RACING EXPOSURE :: Club level motorsport e-magazine

Nissan of Ben Hetherington was quick, winning in the wet by over 15 seconds

The 2012 GT Cup Championship set off on 28th/29th April at Donington Park for another season with mixed results in some very treacherous conditions on the Sunday, following a dry qualifying and opening race on Saturday.

3 different winners in 3 different cars, and with a different driver getting pole position in the initial qualifying, with a mix of groups on the outright podium in the wet races, namely Nick and Harry Whale performing brilliantly in the wet in group 2, mixing it with the group 1 cars, taking 2 outright podiums and 2 class wins. Harry Whale put in a great drive in the second race from last on the grid to 3rd overall, and 1st in class, comfortably ahead of group 2 2nd placed Peter Smallwood in his Porsche.

Nick Whale citing added weight in the 3rd race for his inability to challenge the leaders, however, he was quite happy, getting a clear run to the flag after getting his head down. Also praising the marshals who have probably suffered the most in the very wintery conditions, “Appreciation to the marshals, thanks to the lads and lasses”.

The Mosler showed pace all weekend, but couldn't quite convert pace into race wins despite a pole position

The Aquila CR1 with Bob Berridge won race 1 on Saturday, Hetherington in the Nissan GTR took race 2 honours, followed by the Ferrari 458 of Derek Johnston chased home by race 1 pole sitter Martin Short in the Moslter Super GT.

The rain does produce some good and unpredictable racing though, which showed in a small grid of cars in 2 soaked races, with a few of drop outs before Sunday.  These included the Jim Geddie Mclaren, the yellow TVR of Michael Saunders with engine trouble after a 6th place in Saturdays race.

In the first race on Sunday, the GT3 spec Nissan GTR (racing in the British GT) driven today by Ben Hetherington took a comfortable win after overtaking Martin Short early on in the race after lap 1 leader Derek Johnston spun on the exit of redgate on lap 2. Hetherington patiently waited till he was comfortable with the car in the conditions, and then proceeded to pull way from the Mosler, to take a 15s win in the 25min race. The Nissan withdrew from the final race, which was unfortunate as it would of made for a great race given the battle between Johnston and Short for race 3 honours.

Johnston held off the rapid Short in the Mosler for race 3 honours, and with a podium in race 1

Johnston’s recovery drive where he set faster laps as the rain eased, meant he started on the 2nd row in the last race of the weekend for the GT Cup, in which he again made a stormer of a start to take the lead in which he wouldn’t lose, despite race long pressure from Short in the Mosler.

Race 3 provided the closest racing for the overall win in the opening races. The gap never more than a handful of seconds, with the Mosler keeping the Ferrari very much in sight, but not quite able to get a good run on the Ferrari. Both cars have advantages in certain parts of the circuit over the other, but with the Ferrari having track position, Johnston a determined driver and previous race winner of the GT Cup at Donington Park, not much was going to deny him a race win to round off the weekend on a high point after the mistake in race 2 put him at the back of the results.

Chevron’s increased efforts in GT racing didn’t pay off that well at Donington. Jordan Witt in group 1 getting a black flag in race 2 after he technically didn’t start the race but joined during the race. And a drive through penalty in race 3 didn’t help matters. However, David Witt in the Group 2 class gave Chevron something to cheer about with 3 podiums out of 3 races in group 2.

The star in group 3 this weekend probably goes to the Ginetta G50 of Lee Mowle, beating more powerful cars in the both of the wet races, ith a 5th and a 4th overall along with 3 class wins over the course of the weekend.

Race 1

Group 1

1. Bob Berridge Aquila CR1 20 laps

2. Martin Short Mosler Super GT +7.6s

3. Derek Johnston Ferrari 458 + 40.8s

Group 2

1. Peter Smallwood Porsche 997 19 laps

2. Don Grice BMW M3 +24.0s

3. David Witt Chevon +1 lap

Group 3

1. Lee Mowle Ginetta G50 19 laps

2. Chris Bentley Porsche 996 +44.8s

3. Colin Broster Porsche 996 +1 lap

Race 2

Group 1.

1. Ben Hetherington Nissan GTR 17 laps

2. Martin Short Mosler Super GT + 15.0s

3. Dan Stringfellow BMW E46 M3 + 31.740s

Group 2

1. Harry Whale Porsche 997 17 laps

2. Peter Smallwood Porsche 997 +1 lap

3. David Witt Chevron +1 lap

Group 3

1. Lee Mowle Ginetta G50 17 laps

2. Chris Bentley Porsche 996 +1 lap

Race 3

Group 1

1. Derek Johnston Ferrari 458 18 laps

2. Martin Short Mosler Super GT +0.9s

3. Kevin Riley Mosler MT900GT +2:30.3s

Group 2

1. Nick Whale Porsche 997 18 laps

2. Peter Smallwood Porsche 997 +1 lap

3. Peter Rowbottom Ferrari 430 Spyder +3 laps

Group 3

1. Lee Mowle Ginetta G50 18 laps

2. Colin Broster Porsche 996 +1 lap

3. Chris Bentley Porsche 996 +1 lap

Report: Nick Deeley
Photos: Surreal Illusions

The British Touring Car Championship and the support races, Porsche Carrera Cup, Ginetta GT Supercup, Ginetta Juniors and the Renault Clio Cup moved onto Thruxton for rounds 7,8 & 9.

The sun and temperatures of the opening rounds at Brands Hatch are long gone, to be replaced with wind, rain and cold Thruxton. Saturday qualifying and the rain was already coming down, but Andrew Jordan mastered the quick and very wet Thruxton to put his Pirtek Racing Honda Civic on pole.

For race day on Sunday the wind and rain hadn’t let up, if anything it had got worse. The thought on most peoples minds was if the races would go ahead. But the races did go ahead and the drivers braved the almost aquatic conditions.

In round 7 Andrew Jordan, Jason Plato and Mat Jackson went going into Allard side by side, Jordan and Plato hit with Jordan’s spinning off and into the barrier damaging his car and putting him out of the race, Plato was pushed wide onto the grass but managed to keep going. It was Mat Jackson that took advantage and went on to take the first win of the day.

Round 8 and Mat Jackson was on Pole after winning the first race, but this time the race was started behind the safety car. But this round it was Gordon Shedden that was on a mission, the Honda  Civic working brilliantly in the wet weather moved through the field with ease and caught Jackson and passed of lap 9 going into the complex and stormed ahead. Jackson dropped to third and Plato passed, but Jackson was carrying maximum ballast, but managed to just hold off Frank Wrathall to take third. Shedden went on to win Round 8.

Round 9, Tony Gilham in round 8 just managed to take 9^th place and in the last race of the day was picked out of the hat by Murry Walker to be on Pole. A fantastic outcome for the small privateer Team HARD. Gilham made a great start, but it was only a matter of time before Shedden (who was still on a charge as the rain came down harder) got passed. But Gilham wasn’t going to give his Pole and 1^st place up easy, even though he was on a dry setup due to budget. Sheddon and Neil got passed with Gilham in third, till Gilham made a small mistake going into the complex, locked up and hit the barrier. He got the car started but limped back to the pits to retire. Round 9 finished with Gordon Shedden taking a second win of the weekend, Matt Neal in second and Frank Wrathall held on to take the last place on the podium.

The new curbs of Thruxton didn’t catch anyone out and the racing was very clean, maybe down to the weather and the fast Thruxton circuit, with the only crashes due to driver error rather than the normal bumping and pushing of BTCC. We can only wait till next year and hopefully a dry Thruxton to see how the curbs will effect the racing.

Report and Photos: Tim Surman, www.timsurman.co.uk

Jason Plato – 8/10
A great weekend for Jason in the KX Momentum Racing MG6. Despite treacherous conditions, he managed to achieve two podium finishing positions in the first two races and a fourth finish in race three. These results mean that Plato leads the championship going into the six week break before Oulton Park.

