Double Porsche podium for Butcherposted in POR07 | 08 | 2011

    FIFER RORY BUTCHER bagged another two podiums in the Porsche Carrera Cup Pro-Am1 Championship in the latest rounds at Snetterton in Norfolk. The 24-year-old from Kirkcaldy, the lead driver in the St Cyrus-based Celtic Speed team, finished second and third in the latest double-header.

    "It was my first time at the newly redesigned circuit at Snetterton and it took me a while to get fully on the pace," the youngster, who qualified fourth Pro-Am1 car, explained.

    "The first race was a real tough duel between me and another three cars who were all battling for second and third place. It became a bit physical, with a couple of cars making contact, but in the end though I was disappointed not to finish second, I was happy enough with third and some good championship points.

    "The second race was better. I started second on the grid in Pro-Am1 and again it was a race-long battle with a number of cars fighting wheel-to-wheel; but this time there were five cars involved.

    See more photos of Rory in action at Snetterton

    "I dropped back to third on the start but then hounded the car in front for a few laps before I was able to edge ahead at Agostini’s hairpin. Once I got in front I was quickly able to pull away and secure a comfortable second place.

    "Overall though it was a bit of a frustrating weekend. To be honest it was only in the final four or five laps of the second race that I really had the car working the way I wanted to.

    "I actually posted my fastest lap of the weekend on something like the penultimate lap of the second race, and that was when the tyres were going off. So it's clear we had the pace in the car; we just need to unlock it earlier."

    Butcher, who posted the fastest Pro-Am1 lap of the race, a 1min 54.167secs, now heads to the next round at his home track, Knockhill in Fife on September 3/4, lying second in the fight for the Porsche Carrera Cup Pro-Am1 Championship. And the telented young Scot has received further backing from Scots companies including Radical Delivery Solutions in Edinburgh; William Johnston & Co. in Glasgow, and Bio-Safe.

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    There was further success for Butcher's Celtic Speed team-mate George Brewster. The Edinburgh racer finished second in the opening Porsche Carrera Cup Pro-Am2 race.

    But there was frustration in the second race when, despite setting fastest Pro-Am2 lap — 1m 56.040secs — Brewster was forced to retire his car with technical issue concerning the power steering on his Porsche 911 GT3.

    Team boss Tommy Dreelan believes the team is now in the position to maximise its efforts in the next round at Knockhill next month.

    "After the five week layoff, it was good to get back into action," Dreelan explained, "and to score three podiums was a good achievement.

    "Of course, the next round is on our home circuit at Knockhill — a circuit we know well — so we'll be doing everything we can to continue the good run of form we continued at Snetterton."

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    Jim McGill

     

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