Porsche Carrera Cup contest heads to Scotland

Steven Kane and James Sutton will continue their battle for the Porsche Carrera Cup GB title in rounds 17 and 18 at Knockhill (Fife) next weekend (1/2 September). After a troubled weekend last time out at Brands Hatch, Kane's once-healthy points' lead has been slashed to just four points heading for the challenging Scottish track.

Prior to the most recent pair of races at Brands, Kane (Northampton) had a firm grip on the title race after a great campaign. But things went badly wrong at Brands, notably in the second race when a first corner clash with Tim Harvey (Oxford) left Kane to finish 13th after a pit stop. In one weekend, his points' lead had been decimated.

"I wasn't expecting something to happen to Steven," said Sutton (Barnet), who won both races at Brands and was stunned to have such a turn-around of fortune. "He's been incredibly consistent this year. It really is all to play for now."

Kane, however, is just as determined to get back on track and clinch the title that he has led for most of the season. "I love Knockhill and I'm confident that things will work out okay," says Kane.

However, this isn't just a two-horse race and if Kane or Sutton fail to finish one of the remaining four races, Harvey is poised to attack. He's had a bit of a mixed season, with several commanding wins as well as a couple of troubled weekends. He is 23 points down on Sutton and will be hoping for the sort of changeable weather that can so often be a feature of Knockhill. If there are tough tyre choices to be made, Harvey is just the man to make the right call.

Others in the running for race wins this weekend are Michael Caine (Newmarket), Sam Hancock (Clapham) and Jon Barnes (Southampton). Caine is a Knockhill regular, who loves the unique challenge of the track, while Hancock has not been here since he raced Formula Vauxhall Junior a decade ago and Barnes has never been here. All three drivers are getting ever closer to a breakthrough first Carrera Cup victory.

Some great competition is assured from the pro-am category, which offers a race within a race. Nigel Rice (Beverley) is the man clear at the head of the points and he is having a fantastic season; winning 10 times in 16 races and finishing on the pro-am podium in every race to date. However, Andy Britnell (Hildenborough, Kent) in particular is really taking the fight to Rice and scored a superb double win at Brands despite race-long pressure from the Yorkshireman.

Others making their mark in pro-am are Pete Osborne (Worksop), Charles Bateman (Boston) and Colin Willmott (Redditch), and they will be battling to stop Rice and Britnell talking all the pro-am glory.

Meanwhile, in the Porsche Motorsport entry for the weekend will be 19-year old Jeremy Metcalfe (Fleet), who earns his first weekend out of single-seater racing as one of the finalists in the 2006 McLaren/Autosport/BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.