Bridgman sets Thruxton pace in Porsche Carrera Cup GB
Bridgman sets Thruxton pace in Porsche Carrera Cup GB
Tim Bridgman again headed the time sheets for the Porsche Carrera Cup GB after official testing at Thruxton yesterday (14 April) ahead of rounds three and four of the championship at the Hampshire track over the weekend of 25/26 April. Meanwhile, Tony Gilham set the pro-am1 pace.
Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) set the pace in both of the day’s sessions at the high-speed track, posting a best lap in the afternoon session of 1m14.643s, an average speed of over 112mph. At the fastest point on the track, the approach to the Club Chicane, the 911GT3 Cup Cars are reaching more than 165mph.
“Everything was fine, so it’s a case of job done,” said Bridgman. “We’re ready to race,” he added, following his double victory in the opening two races at Brands Hatch earlier in April.
However, Michael Caine (Motorbase Performance) also had reason to leave Thruxton in confident mood after setting the second fastest time of 1m15.013s without using any new tyres. Unlike all of the other leading drivers, Caine spent the day on used tyres even though he thought he was on new tyres when he set his best lap in the afternoon. “I seriously didn’t know. I thought I was on new tyres, but I knew the car didn’t feel as good as it should have done,” admitted Caine. “So that’s a very good lap on old rubber; the team did a great job on set-up.”
Just behind Caine was Tim Harvey (Red Line Racing), at one of the reigning champion’s favourite tracks. “I’m happy with the car,” said Tim. “I didn’t quite get the best out of the new tyres,” said Harvey, after finding traffic on two of his three optimum laps on new tyres.
Tom Bradshaw and Jake Rosenzweig both had good days for Team Parker Racing to end the testing fourth and fifth fastest. For both drivers it was only their second experience of the Hampshire track. “There is so much more grip on the new tyres here,” said Bradshaw. Right with the pace of Bradshaw and Rosenzweig were Dean Smith and Lewis Hopkins from Red Line Racing, with Winchester-based Hopkins coming to terms well with his local track on only his second ever day at Thruxton.
The battle to be top of the pro-am1 times was just as close, with Gilham (Red Line Racing), Glynn Geddie (Team Parker Racing) and Robert Lawson (JHR) covered by only a third of a second.
For Gilham and the Red Line team, this was just reward for a mighty effort to get his car repaired after an accident at Brands Hatch. Gilham drove to Germany to collect a new bodyshell, covering nearly 2000 miles in less than 48 hours, while the team then worked into the Easter weekend to complete the car.
“It got better once I knew my way around,” said Thruxton newcomer Geddie, while Lawson was tackling Thruxton for the first time in a Porsche. “It’s just a question of pushing the boundaries a little bit each time,” said Lawson.