Porsche highs and lows for Roryposted in POR03 | 04 | 2011
FIFER RORY BUTCHER suffered the highs and the lows of motorsport in the opening round of the Porsche Carrera Cup ProAm1 Championship at Brands Hatch.
The 24-year-old from Dunfermline, making is debut for the Aberdeen-based Celtic Speed team, not only dominated his class in the opening race but finished an impressive eighth overall. But the youngster's hopes of a double success disappeared when he was taken out of the second round within 200 yards of the start.
"Race one was excellent," Butcher, who started 10th on the 25-car grid and eventually finished 4.195secs ahead of his nearest ProAm1 rival, said afterwards.
"That was pretty awesome. I got a super start and I'd moved up to ninth pretty quickly. After that it was a case of settling into a good, steady rhythm and maintaining my pace.
"The car was brilliant, and I have to say thanks to everyone at Celtic Speed. I was pretty nervous before the start of my first race here, but having won in the past in Formula Fords at Brands, I knew once I got into the race I'd be ok.
"But the second race was a total nightmare. I got a pretty good start from 10th, edged across to the right and was accelerating down the start-finish line when Alex Martin and I made contact on my right-hand side.
"The impact spun me across the track and my car's front left corner was hit by someone else. Before I knew it I was stopped on the grass just yards from the start; race over.
"It was hugely disappointing because I was confident of scoring back-to-back class wins, which would have given my season the perfect start."
But that's exactly what Butcher's Celtic Speed team-mate George Brewster achieved; the Edinburgh racer won both rounds of the ProAm2 class.
Brewster finished 15th overall, 0.462secs ahead of his nearest ProAm2 rival Steve Parish, in the opening round, then followed that up with a more dominant display in the second round finishing 4.676s ahead of his nearest rival.
"An excellent start to the season," Brewster, who suffered his own scare in both races, admitted. "Just after taking the chequered flag at the end of the first race, the car suffered a blowout to the left-rear tyre, so we were lucky there.
"Then at the start of the second race, I had to take to the grass to avoid the incident with Rory and Martin, so I was fortunate again there.
"It's always great to start the season with a win, but to do two on the bounce is fantastic. Now we have to maintain this form into the next round at Donington in a fortnight, and right through the season."
And team boss Tommy Dreelan praised both his drivers who, between them, took three class wins out of four over the opening weekend.
"It really couldn't have been a better start to the season for Celtic Speed," the Aberdeen-based racer admitted. "Rory drove fantastically all weekend, and especially in the opening round.
"The incident today was disappointing, but that's motorsport. The margins are so tight, especially at the start as everyone focuses on the sprint to the first corner, but he definitely showed he has the speed to be a serious challenger for the ProAm1 title.
"And George drove very well too in both races. Two class wins in the opening two rounds; it doesn't really get any better than that."
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Jim McGill