Silverstone next for Porsche Carrera Cup GB

Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain

Silverstone next for Porsche Carrera Cup GB
Michael Meadows leads title race heading for rounds 17 and 18
Ben Barker heads four-way battle for second place
Ahmad Al Harthy and Will Goff top Pro-Am1 and Pro-Am2


Silverstone, the home of British motor sport, is the scene for the penultimate race weekend for the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB as Michael Meadows tops the title race heading for rounds 17 and 18 (6/7 October).

With four of the season’s 20 races left to run, Meadows has a firm grip on the overall title in a year when six drivers have already won races, while Ahmad Al Harthy is setting the standard in Pro-Am1 and Will Goff heads Pro-Am2.

Carrying a 54-point advantage into the pair of races at his home track, Banbury-based Meadows (Redline Racing) is very much in control in a season where he has blended speed and consistency to win five races and finish on the podium 13 times in 16 races. If he can maintain that form at Silverstone, Meadows could be confirmed as champion by Sunday afternoon as a margin of 45 points with two races still to run at Brands Hatch would settle the matter.

But Meadows knows this will be no easy task and with a gaggle of drivers currently battling over second place, he cannot afford to let his guard slip for a moment. The man on stunning form just now is Ben Barker (Parr Motorsport) with four wins on the trot at Knockhill and Rockingham and he is determined to maintain that form at Silverstone. Barker’s recent run of success has taken him two points ahead of Sam Tordoff (Team Parker Racing), while Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing), Rory Butcher (Celtic Speed) and Daniel Lloyd (Team Parker Racing) are all chasing hard.

Other drivers aiming for a visit to the Silverstone podium are Richard Plant (Team Parker Racing), Andy Meyrick (Team Parker Racing) and former double champion James Sutton. Having rejoined Redline Racing last time out at Rockingham, Sutton will race alongside Meadows in a bid to secure a fifth team championship title for Redline.

It is the Redline team that is also at the head of the Pro-Am1 title race as Ahmad Al Harthy heads to Silverstone with a 48-point advantage. The Omani racer is having a superb season, with 10 wins from 16 races, and if he can end the second Silverstone race with a 45-point lead, he will be Pro-Am1 champion. Leading the chase of Al Harthy and battling for second place are Oly Mortimer (GT Marques), Derek Pierce (Team Parker Racing) and Victor Jimenez (Redline/Oman Air) and anyone of them could emerge on top at Silverstone.

The Pro-Am2 title has come down to a straight battle between Will Goff (Goff Racing) and Tania Mann (sibsport performance) and Goff currently has the upperhand after Mann suffered a troubled weekend at Knockhill.

After qualifying at 12.55 on Saturday, round 17 will start at 09.00 on Sunday, with round 18 at 15.45. Round 18 will be broadcast live on ITV4 during the extensive BTCC programme which runs from 11.00 on Sunday.