Gordon Shedden – 9/10
The flying Scotsman lived up to his name at Thruxton, as Gordon pushed his NGTC Honda Civic to the limit and beyond, and has now put himself in the championship hunt – being just four points behind Jason Plato. Despite a horrendous qualifying session – having all of his fastest times removed due to a technical infringement – Gordon finished took two out of three victories in races two and three to put the spring back into Honda Yuasa’s step.

Matt Neal – 7/10
Although probably not getting the results he would have wanted, it was a good weekend for Matt in the second NGTC Civic. Qualifying didn’t quite go to plan, when after hitting some standing water off line, the Civic span and was lucky only to have a slight amount of damage. Starting down in nineteenth, Neal fought back through tough conditions to finish in tenth. Results came at the end of the day, however, when he – along with Shedden – gave Honda their first 1-2 finish of the year.

Mat Jackson – 7/10
A strong weekend for Mat and Redstone Racing at Thruxton. Having their best qualifying session of the year, lining up fourth for the first race, Mat took advantage of the incident between Andy Jordan and Jason Plato at the first corner to storm through to the lead. Leading from start to finish, Mat took the win and also went on to score a second podium finish in race two. A good drive in race three also saw him score points by finishing in sixth. Jackson goes into the six week break leading the Independent’s Championship by one point.

Rob Collard – 6/10
Having run the London Marathon in four hours and six minutes seven days previously, Rob was battling the elements in a completely different race at Thruxton. Qualifying saw Rob end up sixth, however made up places in the first lap incident, and ended up finishing in a strong fourth position. The BMW struggled with its tyres in the conditions in race two, as Collard fell backwards and ended up seventh. A tangle with Lea Wood on the final corner of the last race saw Rob end up with a puncture, but limped over the line to take seventh.

Andrew Jordan – 6/10
Jordan took his first pole position of the year with a spectacular lap around the Thruxton circuit. Standing water off line at the first corner of race one saw him spin off and hit the barrier – abruptly ending his race with suspension damage. Andrew fought back in race two and finished in the points with tenth ahead of team mate Jeff Smith, and had a good fight with Mat Jackson in the final race to finish sixth.

Dave Newsham – 7/10
Despite the engine giving up the ghost during Saturday’s qualifying session, Newsham managed to set a time good enough for fifth for the opening race of the day. Taking advantage of the first corner incident, Dave soon passed Frank Wrathall’s Toyota to take second – staying there until the red flag flew – to give Newsham his best ever BTCC finish and ES Racing’s second podium. Having lost some places in race two, Dave ended up in  sixth, whilst in race three – and conditions worsening – his choice of slick and wet tyres didn’t pay off and ended up two laps down in eighteenth.

Jeff Smith – 6/10
A consistent albeit quiet weekend for Jeff in the second Pirtek Racing NGTC Honda Civic. Despite an off in qualifying which left him starting the weekend near the back of the field, Jeff drove three solid races to make up places, and finished in three point scoring positions.

Tom Onslow-Cole – 6/10
Some consistent driving in tricky conditions allowed Onslow-Cole to score some well earned points for the eBay Motor’s outlet. Qualifying in tenth ahead of team mate Nick Foster, O-C finished in eighth after making up places. Bodywork damage in race two restricted performance, and fell back to thirteenth place. Ended the day rounding off the top ten after another consistent drive.

Frank Wrathall – 7/10
A superb weekend for Frank and the Dynojet team at Thruxton. Qualifying in his best ever position of third and remained in the top three in the first handful of laps before being passed by both Plato and Collard. Made up a place in race two to finish in a strong fourth, and ending the weekend on the third step of the podium – bringing home some much deserved points in the process.

Tony Gilham – 6/10
After reaching the third step of the podium at Donington, the Team HARD racer wanted to make another impression at Thruxton. Finishing the first two races within the points put him in prime position when Murray Walker chose him to finish on pole for race one. Holding on to the lead for a number of laps, before eventually being overtaken by the 2012 Hondas of Shedden and Neal. Disaster struck when a lock up into the final turn saw Tony skid off the track and hit the barrier, forcing him to retire from the race.

Aron Smith – 7/10
A very strong weekend for Aron Smith in the Redstone Racing Ford Focus. The Irishman qualified in seventh – despite sitting out FP2 due to a clutch problem – set the tone for the weekend in terms of finishing positions. Some quiet antics on track saw him finish all three races within the top ten – a great result going into the six week break.

Lea Wood – 6/10
Also having strong weekend was Lea in the BINZ Racing Vauxhall Vectra. Wood qualified in the top ten and looked racy throughout all three racing – having some good on track battles with the likes of Tom Onslow-Cole and Tony Gilham for position. Finishing races one and two ninth and twelfth respectively, race three was a little more drama fuelled, when contact with Rob Collard on the final turn of the last lap saw them both go off the track. Despite this, Lea still managed to bring the Vectra home in eighth, rounding off a solid weekend.

Rob Austin – 5/10
Hoping to leave the engine gremlins that haunted the RAR team at Donington behind, Thruxton looked hopeful for Rob Austin. Having only just got the engine in the Audi A4 in time for qualifying, a shunt at the end of the session left the Audi with significant damage – and a lot of work for the mechanics. A retirement in race one due to an incident with another car also dented the teams spirits slightly. Despite getting out for race two, progress was slow and Austin ended up down the field, whilst in race three, having sorted the set-up of the Audi somewhat, he ended the weekend in the points. The team will now be looking forward to Oulton Park and will be keeping their fingers crossed for some well deserved finishes.

Nick Foster – 6/10
A quiet weekend for Nick Foster in the third eBay Motors’ BMW. Starting the weekend by qualifying in eleventh behind team mate Onslow-Cole, Nick drove three strong races, despite rain-fuelled conditions, to finish all three in point scoring positions. Overall, a good weekend for the team, who will now have their eyes on more points at Oulton Park.

Liam Griffin – 5/10
Although starting the weekend on a positive note, qualifying in a strong ninth position, race one didn’t exactly go the way Liam would have wanted in his Addison-Lee backed Ford Focus, as a hefty impact with the tyre barrier having caught some standing water on track ended his race – and left his mechanics with plenty to do. The hard work paid off, and Griffin was back out for race two and finished the day in a point scoring thirteenth.

Dan Welch – 4/10
A disappointing weekend for Dan in the Proton. A drive shaft problem scuppered any chances of finishing in the points – as it forced him to sit out all three races of the weekend. All eyes will now be on Oulton Park, making developments in the Proton in the process.

Ollie Jackson – 6/10
A great weekend for Ollie in the AmDtuning.com Volkswagen Golf – battling the conditions in the process. Although no real dramas on track, qualifying in thirteenth put him in a good position to bring home some good points. Some consistent driving saw him finish all three races in point scoring positions – showing that the Golf is making good progress so far in the season.

Andy Neate – 4/10
Not the best weekend for the second Triple Eight Racing MG6. Contact between himself and Shedden during race one saw him finish down the field, with race two being slightly better – finishing just outside the points in sixteenth. A second retirement in race three brought the weekend to a disappointing end. Neate will now be looking forward to Oulton Park to bring the MG back to life.

Chris James – 4/10
A disappointing weekend for the Team ES Racing team principal. Although rounding out the points in race one, an off in race two caused James to retire the Vectra with damage. Although getting back out for race three, he finished down the field in eighteenth, behind team mate Dave Newsham.

Adam Morgan – 3/10
Not the best weekend for Adam in the Speedworks Motorsport. Although qualifying in thirteenth, he lost positions in race one – with an off on the grass resulting in him retiring in the pits. Race two also didn’t quite go to plan, when Adam finished four laps down. Another retirement in race three brought a disappointing weekend to an end.

Tony Hughes – 3/10
Just like team mate Adam Morgan, Thruxton didn’t bring the results that the team would have wanted. A spin in qualifying left him near the back of the grid, whilst a crash at Noble in race one brought the morning to an end quicker than planned. Hughes finished the second race a lap down. A good recovery in race three saw him finish just outside the points in sixteenth.

