his Boxster, although he was able to continue. Grant Jackson in his Cayman had a good run just behind this group, catching them mid race before fading slightly over the last couple of laps. There was close racing among the SP3 cars with Rich Gravestock, Tom McHugh and Phil Brough circulating together just behind Will Curtler and Garry Goodwin’s battling Boxsters. Steve Cunniffe fought his way to the head of this group and 10th overall after an early spin dropped him to the tail of the field. Phil Brough stopped with a broken fuse after a spin, and Kenn van Hauen was well on the way to his customary Invitation class win, enjoying a close race with Hugh Peart’s sole surviving SP4 car, when he had a last lap coming together with Jamie McHugh’s car while being lapped, and wasn’t able to continue.
Race 2 Sunday - 20 minute
Three non finishers from Saturday’s race: Phil Brough (924S), Sam Callahan (Boxster) and Stuart Ings (944S2) were back in action for Sunday’s 20 minute sprint, but John Walker’s Boxster, Kenn van Hauen’s 911 and the Potts 924S could not be repaired in time, and were non starters.The leader from the start was Andrew Duce in his Boxster as polesitter Christian Walker made a poor start and completed the first lap in fifth. However, Christian made rapid progress through the field, taking the lead from AD on the fourth lap and driving off to another comfortable victory, with Andrew holding second to the end. Jamie McHugh was well established in third until the fifth lap when his rear suspension broke and he retired the car. Meanwhile Patrick Scharfegger had taken up the chase of the leading pair pushing hard, and holding off a chasing pack headed at the flag by James Gunn Carter just half a second behind. There was more close racing down the field, notably Michael Goodwin and Gary Stanford locked together for most of the race behind Dan Crego who was again the class of the SP3 field in fifth overall, although James Harvey made him work very hard for it, finishing less than a second behind having been as high as fourth a couple of laps earlier. There was a train of cars close behind the Goodwin/Stanford duo, finally settling in the order Mike Curtler and Colin Tester (Boxsters), Rich Gravestock (968) and Phil Brough (924S), although Tom McHugh was mixing it with this group until he retired his 968 on the last lap with gear selection issues. Jamie Clarke was getting to grips with his Boxster, and enjoyed a fine battle with Stuart Ings to finish half a second ahead at the flag. SP4 was taken by the unchallenged Hugh Peart who had an uneventful and rather lonely race in 15th overall, and the unfortunate Sam Callahan lasted just half a lap before the car cut out causing his retirement.
Race 3 Sunday - 40 minute
Andrew Duce made an excellent start, taking an immediate lead from Christian Walker, although Christian forged ahead halfway round the opening lap, and was never headed on the way to his third win of the weekend. James Gunn Carter was next up in third, and spent the first half of the race locked together with AD as they scrapped for the podium places. The gap opened up to 4 seconds after the pit stops, but JGC closed the gap towards the end of the 40 minutes and they were split by less than a second entering the final lap. The pair made contact on this last lap (later judged a racing incident) with the outcome of JGC passing AD as they took the chequered flag, finishing six hundredths of a second apart. Grant Jackson was established in fourth, chased by the ever competitive Dan Crego, driving well to keep the 968 a few seconds behind until the positions were reversed after the pitstops. Dan completed the race in fourth and another comfortable SP3 victory, also winning the Driver of the Day award.
A few seconds behind there was a great battle developing involving Sam Callahan, Will Curtler, Stephen Cunniffe and James Harvey’s Boxsters, the foursome swapping places every lap until the pitstops and Sam’s retirement broke things up a little. Patrick Scharfegger took over from Stephen Cunniffe and by the last lap had their Boxster up to fifth by the flag ahead of the Jackson/Stanford Cayman. The Curtler Boxster spent most of the second half of the race battling with James Harvey’s similar car until James retired after 20 laps, leaving Will/Mike in P7 after a good run. Their immacuate Blue Boxster also won the award for the best turned out car to cap a good weekend for the Ashgood team. The Goodwin family Boxster came out second best from a first corner brush with another car, but Garry and Mike drove well to bring he car home in ninth overall. Rich Gravestock finished second in SP3 and eighth overall after an early duel with the Clarke/McFadden Boxster, the Goodwin Boxster and Phil Brough’s 924S was disrupted by pit stops. At the flag the Scottish pairing brought their car home less than two seconds behind Phil Brough, having shaved seconds off their previous best times as they acclimatised themselves to the car and race format. The only other finisher was Stuart Ings in his 944S2 who managed to complete the race trouble free after weekend-long technical issues. Hugh Peart was on track for the SP4 class win, but was unfortunate to retire on the last lap with a disconnected gear lever. The Dom McGhee/Colin Tester Boxster was well placed in the top ten after the first lap, but a series of unplanned pitstops heralded an early return to the paddock.
Text: John Broadley, photos: Sean Mulcahy
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