McKenna Fights Forward In Tight Silverstone Scraps

BRDC Rising Star Scott McKenna fought back from a difficult qualifying to claim a brace of top-seven finishes at Silverstone and keep in the hunt for a strong finish in his maiden Porsche Carrera Cup GB season.

The North Yorkshire rookie looked to bounce back from narrowly missing out on a podium finish a week prior at Thruxton, and testing times showed promise for the Redline Racing driver earlier in the week.

McKenna sat second in the times in mixed conditions at the shorter National layout of the famous Northampton circuit, matching his strong pace shown in testing prior to the season back in the spring.

While Friday brought optimism, Saturday’s qualifying session was another tightly-bunched affair. Unfortunately, track limits were the talking point for many, McKenna among those to have had times deleted during the session as he qualified ninth on the grid, despite being a mere 0.3s from pole position.

The first of two 27-lap races took place later that Saturday afternoon, with the Teessider fully focused on recovering ground at the 1.64-mile circuit. A good getaway gave the 19-year-old his shot at recovering places, and he duly made his way up two spots to seventh place by the time the safety car emerged to slow the field after an incident further back in the field.

On the restart, McKenna latched into an entertaining seven-car battle for second spot. The rookie tailed team-mate Matty Graham and moved ahead of Josh Webster through a time penalty for the latter to climb into the top six, briefly losing out to Mark Kimber late on.

McKenna would not be denied however, snatching the spot back with a fine move to seal a hard-fought sixth spot, narrowly missing out on the reverse grid pole position for race two the following day.

McKenna’s Porsche 911 started sixth in front of the ITV2 cameras on Sunday and looked to have moved up to fifth as the Redline racer nosed inside Will Martin at Becketts. Stuck on the wrong side heading into Brooklands, a tag from Webster sent McKenna wide and down to eighth place as he recovered well from the unplanned sideways moment.

Determined to recover, McKenna settled into the race and soon caught up to Sam MacLeod, lunging inside his rival at Becketts successfully to grab seventh place. Chasing Kimber to the flag, last year’s Ginetta GT5 Challenge champion just missed out in another tight race, finishing only four seconds from the podium.

Salvaging solid points keeps McKenna sitting fifth in the overall Carrera Cup GB standings with third place still well within sight, also remaining a comfortable third in the rookie standings with four races remaining.

McKenna next heads to the Snetterton 300 circuit in Norfolk for the latest pair of races on 24/25 October, a track he won at in Ginettas last year in front of the BTCC crowds. Races will be broadcast LIVE on ITV in support of the British Touring Car Championship.

Scott McKenna (#82 Redline Racing):
“We started well and showed great pace in our cars throughout testing. We went into the weekend knowing that we could fight towards the front again.

“Saturday unfortunately was a tough day for us and it started with qualifying. We were all so close, but a few lap times taken off us meant we got a late time to our name which left us playing catch up.

“In both races we were in the fight, but it’s hard to overtake cleanly around here when there’s not much in it. I got a few chances and had a great battle with Mark in the first race, then almost grabbed fifth at the start of the second before we were eased out and had to fight back again.

“Snetterton has been kind to me in recent years so I hope it’s the same again this year! We’ve again shown we can be up there, so I’ll be focusing on a good qualifying to get us back in the hunt for trophies.”

Photos: Dan Bathie/Porsche GB

Rising Star McKenna Denied Podium In Thruxton Puncture-Fest

BRDC Rising Star Scott McKenna looked set to add his fourth podium finish of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB season at Thruxton last weekend (19/20 September) until he was cruelly denied by a late puncture.

The North Yorkshire rookie travelled south to the ultra-quick Hampshire speed bowl looking to go one better than his second place at Knockhill most recently, having already clinched three visits to the podium in the modified 2020 season.

The Redline Racing driver, who turned 19 today, set about creating the opportunity for an early birthday present by putting in the miles early in the week in Friday testing, pumping in 46 laps at an average speed of over 114mph on his quickest.

Saturday’s qualifying session was again a tightly-bunched affair with teams wary about the abrasive nature of the high-speed strip of tarmac. Looking for a front row spot, Despite being victim to a time deletion at one stage, McKenna found clear air and put in a lap narrowly short of his target, qualifying fifth and just a couple a tenths from a front row spot.