John Thorne – 0/10
The Thorney MS team announced that they would not be running the Vauxhall Insignia at Thruxton. The team will be working hard throughout the six week break to have it back out and running smoothly at Oulton Park.

Report: Nikki Thompson
Photos: Nick Dungan / Sportstock.co.uk

Pic: Norwich Photo

The 2012 F3 Cup Championship started at Oulton Park three weeks ago at a very wet Oulton Park and the weather looks to be very similar for rounds 3 and 4 at Donington Park.

F3 Cup has a practise session on Saturday, and qualifying and two races on the Sunday.

The Monoposto Racing Club heads for Donington Park for rounds 3 and 4 of the 2012 Championship.

Mono2000 leader Robbie Watts, who also took a maximum points hall from Brands will be absent on the Saturday as his is also competing in the 750MC’s F4 championship at Silverstone, so the race win will almost certainly be one of the Dallara shod racers, but which one? Malcolm Scott took a win last season, Richard Purcell a win the year before and a lap record last season. Tony Bishop is vying for his first win, but there are the cars of Steve Patania, Peter Venn, Russ Giles and Kevin Mason to consider. All quick men, some new to Dallaras, others more familiar.

Anton Spires makes his Monoposto debut with his Tatuus Formula Renault, which he will compete in select Monoposto and Formula Renault BARC cars.

In the new MotoMono class, formed by the merger of the 1000cc and 1400cc bike engined classes, Marc Fortune will be looking to continue his excellent start to the season – Fortune from Southampton took maximum points from Brands Hatch with two wins and two fastest laps, but defending champion Adrian Wright is only 10 points behind, and Jason Timms is just a single point behind him. Luck was with Fortune as rival Dave Connor didn’t finish either race.

Choosing a winner from the Mono 2000 Classic category is just as hard. Chris Anstruther was the man in form at the end of last season, but failed to finish both races at Brands Hatch. He needs to get some good scores at Donington to stake his claim for the championship which ends at Cadwell Park in September. Jim Blockley’s Ralt RT3 should be suited to the Donington circuit, and there should be a good fight between the Vauxhall Lotuses of Jared Wood and Simon Lonnergan, both went well at Brands. Terry Clark could go well in his new Reynard 903, it has the potential to win, but its a big step from his FVL. Jim Timms is currently leading the class and is also likely to feature strongly.

Both of the Mono1800 class wins went to Ewen Sergison at Brands Hatch, but Jeremy Timms pushed him all the way, and its too close to call which of these two will beat the other. Olly Thorpe is another contender, towards the end of last season his Royale took a number of class wins, but had to pull out of Brands Hatch with an engine failure.

Mono1600 class sees quite a big grid at Donington, Nigel Davers and Dave Parkinson shared the race wins, but Mat Jordan is getting quicker every race.

Davers will be hoping for reliability after an engine fire scare in qualifying, that came back for the first race.

Pics: Norwich Photo

Cadwell Park will host the second running of the Historic Sports Car Club’s Wolds Trophy on 21-22 April, after a successful inaugural event last year. Adding to the circuit’s reputation for nostalgic gatherings, it has joined classic and vintage meetings for both cars and bikes on the calendar, and more than 250 entries from drivers across the globe have been registered.

The centrepiece of the Wolds Trophy event is a celebration of Formula 3, the popular training ground for future legends of the sport, which includes Sir Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button amongst its alumni. Cars from the many eras of the Formula, themselves Formula 1 machines in miniature, will take part in several races, including the 500cc machines of the 1950s that ushered in four-wheeled competition to Cadwell Park.

There will also be representation from the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, when the British championship raced at the Lincolnshire circuit. Formula Junior, which briefly replaced F3 in the early 1960s and brought Jim Clark to the sport’s attention, is also featured on the timetable.

Motor racing’s many other junior formulae can also be seen over the weekend, with two packed grids of Formula Ford cars. The HSCC’s Classic Racing Cars Championship features an assortment of cars that would have raced at circuits across Europe during the 1950s and 60s. Kept in their original liveries, many will still have a familiar name on the side of the cockpit, from when they were raced in period. Several of the F3 cars will also feature in the forthcoming Ron Howard film Rush, which features the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

There’s even a club single seater presence with the Clubman class, featuring many home-built specials that allowed enthusiastic amateurs to indulge in their passion. The influence this has on the sport is proven by the presence of champion Touring Car builder Ray Mallock, himself a graduate of F3, competing in his father’s eponymous chassis. He will also race the U2 that Mallock Sr raced in Formula Junior.

In addition to single seaters, ever-popular saloon and GT cars also feature heavily over the weekend. Sportscars from the 1950s and 60s from MG, Triumph, Austin Healey and Lotus amongst many others are complemented by a race for their 70s successors, with a heavy presence from TVR. Their more humble saloon cousins provide great racing in the spirit of touring cars, with races for the Minis, Hillman Imps and A40s, plus the bigger Mustangs, Cortinas and Alfa Romeos.

“To have this many entries just proves how popular historic racing is at present and how much the drivers enjoy the Cadwell Park circuit,” said Grahame White Executive Director of the HSCC. “We are all looking forward to a very exciting weekend’s racing.”

Pics: Adam Pigott

ONLINE CHARITY AUCTION: JOIN REDSTONE RACING AT THRUXTON!

Redstone Racing has launched a special charity auction, offering two fans the unique opportunity to become part of the team during the BTCC’s visit to Thruxton on 29^th April 2012.

The team’s youngest driver, Aron Smith, has kindly donated a pair of VIP passes, inviting the highest bidder and a guest to join him at the Hampshire circuit.

As well as experiencing all the BTCC action next Sunday from Redstone Racing’s hospitality unit, the winner will enjoy a complimentary breakfast and lunch, guided tour of the Redstone Racing garage featuring an in-depth talk on the squad’s Ford Focus ST race cars, VIP grid walk and the chance to meet Aron and his team-mates Mat Jackson and Liam Griffin.

All the proceeds from the auction will be donated to a charity cycle ride from Essex to Amsterdam that Redstone Racing Team Manager Oly Collins will be undertaking this July. Oly and seven friends will be completing the gruelling challenge in aid of St. Elizabeth’s Hospice in Suffolk, which supported a close friend during the final stages of her battle with cancer.

The five-day auction is now underway, with fans encouraged to make their bid before it closes at 6.00pm on Wednesday 25^th April.

Click here to find out more and place your bid.

Jamiroquai front man Jay Kay teamed up with Sarah Bennett-Baggs’ in her Adrian Flux sponsored ’78 Porsche 911 in the 40min 2 driver race, the Future Classics series run by the Classic and Sports Car Club at Snetterton on Saturday.

After a wet test day on the Friday – J Kays first ever drive of the car and of the Snetterton 300 track, it was also Sarah’s first return to the car since its rebuild after a heavy start line accident at Castle Combe in August 2008 in the Porsche Club series.

Things were looking good for the duo who qualified mid field on Saturday in the 42 strong grid. However it wasn’t going to be their weekend. Sarah started the race in 22nd place, and had a clean start before the rain came along to liven things up a bit, (especially for Sarah as the windscreen wipers stopped working!)  SBB pitted 23 minutes into the race, to hand over to J Kay, who sped off in earnest. But a short circuit started an electrical fire, melting the inlet manifold causing a loss of power. J Kay struggled on, desperately trying to finish, but eventually flames licked out of the engine bay and Kay had to pull off the track just 2 laps from the end.

Thankfully our Rockstar racing driver was all OK, and the car not too damaged will be back out at Brands hatch to have another go.

“We both had a great fun weekend, everyone at the CSCC has been very friendly and helpful, Jay has impressed everyone with how he just rocked up and got on with it, new car, new circuit, no fuss and he drove brilliantly, he will be very welcome to race again.” Sarah

Jay Kay who is trying to get all his signatures to get his Nat A licence, said “The plan was just to drive sensibly and bring it all home in one piece to get the signatures, but it had no power from the moment I got in it at the pit-stop, luckily I still got the signature as we had completely over 10 laps of the race.”

