Xentek Motorsport enjoyed a hugely competitive debut in the Porsche Sprint Challenge GB at Donington Park this past weekend (22/23 April), with Danny Dwyer challenging for Am class podium finishes on his maiden appearance in the series.
A milestone weekend for the South Yorkshire team as they started an exciting new journey in one-make Porsche racing, they enjoyed a fantastic introduction as Dwyer starred as part of the competitive Am class within a bumper 19 car grid.
Making the step up from the Ginetta GT Academy to the Sprint Challenge GB with the team, Dwyer immediately felt at home in his new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport and was showing top three pace in class throughout pre-event testing on Tuesday and Thursday.
The London based racer continued his front-running charge in qualifying on Saturday morning, securing fourth on the grid for races one and two. The opener that afternoon started superbly, as he shot up to third position on the opening lap.
Dwyer settled onto the tail of the top two in the early stages and continued to impress as the race progressed, eventually taking the chequered flag in fourth place. Having risen to tenth overall as well, it was a solid platform for him to build on the next day.
A change of weather overnight meant a wet circuit greeted Dwyer for race two. A tough start saw him blocked by a slow-starting car ahead off the line, before he was then overtaken by two cars under safety car conditions soon after.
While the drivers involved were penalised post-race, the ground lost on the road meant he had to settle for fifth at the finish. The final race of the weekend took place in even worse wet conditions, with Dwyer adapting well and gaining a place to complete a trio of good results in fourth.
Sarah-Jayne McKenna – Team Manager: “We’re really happy with how our first weekend in Porsche racing has gone. It’s been a big learning curve for the team, getting to grips with the Cayman, but everyone has worked hard to produce a fast race car. Danny did a fantastic job out on track and we’re confident he’ll be getting podiums pretty soon.”
Danny Dwyer: “It’s been a great first weekend, I really enjoyed it. I’d say I was solid, if not spectacular, but we got three good finishes on the board and showed we’re capable of challenging for trophies. Thank you to Xentek Motorsport for all their great work – I’m really looking forward to Snetterton.”
Xentek Motorsport continue their 2023 season with a second outing for their Ginetta squad at Silverstone in two weeks' time (06/07 May), before the Porsche Sprint Challenge GB resumes a fortnight later (20/21 May).
Image from Porsche GB / Jakob Ebrey Photography.