Sunday brought sunny skies for race day, but McKenna had to show fight in the opening race after losing ground on the opening lap of the race and slipping to eighth place. Last year’s Ginetta GT5 Challenge champion knuckled down and started picking off his rivals, moving onto the rear of a train of cars ultimately battling for third spot with the leaders slowing each other up ahead.

McKenna caught the pack but could not quite find his way around the two cars ahead of him, finishing less than a second away from a fourth podium finish and securing a rookie class podium in the process.

The charge did warrant an opportunity to profit from the partial reverse grid for race two, and McKenna’s Porsche 911 was again drawn onto pole position for the second race of the afternoon in his quest for a maiden victory.

In front of the ITV2 cameras alongside the British Touring Car Championship, McKenna battled experienced sportscar racer Ross Wylie on the opening lap and soon settled into a rhythm inside the top three after a puncture for the race leader. That set the tone for the second half of the race, as McKenna followed Wylie and Josh Webster’s cars while keeping fellow rookie Lorcan Hanafin safely at bay.

A podium was within range with a handful of laps remaining, until a spate of left-rear punctures threw the race into uncertainty. McKenna kept the car on the island but, just as he was about to grab second place from a slowing Webster, the Redline Racer’s left-rear gave way with just two laps remaining. Ice Driver experience on the frozen lakes helped him wrestle the 911 into the pitlane for repairs, but the failure sadly proved terminal.

Despite the setback, a solid opening race result keeps McKenna sitting fifth in the overall Carrera Cup GB standings and only five points adrift of third place, also closing to within four points of the rookie class lead with three meetings and six rounds remaining.

McKenna next heads to Silverstone’s National circuit this weekend (26/27 September) for the latest pair of races. Sunday’s races will be broadcast LIVE on ITV2 in support of the British Touring Car Championship.

Scott McKenna (#82 Redline Racing):
“What can you say. We gave it all we could in those races and we were so close to another podium. We can look away from that though and take the positives from our performance and come back stronger as a result with more data in our pocket.

“It’s gutting to have a good result taken away from you like that, especially when you feel like you’re so nearly there and you’re managing the car home trying to avoid the kerbs and looking after the tyre.

“We still ran at the sharp end where we should be and I’ll be coming out fighting at Silverstone. We ran well in testing there both personally and as a team, so we can hopefully hit the ground running and fight for a few more trophies.”

Photo Credit: Dan Bathie/Porsche GB

McKenna Bags Second Porsche Podium At Oulton Park

Teesside’s BRDC Rising Star Scott McKenna grabbed his second podium finish of the season in the BTCC-supporting Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship at Oulton Park last weekend (22/23 August).

The North Yorkshire youngster shook off an unlucky outing at Brands Hatch two weeks prior with a determined display in the fifth and sixth races of the season at Oulton Park, held in difficult and changeable weather conditions.

The Redline Racing driver carried his Ice Driver experience from the frozen lakes of Norway over into the weekend in Cheshire, and looked to start strongly in Saturday’s qualifying session held in wet conditions.

Backed by sponsors including Eighty One Powerdrink and Rocket Medical, the 18-year-old started strongly by topping the times in the wettest conditions before times began to tumble in the final minutes, McKenna eventually grabbing seventh on the grid in a late flurry of changes.

A good start in the opening race of the weekend later that afternoon put the rapid Porsche rookie ahead of Ross Wylie into sixth place when the lights went out, chasing a three-car dice ahead of him for the final podium spot.

Fighting a damaged Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car and evading an incident ahead, McKenna came home sixth overall to narrowly miss out on another rookie class podium, something he aimed to put right in Sunday’s race.

In front of the ITV4 cameras alongside the British Touring Car Championship, a partially-reversed grid shifted McKenna’s #82 Porsche onto pole position for the 15-lap second race.

A strong start in wet conditions kept him ahead of team-mate Matty Graham, and for two laps McKenna held his nerve at the head of the field. Former champion Josh Webster moved ahead at Old Hall on lap three, but McKenna held his own by retaliating on the outside briefly when eventual winner Harry King attacked for second spot at Druids.

