Race report for Donny from [link=http://www.racecar.com]www.racecar.com[/link] IMO it is a good piece of writing: Also some good in car footage from Marcus in his Class 2 car here: [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-sD-8k0okE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-sD-8k0okE[/link] Pete Morris and Andy Purdie took the wins at Donington Park in the Porsche Club Championship on Sunday May 15th – previously unbeaten Mark Sumpter having to settle for a pair of podium finishes and the sight of Paragon team-mate Purdie winning on his return to the series. Another returnee was 2010 Class One champion Marcus Carniel, this time out in a Class Two 944 S2 and taking both wins and finishing well up in the top ten. Qualifying Light rain was making the track slippery for the 27-runners as the session started, drivers tentative in the early laps and time tumbling as they got used to the conditions and the rain eased. Demetriou was the pacesetter early on, consistently the first to react to the drying conditions and improve his times, but as the session went on it was Sumpter and Purdie who came to the fore. Trading times at the front, it was Sumpter who came out on top to take pole, just pipping Purdie with Pete Morris taking third ahead of Demetriou. Miles Maserati was fifth, just ahead of Class Two Pacesetter Carniel. “We went out on new tyres and there wasn’t much grip at first,†said Sumpter, “then it was one of those sessions that you knew you had to be in it at the end to get pole. I don’t think we have ever had a Paragon front row before.†“The grip just kept coming and we were trading places,†said Purdie. “The car feels great, and I’m happy with second.†Race One Sumpter made the best start as the red lights went off, but by halfway round the opening lap it was Purdie ahead, with Morris in third. A fastest lap from Purdie on lap two saw him open a gap, but Sumpter and Morris were soon back with him, Morris looking to get inside Sumpter at Redgate whenever possible. The top three were all together on lap eight, Sumpter going outside Purdie into Redgate but having to slot back into second. A lap later Sumpter tried it again, the pair exiting the first corner side-by-side, but it was Morris who benefitted taking second. On lap 11 Sumpter looked to go inside Morris, but it was the latter’s 968 CS who made the best exit and used it to go past Purdie down the Craner Curves and take the lead, Sumpter also going past to take second. The lead three were amongst the backmarkers, Morris cleanly going past and never offering his pursuers a sniff of the lead. Into the final lap and Morris was able to stay clear to take his first win of the season, Sumpter taking second ahead of team-mate Purdie. “I’d seen on the TV that you could go past down the Craner Curves so I gave it a go and got the lead,†said Morris. “This is one of my favourite circuits, I took it carefully early on then started pushing. It was such a good race, we were racing hard but there was no contact – fantastic.†“That was the best race of the season so far,†said Sumpter of his first defeat. “We’re here to have fun and although I’d rather win, we were able to run close and none of us touched each other – we were two or three abreast down the Craner Curves on occasion.†“I knew I had the advantage of ABS over Mark,†said Purdie, “so I made sure I used it at the Old Hairpin early on to get past. After that I had to have a wide body and defend, and it worked for about half the race, but I had the throttle stick open at the Craner Curves, and they caught me. Then I got the wrong side of a back-maker and they had me - but it was a really enjoyable race.†Harrison was fourth for the first half of the race, hounded by Demetriou, but slowed as the race progressed, allowing Demetriou through and then being passed by the flying Mark McAleer, who finished fifth from seventeenth on the grid. Carniel held on in the top ten to take eight overall and Class Two win. “I was having fun with the Class One cars,†said Carniel, “I played hard but fair, but in these cars you have to keep the momentum going and the car was going well.†Race Two Demetriou was on pole for race two, his second quickest lap time in qualifying the best of the field, but it was fellow front row starter Sumpter who made the smartest getaway to head the pack into the first corner. Purdie then nosed inside Demetriou for second at the Old Hairpin, and that was the order at the end of lap one. Into Redgate for the second time, Purdie feinted to the outside then switched to the inside to dive past and take the lead. Demetriou tried to get inside Sumpter at the same place a lap later, but made it stick two laps later and was into second. Behind, Morris was past Harrison for fourth, only to be hit with a ten-second penalty for an out of position start. As Morris started to look for a way past Sumpter, it was McAleer again making places, by this time up to fifth from twelfth on the grid. In the final stages of the race Demetriou was lapping quickly, closing on Purdie and setting his best race lap on the final tour, but the leader was just out of reach and stayed clear to claim his first race win on his return to the series. “I really enjoyed that,†said Purdie, “I wasn’t the quickest driver on the track, but I was aggressive in the opening laps and I was happy with the move I put on Mark. Ben kept pushing and pushing, and I lost some time in the backmarkers half way through. I’m back now for the rest of the season – looking forwards to Thruxton!†“That was an epic battle,†said Demetriou. “I made what I thought was my best start of the season, but Mark made a better one. I got inside him but by the end of the race the tyres were finished, and I was on the grass just trying to stay in front of him. I’d opened a gap – and then he came back at me.†Sumpter claimed third to have finished on the podium in every race so far this season, with McAleer fourth, having been moved ahead of Morris in the results once the penalty was applied. Carniel took six and his second Class Two win of the day, having battled with Miles Maserati and Richard Ellis. “Another good race, for a moment I thought we were going to have a Paragon one-two,†said Sumpter, “I don’t think I can get much more out of this car round here, and Andy put a good move on me – the cars with the bigger brakes can do that to me.†“I achieved what I wanted – finishing in my grid position,†said Carniel. “It was a good battle with Miles Maserati and Kevin Harrison, and it’s my first ever ‘full house’, two poles, two wins, two fastest laps. I plan to be out at Oulton, but have no other plans – at the moment.†Porsche Club Championship Race One: 1 Peter Morris (968 CS) 19 laps; 2 Mark Sumpter (911 3.2 Carrera) +1.513s; 3 Andy Purdie (964 C2); 4 Ben Demetriou (964 C2); 5 Mark McAleer (968 CS); 6 Kevin Harrison (964 C2); 7 Miles Maserati (968 CS); 8 Marcus Carniel (944 S2); 9 Paul Winter (968 CS); 10 Richard Ellis (993 C2). Class Winners: Morris; Carniel. Fastest Lap: Morris 1m19.345s (89.79mph). Race Two: 1 Purdie 19 laps: 2 Demetriou +0.391s; 3 Sumpter; 4 McAleer; 5 Morris; 6 Carniel; 7 Maserati; 8 Ellis; 9 Harrison; 10 Chris Dyer (944 S2). Class Winners: Purdie; Dyer. Fastest Lap: Morris 1m19.240s (89.91mph). Next Races: Thruxton, Hampshire, June 11th and 12th.