Butcher impresses in Porsche qualiposted in POR31 | 03 | 2012

    THE BANK OF Scots contesting this year's Porsche Carrera Cup delivered a series of impressive laps during the opening qualifying at Brands Hatch today. Best-placed man was Celtic Speed's Rory Butcher.

    The 25-year-old from Kirkcaldy starts the opening two races from seventh and eighth. Butcher and Aberdeen's Glynn Geddie will swap the positions in both races.

    Butcher though is still coming to terms with yesterday's events after he was controversially moved up out of the Pro-Am1 Class he contested last year into the Pro Class.

    It's understood officials were forced to take action after another competitor registered a complaint based on Butcher "earning a living" as an instructor at Knockhill.

    Politics, of course, is an ever-present factor in motorsport and this latest action merely highlights the lengths to which some people will go in order to boost their chances of winning.

    Fifer Rory Butcher targets Pro-Am1 title

    "It's very disappointing," Butcher admitted today. "We know who launched the complaint. But we are where we are, and I'm happy that I have the ability and experience to move on."

    Such is the closeness of the competition in the Porsche Carrera Cup that Butcher — who was second-fastest in Friday's practice — lapped the 1.2-mile Kent circuit just 0.294secs off pole position.

    "I didn't manage to quite hook-up the perfect lap today like I did yesterday," he continued. "We're in for a hell of a couple of races."

    West Kilbride's Derek Pierce benefitted directly from Butcher's elevation to the Pro Class, qualifying second in both races in the Pro-Am1 Class vacated by the Fifer.

    Edinburgh's Oly Mortimer, making his full season debut in the Pro-Am1 Class, qualified fourth for both Pro-Am1 races.

    Butcher's Celtic Speed team-mate, Edinburgh's George Brewster, starts seventh in both races in the Pro-Am1 Class.

    Defiant John MacCrone eyes WRC Academy points

    Keep up-to-date with all the latest news by following us on twitter.com/scotcars

    Jim McGill

     

User Comments

Login or register to post comments.