MATTY GOES FOURTH IN KNOCKHILL RACE TWO

Matty followed up his maiden win in Porsche Carrera Cup with another fourth-placed finish in the second race of the weekend at Knockhill circuit in Scotland, to conclude a successful meeting north of the border.

After taking his first win in the series in the morning, race two saw the Eighty-One Powerdrink backed driver start from fifth on the grid and in a confident mindset having shown impressive pace throughout the weekend.

Getting a good start Matty was part of a train of cars contesting positions second to fifth, as the battle between he, Josh Webster, Ross Wylie and team-mate Dorian Mansilla allowed Scott McKenna to stretch away from pole position.

With four cars line astern and other drivers closing in from behind, the need for some decisive passing was growing in importance and on lap four, Matty and Webster both pounced to move themselves up the order.

After Mansilla defended strongly against Wylie down the railway straight, Webster dove down the inside into the hairpin turn at the end of the lap to relieve the In2Racing man of third.

With his exit compromised as a result, Matty made an opportunistic pass on the run up the hill to take fourth and maintain the chase of the drivers up ahead.

As lap five ended Harry King was up to the back of Matty having started tenth, but the Northumbrian’s eyes remained focused forward on the battle between himself, Webster and Mansilla.

When the Team Parker Racing car went for a pass around the outside at the end of lap nine, Mansilla’s defensive position presented Matty with a gap and an opportunity to surge up to second on the road, however it was a move that failed to come off.

Mansilla’s defence from Webster saw him move over to where Matty’s number 81 car was placed, with the resulting contact destabilising the number 44 enough that when a secondary bump came from Webster, the Argentine driver was sent spinning off the course.

After being passed on lap 10, Matty maintained his pursuit of King and Webster and when their battle for second between second and third saw the Porsche GB driver run wide, Matty was given another chance to steal two positions in one corner.

Webster though was alert to the threat and positioned his car superbly to deny Matty the drag he needed up the hill to compete the move.

With half the race still to run there was time for further progress forward, but the more experienced driver was able to maintain his position and Matty came home in fourth for the sixth time this season.

A last lap mistake from team-mate McKenna ensured that Matty completed the first half of his first full season in three years as the only race-winner from outside the Team Parker Racing stable.

He sits third in the overall championship standings and leads the rookie championship ahead of the season recommencing at Thruxton on the third weekend of September.