Tag: Porsche Carrera Cup GB

Tio Ellinas snatches Porsche Carrera Cup GB title

Two podium finishes for Tio Ellinas was enough for him to snatch the Porsche Carrera Cup GB title at Brands Hatch this past weekend (September 29/30), overhauling season-long rival Dino Zamparelli in the process.

Entering the final event of the season sitting second in the standings, the Slidesports Engineering driver had a deficit of eight points to make up on championship leader Zamparelli around the Kent circuit.

The opening encounter of the weekend proved to be a milestone 300th for the championship since its inception in 2003, and it didn’t disappoint. Starting on the outside of the front row, Zamparelli jumped pole sitter Daniel Harper and began to make his escape from the chasing pack.

Firmly in control of proceedings, the Redline Racing driver soon found himself in strife as he spun on coolant dropped by another car, pitching him into the gravel and tumbling down the order. Managing to get going again, ZamaprellI’s hopes of the title were soon on a knife-edge.

Back at the front, Harper’s hopes of victory dropped away and Lewis Plato came to the fore, taking the lead and ultimately going on to score his second win of the season. Behind the JTR driver was Ellinas who bagged second place and with it, closed the gap to Zamparelli to zero – meaning the pair would go into the final race of the season tied on points.

With it coming down to who finished in front of the other, all eyes were on Ellinas and Zamparelli as they prepared for the final chapter of the 2018 season. As the lights went out, series returnee Michael Caine found himself in strife at Paddock Hill Bend the field streamed round the opening sequence of corners.

As Tom Wrigley vaulted into the lead, Ellinas slotted into second place – a championship-winning position at the time. Further back Zamparelli’s progress had been strong to begin with but as the race wore on, the runner-up the previous two seasons was unable to find a way past Harper.

Second place for Ellinas meanwhile proved to be enough to give him his maiden Porsche Carrera Cup GB title by just two points.

Seb Perez emerged as the victor in the Pro-Am category and Peter Manigon wrapped up the Am class.

For the full championship classification and results from all sessions, click here.

Action aplenty on opening TOCA support package weekend

The TOCA support package was back in business at Brands Hatch this past weekend (April 7/8) with five championships kicking off their 2018 campaigns.

Once again competing alongside the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, there was high-drama throughout each category as they battled challenging conditions across both days.

In the Renault UK Clio Cup, spoils were shared between two title favourites. Multiple champion Paul Rivett showcased his experience in the opening race of the weekend, only after making contact with Max Coates early on.

Coming off the better of the two, Rivett powered away from the pack to the take a memorable victory. Behind him, the wounded Coates was unable to hold of the advances of James Colburn and Daniel Rowbottom, both of whom rounded out the podium.

Coates was the clear race winner in a wet race two, taking control from the start before storming into a lead he would ultimately never lose. Behind him though the tremendous battle for the remaining rostrum spots were decided as Rivett and youngster Jack McCarthy recovered from early struggles to join Coates in lifting silverware.

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB produced two different winners as well, with Dino Zamparelli and George Gamble taking a win apiece. Off the back of clinching pole position, Zamparelli asserted himself as one to watch this year with a dominant display in the curtain-raiser ahead of Tio Ellinas and Lewis Plato.

Plato had been on course to take race two honours until a mistake cost him, handing Gamble top spot on his first weekend in the series. Joining him on the podium was Ellinas and Zamparelli, who left the Kent circuit as championship leader.

The Ginetta Junior Championship delivered its usual mix of thrills ’n’ spills in true style, setting up what is set to be another fascinating campaign.

Last year’s scholarship winner Adam Smalley entered the season as one of the drivers to watch and he backed up his pre-season promise by grabbing the early advantage in the championship standings.

Claiming pole position in qualifying, the Elite Motorsport driver bagged victory in race one ahead of Ruben Del Sarte and Fin Green before then finishing hot on the heels of race two victor Luke Browning.

It is set to be a wide-open year in the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup too with Charlie Ladell cementing his status as an early title favourite. The Rob Boston Racing was in imperious form around the 1.2 mile Indy circuit, taking two wins, with Carl Boardley capping off the weekend with a win of his own.

Rounding out the action in front a bumper trackside crowd was the British F4 Championship, which saw Ayrton Simmons enjoy a near perfect weekend, scoring a brace of wins. Sebastian Priaulx topped the rostrum in the remaining race.

For the full classification of results across all championships, click here.

Porsche Carrera Cup GB roars into life for 2018

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB has officially launched for 2018 with a bumper 23-car entry list confirmed during the annual Media Day at Silverstone on Monday 13th March.

Following on from a memorable 2017 campaign where the title went down to the wire, a new name is set to be etched on the coveted championship trophy with Charlie Eastwood and Daniel Cammish both moving on to new pastures.

Introducing the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car as well as a revised points structure and a trip to Monza onto the calendar, the TOCA support series is set for another meteoric year.

In the Pro class, 2017 runner-up Dino Zamparelli leads the list of drivers that will be battling it out for the overall title, this time spearheading Redline Racing’s charge.

Tio Ellinas is also back, this time switching to Slidesports, whilst Lewis Plato is keen to build on what proved to be a strong first season with front-running outfit JTR.

Another familiar face that will be keen to impress is former Ginetta GT Supercup champion Tom Wrigley. Making the jump from IN2 Racing to JTR, Wrigley will be one to watch as he embarks on his second campaign in the series.

Other notable names to look out for include Junior Scholarship winner Daniel Harper, who steps across from the Simpson Race Products Ginetta Junior Championship.

Elsewhere, the newly renamed Pro-Am class (formerly Pro-Am1) boasts a host of names, all of which can make an impact on the destiny of this year’s championship. Justin Sherwood, Seb Perez, Jamie Orton, Richard Hawken and Rory Collingbourne are just a few of the drivers that will be vying for glory.

The former Pro-Am2 class, now titled AM class, is back too with well-known drivers Shamus Jennings, Peter Kyle-Henney and Iain Dockerill. Add into the mix the likes of former BTCC racer turned team boss Daniel Welch and the level of competition is as stiff as ever in the Carrera Cup GB.

The opening two rounds of the season get underway at Brands Hatch on April 7/8.