MATTY PUTS SEASON BACK ON TRACK AT SNETTERTON
Matty got his 2022 season back on track in the latest round of Porsche Carrera Cup GB action last weekend, with a third win of the season in the second race at Snetterton.
It was the perfect tonic after a monster start line crash in the first race at the Knockhill meeting in July left the 26-year-old facing a race against time to be ready for rounds nine and ten of the year.
Winning that particular dash, Matty began the weekend by using the usual pair of practice sessions as an acclimatisation process with some low key lap times, something that carried over to Saturday’s qualifying.
Improving further from the day before, his best effort was still six-tenths off that of the pole sitter but within two-tenths of the highest placed Redline Racing entry indicating the relative lack of one-lap pace wasn’t confined to just the number 16 car.
With overtaking at a premium around the Norfolk circuit, a ninth-place starting position wasn’t the best place from which to launch an attack but with the first race ten minutes longer than the usual half-hour duration, opportunities did come Matty’s way.
Making up a spot on lap three as seventh-placed Charles Rainford dropped a pair of positions, Matty embarked on a five-lap tussle with team-mate Oliver White over seventh place.
Moving up to sixth on the final lap as Will Martin ran off the road towards the end of the tour, Matty was then promoted to fifth as Adam Smalley was dropped two places for a pass under safety car conditions.
It was a crucial adjustment to the race order with the reverse grid draw for the day’s second race placing the car in fifth onto pole position.
As at Donington Park and Oulton Park earlier in the season, a front row grid spot would lay the platform for a lights-to-flag victory for the Northumbrian driver.
He had work to do off the line as a slow getaway allowed Josh Malin to mount an attack into the first turn, however having the inside line allowed Matty to successfully repel the attack.
Having withstood that initial assault, he began to pull away at the front of the field as Theo Edgerton passed Matty’s first-lap attacker.
Settling into a rhythm and the good race pace demonstrated during Friday’s practice Matty steadily grew his advantage as he, Gus Burton, Martin and Edgerton exchanged fastest laps.
That fight was settled in the north east driver’s favour on lap seven with a 1:51.859 tour and secured a further championship point.
Crossing the line with a 1.5 second lead, Graham put his Scottish demons behind him and now looks ahead to a trip to the fastest track of the season, Thruxton, over the August Bank Holiday.