Duckhams Yuasa Racing with Redline continues Carrera Cup podium run

Duckhams Yuasa Racing with Redline claimed another podium finish at the weekend (June 11/12), its third of the season, as Adam Smalley remains firmly in the hunt for the Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship title.

Heading to the tricky Oulton Park in Cheshire, Adam and team-mate Oliver White were able to take advantage of an official series test on Wednesday to familiarise themselves with the intricacies of the 2.26-mile Island layout in their powerful Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars.

Both drivers qualified in the top ten, providing hope for the races, albeit with the knowledge that it is a circuit on which it is tricky to cleanly pass other cars. Adam finished third, having made a small error on his quick lap, while Oliver was just a few tenths of a second away from the top five.

Unfortunately, the opening race was halted in the early moments as Oliver took contact from another car which sent him into the gravel at the Knickerbrook chicane and sadly retirement from the contest. After a red flag to retrieve his and another car (from a separate incident), the race was restarted, and Porsche GB Junior Driver Adam fought his way past Kiern Jewiss but had to contend with the fast-starting Charles Rainford ahead.

Knowing he would have to make his way past as race leader Will Martin pulled clear, the Lancashire racer eventually put in a bold pass on the outside of the first corner to claim second, which he would hold until the flag.

The second contest, held on Sunday and broadcast live on ITV1, would be a timed 20-minute affair. Sadly, it was another tough race for Oliver as he tangled with Jack Bartholomew while attempting to pass into the Island hairpin. Able to bring the car back to the pits, he lost a lap and was classified ninth of the Pro class competitors.

Up front, Adam held fourth at the start but from there had to sit behind Jewiss and Rainford, unable to sneak past his Pro class rival who himself was stuck behind the Pro-Am racer. Despite that, claiming third place class points with his earlier podium means the 21-year-old sits third in the championship standings, just four points off the leader.

Adam and Oliver will return to Porsche Carrera Cup GB action in their Duckhams Yuasa Racing with Redline machines in six weeks’ time, with two races around the exciting Knockhill Circuit in Scotland over the weekend of July 30/31.

Adam Smalley, #21

Round 1 - Grid: 3, Race: 2

Round 2 - Grid: 4, Race: 4

Championship: 3 (42 points)

Wednesday was great, and I had a good feeling for the car. To start with it was about learning the car on this track, but I got to grips with it quite quickly. Free practice was good, but you can never take too much away from it because no one's on new tyres, so you can't quite gauge where you're at. I was comfortable with the car, everything felt good, and went into qualifying feeling confident. We knew Kiern [Jewiss] and Will [Martin] were always going to be fast as they're very competitive this season. My lap was really good up until the last corner, but I had a lock up which cost me a tenth or two.

The opening race went really well. With the Safety Car and red flag there was a bit of a delay in getting going but I had a good start and was neck and neck with Kiern into turn one. I managed to get past, and I was stuck behind Charles [Rainford] for quite a few laps. He did a very good job of defending but I knew I needed to get past him because I was getting so much pressure from behind. I tried going inside here, inside there and everywhere, but couldn't find a way through. Eventually I committed and had to go around the outside at the first corner. It was probably the move of my life, but I am over the moon with the result and pretty happy to get a podium.

Overtaking is very, very difficult so it was just about ensuring we got off the line well for race two. We got a good start and managed to maintain position, but overall, it was a pretty good weekend. I can't complain too much and hopefully we'll be back on the top step at Knockhill.

Oliver White, #2

Round 1 - Grid: 10, Race: DNF

Round 2 - Grid: 11, Race: 9

Championship: 12 (0 points)

Free practice went pretty well. It was really just about finessing around this track. I made progress all day, which was good. Qualifying was disappointing in the end as I was P12 overall, but it is so close out there, a couple of tenths I would have been further up on the grid.

The first race didn't last long. I did half a lap and I got hit by Jack Bartholomew and he sent me into the gravel. There was nothing I could have done really; it was just unlucky. He basically just stuck his nose up my inside right at the last minute, there wasn't room, and he hit my rear right tyre and spun me around. There was a little bit of damage to the back of the car and the tracking was damaged, but it was mostly cosmetic.

I had decent pace on Sunday and to be fair the car felt good. I was a lot quicker than the car in front but it's so hard to pass. I went down the inside at the hairpin, and I think his front tyre touched my back wheel and I couldn't slow down or turn the car. I don't really see that I could have done a lot differently and when that happens, you can't turn in or brake because your tyres are rubbing, so I just couldn't make the corner.