Photo: Norwich Photo

This weekend saw a range of championships, as part of the CSCC Spring Race Weekend, take to the track at the Snetterton circuit in Norfolk. Amongst those was the Pirelli Ferrari Open, in this series a range of top line Ferrari GT cars from across the years compete in two 25 minute races – one on Saturday the next on the Sunday. The series is split into four main categories; Class C1 is for the Ferrari F355 Challenge and the sole 456 GT, Class C2 is for the Ferrari 360 Challenge cars produced in 2002, C3 is for the F430 Challenge cars and finally C4 is for the Ferrari 458 Challenge, 360 GT2, F430 GT2 and F430 GT3.

In qualifying Paul Bailey in his Ferrari F430 GT2 would show that he had the pace to win, he qualified 0.517 seconds ahead of Gary Eastwood in his modified Ferrari 458 Challenge. In Pirelli Ferrari Open they work on using a rolling start, this provided Gary Eastwood the boost he needed to overtake Paul Bailey within the first few turns – it would then prove to be a battle between the two for the rest of the 25 minute race. Paul Bailey remained to be just on the limit, finishing the race in 2^nd position and only 7 seconds off the leader. The win was of course handed to Gary in his F458 which showed a lot of potential for the second race of the weekend.

Race 1 Results (Top 3) –

1 – Gary Eastwood – Ferrari 458 Challenge (C4)

2 – Paul Bailey – Ferrari F430 GT2 (C4)

3 – Wayne Marrs – Ferrari 360 GTC (C3)

For the Sunday the track had changed from the Snetterton 300 circuit to the 200. This would make the circuit more focused upon straight line speed rather than cornering ability –qualifying showed that this played to the 458s strengths as Gary Eastwood set pole position followed by Michael Dwane in his Ferrari 458 Challenge, Paul Bailey qualified in third position in the F430 GT2.

Come race time the conversation to be found in the pit lane was heavily revolved around the question “slicks or wets?” The weather at Snetterton had been changeable across the entire day switching between sunny spells and even hail this meant that the teams were struggling to predict what weather could arrive in the next 25 minutes. Gary Eastwood in the Ferrari 458 decided to opt for slick tyres whereas Paul Bailey in the F430 GT2 went with wet tyres – this would be a vital decision for both drivers. As the drivers lined up on the start a hail storm arrived at the circuit making the track surface very wet – many other drivers dived into the pit lane to change tyres thinking it would provide an advantage as the hail continued. In the first few laps Gary & Paul battled for the lead although Gary would slip back on the second lap from the lead by 7 seconds due to the worsening conditions.

On lap eight of the race track conditions were beginning to improve, the sun was shining on the Snetterton circuit. This would play into the hands of Gary Eastwood in the 458. By lap 9 of the race Paul and Gary were once again battling for position but this time Gary had the upper hand, the drying out track meant that he had a better overall pace so could really put the pressure onto Paul Bailey for the lead. Lap 10 saw Gary Eastwood take the lead of the race; Paul would unfortunately feel the effects of wet tyres on a drying out track as he slipped down the leader board. By the next lap Paul had dropped 8 seconds from the leader, this now meant that the 77 car of Michael Dwane could potentially move up to second position. The track was, at this point, essentially dry and Dwane was moving up quickly gaining on Paul’s F430. On lap 16 Michael would take 2^nd position.

Gary Eastwood would eventually win the race by 42 seconds, Michael Dwane finished in second position whilst Paul Bailey completed the podium. Michael Dwane also acquired the fastest lap of the race with a 1:15.699.

Race 2 Results –

1 – Gary Eastwood – Ferrari 458 Challenge (C4)

2 – Michael Dwane – Ferrari 458 Challenge (C4)

3 – Paul Bailey – Ferrari 430 GT2 (C4)

4 – Wayne Marrs – Ferrari 360 GTC (C3)

5 – Jacques Duyver – Ferrari 430 Challenge (C3)

6 – Nick Kaye – Ferrari 360 Challenge (C2)

7 – Darren Laverty – Ferrari F355 Challenge (1A)

8 – Vance Kearney – Ferrari F355 Challenge (1A)

9 – James Shirely – Ferrari 360 Challenge (C2)

10 – Tim Ingrahm Hill – Ferrari 360 (C2)

11 – David Hathaway – Ferrari 360 Challenge (C2)

12 – Paul Brooks – Ferrari 456 GT (1B) – DNF

13 – Sam Smeeth – Ferrari 430 Challenge (C3) – DNQ

Pic: Nick Dungan / Sportstock

Once again Nikki Thompson has rated the drivers out of 10 for their performance at Donington Park.  Do you agree with her thoughts?

Jason Plato – 6/10
Another good weekend for Jason Plato and Triple Eight. Starting the weekend on a high note, Jason put his MX Momentum Racing MG6 on pole position, finishing fourth overall in the first race. Race two didn’t go to plan, whilst in an on-track tangle; he collided with the barriers on the start finish straight. Despite rejoining the race, Plato finished a handful of laps behind. Despite finishing the final race in second, a controversial move on Honda Racing’s Gordon Shedden at the end of the race saw him attain a two-second time penalty and demoted to third. This was later turned back to second after Mat Jackson’s exclusion.

Matt Neal – 7/10
The defending champion ran well again at Donington Park, qualifying in third place behind team mate Gordon Shedden. Two podium finishing positions for the NGTC civic, including a Honda 1-2 brought smiles all round. However, after contact during the first half of race three, Matt found himself in the gravel and out of the race. Neal goes into Thruxton four points behind Jason Plato, with everything still to play for.

Andrew Jordan – 6/10
Despite finishing all three races in the top six, the Pirtek Racing driver Jordan could have had a better day. On track skirmishes scuppered his chance of a podium finishing position – of which he received a verbal warning. In the face of this, Jordan is still leading the Independent’s standings, and goes into Thruxton eighteen points ahead of eBay Motors’ Rob Collard.

Rob Collard – 5/10
After a successful weekend at Brands, Donington Park unfortunately didn’t bring the same string of results. Qualifying in fifth position, Collard made another flying start off the line and led the first race for a number of laps. However, being pushed wide entering the start/finish straight, he fell back to fifth place – eventually ending the race in tenth. Another tangle with Jason Plato in race two saw him spin on track at the end of the first lap, but managed to recover well to finish in eighth. After the penalties and exclusions of race three had been taken into account, Rob finished in fourth in race three, despite being involved in a slight jostle with team mate Tom Onslow-Cole.

Gordon Shedden – 7/10
After a rotten weekend at Brands Hatch, the Honda Racing Team were looking to improve going into the second event. Qualifying in second behind Jason Plato, Gordon had a good run in race one to finish on the second step of the podium – pressuring Jackson for the lead during the latter stages. A 1-2 finish for the team in race two – with Gordon taking the win – brought delight to the team. After a controversial end to race three, Shedden was promoted to second, which later became a win after Mat Jackson’s exclusion.

Mat Jackson – 6/10
After a somewhat baffling weekend at Brands Hatch, the Redstone Racing driver wanted to come back with a vengeance at his local track. Despite starting the first race down in sixth place, some enthusiastic driving saw Mat take the lead in the early stages. A good drive in race three, although struggling somewhat with the onboard success ballast saw him finish once more on the podium, this time in third. Although Mat won the third race on the track, he was later excluded due to a technical issue.

Jeff Smith – 5/10
A good weekend for the second Pirtek Racing driver. Qualifying in the top ten on Saturday afternoon put Jeff in a good position for the first race. Despite losing some ground throughout the race, he finished overall in thirteenth – with an across the line battle with Tony Gilham and Adam Morgan for the remaining point scoring positions. A good race two saw Smith finish in sixth – with the reverse grid selecting him for pole position. Another good race saw him finish in fifth in the final line-up. Smith also received a verbal warning from officials at the end of the day for on-track incidents.

