Fifer Rory Butcher was left frustrated after the opening round of the Porsche Carrera Cup at Brands Hatch. The 25-year-old Celtic Speed racer left the Kent circuit with a seventh place, and the thought of what might have been.
Fifer Rory Butcher was left frustrated after the opening round of the Porsche Carrera Cup at Brands Hatch. The 25-year-old Celtic Speed racer left the Kent circuit with a seventh place, and the thought of what might have been.
Butcher — whose Celtic Speed team-mate, Edinburgh's George Brewster, finished on the podium in the Pro-Am1 Championship — was controversially elevated to the Pro Class 24 hours before the opening race.
"Our whole campaign had been geared towards contesting the Pro-Am1 Championship which I raced in last year," Kirkcaldy-based Butcher said.
"But at the last minute another competitor put in a complaint that, because I 'earn a living' as an instructor at Knockhill, I'm a professional racer.
"Obviously that's not the case, but the decision was made to move me up to the ultra-competitive Pro Class, and now I just have to get on with the rest of the season."
Butcher, who was second-fastest in practice, started the opening race from eighth on the grid, powering through to finish seventh.
"I was delighted with that," Butcher admitted. "To be honest, the race was pretty straightforward from start to finish."
The same though couldn't be said for the second race. Starting from seventh, Butcher became the innocent victim of a coming together between rivals Derek Pierce and Ahmad Al Harty, just 200 yards after the start.
"I got away from the line well, but suddenly I got hit from the left and the impact caused a front left puncture," Butcher explained.
"Further into the lap, the puncture pitched me on to the grass but thankfully I managed to get the car back to the pits and the crew did a lightning-fast tyre change."
Rejoining in 21st and last place, Butcher battled through to eighth with only three laps of the 1.2-mile circuit remaining.
But on the penultimate lap he was nudged on to the gravel at high speed. Somehow though, the young Scot wrestled his Celtic Speed Porsche back on to the track.
"It's not the way I hoped we'd finish the second race," he admitted, after bringing his car home 13th, "but the main thing is showed we're quick.
"Right through the weekend the Celtic Speed Porsche was fast, and we know we have the pace to mix it with the guys up at the front of the field."
Brewster, meanwhile, overcame a clutch problem, to bag a podium finish in the Pro-Am1 race.
"I'm delighted to finish on the podium in my first Pro-Am1 double-header," the Edinburgh-based J&E Shepherd boss, who won the Pro-Am2 title last season, said.
"Qualifying was struggle because we had no fifth gear, and a clutch problem: the guys had to fit three new gearboxes before we cured the problem.
"We did well to finish fifth in the opener, but to be second in the final race was an excellent performance.
"It was a tough weekend for everyone in the team, but to finish on the podium despite the difficulties we had shows just how strong the team is."
Fifer Rory Butcher was left frustrated after the opening round of the Porsche Carrera Cup at Brands Hatch. The 25-year-old Celtic Speed racer left the Kent circuit with a seventh place, and the thought of what might have been.
Butcher — whose Celtic Speed team-mate, Edinburgh's George Brewster, finished on the podium in the Pro-Am1 Championship — was controversially elevated to the Pro Class 24 hours before the opening race.
"Our whole campaign had been geared towards contesting the Pro-Am1 Championship which I raced in last year," Kirkcaldy-based Butcher said.
"But at the last minute another competitor put in a complaint that, because I 'earn a living' as an instructor at Knockhill, I'm a professional racer.
"Obviously that's not the case, but the decision was made to move me up to the ultra-competitive Pro Class, and now I just have to get on with the rest of the season."
Butcher, who was second-fastest in practice, started the opening race from eighth on the grid, powering through to finish seventh.
"I was delighted with that," Butcher admitted. "To be honest, the race was pretty straightforward from start to finish."
The same though couldn't be said for the second race. Starting from seventh, Butcher became the innocent victim of a coming together between rivals Derek Pierce and Ahmad Al Harty, just 200 yards after the start.
"I got away from the line well, but suddenly I got hit from the left and the impact caused a front left puncture," Butcher explained.
"Further into the lap, the puncture pitched me on to the grass but thankfully I managed to get the car back to the pits and the crew did a lightning-fast tyre change."
Rejoining in 21st and last place, Butcher battled through to eighth with only three laps of the 1.2-mile circuit remaining.
But on the penultimate lap he was nudged on to the gravel at high speed. Somehow though, the young Scot wrestled his Celtic Speed Porsche back on to the track.
"It's not the way I hoped we'd finish the second race," he admitted, after bringing his car home 13th, "but the main thing is showed we're quick.
"Right through the weekend the Celtic Speed Porsche was fast, and we know we have the pace to mix it with the guys up at the front of the field."
Brewster, meanwhile, overcame a clutch problem, to bag a podium finish in the Pro-Am1 race.
"I'm delighted to finish on the podium in my first Pro-Am1 double-header," the Edinburgh-based J&E Shepherd boss, who won the Pro-Am2 title last season, said.
"Qualifying was struggle because we had no fifth gear, and a clutch problem: the guys had to fit three new gearboxes before we cured the problem.
"We did well to finish fifth in the opener, but to be second in the final race was an excellent performance.
"It was a tough weekend for everyone in the team, but to finish on the podium despite the difficulties we had shows just how strong the team is."
© Celtic Speed 2026
