RACING EXPOSURE :: Club level motorsport e-magazine

DPR driver Mark Shaw dominated free practice and followed through with pole and a race pace some 0.4 seconds better than the next fastest man on track. However Shaw suffered a drive through penalty for a breach of track limits. Shaw recovered to 2nd place but Orton was the man who was gifted the chequered flag. With the wet conditions in race two, Orton demonstrated his mastery of the track leading from the front and soon developing a lead that became unassailable. It was left to Brannan, Superlight newcomer Maclachlan and McMillan to entertain with a struggle for second place that lasted almost the entire 30 minutes although it was Brannan (2nd) followed by Maclachlan (3rd) that gained the edge in the final stages to claim the remaining podium positions.

Caterham Superlight R300 – Rockingham

Mark Shaw dominated free practice being the fastest man in three out of the four practice sessions. This was followed through in qualifier with a pole time of 1:28.724 which was 0.237 better than second placed Jamie Orton.

After a race one start which saw Shaw drop briefly back to 4th, he soon moved into the lead with lap times consistently in the 1:29 zone to open up a lead over the championship leader Jamie Orton. Shaw’s time of 1.29.035 claimed the fastest lap with a comfortable margin of 0.4 seconds over the best lap put in by Orton. However Shaw’s progress from race leader to race winner was terminated by a drive through penalty imposed for breach of track limits. Notwithstanding the harshness of the drive-through penalty, Shaw’s pace allowed him to climb back to second place to finish the race just 3.6 seconds behind race winner Jamie Orton.

The wet conditions in race two provided Orton with the opportunity to demonstrate his mastery of the track and Orton soon became the inevitable race winner with a commanding lead over the rest of the field. It was left to Brannan, Maclachlan and McMillan to provide the entertainment of a closely fought race. In the closing stages of the race it was the Maclachlan battle with Brannan for second place that deservedly gained attention.

Mark Shaw said “It was a pity that the drive-through penalty determined the outcome of race one. However it was rewarding to be so demonstrably on the pace given the depth of quality competition on this grid. I now need to replicate my dry weather pace in wet conditions.”

James Maclachlan said “I came to Rockingham with low expectations given my limited testing. However I had made use of driver coaching together with video and data to extract the most from pre-race testing. This undeniably paid back particularly in the challenging conditions for race two. I was trying hard to move up to second but was resisted to the end by Paul Brannan.”

Glynn Geddie took pole position for the British GT championship race on the new Snetterton 300 configuration in the Ferrari 458 Italia during a day of mixed conditions. Geddie, sharing the car with his father Jim, staked his claim for pole position early on in the session, and it was good enough as none of his rivals could come close.

Joining Geddie on the front row is the United Autosport Audi R8 of Michael Guasch and Matt Bell with the Lester and Simonsen Ferrari 430 Scuderia and the Black and Hall Aston Martin DBRS 9.

Heading GT4 class was the KTM X-Bow of Athanasios Ladas and Michael Mallock, beating the two Lotus Evoras entered by Lotus Sport.

Cars to watch will be the Predator CCTV Ferrari 430 of Adam Wilcox and Phil Burton, which sat out much of the practise sessions with a misfire, and also the Mercedes SLS of the Jones Brothers who only managed to qualify in 14th position.

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Felipe Nasr took pole position for both F3 races, but it was Kevin Magnussen, son of the 1984 F3 Champion and later F1 driver Jan, who stole the win of the first race with a slipstreaming move against Nasr up the Senna Straight and taking the lead into Riches Corner.

Nasr established a new outright lap record with a best time of 1m 40.103s to take away Aaron Steele’s MSV F3 Cup record established in March.

All cars were varieties of Dallara chassis, with Volkswagen and Mercedes engines powering them.   Volkswagen engines took the first 6 positions, and the Carlin Racing team took a 1-2-3-4.

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Jamie Orton took pole position for the Caterham R300 Championship, Ben Anderson and Stuart Pearson share poles for the Ginetta Challenge and Steve Chaplin converted 2nd on the grid for the Volkwagen Racing Cup to a race win in his No. 53 (naturally) VW Beetle, and Scott Malvern triumphed in the first Formula Ford race.

Sunday sees a full day of racing, with the 2hr British GT race taking place after lunch.  Two more rounds of the F3 championship, two more Formula Fords races, plus more racing from the VW Cup, the Ginetta Challenge and the Caterham Championship as well.

Photos: Norwich Photo

SPY Motorsport open the hotly contested Caterham R300 Championship at Oulton Park with pole and win courtesy of Paul Wilson.

With more than 16 former Caterham race winners on the 27 car grid, the first round of the 2011 Caterham R300 Championships at a sunny Oulton Park was bound to be competitive. All eight SPY Motorsport run drivers showed well in testing, but it was Paul Wilson who was leading the way, and so it proved on Saturday morning qualifying as he gained pole position with his final lap. Flick Haigh, former Caterham Classic Graduate champion, was next up for SPY in 8th.

