Xentek Motorsport scored a brilliant pair of class podium finishes with debutant Sam Harvey in the 2024 Porsche Sprint Challenge GB season opener at Snetterton last weekend (25-26 May).
The South Yorkshire team have expanded to an exciting three-car entry for their second season in the ultra-competitive championship; Oliver Cottam and Bal Sidhu running new-for-2024 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS cars and Harvey in the established Clubsport model.
All three drivers were starting their first season of Porsche racing, with Harvey making the step up after being a race-winner in the GT5 Challenge with Xentek last year. He highlighted himself as a competitive force in the CS Pro class from the off, setting the fastest time in Friday free practice.
Conditions changed from sunshine to rain for the weekend, with Harvey continuing to impress as he qualified third in class. There would be disappointment at the start of the first race though, as he had nowhere to go when trying to avoid a stalled car on the grid leading to heavy contact.
After a great job by the team to get the car fixed for Sunday, Harvey was able to bounce back in style. Recovering from an early issue to record a maiden podium finish with third in race two, he saved the best until last with a battling performance to finish second and double his trophy haul.
The opening weekend was a steep learning curve for Cottam and Sidhu meanwhile, with the late delivery of their new RS cars meaning they’d had limited pre-season testing opportunities ahead of both racing a number of class rivals with at least a year of experience racing Caymans.
Former touring car racer Cottam showed great progression through the weekend as he netted three strong finishes in the Pro ranks, while reigning Ginetta champion Sidhu, who will also race his RS in the British Endurance Championship this year, picked up a couple of top six Am results.
Christopher Richards – Team Principal: “This weekend has been a big learning experience for everyone involved, with three drivers each racing new cars to them for the first time and us as a team continuing to get to grips with the new GT4 RS.
“Bal and Oliver both made great progress with the RS through the weekend and should be proud of their efforts. They were constantly having to adjust to new conditions they hadn’t experienced before in the car, but maximised their mileage and enjoyed three clean races each.
“We were gutted that Sam’s first ever Porsche race ended the way it did, but he showed great resilience to come back and impress with a couple of podium finishes. Those are sure to be the first of many for Sam and the team as a whole; there’s a lot more to come from us in future rounds.”
The second round of the 2024 Porsche Sprint Challenge GB season is coming up next month with a trip to Oulton Park (22-23 June).
Image from Porsche GB.
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