Tom Onslow-Cole – 6/10
Despite a disappointing qualifying session, which left the eBay Motors’ driver sitting in twelfth, it didn’t stop Onslow-Cole from fighting through the field to secure some good results. Although still getting to grips with the rear-wheeled drive BMW, Tom made a good start in race one, and finished in fifth behind Jason Plato. Some on track jostles and incidents in race two saw the BMW rounding out the top ten, whilst in race three, an early encounter with team mate Rob Collard didn’t stop him from achieving a third top ten finish.

Dave Newsham – 5/10
After a strong opening round at Brands Hatch, ES Racing’s Dave Newsham was looking for similar results this time around. Being caught out with the rain in Saturday’s qualifying session saw him qualify in seventh on the grid. Race one was consistent; finishing in the same place in which he started. Race two was a little more eventful. Some contact with Andrew Jordan’s Honda Civic saw him take two track positions, finishing in fourth overall. Despite fighting with the leaders in race three, Newsham pitted on the penultimate lap with a problem. He was also given a verbal warning by officials for on-track incidents.

Tony Gilham – 7/10
A great weekend for Tony Gilham in the Team HARD Honda Civic. Despite qualifying down the field on Saturday, Tony drove well in race one to finish within the points in fourteenth. Some great manoeuvres in race two, including taking a place from eBay Motor’s Tom Onslow-Cole in the closing stages saw Gilham finish in seventh place. After all the race three penalties and exclusions had been taken into account, Tony scored his maiden third place finish in the championship.

Rob Austin – 3/10
A hugely disappointing weekend for the Rob Austin Racing team. Whilst setting a lap in qualifying – in which Rob scored the fastest first sector of anybody – an engine failure forced them to sit out the remainder of qualifying, and would start the first race in third. After securing another engine in place overnight, Rob could only race for six laps before another engine failure ended their weekend. RAR will be now looking ahead to Thruxton to put their pace into results.

Aron Smith – 6/10
Another good weekend for Redstone Racing’s Aron Smith. Having qualified in the top ten, Aron put his driving skills on show, which included a great move on Rob Collard, to finish in eighth, whilst another good drive in race two saw him finish in ninth. A race three finish of twelfth brought a consistent weekend to end, with Thruxton next on the agenda.

Frank Wrathall – 6/10
A good consistent weekend for Frank after a disappointing turn of events at Brands Hatch. Qualifying just outside the top ten, a fine race one saw him jostle with position with the eBay Motors BMW of Rob Collard, to put his Toyota Avensis in the top ten. Despite running well through the first half of race two, incidents on track left Wrathall having to settle with fourteenth place. Race three saw Frank running well in sixth place, however a moment at the chicane left him falling back. In the final standings, Wrathall finished in seventh place overall.

Nick Foster – 5/10
After a dramatic opening round at Brands Hatch, the action from Donington Park was definitely much calmer for Nick Foster. Qualifying in fourteenth place, Nick’s pace in race one improved, finishing in eleventh behind team mate Collard overall. Despite some good fights on track in race two, Foster finished in the same place as he started, whilst in race three, he scored another point scoring position of thirteenth.

Lea Wood – 4/10
A slightly disappointing weekend for Lea in the BINZ Racing Vauxhall Vectra. Starting race on in seventeenth, Wood was involved in the first lap incident of race one, which left both himself and Liam Griffin out of the race. A good recovery in race two saw him finish in the points, with race three bringing the team a top ten finish.

Dan Welch – 5/10
Dan started the weekend by qualifying in thirteenth place, and had good race pace to finish comfortably in the points. Race two was a little disappointing, as a spin early on in the race forced him to retire. A strong race three, taking into account the exclusions, saw Welch finish in seventh place.

Liam Griffin – 4/10
Donington Park didn’t bring Redstone Racing’s Griffin the results he would have wanted. Qualifying down the field in sixteenth, Griffin was involved in the first lap incident of race one, which caused significant damage to the front of the Focus, causing him to retire. Race two also saw retirement, after a tangle with Chris James on lap eleven put them both out of the race. Finishing just inside the points of race three brought an end to a somewhat disappointing weekend.

Andy Neate – 4/10
Not a brilliant weekend for Andy in the Triple Eight Racing MG6. Neate was unable to set a time during Saturday’s qualifying session due to a differential issue, which meant starting race one from the back of the field. After finishing just outside the points in the first race, Andy put in a good recovery to finish twelfth in race two. In the early stages of the final race, an impact with the barriers of the start/finish straight forced him to retire from the race.

Ollie Jackson – 3/10
A very unfortunate weekend for the AmDTuning.com VW Golf. Qualifying at the bottom end of the field in nineteenth place, engine gremlins got the better of the team within race one, forcing them out of the race. To save putting the Golf through any adverse damage, the team decided to sit out the remainder of the weekend – and will be putting all focus now on Thruxton in a couple of weeks.

Chris James – 3/10
A weekend to forget for the ES Racing team boss. Starting the race from fifteenth on the grid, James slipped back slightly to finish just outside the points in seventeenth. James was involved in the race two incident, which put himself and Liam Griffin out of the race, and finally ending the weekend fourteenth in race three. Later on in the day, Chris was handed an official reprimand plus two penalty points for an incident in race one. A further three penalty points and a £1000 fine was given for abusive language/behaviour.

Adam Morgan – 5/10
After a disappointing debut for Adam last time out at Brands Hatch, Donington brought some well deserved results for the Speedworks Motorsport team. A good race one saw him finish in the points, while in race two a best ever finish of thirteenth for the team brought smiles all round. A problem with the Toyota during the last race saw Adam pull into the pits.

Tony Hughes – 4/10
Another respectable weekend for Tony in the second Speedworks Toyota Avensis. Race one was a little disappointing, when after contact with team mate Adam Morgan, Hughes had to retire from the race with suspension damage. Completed the entire of race two, despite finishing a lap down in sixteenth and went on to score the first point of the season in race three after the exclusions had been taken into account.

John Thorne – 2/10
Another disappointing weekend for the Thorney Motorsport team. Having completed only four laps in Saturday’s qualifying session; they decided to sit out the entire weekend due to problems with the car. The team will be trying to get the car out for Thruxton, to hopefully start getting to grips with the Insignia.

Truimphant Tony Gilham is set to pose a real threat to his BTCC podium mates, after it has been confirmed that all teams will be running a higher level of boost for the fastest track of the BTCC season at Thruxton on April 29th.

News came yesterday afternoon, Gilham said: “now with new boost equalisation regulations taking effect from this race at Thruxton, I will be now allowed to run a higher level of boost.”

Gilham, who snatched 3rd place glory in BTCC after Jackson was disqualified from victory, at Donington last Sunday, is set to offer a credible threat to his podium stablemates at the upcoming Thruxton race on 29th April.

Speaking exclusively this morning (Thursday) from his garage to Rachel Evans, he has high hopes for a podium finish at Thruxton.

“Third place promotion was icing on the cake for me and the team after the events of the weekend. It was an unbelievable feeling and mind-blowing.

We are looking forward to Thruxton and keen to prove ourselves all over again. What`s good about the Thruxton circuit , which I love – is that Hondas normally go well there.

I cannot wait to get back out in the car again ”, Gilham said.

As Gilham’s thoughts turned from Donington to Thruxton – a much speedier track – his team are working hard to prepare the car. ”We are making gearing and other changes to the car to cope with the faster circuit ” he said at the TG34 garage.    He will be running a unique tyre compound especially for this race.  Gilham will not have to carry any success ballast as he is already above the weight.

A front of the grid performance by Gilham is expected as quicker lap times are forecast.

A source close to the Gilham camp said “Tony is feeling more confident as the race season progresses as he is getting used to driving a car without a fixed rear beam.”

Tony is currently 10th in the championship standings and says he has a good chance of making further progress as he becomes more used to his car.

Gilham had one of the fastest cars during the latter part of the Donington circuit, where fans witnessed the consistent lap times he produced, with just 2 seconds separating his fastest and slowest laps.

