Richard Westbrook won the championship title after two superb races in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Donington Park today (Saturday, 25 September). In the deciding race of the season, Westbrook pipped arch-rival Tim Harvey to the title after a tremendous contest.
Jason Templeman (Team VLR) headed title contenders Westbrook (Red Line Racing) and Harvey (Team RPM) by the smallest of margins in qualifying as only a tenth of a second covered the top three drivers.
With rain threatening, Templeman led the field into qualifying and made good use of a clear track to set the pace. “I didn’t expect it to be that easy,” he admitted. “The car was set-up perfectly.”
In the second half of the qualifying session, slight rain returned and that prevented any later improvements although both Westbrook and Harvey went back onto the track in the closing minutes of the session to see if the track was dry enough for another attack.
Westbrook would start the race from the outside of the front row. “I’m very upbeat,” he said after lapping one-hundredth of a second slower than Templeman. “We’ve got an absolutely fantastic car, I just never got the best out of it in qualifying.” Harvey started third on the grid, content that his five-point title lead remains intact after Templeman took the point for pole.
Damien Faulkner (Motorbase Performance) was fourth fastest, while Paul Radisich was fifth in the VIP entry from Porsche Cars GB. “I should have done a couple more laps before the rain came,” he said. “I’m still getting used to the ABS; you’ve got to be very precise with the car,” said the New Zealander.
Nigel Rice (Red Line Racing) broke the 1m11s barrier to claim sixth on the grid. “I’m pleased with that, but I never got a really good lap in,” he reckoned. Chris Cooper (Team Parker Racing) also felt that he could have gone quicker had the rain not arrived, but was still seventh best on his return to the championship. Wrapping up the top 10 times were Jason Young (Red Line Racing), Martin Rich (Team Parker Racing) and Andy Britnell (Motorbase Performance).
Race one
Westbrook scored one of the most important race wins of his career in the 19th and penultimate round on Sunday morning. Westbrook beat off the challenge of Templeman and Faulkner to win as his title rival Harvey struggled home fourth with a damaged exhaust after contact early in the race. Westbrook now leads the championship by two points going into the final race.
“It’s just been fantastic,” said Westbrook, still taking in the importance of the result. “I’ve just got to go out and do a clean race this afternoon. If Tim had beaten me it would have been championship over,” he added.
On the opening lap, Harvey edged Westbrook back to third as Templeman took an immediate lead. However, under braking for the chicane on the second lap Westbrook dived inside Harvey to take second. “I knew I had to get him straight away,” said Westbrook.
While Westbrook now focused on Templeman, Harvey came under attack from Faulkner. Braking for the chicane on lap five, there was contact and Harvey ran wide as Faulkner took third. The incident left Harvey’s car with a bent exhaust and that was to cost him dear. “It caved in the exhaust and the engine wouldn’t pull. It’s a desperately bad result,” said Harvey after struggling home a very frustrated fourth.
Westbrook, meanwhile, was exploiting his speed as the leading trio turned in a fabulous race. “I made a slight mistake into McLeans and that allowed Richard to get up the inside of me,” explained Templeman. The cars ran side by side up to Coppice where Westbrook was able to move neatly ahead. Templeman, however, soon came under pressure from Faulkner but it was another attack on Westbrook that would cost Templeman second.
A chance for Templeman to re-challenge for the lead down to the Old Hairpin ended with him running wide and Faulkner bravely went around the outside as they raced up the hill to McLeans to take second on lap 12. Faulkner then challenged Westbrook, but the new championship leader was not about to let go of his most important win of the season.
Fifth and sixth after excellent races were Rice and Cooper, while Jonathan Fildes (TCR) raced through the pack to seventh after starting from the back of the grid. Meanwhile, a late clash with David Pinkney (Motorbase Performance) dropped Radisich to eighth place.
Provisional results (15 laps)
1 Richard Westbrook (Red Line Racing) 17m59.792s; 2 Damien Faulkner (Motorbase Performance) 18m00.041s; 3 Jason Templeman (Team VLR) 18m00.717s; 4 Tim Harvey (Team RPM) 18m02.747s; 5 Nigel Rice (Red Line Racing) 18m08.369s; 6 Chris Cooper (Team Parker Racing) 18m13.017s; 7 Jonathan Fildes (TCR) 18m16.261s; 8 Paul Radisich (Porsche Cars GB) 18m21.552s; 9 Marcus Thomas (Team VLR) 18m25.787s; 10 Jason Young (Red Line Racing) 18m26.040s. Fastest lap: Westbrook 1m10m.978s (99.27mph).
Race two
After a tremendous contest with Harvey, Westbrook won the coveted crown when Harvey spun at Redgate after attacking for the lead. Although Faulkner then won the race, Westbrook secured the title with second place.
The championship decider could not have produced a more exciting race as Westbrook jumped into an immediate lead. A superb start from Harvey put him into second place at the first corner and Harvey was soon challenging Westbrook as Faulkner went with them to pull clear of the rest of the field.
Knowing that he had to get ahead of his rival to win the title, Harvey piled the pressure on Westbrook as they raced nose to tail for 11 laps. Then, down to Redgate for the 12th time, Harvey saw his chance and dived for the inside. They turned into the corner virtually side by side and the cars touched. Harvey, on the tighter inside line, spun sideways and dropped to sixth. “We went for it and it didn’t work,” said Harvey.
Now, Westbrook led, but Faulkner was on his tail and Westbrook did not defend too hard when Faulkner went for the inside under braking for the chicane. “He was really fair,” said Faulkner, who knew that Westbrook now only needed to finish to clinch the title. “It’s a great way to end the year; the team has put an awful lot of work in,” said a jubilant Faulkner.
Templeman worked ahead of Cooper to grab third as Harvey fought back to fifth ahead of Radisich. But the title had gone to Westbrook, and Harvey was the first to congratulate his rival as he climbed from the car at the end of the race. “It’s been a great year. Congratulations to Richard – he deserved it,” said Harvey. “We wanted to win but at least we lost it racing.”
Westbrook was understandably elated at his success. “I wanted it so bad,” said Westbrook. “Red Line Racing has been so good to me and I wanted it for them. But Tim’s a top man and I really feel for him,” said Westbrook after a stunning conclusion to a magnificent season-long battle between two top class racers.
Provisional results (15 laps)
1 Damien Faulkner (Motorbase Performance) 1m00.704s; 2 Richard Westbrook (Red Line Racing) 18m04.153s; 3 Jason Templeman (Team VLR) 1m06.471s; 4 Chris Cooper (Team Parker Racing) 18m08.464s; 5 Tim Harvey (Team RPM) 18m10.998s;
6 Paul Radisich (Porsche Cars GB) 18m11.904s; 7 Jason Young (Red Line Racing) 18m15.417s; 8 Nigel Rice (Red Line Racing) 18m16.982s; 9 David Pinkney (Motorbase Performance) 18m17.237s; 10 Andy Britnell (Motorbase Performance) 18m18.317s. Fastest lap: Faulkner 1m10.909s (99.37mph).
Provisional final championship positions
1 Westbrook 346; 2 Harvey 338; 3 Templeman 253; 4 Fildes 221; 5 Rice 207; 6 Andy Britnell 176; 7 Faulkner 139; 8 Young 136; 9 Cooper 117; 10 Gary Britnell 109.