McKenna settled into a solid third spot, surviving a late safety car interruption to hang on and secure a hard-earned second podium finish of his rookie season in only six races, adding to his Donington rostrum visit in Round Two.

McKenna also took his third rookie cup win of the season to move to within 10 points of the class lead, sitting fifth in the overall Carrera Cup GB standings and only three points adrift of third place. The Stokesley man next heads to Knockhill in Fife this weekend (29/30 August) for the latest pair of races.

Sunday’s races will be broadcast LIVE on ITV2 in support of the British Touring Car Championship.

Scott McKenna (#82 Redline Racing):
“I’m absolutely buzzing to be back on the podium again. Brands Hatch left us a bit disappointed through no fault of our own, and on Sunday we showed what we could do and got back to how we felt at Donington.

“Through my work with Ice Driver I know what it’s like to drive a Porsche in tricky conditions, and we were on the limit trying to keep in the fight towards the end when it was so greasy. We had damage on Saturday which held us back, but the reverse grid gave us the chance to recover. We showed our pace during Sunday’s race and I’m delighted with the result.

“A massive thanks to the guys at Redline and all of those backing and supporting me, and we’ve got to kick on now and believe that we can be the ones to challenge for the top three again in Scotland which is a tight and exciting track to visit.”

Photo Credits: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Promise, Pace And Points For McKenna In Brands Hatch Battles

BRDC Rising Star Scott McKenna was denied more Rookie Cup silverware by misfortune in the BTCC-supporting Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship at Brands Hatch GP last weekend (8/9 August).

The North Yorkshire youngster entered the famous Kent circuit keen to kick on from an eye-opening maiden weekend at Donington Park where he picked up a podium finish for fellow Teesside-based team, Redline Racing.

Last year’s Ginetta GT5 Challenge champion started strongly in official testing on Friday, trading the top spot with Northumberland team-mate Matty Graham to put himself in the mix for a good showing in qualifying the following day.

Qualifying became a tight affair for the field, with rookie McKenna battling inside the top six throughout. Despite a late charge in scorching temperatures, the Eighty One Powerdrink, Rocket Medical and Watchgecko-backed driver finished sixth by the end of the session but only a mere 0.123s from sealing a front row spot.

On Sunday, McKenna arrived ready to make up that time in the day’s two races alongside the BTCC, and found himself in the middle of the fight for top-five spots as the safety car emerged in the final 10 minutes. Battling with Sam Macleod for fifth, the latter made contact with McKenna which unfortunately sent the Redline racer plummeting down the order to 14th by the flag, when fifth place was on target.

Left back in 13th to start the second race, McKenna set about making his recovery. After dodging a first accident neatly at Paddock Hill Bend, McKenna’s reactions were again tested by a multi-car collision ahead of him at the rapid Hawthorns right-hander, climbing up the order to seventh.

Chasing after GT racer Ryan Ratcliffe in the closing stages after another tag from Macleod cost him time, McKenna salvaged ninth place with a late attack, results not a true reflection of the team’s pace at Brands Hatch.

McKenna still sits fifth in the overall Carrera Cup GB standings, but only eight points adrift of the top of the Rookie standings with more wins from the opening two rounds. The Stokesley man next heads to Oulton Park in Cheshire in two weeks’ time (22/23 August) for the latest pair of races.

Races will once again be broadcast LIVE on ITV4 in support of the British Touring Car Championship.

Scott McKenna (#82 Redline Racing):
“One of those weekends unfortunately. Two collisions ruined our weekend when we were in a position to mix it for potentially another podium or two. The pace we showed in testing in the run-up to the weekend was very promising. If we can transfer that into qualifying in the next few rounds then it will give us a shot like we had at Donington.

“After plenty of travelling in a short space of time, I’m looking forward to a short relax now to regroup and get myself ready to attack at Oulton Park, a circuit where Redline has plenty of success around – let’s try and keep that success going!”

Photo credits: Dan Bathie/Porsche Motorsport GB

McKenna Takes Ginetta GT5 Challenge Title At Donington

North East racer Scott McKenna clinched his first major National championship by securing the British GT-supporting Ginetta GT5 Challenge title at Donington Park, as he looks towards a step up into GT racing in 2020.