After dropping to third at the start of Race One Wilson quickly recovered the lead, from where he was rarely headed, in the end finishing a relatively comfortable 1.5 seconds clear of Andy McMillan.

Race Two seemed to be heading for a similar conclusion, with Wilson leading Gordon Sawyer into the final lap. However Sawyer’s optimistic move at Island Bend forced Paul onto the grass and down to 9th, and left Gordon in the barrier. Wilson and Sawyer’s demise was to the benefit of fellow SPY drivers Simon Young and Dave Pearce, who came home 4th and 5th respectively.

Paul Wilson: “The test day went perfectly and I was confident we were a couple of tenths faster than anybody else, it took me until the final lap of qualifying to prove that though! I didn’t start well in the first race, but once I got back to the front I definitely felt I had the legs on Andy. I’m disappointed about the second race, because I felt it was an unnecessary move and I was pretty certain of the win, but all in all I’ve had worse weekends! Credit to SPY, the car felt spot-on all weekend.’

Peter Young, Team Principal: “Of course it’s fantastic to start the season with such a good result, Paul and several of our other drivers look like they’ll be big contenders this year. I think everyone went away from the weekend happy, hopefully more of the same at Snetterton!”

Six different drivers in six available podium places sets the scene for an all-action, nail-biting season ahead.

As the clouds cleared to leave a dry track, Paul Wilson put his ‘lucky green’ machine on pole in the dying seconds of qualifying, demonstrating the form that had been clear throughout Friday’s practice.

Alongside Wilson and occupying the same spot he had a year earlier was DPR Motorsport’s Mark Shaw, with Andy McMillan and, in his maiden R300 adventure, Roadsport-A superstar JJ O’Malley behind the pair.  The top five was rounded out by Gordon Sawyer, showing a return to his 2008/9 season pace after a torrid season last year.

As the red lights went out for Race One, it was the trio of McMillan, Wilson and Sawyer that made the break and tussled for position with each taking their turn at the front, with the main pack less than a second behind.  Front-row man Shaw’s part in proceedings was short lived following a trip across the grass at Island that dropped him to the back of the field.  Fauldsport driver O’Malley quickly closed the gap to the leaders and put pressure on Sawyer for third.  Armfuls of oversteer at Old Hall put the back of Sawyer’s wayward car directly in the path of O’Malley, leaving him nowhere to go other than into it.  Sawyer, less a wing and with bent rear suspension but still running, was dropped to tenth, while O’Malley retired with steering damage.  James MacLachlan, Jamie Ellwood and Flick Haigh’s race now had more significance as the three were promoted into a fight for third; but Sawyer was not done yet.  The lap record was his on his first flying recovery lap, then bettered again on the next two laps, passing five cars along the way to catch Haigh.  With yet another improvement to the lap record in his wounded car, Sawyer leapfrogged Haigh and co to salvage a podium place for his morning’s efforts.  His supreme performance was nearly matched by Shaw, also on a recovery drive from 25th position to a very creditable 7th place finish.  Haigh was cruelly taken out of the running by a suspension failure less than two laps from home.  Alongside Shaw and Sawyer, she was another driver running under the lap record set by 2010 R300 master, Trevor Fowell.  Meanwhile Wilson continued to put in a peerless performance to stretch his lead to more than a second over the McMillan Motorsport head honcho as the chequered flag dropped.

Race Two was no less exciting with the McMillan-Wilson duel getting underway immediately, though this time it was joined by Ellwood, Sawyer, MacLachlan, Jamie Orton, Simon Young and Shaw.  But with only one lap completed the safety car was called out for another Old Hall incident for O’Malley.  The Irishman had fumbled a gearchange, selecting 3rd instead of 5th, putting him into the spin, where he was collected by Superlight racing-returnee Marcus Hoggarth (in a car freshly repaired by his TF Motorsport team following a practice shunt).  This time, neither car would continue.  Sterling work by the Oulton marshals would see the track cleared very quickly and battle recommence.  After a brief run at the front for McMillan, Wilson would again assert his authority and take the lead.  McMillan and Sawyer matched him lap for lap until the 2/3 distance mark when an error sent McMillan across the grass at the Island kink, dropping him to 12th.   Just behind them, Shaw v Ellwood was settled in Shaw’s favour by a broken A-frame on Ellwood’s car, which slowed him significantly.  With McMillan well down the field and a gap to Shaw, a clear one-two was on the cards for Wilson and Sawyer until an overly ambitious move by Sawyer on the last lap punted the SPY Motorsport car off the track at the now-notorious Island kink, putting himself heavily into the tyre wall.  Wilson quickly got going again but was down to 9th, with Shaw inheriting the lead and a bemused Orton second, while MacLachlan would pick up the final podium place.  Young and David Pearce rounded out the top five, with McMillan recovering to 6th.  Ellwood’s independently run JE Racing car limped home in 17th place, while another strong drive from Haigh took her from 26th on the grid to 11th overall.

