Fifer Butcher confirms full Porsche assaultposted in POR14 | 03 | 2011
FIFER RORY BUTCHER is targeting the Pro-Am1 category in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, after confirming he will contest a full season in the Championship with Celtic Speed.
Butcher, the 23-year-old from Kirkcaldy, has twice impressed in the Carrera Cup at Knockhill, will race with the Aberdeen-based team in what he hopes will be a two-year programme, graduating to the Pro category in 2012.
“The Carrera Cup is a great move towards where I want to be as a professional sports and GT racer,” Butcher, who will celebrate his 24th birthday on March 16, said.
The son of Knockhill owner Derek Butcher, Rory started karting at the age of eight and raced motorbikes as a teenager before switching to cars at the Fife track in 2005. Since then he has won championships in Formula Ford and won the Kent Formula Ford Festival in 2009.
In 2008, he made his Carrera Cup debut in the guest car at Knockhill and took two fifth places. Last summer he had a one-off outing with Celtic Speed at the Scottish track and claimed two top six finishes overall in a Pro-Am2 category car. Now, he goes into the 2011 season with a permanent slot at Celtic Speed.
“We’ve got a strong package together," the youngster continued. "For this season it will be good to start in Pro-Am1 and then look to move up next year. The Carrera Cup is the best place to get my name about and my aim for this year is to win Pro-Am1. But it’s going to be tough.” Butcher will enjoy on-going support from team mate Tommy Dreelan.
“Tommy has been a big support to me and I owe it all to him,” Butcher explained. “He has supported my career for the last five years and I hope to help the Celtic team establish itself towards the front of the grid. It’s going to be a very competitive season but I’d like to be able to fight it out with the pro drivers, especially at my home track of Knockhill.”
Along with the rest of the Celtic Speed team, Butcher will begin testing his 450bhp 911GT3 Cup next week and will take part in the pre-season test and media day at Snetterton on March 22. The opening two races of the season will be at Brands Hatch over the weekend April 2/3.
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Jim McGill