Phil Quaife

Phil Quaife is an English racing driver (born 27/03/1986) currently competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB for Jota Sport and in the FIA GT3 European Championship in Apex Motorsport’s Jaguar XKR.

The 22 year-old from [Kent] enjoyed a successful start to his racing career. After winning his first major karting title in the Junior Rotax Max winter championship before finishing as runner-up in the summer championship in 2002, he stepped up to the Senior Rotax Max series in ’03, finishing 5th overall.

For 2004 Phil graduated to the Radical SR3 Enduro Championship for his first full season in cars. He would go on to make rapid progress over a season in which he took several podiums, ending up sixth in the overall standings and the proud winner of the ‘most improved driver’ award.

It had laid the foundations for what was to follow. 14 victories from 14 starts including 12 pole positions in the 2005 title fight did much to underline his potential and he was soon courted by Motorbase Performance to partner Stuart Moseley behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 as part of their British GT Championship assault. The conflict of interests would ultimately cost him the Radical championship but the experience wrought from his sportscar campaign which included a class victory, a brace of pole positions and podiums and a top-ten finish in the overall standings would prove vital in the success of the following season.

A two pronged attack was once again planned for 2006 and Phil didn’t disappoint. Moving up to pilot the quicker SR8, he duly attended to unfinished business in the Radical Enduro Championship as once again he dominated the 20 race-calendar, recording eight victories and five further podiums to clinch the title that had eluded him the previous year. Staying with Motorbase for a planned attack on the Porsche Carrera Cup Pro-Am category, he took ten class victories and the title in just his first season of the highly competitive series. So impressive were his results in fact that he would end the year seventh in the overall championship and was rewarded when the BRDC named him as part of its ‘Rising Stars’ programme. A step up into the Porsche Supercup followed in 2007 as Phil travelled around Europe as part of the official Formula One support bill. Seen as the most competitive and prestigious one-make GT championship in the world, he faced a steep learning curve up against some of the best sportscar drivers around. But after improving throughout the season he would eventually end up 16th overall behind the wheel of the Team Indonesia 911. Once again he would split his duties between two championships though and teamed up with British Porsche 997 outfit Tech 9 Motorsport for the FIA European GT3 championship. A podium in the rain-affected second race at Budapest was a highlight of the season on his way to 10th overall in the championship before a drive in the Dubai 24 Hours and Britcar night race at Brands Hatch brought his year to an end.

2008 sees Quaife back in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB competing for seasoned sportscar outfit Jota Sport. Currently fifth in the championship after eight rounds, he has clocked up six podiums in his debut season in the senior category. In tandem with his Carrera Cup commitments has been a second season in the FIA GT3 European championship aboard the new Jaguar XKR.

He currently lies fifth in the overall standings and took his maiden pole positions in the penultimate round at Silverstone.

External links

* [http://www.philquaife.com Official Website]