Dan Cammish claimed a dominant victory in the first race of the day at Silverstone, as three different titles were claimed in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB.
From pole-position Cammish made a strong start in his Redline Racing machine and had a significant gap by the end of the opening lap, as Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing) wrestled second from Tom Oliphant (Redline). Oliphant was soon able to recover his position.
Meanwhile from eleventh on the grid Charlie Eastwood made tremendous progress through the order. He was swiftly trailing the top five and then began to work-through the front runners, first taking fifth from his Redline stable-mate Lewis Plato, and then GT Marques man Dino Zamparelli.
As Jelley repeatedly harassed Oliphant for the second rostrum position, the pair invariably held each other up. Thus Eastwood was able to catch and then usurp third man Jelley, however found Oliphant’s resistance too strong.
The end-result was a Redline one, two, three – significant in several ways. Cammish edged closer to his second series crown, Oliphant claimed a first ever series podium, Eastwood was able to secure the Rookie crown and the £50,000 prize-pot awarded with it, and last but by no-means least Redline Racing were declared teams champions.
Alessandro Latif scored a top-six, trailing his team-mate Zamparelli, and Dan Lloyd (In2Racing) was able to sneak-by Plato towards the end of the race to claim seventh. Plato was forced into retirement due to a damaged wheel halting his charge.
However, there is always more to a Porsche Carrera Cup GB race than the Pro battlers. More significant action highlighted the Pro-Am1 element. Dan McKay made a flying start and was able to usurp his slightly cautious brother Euan at the start, McKay D then proceeding to fly up to the rear of the Pro class stragglers.
McKay E all the while, was being relentlessly attacked by Sean Hudspeth’s chrome Parr Motorsport car. The pair switched positions until an issue for Hudspeth gave Euan the breathing space he desired.
Justin Sherwood was the key beneficiary from Hudspeth’s momentary woes, picking-up the final slot on the class podium for Team Parker. However, with John McCullagh unable to place his Redline machine higher than fifth in class, Euan McKay was guaranteed the Pro-Am1 title for 2016. Having only been off the podium twice, with one fourth and one DNF, he has been a cut-above his rivals in 2016. However, intrigue remains as Dan’s performances and pace are now on a par with his sibling’s.
Peter Kyle-Henney (Parr) continued his Pro-Am2 resurgence, mixing it with the slightly slower Pro-Am1 competitors. Mark Radcliffe’s consistent run of form equalled another podium in the Intersport machine, as Tautvydas Barstys recovered to third in class after a difficult qualifying session in his Juta Racing prepared entry.
Three champions crowned following round thirteen and Dan Cammish looking likely to wrap up the overall title in the fourteenth race of the year. For now the plaudits go to Charlie Eastwood, the Porsche Scholar richly deserving his Rookie crown after a fabulous drive. Plaudits equally go to Euan McKay, who has been an unstoppable force in Pro-Am1. Not forgetting Redline Racing, who have consistently produced a class-leading car. A podium lock-out from the team, with Tom Oliphant’s first ever Porsche podium, was a fitting way for them to claim their latest success.
