By Paul Evans
Ryan Ratcliffe is in a close fight for the Pro-Am title on his debut season in the Porsche Carrera Cup.
The young Carmarthenshire driver has powered to three wins from eight races and has a 100% points-scoring finishes record.
The series has already reached mid-distance, with four completed race meetings crammed into a coronavirus compacted five weekend schedule.
Getting acquainted so quickly with his new Groundhog-backed 458bhp 911 GT3 Cup car is no mean feat, and after two solid performances at Donington Park and Brands Hatch, the former British GT4 and GT Silver Cup champion won the Pro-Am class in both races at Oulton Park.
It’s no surprise that he also picked up the driver of the day award.
Ratcliffe then celebrated his 27th birthday at Knockhill last weekend, with another race victory – despite not having raced at the undulating and technically tricky Scottish track for 10 years.
That leaves Ratcliffe lying second in the Pro-Am drivers’ table, just five points behind series leader and Team Parker Racing stable-mate Esmee Hawkey.
The second half of the Porsche Carrera Cup begins later this month, with the UK’s fastest one-make racing series heading to the UK’s fastest circuit at Thruxton.
And after such a good start, a confident Ratcliffe has his sights firmly set on taking the lead of the Pro-Am category.
“Heading into the Porsche Carrera Cup series for the first time, I didn’t really know what to expect – and I struggled a little in the first two race meetings, as I got to grips with the new car,” admits Ratcliffe.
“But once I got used to driving the 911 without traction control and ABS [anti-lock braking system], and I stopped worrying about locking up everywhere, things started to flow.
“It’s been a tough start to the season, and four race weekends in five weeks was challenging – especially with two races each weekend, which is something I’ve never done before.
“But I’m on top of the car now, and to score three wins in the first eight races, and to be challenging for the lead of the championship, isn’t too bad in my first year in the Porsche Carrera Cup.
Great weekend in knockhill! Haven’t been to the circuit for 10 years and come away with P1 and P2 in class! Title fight is getting exciting now 🏆🏁 pic.twitter.com/fEIDFarE7i
— Ryan Ratcliffe (@RyanRatcliffeR) August 30, 2020
“I’m looking forward to starting the second half of the season at Thruxton.
“It’s another circuit that I haven’t raced at for ten years, but I like the challenge of going to a track that I don’t know – you’re not complacent and you don’t arrive with any bad habits.
“It’s all to play for in the race for the title, so the aim at Thruxton will be to try to take the lead of the Pro-Am category – and that will put us in an even stronger position for the remaining rounds of the series.”
The Porsche Carrera Cup resumes at Thruxton circuit in Hampshire (19-20 September), before heading to Silverstone (26-27 September), Snetterton (24-25 October) and finally to Brands Hatch (14-15 November).