He also spoke of the moment when he saw the BTCC official walking towards him at his trackside garage holding the two trophies. “He placed them on the roof of my car and we were elated.“

Gilham got straight onto the phone of his main sponsor RCIB Insurance Mike Joseph who spoke of the shock news.   ” Tony is a great driver and thoroughly deserves his success ” Mike said, who shared the truimph long after the cameras and fans had left Donington Park.

Both trophies now sit on Gilham’s garage office window ledge, gleaming proudly.

Report by Rachel Evans

Pic: Norwich Photo

The AmDtuning.com team will aim to secure more championship points when the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heads to Donington Park this weekend for the second round of the season.

The West Thurrock-based team has fond memories of the East Midlands circuit having picked up its maiden BTCC top ten finish at the venue last year, with its turbo-powered VW Golf taking its best result to date with seventh place in the second race of the weekend.

Already this season, the team has secured two points finishes in three races, with Attleborough-based driver Ollie Jackson having taken 13th and eighth place finishes at Brands Hatch before he was caught out by oil on the circuit in the final race and was forced to retire from while running inside the top six.

Ollie goes into the weekend sitting just two points away from a place inside the top ten in the championship standings and having impressed throughout his first weekend at the wheel of the AmDtuning.com Volkswagen, he will now hope to fight towards the top ten again in his second outing with the team.

“We had a test at Donington Park before the season started which went well, and I’m feeling good about the weekend,” he said. “I think we showed a good level of performance at Brands Hatch even though I feel I could have done better in qualifying, and the aim is to be pushing towards the top ten again.

“I don’t feel the same amount of pressure as I did going to Brands Hatch and am more at ease with the car now I have a race meeting under my belt; I just need to be consistent throughout the weekend and make sure I qualify better so we can push on for points. The Golf showed good pace at Donington last year and having found more grip and improved the high-speed handling since then, I think we’re on for a good weekend.”

The accident in the final race at Brands Hatch, which saw the Golf hit by a number of other cars that had also gone off on the oil dropped by Mat Jackson’s Ford Focus, has led to plenty of work back at the AmDtuning.com base over the past week.

With the car now fully repaired, team boss Shaun Hollamby said he was optimistic that the level of performance shown at Brands Hatch can be maintained this weekend despite the differing nature of the circuit.

“The car was more heavily damaged than we thought after the accident but its been on the jig and the guys at Legend Vehicle Solutions managed to turn the bodywork round quickly for us before the Easter weekend, so we’re more of less ready and raring to go for Donington,” he said. “Brands Hatch was a good start for us and the race pace in particular was good. Ollie did a good job and without the accident in race three, I genuinely think we’d have been on for a top six finish.

“Now we have to try and more forwards from where we were at Brands Hatch and Donington is a circuit where we have gone well for the past two seasons. It’s a circuit where people say it is all about power, but you also need a car that handles well and that is one of the strengths of the Golf. Having worked on both the chassis and the engine to get more speed out of the car, which we showed at Brands Hatch, I feel top ten finishes are achievable this weekend and I have a good feeling about our chances.”

Grantham-based race team Richardson Racing will look to repeat the front-running form it displayed at Brands Hatch when the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup heads to Donington Park this weekend for the second round of the season.

The team secured podium finishes in both the G55 and G50 classes in the season opener and will now hope for more silverware in what will be something of a home event for the team, which is at full-strength for the weekend with all three cars in action.

In the G55 class, Andrew Richardson will hope to challenge for his first victory of the season having shown front-running pace throughout the weekend at Brands Hatch, where he broke the lap record in race one and then came from the back of the field in the final race to secure third place.

Unfortunately, a dragging clutch at the start of the opening race and resultant drive-through for jumping the start, and a retirement in race two after he was collected by a spinning rival, mean he arrives at Donington in an unrepresentative sixth place in the championship standings but with confidence high about challenging for victory.

“Although Brands Hatch was a weekend of mixed emotions, I came away from the track having gained a lot of respect for the speed I showed which is a big confidence boost heading to Donington for myself and the team,” he said. “It’s a circuit I like and the racing can be very close so we need to see how things go when we get out on track. However, I’m confident that we can build on the pace we displayed at Brands Hatch and I see no reason why we can’t challenge for our first victory.”

In the G50 class, Huddersfield-racer Mark Davies heads to Donington Park as the man to beat in the championship standings with a win and second in class at Brands Hatch giving him the early lead in the title race.

Mark won at Donington Park last year en-route to the Ginetta Challenge title and tested his G50 at the East Midlands circuit over the off-season, leaving him in confident mood about the weekend ahead.

“The testing we did at Donington before the season started could be really important as we don’t have much running on track before qualifying,” he said. “Confidence is high after the results at Brands Hatch and the fact we are leading the championship, and I’m hoping I can add some more victories to my tally this weekend.

“Donington is almost my local circuit and it looks like we could be in for some mixed weather conditions, which is something that I feel would be good for me as they are conditions I enjoy racing in.”

Louise Richardson will also be in action again at Donington Park in the second G50 after a deal was struck to continue her championship challenge, which is currently going ahead on a race-by-race basis as she seeks additional backing for the remainder of the campaign.

Louise heads to Donington Park – where she took two podium finishes last season – sitting fourth in the G50 standings after three top-five finishes at Brands Hatch, which included a second place in the opening race of the year.

Like Mark, Louise goes into the weekend confident of challenging for what would be her maiden victory in the series.

“We’ve managed to put the money together for this weekend and I’m really pleased that I’ll be racing again,” she said. “I really want to try and get some strong results to help find the sponsors I need to keep my season going, but I went well at Donington last year and am confident I can be at the front again.

“My aim for the weekend is to try and get a win. I’ve been on the podium a few times but it would mean so much to get that first victory; for me, the team and for my parents for the support they have shown. Hopefully I can do it this weekend.”

Pic: Norwich Photo

Williams on top form at season opener

Victory and a podium finish saw Luke Williams open his attack on the 2012 Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain in fine style. Despite the adverse conditions he battled the elements to score his first win in the competitive championship.

Luke’s relatively late deal with the vastly experienced Jamun Racing team meant he saw just four days of testing in the new car before round one at Oulton Park last weekend (7^th-9^th April). “We only managed four test days, however each day was extremely productive, and we learned a lot about the car and also improved my driving style to suit the car,” said Luke.

A strong qualifying session saw Luke score a brace of second place starts for each of the three races, despite struggling with fierce tyre degradation throughout the session.

As race one beckoned Luke lined up on the grid for the first time this season, eager to beat pole man Antti Buri into turn one. A few nerves for a front row start got in the way slightly, with the youngster’s getaway being marred by a jump start. Despite receiving a drive through penalty, Luke battled away to ensure a third place finish and podium appearance.

Race two was a more challenging adventure. Rain did its best to interrupt play, meaning a wet race awaited Luke this time around. A slight drop to fourth place on the opening tour saw the Thirsk-based racer unfazed, as he mounted an attack on his rivals.

Sadly Luke soon found himself caught out by the treacherous conditions, being forced into a spin. Regardless of dropping to 14^th place he chased his way through the spray to find third place. A further push to try and catch the runaway leaders meant the conditions again played their part, sending the Jamun Racing driver into the gravel trap.

“I swiftly made it to third place, but by this time the two leaders were at least five seconds ahead. I started pushing and closing the gap, however I pushed a little too hard in to druids and locked my rear left wheel, which made me aquaplane into the gravel, where I beached the car ending my race prematurely,” said Luke.

Fired up for another fight back, Luke took to the starting grid for the final time. Again faced with a sodden circuit this time he used the conditions to his advantage.

Luke cautiously made his way around the opening few laps, as he learned where the grip was on a very wet track. As those in front of him fell foul of the slippery circumstances, Luke was able to make his way into the lead.

At the fall of the chequered flag Luke enjoyed a seven second cushion to those behind him, as he scored his first victory. “I worked on building a gap, and by the finish I was over seven seconds clear of second place. I am over the moon with my first victory, especially in the tricky conditions,” Luke said.

