GT Cup, Snetterton - Race Reports
Great Racing In Norfolk The GT Cup gave the crowds two superb races at Snetterton, with the battle in Group 2 proving to be decisive in the Championship battle; Keith Webster leading in his BMW M3 after race five out of fifteen by just one point from Alex Martin, after Marco Pullen suffered a DNF in the first race. Race One Race one was probably one of the best races ever seen in GT Cup. Alex Martin driving his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car was on pole beside Andy Ruhan in another Porsche with Danny Winstanley and his TVR Tuscan just 0.05secs behind them in third place. This proved to be an epic race between these three until Alex Martin spun off on coolant and fell back into third place. It was ironic that the water had been left on the track by his father’s Group Two Porsche after a ‘coming together’ with Fraser Robinson’s Porsche. This gave Ruhan the lead and the TVR of Danny Winstanley second and the frustrated Alex Martin third. If Group One had given us some brilliant racing there was even more action in Group Two. This surrounded Marco Pullen is his Ferrari 360 GTC, Keith Webster in his BMW M3 E46, Francis Galashan in his Porsche 996 GT3 Cup, and David Back in another Ferrari. It was a genuine, nose to tail ‘race long battle’ and any one of these drivers could have won the race. The lead kept on changing hands with these four - and sometimes five - cars never more than a few yards, or often inches, apart. It went right down to the last but one lap when David Back’s engine let go and Marco Pullen had to head for the pits as well. This left Keith Webster and Francis Galashan with a charge to the finish and it was Keith Webster in his BMW who just made it, half a second ahead of Galashan and his Porsche. It doesn’t get much better than that. By comparison Tom Andrew had a relatively quiet race in his KTM X-Bow, bringing it home just under a second ahead of Dan Norris-Jones in his Lotus Exige. Dave Botterill brought his Porsche 944 Turbo home third. Race Two After the excitement of Race One the second of the GT Cup races had some act to follow. Things were not quite as close, but even so, in Group One, Alex Martin and Danny Winstanley had a fantastic race. Alex Martin led the race from start to finish but right up until the last couple of laps Danny Winstanley was rarely more than a car’s length behind, keeping huge pressure on Alex Martin and his Porsche. Andy Ruhan was carrying his Race One ‘success ballast’, which meant he couldn’t quite get onto the back of the Martin versus Winstanley fight. But it was all about Martin and Winstanley. They gave us a display of close, clean racing, but in the end the TVR began to overheat and Winstanley had to back off; but he was just far enough ahead of Andy Ruhan to hang onto his well earned second place. In Group Two we had lost one of the main protagonists from race one - David Back’s Ferrari having blown its engine. But Marco Pullen was back with a vengeance and once again he and Keith Webster in his BMW E36 had a great race; but it all ended when Webster picked up a puncture and went out of contention. This left Pullen with a relatively easy win ahead of Francis Galashan and a very happy Rupert Martin. This was Rupert’s first podium in GT Cup and he was delighted. In Group Three the heat and wear and tear had thinned the numbers down and it was Tom Andrew who brought the KTM X-Bow home ahead of Dan Norris-Jones and his Lotus Exige. Race results - here Championship Points overall after three rounds and five races:- Keith Webster BMW E36 146pts
Alex Martin Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 144pts
Danny Winstanley TVR Tuscan 143pts Group Points after three rounds and five races:- Group One Alex Martin Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 144pts
Danny Winstanley TVR Tuscan 143pts
Gary Eastwood Ferrari 430 GTC 122pts Group Two Keith Webster BMW E36 146pts
Colin/Sam Mowle KTM XBow 131pts
Marco Pullen Ferrari 360 GTC 124pts Group Three Tom Andrew KTM XBow 124pts
Dan Norris-Jones Lotus Exige 109pts
David Botterill Porsche 944 Turbo 95pts Jock Simpson | 