The Yorkshireman went into the final three races of the ultra-competitive one-make series leading the championship after six wins and 10 podium finishes, knowing that a solid and consistent weekend would be enough to seal the deal for himself and fellow North East team, Xentek Motorsport.

Saturday’s qualifying session set the tone as McKenna briefly held the top spot in the closing minutes around the popular Leicestershire circuit, only to be bumped down to second place on the grid by Gordie Mutch by 0.147s in a tight session.

The opening race of the weekend was Scott’s first chance to clinch the championship, and he duly completed his goal in a race that was stymied by a lengthy safety car interruption.

Surpassing the G40 of pole man Mutch heading into the chicane for the first time, McKenna settled into second place behind a charging Geri Nicosia, the latter moving by the Xentek Motorsport racer at Redgate on lap two. Behind, a four-car incident took time to clear, meaning the race ended behind the safety car after just one lap of racing.

Second place was enough to put the title out of reach for his competitors, leaving Scott free to celebrate with his friends, family and sponsors on an emotional podium as Ginetta GT5 Challenge champion, including father Andrew, mother Alison and brother Ben.

Not willing to risk an incident and any potential points penalty that could come the following day, McKenna opted out of competing in the second and third races of the weekend, but his objective had been achieved.

Scott McKenna (#27 Xentek Motorsport):

“Honestly, words can’t describe it. Every time I go to talk about it I start crying! Three years have made up to this and without my family there and my sponsors, we would not be here. To be here now having just won the championship, I’m lost for words, and a lot of the hard work was done earlier in the season.

“I can’t explain how much it means to me, my Mum, my Dad, my brother and all those that have helped me. It’s mad. I let the others do what they want, just to get it done and get to the end. It’s been an amazing season. Just a huge, huge thank you to all of the people and sponsors that have supported me.

“All of the people at Xentek Motorsport have been brilliant and loyal to me, and we’ve put everything into this to achieve our dreams – I can’t thank them enough. I also had a test in a McLaren British GT car recently, and that was something else. It’s something we’re looking towards, and what I want to be doing a lot more of next season!”

McKenna Closes On Ginetta Title With Snetterton Win In Front Of BTCC Crowd

North East racer Scott McKenna added another victory in front of the TV cameras as he closed in on the ultra-competitive Ginetta GT5 Challenge championship title at Snetterton.

The Yorkshireman made use of a fresh set of tyres to add his sixth win of the season in the first of two races at the Snetterton 300 circuit, in front of a packed crowd as the one-make series supported the British Touring Car Championship.

McKenna lay down an initial marker in qualifying by being the first driver to dip into the 2m06s bracket, sealing pole position for the first race which took place later that Saturday. The teenager was beaten away from the grid by a fast-starting Josh Malin, who again held the advantage on the restart after a multi-car shunt behind them resulted in a second-lap stoppage.

McKenna gave chase, and made his move at the start of the third lap to slide into the lead of the race, utilising fresher rubber to stretch his lead and add win number six of his season.

In front of the ITV4 cameras the following day, McKenna and four of his closest rivals put on an entertaining show for the flocking fans in Norfolk.

In the mix throughout from his front row start, McKenna climbed from fourth to second in the early laps after losing ground at first, and soon gave chase to leader Malin as he probed for a way by. A bold move around the outside of his Ginetta G40 rival at the high-speed first right-hander almost paid off, but he instead fell behind eventual winner Geri Nicosia after the latter nudged his way through in the latter stages.

McKenna kept in touch in the thrilling five-car squabble, slipping behind Adam Smalley to finish fifth on the final lap as all involved jostled it out for the podium spots.

A crucial points finish meant the Xentek Motorsport driver takes a 57-point championship lead into the final three races of the season, held at Donington Park on 14/15 September and supporting the British GT Championship.

Scott McKenna (#27 Xentek Motorsport):

“It was a risky, but smart overtake to win the opening race, and the car felt mega. The pace was good enough over a lap in the races. All cars change, whether it be track, tyre or air temperature, and all the rest of it can change the way the car feels. Some of those uncontrollable variables happened in the second race, and I’ve just got to work on those things that I can change myself to take advantage.

