Silverstone Porsches: Stippler hangs on

Rockenfeller only just avoided stranded poleman Patrick Huisman on the grid, a clutch problem meaning the tall Dutchman got a terrible start and was 17th by the end of lap one before contact with Maik Heupel put him out of the race on lap nine. After the start, Rockenfeller remained glued to Stippler's boot-lid throughout the 12-lap race but shied away from too much contact, and had to settle for second.

Third was Frenchman Stephane Ortelli, who reckoned he could have done a lot better had he not been hobbled by a brake glitch from lap one. "It was very frustrating," he said. "I was the quickest car out there but I could never get close enough because of my brakes. If the brakes had been good, I don¹t think it would have been a problem to win."

American Pat Long was also involved with the battle between the lead four, and looked as though he might be able to take advantage of Ortelli's brake difficulties. But although he hassled Ortelli remorselessly during the second half of the race, a holed radiator two laps from the end halted his charge.

Stippler's Team Farnbacher team-mate Pierre Kaffer was fifth. He initially harried Long but fell back avoiding a spinning Wolf Henzler on lap 11. Last year's winner Henzler recovered to finish sixth. The best of the British Carrera Cup entries was Richard Westbrook, who finished a creditable ninth.