TIM CLINCHES CHAMPIONSHIP

In a thrilling final race around the streets of Macau Tim clinched the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Championship on Sunday morning in his GruppeM GT3 Porsche.   At the end of the series Tim has a 14 point lead over Kieta Sawa from Japan with Christian Jones from Australia third a further 2 points behind.

It was however a dramatic weekend as Tim has never raced on any street circuit before and had never seen the unforgiving, often narrow streets of the former Portuguese colony which are bounded by Armco.   All the other drivers had experience of Macau and so Tim decided discretion was the order of the day as they went into the only 30 minute test session and then the 20 minute qualifying.   He was far from quickest and 6th on the grid but his main title rival at the start of the meeting was Jones who qualified 4th so sat just ahead.   Tim had a 2 point Championship lead going into the race so Jones needed to finish at least 2 places ahead of Tim to take the title, just one place in front would not do as the pair would be equal and Tim, with 6 wins in the series to Jones 3 would be declared the winner. 

As the race unfolded the title protaganists were in a 4 car battle but Tim gradually went quicker and began to close on Jones, overtaking is very difficult but Jones would feel the pressure as Tim tried to get by Nigel Albon who was between them.   On the penultimate lap Jones just tried too hard, lost control under braking for the notorious Lisboa bend and put the car into the barrier.    Tim was able to cruise home to clinch a championship he has led for most of the season taking 4th place points.    Overall he has 9 podiums in the 13 races including the 6 wins and has never failed to finish and score.

Looking back on his first season in Asia, the new Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champion was full of praise for the series:  “It’s been tough.  There were five of us who could win a race.  The series has good cars and a good entry, and the front of the field is as strong as  anywhere.  Winning both races in Shanghai (where the series was a support event to the Formula 1 Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix) was definitely a high point of the year.  The whole Macau event is so special, and it’s a great honour to be here.”

Tim took the midnight flight home from Hong Kong and will reflect on another successful season taking his 4th GT title.  With another 3 second places in championships in 11 years of racing this class of car Tim is one of the UK’s most successful professional drivers.    In that time perhaps his best year was 2005 when he won the very prestigious Porsche Cup * and finished second in the world championship level FIA GT series with Emmanuel Collard, again in a GruppeM Porsche (GT2).   In 1998 as well as being British GT1 Champion he also was 4th overall and top private entry in the Le Mans 24 hour race winning the Wolf Barnato Trophy from the British Racing Drivers Club.

(* The Porsche Cup is awarded every year to the most successful driver around the world competing in privately owned Porsche cars, Tim is one of only two British drivers ever to win that prize since its inception in 1970, click on underlined phrase for full story)