The past two-seasons of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB have been about one man, and one man only really. Dan Cammish is already a double-champion, multiple race-winner and star of the present. His 2017 plans seem to be heading towards the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship and thus this weekend looks potentially to be his final hurrah in a Porsche.
The future has come a little early though. Earlier in the year Charlie Eastwood told The Checkered Flag that it would take only a tenth or two to swing the balance between him and his Redline Racing teammate Cammish.
Its happened at Brands Hatch this weekend. Eastwood’s pole for the opening race is a golden opportunity to round off a stunning maiden season with a victory, the only accolade really missing from the Rookie champion’s list this year.
In all likelihood the Irishman will be right in the thick of the 2017 title-fight and his pace over the second half of the 2016 season suggests he could take many a victory next year…
However, he will not have it all his own way. In2Racing has been propelled right-back to the front of the Carrera Cup field with Dan Lloyd. Lloyd was frustrated at Silverstone as practice pace was not quite converted into qualifying results.
In Kent it has been, Lloyd starts second for race one tomorrow. Silverware is almost guaranteed with the early-season British Touring Car star’s pace and for both team and driver tomorrow marks the start of their next campaigns.
In2Racing want to be at the front of the pack, fighting for the overall crown in 2017. Lloyd has proved that the team is capable of producing a competitive car, and that he is a star of national racing currently. Whilst it would be fantastic to see him back in the BTCC, and in the Eurotech Civic Type R he so ably handled across three rounds this year, a return to Porsche competition with In2 would be a deadly combination. The perfect foil for the Eastwood/Redline axis.
Then there is the battle between the McKay duo… Dan having usurped Euan as the Pro-Am1 man of the moment across the last two rounds of the year. Next season, if the pair return, they will both be right in the Pro fight and most likely on the same piece of track. So as a team In2Racing could go to three very exciting prospects in the top class, from zero for the balance of this season
Pro-Am2 is much harder to predict… Truth be told the focus for all concerned in the Gentleman ranks is on tomorrow and the title-fight, between Tautvydas Barstys (Juta Racing) and Peter Kyle-Henney (Parr Motorsport). Whoever emerges as the champion, and whoever leaves defeated, the class action has been brilliant this year and one thing you can predict, is more of the same next year.