“A forceful overtake from a following driver meant I fell from second to fifth, but we’ve increased our championship lead over the weekend which is the important thing. We’ve not quite come away with two podiums, but our objective has been achieved, and now it’s in our hands to go and seize.

“It’s really, really good being inside the BTCC paddock this time. The crowd is so cool; seeing all the people there on the banks after you’ve finished the race – that’s really cool to see, and I hope it looked good on TV!”

You can watch highlights of Scott’s entertaining second race on ITV Player.

McKenna Matches Motorsport Heroes With Zandvoort Double

In-form North East racer Scott McKenna channelled his motorsport heroes to take another step closer to the Protyre Ginetta GT5 Challenge title, with a brace of wins at Zandvoort.

Carrying the helmet colours of his late motorsport hero, Ronnie Peterson, who finished second at the Dutch venue in what would ultimately to be his final F1 race in 1978, McKenna quickly adapted to the picturesque circuit on his maiden visit to Zandvoort.

Qualifying offered a glimpse of McKenna’s frontrunning pace, the championship leader from Stokesley, North Yorkshire, lining up third fastest on the grid ahead of the weekend’s three races.

From then, a tense trio of encounters pitted the Xentek Motorsport youngster in combat with title rival Adam Smalley, who narrowly pipped McKenna in the opening contest on Saturday. McKenna kept the leader honest in the closing stages, having grabbed second place from Gordie Mutch late in the race after a clean fight between the pair.

The Donington winner finished a close 1.6s adrift to maintain his title authority, but he hit back strongly in race two to take victory after an entertaining duel with Mutch, Geri Nicosia and Smalley – the latter demoted to third afterwards by stewards for a collision with Mutch.

McKenna’s winning cushion was a mere 0.191s as less than a second covered the top four, and it would soon get even better for the Xentek driver.

A Sunday double was completed with a hard-fought victory in race three from pole position, McKenna fending off his rivals from the front at the slipstream-friendly circuit. The reward was sealing his second win of the weekend by a narrow 0.064s from Smalley, as the pair took the chequered flag side-by-side at the track which will host the Dutch Grand Prix once again next year.

McKenna therefore extends his championship lead to almost 50 points with two meetings remaining, riding the purple patch of having claimed five wins in the last eight races.

The next of those is back in the UK at Snetterton’s 300 circuit in Norfolk, supporting the British Touring Car Championship on 3/4 August which will be shown live on ITV4.

Scott McKenna (#27 Xentek Motorsport):

“It was absolutely incredible to race at Zandvoort; not only to race, but to cross the line first in the last race of the weekend was a very surreal experience. My heroes have raced at Zandvoort and to do the same was something I’ll never forget.

“I had a good battle with Gordie and eventually passed him to finish second in race one, then it was exactly the same scenario on track in the following race. In the final race I had to defend for the entire race from start to finish. We won by such a tight margin and going side-by-side over the line at Zandvoort was an experience I’ll not forget!

“Our full focus is now on Snetterton and what we can do in order to optimise our performance, win races in front of the fantastic BTCC crowd and further extend our championship lead.”

McKenna Moves To Top Of Ginetta GT5 Table With Thrilling Donington Win

North East racer Scott McKenna continued his fine form by clinching a third victory in the most recent Ginetta GT5 Challenge meeting at Donington, moving to the top of the standings as a result.

A thrilling contest on Saturday went the way of the 17-year-old from Stokesley, North Yorkshire, who made it three victories on the spin after a fine brace earlier in the month at Silverstone.

Battling older tyres all weekend, McKenna then fought to a brace of solid fifth place finishes on Sunday to cement his title push, moving into the lead of the championship for the first time.

Sharing the bill with British GT at the full-length Donington Park GP circuit in Leicester, the Xentek Motorsport youngster earned another pole position ahead of the weekend’s triple header after a tight qualifying session, hindered by traffic late on as times began to tumble.

