30.Aug.2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Drive at Home Circuit

THERE is nothing better than racing at Knockhill in front of your home fans.

So I am delighted to get the chance of racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup this weekend.

It is not the first time I have had a go. A couple of years ago, I got the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the VIP guest car with Porsche Great Britain. Apart from the thrill of being a VIP, it was a great insight into racing at that level.

It was basically a works Porsche. I got to test on the Friday then had two qualifying sessions and had tyres whenever I wanted. I had a whole team of guys around me and that took a bit of getting used to.

But I went out and got two fifth places behind Tim Harvey. I was delighted with that and it gave me the bug to do as much endurance racing as possible. That was also why I was so keen to do the British GT with Ben Harvey.

This chance is through one of my long-term sponsors, Celtic Speed. They run a Porsche Carrera Cup team and had a spare car.

They thought it would be a good idea to put me in the car in front of my home crowd and see how I get on.

I think I am better prepared than in 2008. I have done longer stints in the car. That sounds silly, because loads of people spend hours in traffic jams on the M8. But the concerted effort of driving the car for over an hour means you learn how to conserve tyres, all about strategy and pacing yourself. Before the 2008 race, I had only done 20-minute races.

It is all about getting the best out of yourself and the car. I aim to do that this weekend. What would be a good result?

It is probably the most competitive year in the Porsche Carrera Cup for the last five or six years, so it will be tough. I would love to do two fifth places again, but breaking into the top eight would be no disgrace. It would be a real thrill to mix it with Tim Harvey and Michael Caine. But if I am a bit down the field, I hope another Scottish hope, Glynn Geddie, can be right at the front.

We want the Saltires flying this weekend.

THERE is nothing better than racing at Knockhill in front of your home fans.

So I am delighted to get the chance of racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup this weekend.

It is not the first time I have had a go. A couple of years ago, I got the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the VIP guest car with Porsche Great Britain. Apart from the thrill of being a VIP, it was a great insight into racing at that level.

It was basically a works Porsche. I got to test on the Friday then had two qualifying sessions and had tyres whenever I wanted. I had a whole team of guys around me and that took a bit of getting used to.

But I went out and got two fifth places behind Tim Harvey. I was delighted with that and it gave me the bug to do as much endurance racing as possible. That was also why I was so keen to do the British GT with Ben Harvey.

This chance is through one of my long-term sponsors, Celtic Speed. They run a Porsche Carrera Cup team and had a spare car.

They thought it would be a good idea to put me in the car in front of my home crowd and see how I get on.

I think I am better prepared than in 2008. I have done longer stints in the car. The concerted effort of driving the car for over an hour means you learn how to conserve tyres, all about strategy and pacing yourself. Before the 2008 race, I had only done 20-minute races.

It is all about getting the best out of yourself and the car. I aim to do that this weekend. What would be a good result?

It is probably the most competitive year in the Porsche Carrera Cup for the last five or six years, so it will be tough. I would love to do two fifth places again, but breaking into the top eight would be no disgrace. It would be a real thrill to mix it with Tim Harvey and Michael Caine. But if I am a bit down the field, I hope another Scottish hope, Glynn Geddie, can be right at the front.

We want the Saltires flying this weekend.