Will Jenkins has made it back-to-back double podium finishes to start the 2024 Porsche Sprint Challenge GB season after putting in a fantastic performance at Oulton Park this past weekend (22-23 June).
Making the short trip to Oulton Park for his first race event at the Cheshire venue since taking a race win in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge there two years ago, Jenkins was confident of a strong showing to back up his impressive display in the season opener at Snetterton last month.
Friday’s two free practice sessions were crucial as Jenkins lapped the circuit in GT4 machinery in dry conditions for the first time, with the Staffordshire-based racer quickly setting a strong pace in his Team Parker Racing prepared Porsche Cayman to finish third fastest overall.
Jenkins replicated that performance in qualifying the following morning, securing third on the grid for the opening race soon after. In a close-fought encounter that saw fine margins between the top three, he held position throughout to celebrate a podium finish.
Lining up second on the grid for the first of Sunday’s races, the 19-year-old talent encountered a tough start as he got unceremoniously shoved wide onto the grass at the first corner, dropping him back to sixth position on the road.
Quickly fighting back to fifth heading into the Island hairpin for the first time, he was soon onto the tail of the two ahead. Whilst clearly faster than them, he got stuck behind on a narrow circuit that’s notoriously difficult to overtake around, leaving him to finish fifth.
Jenkins, who is part of the exciting Young Driver Programme from reigning British Touring Car Championship champions Alliance Racing and Wera Tools, started fourth for the final race of the weekend and starred on the live ITV4 television coverage with the onboard camera.
A good start saw the Stone-based racer grab third position on the run to Cascades on lap one, a spot he held for a long period. Slipping back to fourth with a handful of laps to go, he then benefitted from a dramatic incident ahead to swoop into second place and secure his fourth podium of the season.
Jenkins, who is racing with the continued support of personal partners alongside Hopkins Motorsport Ltd, Asset Alliance Group, Reefer Trailer Centre, Culina Group, Thermo King Northern and the Motorsport UK Academy, now sits fourth in the standings, only 10 points off the top.
Will Jenkins: “We had some great pace this weekend and I’m really pleased to pick up a couple of podium finishes, but there is definitely some frustration that without the incident in race two it could well have been three from three.
“The team gave me a fast car from the off and I’m happy to have converted a strong qualifying into a podium in race one. From second on the grid for race two, I was confident I could put in a challenge for the win, but sadly another driver had a different idea.
“Whilst he got given a penalty after the race, that sadly doesn’t give me back the lost podium or points. We bounced back in the final race though and got back on the podium again, so we ended on a high and I’ll take that momentum into the next rounds.”
The 2024 Porsche Sprint Challenge GB season continues next month with three races at Croft over the weekend of 27/28 July.
Image from Porsche GB.
Comments