Epperstone’s George Gamble finishes on the podium after tough start to Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship weekend at Donington Park

Epperstone’s George Gamble made the best out of a near-disastrous weekend to take a podium at Donington Park in rounds 11 and 12 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship.

Gamble came to the Leicestershire circuit with his Rosland Gold Racing by Century Motorsport team hoping to carry on from his win at Knockhill two weeks ago.

He’d tested at the circuit and, out of four test sessions, was the combined fastest out of the 22 cars on the 2.48-mile Grand Prix circuit.

The 28-year-old encountered two phenomenal races after the weekend started with his qualifying session seeing him virtually not turn a wheel.

With Saturday’s 20-minute qualifying session declared a wet race, on Gamble’s out lap he got caught up in a track incident with another car. The radiator had been punctured and the team made a difficult decision to retire the car.

A disappointed Gamble started the first race from the back of the grid with 21 cars in front of him.

He made a great start in race one on Sunday and quickly made up four places. He was 14th by the end of lap two before a great move on Stephen Jelley leaving him standing and straight into 13th.

Gamble then overtook Dan Lloyd and Will Aspin to move into 11th and was soon posting fastest lap times. By lap 12 Gamble was into 10th spot and he improved that to eighth by the time he crossed the line, finishing sixth in class.

Race two saw Gamble on row four on the grid, by Craner Curves he was into fifth, by the end of lap one straight into four and again he was flying. A lap later Gamble took the fastest lap of the race, a time of 1min29.338sec, topping speeds of 140mph.

The top three weren’t making it easy but Gamble went third on lap five, taking the outside line going into Redgate and level with Ellis through Hollywood alongside each other, a brave and bold move that reaped rewards.

On lap seven Gamble clipped the tyres at the Esses, he was lucky with some slight bodywork scuffs, as well as the car losing most of its splitter and a fender early doors in the race. This was causing the car to slightly underperform on certain parts of the circuit.

Ellis wasn’t giving in, a lap later they were side by side again at the Melbourne Hairpin, It was just like NASCAR racing with Gamble getting his nose up front and leaning on second-placed Matthew Rees. He manoeuvred around him to take second.

Gamble did well to hold off Ellis on lap 15 and by the time the flag was out, he was only 0.068sec ahead of him as he crossed the line for second spot.

Gamble said: “After the disappointment in qualifying, I was fired up and ready to race, the car ran well in both races with great pace and performance. I can’t wait for Silverstone in a few weeks’ time.”

Gamble sits third in the championship with his Rosland Gold Racing by Century Motorsport also third in the team standings.

The next rounds are at Silverstone on September 21-22.