Porsche Carrera Cup Final At Brands Hatch

The 2005 Porsche Carrera Cup GB will conclude on the challenging Grand Prix circuit at Brands Hatch over the weekend (1/2 October). The biggest grid of the season will line up at the Kent track, with third place in the championship and the team championship still to be decided.

The 59th and 60th races in the history of the Carrera Cup GB will mark the final race in the championship for the current ‘Type 996’ 911 GT3 Cup car, as the all-new ‘Type 997’ will take over from the start of the 2006 season.

To mark the final weekend of the season, a 17-car entry has been assembled and two excellent races are assured for Sunday. Topping the field will be provisional 2005 champion Damien Faulkner (Team Parker Racing) from County Donegal, Eire, who clinched the title in the penultimate weekend at Silverstone. Faulkner's points total cannot be overhauled by season-long rival Richard Westbrook (Red Line Racing), and so with championship considerations cast aside, both drivers will be going all out to win at Brands.

However, the contest for third place is wide open as just two points separate Tim Harvey (Team RPM) and Jason Templeman (Team Parker Racing). Both drivers will also be determined to finish the season with a win as Westbrook and Faulkner so far have won all 18 races this season.

Heading for fifth place in the final points is Nigel Rice (Red Line Racing), but if Harvey or Templeman hit problems, the Yorkshireman could finish even higher. Regular front-runners Stephen Shanly (Red Line Racing), Steve Clark (Team RPM) and Jason Young (Red Line Racing) will all be chasing podium finishes to wrap up their seasons.

Meanwhile, local Wrotham-based Motorbase Performance will make a welcome return to the Carrera Cup with a three car-strong squad. Andy Britnell is an established front-runner and David Pinkney is a former Carrera Cup race winner, while young Phil Quaife makes his Carrera Cup debut at his home track.

Others to watch in the field include David Ashburn (Track Speed) and Michael Corridan (Team Parker Racing). Meanwhile, racing the car entered by Porsche Cars in association with Team Autosport, will be F3 racer Tim Bridgman, and his pace in the 911 GT3 Cup car will be watched with great interest.

The Carrera Cup teams championship will also be decided at Brands as Team Parker Racing goes into the weekend with a slender 10-point lead over Red Line Racing. Faulkner and Templeman will be aiming to score well for TPR, while Westbrook, Rice, Shanly and Young form a strong line-up for RLR.

After qualifying on Saturday afternoon, the Carrera Cup races are scheduled for 10am and 3pm on Sunday.