Barker takes famous Carrera Cup GB win at Le Mans

Ben Barker was the star of Le Mans today (Saturday 14 June) with a resounding win in round seven of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB as well as overall race victory as the championship contender joined with drivers from Carrera Cup France for a spectacular race on the famous track during the build-up to the start of the 24-hour race.

A magnificent 62-car field included three drivers in the GT3 Cup Challenge GB and truly memorable category victories were taken by Karl Leonard (Pro-Am1), Steven Liquorish (Pro-Am2) and Peter Smallwood (GT3 Cup Challenge). For all the drivers, the chance to tackle this awesome high-speed track on a very special day made it a truly memorable occasion.

Barker (Parr Motorsport) was in contention right from the start of the high-speed race and battled into second overall behind race leader Kevin Estre. Then, on the final lap Estre suffered a rear puncture and Barker swept ahead to take a famous win in front of a vast crowd.

One of the drives of the race came from Carrera Cup Scholar Josh Webster (Redline Racing) who started down in 15th overall, but raced superbly to fight up to seventh place and second GB racer at the finish. In the closing laps he wriggled ahead of Michael Meadows (Samsung UHD TV Racing) as they both battled furiously with leading French racers. Meanwhile, Paul Rees (In2 Racing) drove a storming race to finish fourth of the GB pack in 14th place after dropping to 35th overall when he was squeezed into a first lap spin.

Karl Leonard (Pro-Am1) and Steven Liquorish (Pro-Am2) both turned in fine performances for Team Parker Racing to win their respective divisions, while Peter Smallwood (Parr Motorsport) headed the GT3 Cup Challenge drivers as Guy Riall (Almara Racing) battled through to second from the tail of the grid.

Ben Barker (Parr Motorsport) first overall in Carrera Cup GB:
“Mega! It was a really amazing race and an amazing atmosphere. I had a good start and picked off Dillman. Estre was quick but I was holding the gap. The puncture was unlucky for him, but I was there to pick up the pieces.”

Josh Webster (Redline Racing) second overall:
“That was an unbelievable race! Massive thanks are due to the Redline team as we made big changes to the car after qualifying. Even from the first laps it felt so much better. I was really able to challenge and make some awesome moves.”

Michael Meadows (Samsung UHD TV Racing) third overall:
“That was a tough battle with the French drivers. The more they battled, the more it allowed Josh to catch us. It was a bit crazy out there at times, but it was a fun race.”

Karl Leonard (Team Parker Racing) first in Pro-Am1:
“Mega! I was leading all the class Bs at one stage and it was a great race: brilliant! I made a slight mistake and had a big moment in the Porsche Curves. It’s been an amazing experience and thanks to Porsche and Team Parker Racing.”

Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) first in Pro-Am2:
“It was brilliant! I was just trying to keep out of trouble. I took a bit of wing off the car and it was very fast on the straights, but I struggled a bit with turn in. It was an absolutely brilliant experience.”

Peter Smallwood (Parr Motorsport) first in GT3 Cup Challenge:
“To win at Le Mans is fantastic. I got a good start and got my head down and was then able to back it off a bit later in the race. I was just managing the gap to Guy Riall. What a fantastic experience.”

Results round 7:
Pro category: 1 Ben Barker; 2 Josh Webster; 3 Michael Meadows.
Pro-Am1 category: 1 Karl Leonard; 2 Rob Smith; 3 Graeme Mundy.
Pro-Am2 category: 1 Steven Liquorish; 2 Scott Marshall; 3 Bill Cameron.
GT3 Cup Challenge: 1 Peter Smallwood; 2 Guy Riall; 3 Tom Hallissey.

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