EUAN HANKEY CELEBRATED his first – ever Carrera Cup double at Rockingham —but he won’t have bought any celebratory drinks for the series  backmarkers.

Hankey was delayed by the battling Richard Denny and Tommy Dreelan in the closing stages of race one, but then the two amateur racers meted out equal treatment to most of the chasing pack, with the exception of Richard Plant, who finally saw his chances of challenging James Sutton for third disappear.

In race two, Hankey s Team Parker Racing car was already coming under pressure enough from the Redline Racing machine of Sutton. Then he came across Dreelan and Denny again. Hankey was forced wide at the Gracelands left-hander and Sutton nosed inside, but luckily for Hankey this left him on the inside for the following Tamn hairpin.

“That was probably my toughest racehe said.”I had amazing pace at the start, but there was fluid on the track. I went sideways, and James could watch me and pick his way through.”

Hankey had been dominant in race one, and it was Redline s Michael Meadows who led teammate Sutton home for second. Stephen Jelley —the guy they are fighting for the title – was forced behind fellow Parker man Plant when he went wide at the Deene hairpin on lap two, a safety measure after he d seen Kieran Vernon —having his best race yet —try a divebomb pass.

Sutton and Jelley were both incisive at the start of race two. Jelley, in tyre trouble, fell back to hold off points leader Meadows, Jonas Gelzinis, Plant and Ben Hetherington, but was able to hang onto the final podium spot.

With only two events remaining in the Ginetta GT Supercup, the fight for the title is as close as ever thanks to the categoryinaugural  pitstop  race at Rockingham, which served up a new winner and some problems for the top two in the standings.

George Murrells, back in action after missing Knockhill two weeks ago, was in sensational form in the second race and took his maiden victory after a great stop by Optimum Motorsport.

Third at the point of taking his mandatory Hankey leads Redline men Meadows and Sutton double wheel change, Murrells managed to overhaul early leader Nathan Freke who pitted with just three laps remaining. Added to second place in race one, Freke s third – which was in doubt at one stage when smoke began to billow into his car has moved him into contention for the title.

Carl Breeze, who won Saturday s Tegular sprint race, was bundled back down the order early on and insult was added to injury when an issue with his car s airjacks led to a long delay in the pits. Points leader Tom Sharp also suffered a lengthy stop, the pair finishing outside the top 10. Adam Morgan enjoyed a superbly consistent weekend with third and second place finishes, keeping his title bid on course. In the G50 Cup class, Tom Ingram notched up a winning double.

Seb Morris got the weekend off on the right footing with his 11th victory of the season in round is of Ginetta Juniors but contact near the start of race two required a battling recovery drive to fourth. Double polesitter Charlie Robertson sealed the second win of his maiden season with an excellent performance in round 16 while Niall Murray bagged a brace of second places, Sennan Fielding doing likewise with two thirds—his first – ever podiums.