Tim Harvey ended the day fastest in testing in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Donington Park yesterday as teams and drivers prepared for the opening two races of the 2005 season. Harvey (Team RPM) posted the best time in the dry session lapping in 1m10.502s. However, with his three main rivals all lapping within three-tenths of a second of his time, Harvey knows that the season is going to be fiercely competitive. Team Parker Racing pairing Damien Faulkner and Jason Templeman were both right on the pace, as was Richard Westbrook (Red Line Racing).“That’s the first proper run in the new car and I’m absolutely delighted,” said Harvey. “It has been a big team effort by RPM to prepare for this year. The top five is as I expected and it is going to be a fantastic season’s racing!”The first of the two test sessions ran on a track that started very wet after a heavy rainstorm and only dried slightly. After setting a very strong third fastest time behind Faulkner and Templeman, Stephen Shanly (Red Line Racing) brought the session to a premature halt when he clipped the barriers at Starkey’s Bridge. Having run wide onto the grass at the Old Hairpin, he got back onto the track but just spun into the wall. Damage was enough to prevent him running in the second test session, but the car will be repaired in time for qualifying on Saturday. “I’ll just have to get out there and qualify,” said Shanly.Just behind the top four was Nigel Rice (Red Line Racing), who lapped within half a second of Harvey’s pace-setting time. Jason Young (Red Line Racing) and Dan Eagling (Porsche Cars GB with Team Autosport) completed the top seven times. “I’m just building up my confidence and getting my head round the ABS,” said Eagling after a very impressive debut run in a Carrera Cup car.Leading times:

1 Tim Harvey (Team RPM)                         1m10.502s2 Damien Faulkner (Team Parker Racing)          1m10.594s3 Jason Templeman (Team Parker Racing)          1m10.780s4 Richard Westbrook (Red Line Racing)           1m10.800s5 Nigel Rice (Red Line Racing)                  1m11.058s6 Jason Young (Red Line Racing)                 1m11.748s7 Dan Eagling (Porsche Cars GB)                 1m11.782s8 Emmanuel Crouvisier (Team RPM)                1m12.388s9 Steve Clark (Team RPM)                        1m13.688s10 Michael Corridan (Team Parker Racing)        1m16.855s