Chris Car and Dino Zamparelli made a promising start to their 2019 racing season at Donington Park last weekend (April 13/14) as they competed in the GT Cup Championship.
Taking to the 1.979-mile ‘National’ configuration in the brand-new GT Marques-prepared Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport, Chris and Dino completed valuable laps in the car as they prepare to make their British GT Championship debut at Snetterton in May.
The speed of Chris, the team, and the Porsche was evident on Saturday morning as they finished a strong third quickest in the GTH Group, for GT4-specification machinery. This was followed up in qualifying a little later on as Chris took to the track and steadily improved his times to secure third in GTH on his final lap of the session.
With ‘Pro’ drivers ineligible for the first race of the weekend, Chris once again climbed behind the wheel and continued to show his speed and ability as he was set for a second-place finish against experienced competition. Sadly, with just a few laps left to run one of the leading GT3 cars made heavy contact with the rear of the Porsche sending it into retirement and, with the damage too severe for a quick repair, the team had no option but to withdraw from the rest of the meeting.
“It is obviously disappointing to end our weekend early,” said Chris. “However, we have to focus on the positives and that was that the car was quick, which is thanks to the hard work and experience of GT Marques who have done a great job. I managed to complete a reasonable number of laps and I feel more and more comfortable behind the wheel of the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport. I am looking forward to making my British GT Championship debut next month.”
Photo Credit: Inked hand Images
Photo Credit: Inked hand Images
“I really feel for Chris as he deserved the silverware he was set to secure,” said Dino. “I’ve been working with him for a year now and his progress has been fantastic, evidenced by his consistent improvement in lap times throughout the morning. The team has done a fantastic job with the Porsche and is helping to unlock its potential and I think the combination means we will be a strong package throughout the 2019 season.”
The drivers and team will miss the opening rounds of the British GT Championship this weekend as they continue to gain more mileage and to make sure they are adequately prepared for a successful season in Britain’s premiere GT series. They will next be in action in the GT Cup at Snetterton on the 11th & 12th May as they make final preparations for their British GT debut at the same circuit the following weekend on the 18th & 19th May.