Chesterfield’s Perez back on track and raring to go
Chesterfield’s Amigos Redline Racing star Seb Perez means to carry on where he left off after the six week mid season Summer racing break in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship.
The 19-year-old race ace travels to Thruxton in Hampshire this weekend for the next two rounds and currently lies in a good position in the championship in sixth place.
The season so far has seen Perez in action at Brands Hatch, Donington Park, Croft and Oulton Park and also a very special race as a guest driver representing Great Britain in the Mobil One Porsche Supercup at Silverstone a few weeks ago as a support to the British Grand Prix and in front of record crowd of 141,000 people.
Each round of two races have had a story to tell and Perez is rearing to go and get behind the wheel and on track in the 485hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car again.
The season all started in April after some intense testing with his new 2019 team Redline Racing, fist two race up on the Calendar was Brands Hatch, Perez went to the Kent Circuit with his Porsche Nottinghamshire Teammate for the second season George Gamble both topping speeds of over 120 mph.
Perez was in the rankings in free practice and emerged the quickest from a challenging qualifying session in which changing weather conditions meant that there was a narrow window to post the teams fastest times on a drying circuit. He maximised the opportunity to secure himself a qualifying result of fourth.
Three weeks later, the racer had a tough weekend at local Leicestershire circuit Donington Park where high winds and rain made qualifying difficult but Perez finished sixth overall.
Perez was in fifth place in the Pro Class Championship as he went into the next two rounds at Croft in North Yorkshire and qualified in seventh taking into account the ever changing weather conditions of sun one minute followed by rain, making the track different on every lap. Perez finished sixth, showing his talent in such horrendous conditions.
Oulton Park at the end of June was next up before the summer break, despite the Cheshire circuit being a difficult track to overtake on, Seb passed three cars before zeroing in on Dan Vaughan ahead in race one, Closing the three-and-a-half second gap to the cars ahead, he became part of a six-car fight which continued until the last lap, where the teenager made up one more position, finishing eighth overall.
A good start off the line in race two and in eighth place saw Perez struggle by mid race and finished in ninth.
Onwards and upwards, Perez travels to the UK’s fastest circuit and its the first time he has been there for three years where he took a pole position in the Simpson Ginetta Junior Championship. It’s the first time Seb has raced the Porsche raced at Thruxton and will be a learning curve for him and the team.
Perez commented “I’m looking forward to getting back into the Porsche after the mid season break. Sixth in the championship is a respectable place at this time in the season and let’s hope we can build on it”.
“Thruxton is a very fast circuit, its three years since I got a pole there in Ginetta Juniors and let’s hope I can do it again. The Porsche is totally a different car to drive on the UK’s fastest circuit”, he added.
This year’s 16-race Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship series is one of the most highly regarded championships in Europe and follows the KwikFit British Touring Car package. You can follow Seb and the Championship live on ITV4.
Editorial and Images Paul Horton and Paul Horton Motorsport Photography