Looking back over the first weekend of a new season, Luke said: “Before the start of the weekend we had high hopes of three podium finishes, but as the weekend progressed with the difficulties mechanically [an engine change late Sunday night], the changing weather conditions and still learning the car I am pleased with how it went. This makes us extremely confident that we will be able to go to the next meeting and hopefully make a clean sweep of victories.”

Luke will next be in action over the weekend of 18^th-20^th May, as the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain heads to Brands Hatch in Kent.

Strong results see Antti start season on top form

Easter Monday rain played a part in today’s Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain double header at Oulton Park; however it didn’t Stop Antti Buri from strengthening his championship charge.

A late entry saw Antti join his JTR team just last Wednesday, before heading to Oulton Park for the opening round a few days later. With two days testing of the new EcoBoost car under his belt, qualifying handed the Finnish ace pole position for each of the three races.

As the first race developed it was Antti who scored not only the first win of a new season, but also the first British Formula Ford win of his career and the first win for an EcoBoost machine.

After a day off for Easter Sunday, Monday 9^th April saw action return to the track with races two and three ready to roll. A pole position start gave Antti the advantage he craved, and as the race began it was the JTR racer who led into Old Hall.

Close attentions from his nearest challenger meant Antti had a fight on his hands, however after he managed to hold his line during the opening lap his advantage remained temporarily intact.

Despite his earlier advantage, Antti was caught out in the treacherous conditions, meaning he lost his lead. After dropping to third place, he soon mounted a challenge, which saw him grasp second narrowly before the release of the safety car.

At the restart Antti was able to maintain the gap back to third place, giving him his second podium finish of the weekend.

The final race was again held in wet conditions. Another pole position placed Antti nicely back at the head of the field as another race got underway.

As the chase unfolded the race one winner was able to maintain his lead, as he built up a cushion between him and his pursuers. However all was not well, when on lap six the throttle on his single-seater became stuck, causing him to hit the gravel trap at Druids, the fastest corner on the circuit.

After regaining momentum, Antti managed to rejoin the race albeit in third place. Unfazed by the mishap he again pushed, however as the race neared the chequered flag an issue with his clutch reared its head. A determined drive saw the 23 year old work his way to third place, to bank yet another successful finishing position.

“It’s been a very good weekend and a great start to the season for me and the team,” said Antti. “I only got the car on Wednesday and given the wet conditions we were faced with it made things tricky. But we are now equal on points in the lead of the championship.”

“I think it will be a lot closer at the next round,” Antti continued. “It is a different sort of track and I think it will be a lot harder to break away at Brands Hatch. We have good pace though and will be testing there a few times before we race. I’m looking forward to it.“

Cook kicks off season in fighting style

Racing youngster Jake Cook made the ideal start to his 2012 Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain campaign this weekend, with a win and two other podium finishes to his name.

As Jake took to the Oulton Park track for qualifying he was met by three strong starting positions. Despite difficulties during the session, the Jamun Racing ace would line up on the grid fourth, fourth and third, respectively.

“Qualifying wasn’t great, we were struggling with the set-up of the car,” explained Jake. “The first race was just damage limitation for me really. The first half of it was really good, and then I just dropped back as my rear tyres went off,” he added.

After a strong second place finish in the season opener on Saturday, a wet day welcomed Jake back to the track on Monday (9^th April). A fourth place start for the first of today’s two races saw a feisty getaway leave him in second place after the opening tour.

From here the Rotherham-based racer went from strength to strength, as he slipped passed his chief challenger for the lead. After stretching out a seven second advantage, Jake’s lead was soon devoured by the appearance of the Safety Car.

As the race got underway once more the pressure was on for the Jamun Racing pilot to navigate his way towards success. Although his nearest rival kept him in his sights, Jake had built enough of a cushion to storm towards his first win of the season.

Just one more race was left to run, and as the rain continued to fall it was a wet race once again. This time starting from third place Jake made another sound getaway, as he set about chasing pole man Antti Buri for the top spot.

Determined as ever to score another enviable triumph, Jake laid in second place, as he waited for the opportune moment to pounce. However as others faltered around him, it was another strong podium finish that came his way, in what was an immensely successful start to a brand new season.

“It’s been a good weekend. Just to get another podium is good. It would have been nice to get a win in the final race as well, but I’m happy with the weekend,” Jake concluded.

The next round of the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain takes place at the infamous Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, on the 18^th-20^th May. The championship will be playing a supporting role to the prestigious DTM series, the German Touring Cars, which always provides masses of thrilling action.

Welter enjoys success on British Formula Ford debut

The first meeting of the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford championship of Great Britain was originally not on the Rendez-Vous Racing’s calendar, due to main driver Fabian Welter only doing selected races in his first year in the UK. However it proved a successful venture, with the youngster scoring twin victories on his first attempt.

The 16 years old’s intentions are to use this upcoming season as a learning curve; however after an encouraging pre-season test at Silverstone Team Manager Philippe Layac decided the season opener at Oulton Park would give his young driver a taste of what racing in the UK was really about.

The RVR team demonstrated their potential as Fabian topped the times in the first practice session. He further cemented his velocity in the next two sessions by occupying the top of the timing sheets yet again. Following his earlier dominance qualifying third on Saturday morning was a bit disappointing for Fabian; however it was a sterling effort after he suffered a little overheating in his rear tyres on a drying track.

As race one got underway Fabian passed five cars before reaching the first corner. Despite being re-passed by the fast paced new generation Formula Ford EcoBoost machines, Fabian held on to his early class lead, as he improved his lap times whilst his rivals faced various misfortunes.

At the fall of the chequered flag Fabian crossed the line with a 15 second advantage, to score his very first victory in the UK on his first attempt. Joy was shared by everyone at RVR, it also being their first race as a new team.

Race two would be even better for Fabian and RVR as they won in frantic conditions their very first wet race. Starting third Fabian was immediately in a position to pass those ahead of him.

However before long he became the victim of the horrendous conditions and fell off the track twice. Soon enough he was able to pass again and stormed through the last laps two seconds quicker than his class rivals, to finish in a remarkable fourth position overall scoring his second class win in a row.

Race three saw another brilliant start to put him in a position to show his skills on a very wet track. The difference of straight line speed with the EcoBoost cars made Fabian’s job more difficult, which allowed his Duratec Class rivals to catch up with him. After a brief off-track excursion Fabian fought back to fourth place, narrowly missing out on a third consecutive podium.

Following his UK racing debut, an ecstatic Fabian said: “I had a really good feeling with the car at Silverstone and immediately felt confident and competitive, so we thought that even without prior testing going to Oulton Park wouldn’t be such a bad idea. I must say that it is the best track I have ever been to and I have really enjoyed winning my first races in the UK.”

RVR Team Manager Philippe Layac said: “The bet has paid off well as Fabian has proved his great ability in tricky conditions. Good work was really well rewarded too as since Fabian arrived in January we’ve worked extremely hard every day on his physical condition at the RVR Academy. We’ve also focused on his concentration by watching a lot of video footage, sampling the simulator and taking part in all sorts of very stimulating activities, which is exactly what any racing driver needs to feel on top of his game.

“Working with Ross Curnow (ex Antel Motorsport) has proved to be very beneficial mechanically, and we were in a position to give Fabian a very competitive set-up for every condition he had to face during the weekend,” Philippe added.

Fabian and the RVR team are now focused on the second meeting of the season at Brands Hatch in May. Fabian will arrive there as the leader of the Duratec championship, with everyone at RVR eager for more success.

Words: Leanne Fahy
Photos: Jonathan Hatfield

Roger Duckworth's impressive Impreza storming down the Mountain.

On Easter Sunday rallying returned to Cadwell Park for the first time in 7 years. The rally was organised by the Border Motor Club and was being run in memory of their late president Alan Healy. The rally was set across ten stages around the Cadwell Park grounds including various tarmac access roads across a competitive 46 miles. Forty seven cars were entered into the rally and this included a range of both ex-World Rally Championship machinery and classic rally cars.

