19/09/2003

Scots racer Gavin Pyper has had a surprise call to action this weekend - racing one of the guest cars in the Porsche Michelin Carrera Cup Great Britain. Gavin gladly accepted a late offer to drive a Porsche 911 GT3 sportscar in the one-make series, and will have two races to show his pace as the series visits Oulton Park in Cheshire this weekend.

“I got a call around five o’clock last night,” said Gavin, “ and was able to test the car this afternoon. It’s totally different to the Astra I was driving in the BTCC, feels totally alien in comparison. I think the last rear-wheel drive car I raced was a Formula Vauxhall Junior single-seater.

“It was wet in testing today and I was probably a bit over cautious - I didn’t want to go off in a car I had just been invited to race! The Porsche is a good fun car, with lots of power, but the ABS brakes take a bit of getting used to, they are very different and I wasn’t being violent enough with them!

“My very last lap in the test was my quickest, and we have looked at the data and know where there is more time to come. I’m hoping it is dry across the weekend, this car require a different way or racing, but it a great opportunity to remind people how quick I can be.”

Gavin was leading the Independents Cup category of the British Touring Car Championship when he left the series at the halfway point this season, his limited budget having run out. With the Porsche series a support race to the BTCC, this weekend is the perfect opportunity for Gavin to remind the teams in that series how quick he can be.