Porsche Carrera Cup GB: Round 1, Donington Park National
Eden Race Drive, a new team entering its debut season in Porsche Carrera Cup GB has taken victory in the hands of returnee driver Will Martin, at the first round of the 2024 season at Donington Park.
The opening weekend of the fastest single-marque GT racing championship in the UK saw just one race instead of the planned two, as torrential rain forced a track closure. Round Two of the championship will now be rescheduled to take place later in the season at a different circuit.
The single race, however, proved to have all the action required to keep spectators on the edges of their seats, with a damp surface in places and drivers eager to prove themselves behind the wheel of the 510 PS Porsche 911 GT3 Cup after the off-season.
Practice
The first Practice session of the year got underway after a short delay when Richard Hosking (Cognition Land & Water with CCK Motorsport) made contact with the pit wall. George Gamble (Rosland Gold by Century Motorsport) was the initial pace setter, however, Pro-Am category driver Oliver White (Eden Race Drive) lapped quickest overall on a damp track.
Gamble and East Sussex-based Martin enjoyed stints at the top of the timing screen during the second Practice session. Gamble went on to set the day’s quickest lap in the combined times – 1:05.301. White was the benchmark again in Pro-Am. Following Hosking’s retirement from the remainder of the weekend, Lee Mowle (Team Parker Racing) topped Am.
Qualifying
The 30-minute qualifying session took place in dry conditions on Saturday. Pro-Am driver Angus Whiteside (Century Motorsport) was the early gauge, and Porsche Carrera Cup GB 2024 / 2025 Junior James Wallis (JTR) was the fastest Pro – only 0.001 seconds behind.
In the final minutes, Rookie Matthew Rees (Team Parker Racing) set a time of 1:05.227 to secure a maiden pole position. Newcomer Sid Smith (Parker Classic Works) was alongside – the highest placed Pro-Am driver – in second overall. Underlining the close nature of the grid, just four tenths of a second covered the top 17 drivers.
Race one
After a lengthy delay due to excessive surface water on the circuit, the first race of the season got underway on Sunday afternoon. The track had mostly dried out by this point, but was still in places damp away from the racing line. Will Aspin (Eden Race Drive) suffered an issue forcing him to start from the pit lane. Pole-sitter Rees struggled for traction off the line but maintained his advantage into Redgate, with Smith staying second and Gamble jumping Martin for third. In Pro-Am, Smith was followed by Whiteside and Ollie Jackson (JTR). At the Craner Curves, Josh Stanton (JTR) and White made contact taking a trip across the grass. Aspin parked at Starkey’s Bridge, scrambling the Safety Car.
Following the restart on lap six, an intensifying battle for second between Smith, Gamble and Martin saw the trio come together at Redgate. Smith was spun broadside across the circuit with the field forced to take avoiding action. Leader Rees left the circuit at Old Hairpin and rejoined further down the order. Stephen Jelley (Parker Classic Works) made contact with the barriers at Schwantz Curve triggering a second Safety Car period. With the race neutralised, Martin now led Gamble from Josh Malin (Eden Race Drive). Whiteside remained the leader in Pro-Am.
At the second restart, seven minutes of racing remained. Malin soon began to fall down the order, and an exciting battle with Wallis, Andrew Rackstraw (JTR) and Jackson ensued. Meanwhile, another scrap between the recovering Rees and Harry Foster (Eden Race Drive) produced equally close racing. With two minutes remaining, Gamble passed Whiteside for second – the Pro-Am category leader fought back but would remain in third.
After 22 laps, Martin took the first win of 2024. It marked a debut victory for new team Eden Race Drive, managed by Dino Zamparelli – Carrera Cup GB runner-up in three consecutive seasons (2016, 2017, 2018). Gamble finished second with Whiteside an impressive third overall. Whiteside, Jackson and Ross Wylie (Toro Verde GT) formed the Pro-Am category podium with Mowle the only Am.
Round Two of the championship will be rescheduled to take place later in the season. Follow the latest Porsche Carrera Cup GB news directly from Porsche Motorsport via Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) – @PorscheRaces_GB – where users can share experiences via the hashtags #CarreraCupGB.
Championship positions*
Overall:
Will Martin - Eden Race Drive - 13
George Gamble - Rosland Gold by Century Motorsport - 10
Charles Rainford - Cognition Land & Water with CCK Motorsport - 8
Pro-Am:
Angus Whiteside - Century Motorsport - 11
Ollie Jackson - JTR - 8
Ross Wylie - Toro Verde GT - 6
Am:
Lee Mowle - Team Parker Racing - 13
Richard Hosking - Cognition Land & Water with CCK Motorsport - 0
*results remain provisional