The stages included some of the circuit’s most famous sections in reverse, such as travelling down the Mountain as well as going up the Gooseneck providing spectators with a real treat. The weather for the event remained mostly overcast with the constant threat of showers – luckily the circuit remained dry for most of the day.

Graham Coffey was pushing his car to the very end of the rally.

In the early stages of the rally the battle for the overall lead was between Roger Duckworth/Aled Davies, Graham Coffey/John Vance and David Turnbull/Matthew Whattam all in their Subaru Impreza WRC’s. After two stages only 2 seconds separated the top three.

Unfortunately on stage 5, Turnbull did one lap too many giving him the maximum time for the stage of 8:48. This ultimately pushed his overall position down to 29th ending his hopes of taking the rally win. Meanwhile with half of the rally completed Roger Duckworth and Graham Coffey were still battling it out with only six seconds separating Coffey from a potential rally win.

Through the forest, Turnbull's rally win hopes would end prematurely.

In Class D Pete Rayner & Richard Bonner were dominating the rally in their fantastic Ford Escort Mk2, managing to even secure a few 2nd/3rd’s in some of the stages against the much quicker 4WD modern counterparts. Pete and Richard would ultimately end up winning their class by a phenomenal one minute and four seconds – despite receiving a one minute time penalty for arriving at SS10 too early. They finished the rally in fourth position overall.

Over the last 5 stages Roger Duckworth and Graham Coffey would continue to push for the lead of the rally. The final stage saw a new problem for the competitors to tackle as rain fell heavily upon the track causing competitors to struggle for grip – particularly in the Mountain section of the course.

Escort Mk2 powersliding around the Hairpin entertained the crowd.

After a dramatic rallying return at Cadwell the victory fell into Roger Duckworth’s & Aled Davies hands completing the rally in a total of 41 minutes and 22 seconds. Graham Coffey finished 13 seconds behind giving him the second spot on the podium. The spirit of the rally award was given to Tony Wales and Julie Dungey who had to retire before SS1 of the rally but after fixing the problem completed the rest of the stages (despite not being part of the official results) in their white Vauxhall Chevette.

This was a great event; the competition was strong, there was even a reasonable amount of spectators on the banks (despite the weather). I really do hope it becomes a fixture in Cadwell Park’s calendar for 2013 and onwards.

One of the classic rally cars going around the picturesque Cadwell Park circuit.

Overall Awards

1 – Roger Duckworth/Aled Davies – Subaru Impreza WRC (Class E) – 0:41:22

2 – Graham Coffey/John Vance – Subaru Impreza WRC (Class E) – 0:41:35 (Diff: 0:13)

3 – Chris Marshall/Simon Hunter – Mitsubishi Evo 5 (Class E) – 0:44:10 (Diff: 2:48)

Class A

1 – David Martin/Richard Simmons – Vauxhall Astra Mk1 (A) – 0:47:31

Class B

1 -  Andrew Turner/Dennis Turner – Peugeot 106 (B) – 0:45:34

2 – Graham Gibbs/Tom Hutchings – Peugeot 106 Cup (B) – 0:48:02 (Diff: 2:28)

Class C

1 – David Tinn/Stephen de Vere – Ford Escort Mk2 (C) – 0:46:20

2 – Chris Langthorne/Michael Hollis – Ford Escort RS (C) – 0:47:12 (Diff: 0:52)

3 – Stuart Popplewell/Gary Hirst – VW Golf (C) – 0:47:29 (Diff: 1:09)

Class D

1 – Pete Rayner/Richard Bonner – Ford Escort Mk2 (D) – 0:44:14

2 – Graeme Bell/Russ Radford – Ford Escort (D) – 0:45:18 (Diff: 1:04)

3 – David Patrick/Jonathan Stockdale – Opel Manta (D) – 0:46:18 (Diff: 2:20)

Class E

1 – Roger Duckworth/Aled Davies – Subaru Impreza WRC (Class E) – 0:41:22

2 – Graham Coffey/John Vance – Subaru Impreza WRC (Class E) – 0:41:35 (Diff: 0:13)

3 – Chris Marshall/Simon Hunter – Mitsubishi Evo 5 (Class E) – 0:44:10 (Diff: 2:48)

Award – Best Border Motor Club Crew

1 – Mel Hudson/Roy Bell – BMW E30 325i (D) – 0:48:05

Award – Spirit of the Rally

1 – Tony Wales/Julie Dungey – Vauxhall Chevette (C)

Words: Adam Pigott

Photographs: Adam Pigott Photography

Paul Streather headed to Donington Park on Easter Sunday to embark on his 2012 season campaign in the MG Car Club’s Trophy Championship. The aim was to get a flying start to the 2012 season and break his curse at Donington Park.  In the 2011 season Paul did not finish either race at Donington this removed all hopes of the title in 2011.

Due to the timetable restrictions of the weekend the MG Trophy Championship was joined with the Peter Best Insurance Championship with various speed cars dating back to a 1949 MG TC and through to a MGB GT V8.

The qualifying session was the first one of the day. The track was still wet therefore almost every driver went out on full wet tyres. With such varied speed cars it was hard for any driver, including Paul, to put continuous fast laps together. Paul managed to put in two “flying” laps with limited disruption from the other traffic. Paul’s fastest lap was over 1 second quicker than the rest of the grid and over 30 seconds faster than the slowest. This meant that during the race, Paul would be lapping the slowest competitors within 3 laps. Paul’s second fastest lap time determined the starting position for race 2 which put him in second place on the grid alongside Doug Cole on the front row.

The cars lined up on the grid, all 32 of them, awaiting the lights to go out. The lights came on and went out, Paul got a flying start, for about 10 metres before the driveshaft sheared and meaning he had to pull off with no drive and watch the race from the side lines. The race continued when an accident later bought the safety car out. Doug Cole was still leading the field and sat behind the safety car for 2 laps. The lights went off on the safety car and Doug made his charge for the line and caught the rest of the pack off guard. Doug instantly had an enormous lead and held this to the end of the race. The finishing result was Doug Cole in first with Graham Ross in second and Mark Humphrey in third place. Fastest lap was set by MG Trophy newcomer Dan Neaves.

Paul set out to fix his car straight away with the help of his team and it was fixed and race ready within an hour.

“Things looked great after this morning’s qualifying session but due to a mechanical failure beyond my control it meant that I could not finish the race.”

Leading up to race two in the afternoon the weather was constantly changing and it was looking like the car setup and tyres would need to be changed before the race. The rain came and went prior to the start and therefore full slick tyres were put onto the car. Paul lined up along side Doug Cole, the race one winner, on the front row of the grid to start the second race. The lights went out and Paul Luti from row 2 of the grid flew into the lead with Paul Streather in second and Doug in third. As Paul Streather was on the outside line into the first corned it allowed Doug Cole, Graham Ross and Chris Bray to pass him by the exit of Redgate corner putting Paul into fifth position. This happened again further through the opening lap and meant that Paul was down to sixth.  Graham Ross spun off promoting Paul into fifth position again but was stuck behind Mark Humphrey and could not find a route past. The leaders started to pull away and increase their lead significantly while Paul was stuck behind Mark. Paul managed to overtake Mark on Lap 12 and was immediately on the bumper of Bray in third place a quarter of the way into lap 13 and had opened up over a one second gap from Mark. The race was stopped due to a major accident which then lead to the results being declared from the previous lap with meaning Paul was awarded fifth position.  Luti won the race with Cole in second and Bray in third.

Paul picked up third in class award.

After the weekend Paul said; “I would like to thank all of my family and friends who give up a lot of their time to help me. I couldn’t do it without them. I would also like the thank all of my sponsors; Michael Smith Switchgear, Round Towers Spares, DS Motor Services, TLA Distribution, Anglian Fasteners, Holme Dodsworth Metals, Sygnature Workwear, Decon Design and SMS Images, without them it would not be possible.”

Paul went on to jest; “At least I have finished a race here now and broken The Curse of Donington Park. I am really looking forward to Brands Hatch in May.”

Report and pictures by Sean Smith – SMS Images