Later that Saturday, McKenna took the fight to fellow front row starter Geri Nicosia in a tense eight-lap opening race. Part of a five-car lead battle, the two title protagonists swapped places on numerous occasions in the final laps, McKenna making the crucial move stick at McLeans on the last tour to make it three wins on the bounce.

Starting seventh on the grid for race two on Sunday morning, McKenna held his ground on older rubber and advanced to sixth place on the road, promoted to fifth after a technical infringement excluded the winner.

The final race was another hotly-contested encounter. Starting from fifth, McKenna used his ice driving experience on worn tyres to haul himself into the lead battle and finish a strong fifth, keeping title rivals Adam Smalley and Gordie Mutch in sight.

A purple patch in form for McKenna now vaults him into the lead of the GT5 Challenge Drivers’ Championship, while Xentek Motorsport grabbed the Teams’ Championship lead with three meetings remaining. The next of those is a visit across the waters to Zandvoort in Holland on 6/7 July.

Scott McKenna (#27 Xentek Motorsport):

“We got a good lap in that put us on pole, but we didn’t get a second quick time in down to traffic which is just bad luck. Race one was such a good battle. The last three laps; it was just Geri and myself overtaking each other – it was proper racing. I got a better exit out of the Old Hairpin, then had to out-brake him which was risky, but it worked. Then it was defend, defend, defend like my life depended on it!

“We started fifth for the last race and I was hanging on, as we went on older tyres all weekend. We’re trying to work it out so we can use brand new tyres for the rest of the season. It bit us back [at Donington], as the tyres level off after heat cycles, and I had to graft to get those fifth place results.

“It’s more points at the end of the day and it was massive for us. We’re in a good position now for Zandvoort and Silverstone. Hopefully the next few rounds will be strong for us.”

Double Delight For Scott McKenna At Home Of British Motorsport

North East racer Scott McKenna enjoyed a weekend to remember at Silverstone, taking an emphatic double win in the British GT-supporting Ginetta GT5 Challenge to break his 2019 victory duck.

Battling changeable conditions at the Home of British Motorsport, the 17-year-old from Stokesley, North Yorkshire, took a brace of dominant victories in the ultra-competitive one-make series to close in on the championship lead.

The weekend started in difficult weather conditions for qualifying around the full-length 3.6-mile GP circuit, but that did not deter McKenna from sharing pole positions with Gordie Mutch to grab his opportunity ahead of the two races.

Chasing his first win of the season, the Xentek Motorsport youngster duly delivered in the opening race on Saturday, grabbing the edge thanks to a better start before mastering the drying conditions on slick tyres. McKenna – carrying the helmet colours of the late Formula 1 racer Ronnie Peterson – finished seven seconds clear of a fierce battle for second, a feat he looked to repeat in the 20-minute second encounter on Sunday.

Drier conditions threatened a closer contest at the slipstream-friendly circuit, but a lightning start and consistent string of early laps were all McKenna needed to stamp his authority. Dropping front-row starter Mutch, he proceeded to pull clear of the battle for second between Geri Nicosia, Danny Harrison and Josh Malin to clinch another triumph by five seconds.

With a British GT seat on his radar, the double win moves McKenna to within 15 points of championship leader Nicosia, on a weekend where fellow title contender Adam Smalley struggled after a time penalty was applied to his second race result.

McKenna will look to continue his strong run of form at the next meeting at Donington Park, held over the weekend of June 22/23.

Scott McKenna (#27 Xentek Motorsport):

“From my perspective, it was like I’d gone testing all weekend. We’re now being really consistent. In race one we literally got the perfect start, and that was it. One thing I heard from the commentators was that they said the real damage seemed to be done by my first few laps in both races.

“Qualifying was probably the worst conditions I’d ever driven in and something I’d never experienced before, so it was more a task of trying not to crash, but it couldn’t have gone much better. The first race looked wet, but about half an hour before the race the sun came out and we put slicks on it. That played into our hands because we’d done no wet testing until Friday.

“It was exactly what happened in the second race too. I dropped Gordie Mutch off the start and that was it – I didn’t look back. It’s massive points and I think the key now is that as long as we stay consistent and stay ahead of Geri and Adam, we’ll chip into the lead. I don’t need to start taking risks, just be clever.”