After the opening rounds, just three points separate the top five drivers, led by Shaw on 45pts, with McMillan, Orton and MacLachlan all on 42pts and the weekend’s victor, both on the track and morally, Paul Wilson on 41pts.  Despite the incidents, the drivers were quick to praise driving standards for such a competitive series.

Next Rounds: Snetterton 14/15 May.

R300 Race Report – Donington Park 16/17^th OCTOBER 2010

Trevor Fowell wins his third Caterham title in succession with a brave drive on the newly re-profiled circuit and yet another lap record.

Race 1

Qualifying times tumbled on a rapidly drying track as James Sharrock, returning to the series for the first time since June, looked to have the advantage in conditions he relishes.  But in the final seconds, McMillan Motorsport frontman Andy McMillan’s timing allowed him one more lap than anyone else, giving him the best of conditions and the front of the grid.  Championship leader Trevor Fowell was comfortable in sixth with only a fifteenth place finish needed to secure the title.

With the race underway, it quickly formed into a battle between McMillan and Jamie Ellwood, while Fowell slotted neatly into a watching brief position behind the pair.  At the head of a tremendous fourth place battle involving pretty much everyone else, various drivers took and then (unsuccessfully) tried to defend the position.  Jamie Orton emerged from the mix to make a little break, leaving a sideways Sharrock, Mike Rowland, Mark Shaw and Ollie Taylor to argue it out on the track (and the grass).  Although everyone (and especially his Fauldsport team) assumed Fowell would settle for third, the Londoner had other ideas and started to challenge McMillan (now behind Ellwood) hard for second.  A better exit from Coppice allowed Fowell through a narrow gap beside McMillan on the straight, but a rare mistake saw him clip the front of the white car, sending himself spinning across the chicane.  McMillan continued unfazed, while Fowell recovered to fourth (letting Orton slip through into third and his team to open their eyes again).  But Fowell still wanted a podium position and set about catching the rapid Orton.  The pair caught McMillan, with Orton passing first and an impressively committed Fowell managing to snatch third on the final lap.

A delighted Ellwood took his first, overdue, win of the series with Orton second and Fowell third, making him the 2010 BookaTrack.com Caterham Superlight R300 champion.

Race 2

Race 2 of the weekend was all about third place in the championship with Fowell secure in first and McMillan unassailable in second.  Ellwood needed five places on Ambition Racing’s Ollie Taylor to take the place from him.  No short order, despite showing that Donington was his circuit.

A poor start by Ellwood allowed Jamie Orton to lead into the first corner, but it was McMillan that was in front by mid-lap.  Behind, Ellwood was making up places and heading for the front, overcoming Orton quickly.  Ellwood had a brief spell in the lead until McMillan put himself back in command and became the class of the field with a comfortable margin.  Ellwood now found himself in the thick of a pack of cars all vying for second, which would eventually go the way of DPR Motorsport driver Mark Shaw, as things settled down.  But the man on the move was Ollie Taylor, making up the all important positions to Ellwood and in overtaking the new champion on the final lap, put his car directly behind his rival’s.

McMillan took the win, five seconds clear of Shaw in second with Ellwood third.  Meanwhile Fowell, although off the podium, had set a terrific new lap record, bringing his tally of current Caterham lap records to seven, more than any other driver.  Taylor’s fourth was enough for third in the championship.

Trophy Race

A final non-championship race of the weekend was notable for several reasons.  Ollie Taylor would take a well deserved win from Caterham Supersport champion-elect James MacLachlan, while Flick Haigh gained her first R300 podium.  But after a significant amount of persuading, cajoling and downright bullying, Caterham Motorsport Manager Simon Lambert had finally been badgered into entering the race, little more than an hour before the start, courtesy of several car offers.  In a mutually reluctant “if you will, I will” arrangement, Fauldsport team boss Stuart Faulds also found himself in the hot seat, in James Sharrock’s car.  Meanwhile, Roadsport-A front-runner Ian Payne jumped into Adam Ferenczi’s R300.  Despite not having raced for five years, or been behind the wheel of an R300 for a year, or driven the new Donington circuit, or any one of a myriad of other lame excuses, Lambert was still able to make his characteristically good start to put his BookaTrack R300 into the lead of the race from the second row.  However, trauma with an arm-restraint tangled on the gear lever and the loose end stuck under a leg meant some frantic rearrangement inside the cockpit.  After losing places in the drama, normal service resumed, with Lambert and another trophy race inductee Peter Young (in his own car), trading places lap after lap, SPY Motorsport chief Young finally getting the better of Lambert on the final run through the chicane.  Behind them, Faulds and Payne where also enjoying a good race, Payne’s experience getting the better of the surly Scotsman who drove a very respectable race for his debut.  All three were very pleased to be returning unblemished cars to their respective owners and in Lambert’s case, a borrowed helmet, overalls and far too large gloves as well!

Next Rounds: 2011 Calendar to be announced.

2010 Caterham Supersport Champion James Maclachlan steps up to R300 with dpr motorsport

2010 Supersport Champion James Maclachlan will be taking part in the last two rounds of the 2010 Superlight R300 championship as a preliminary to his entry into the 2011 championship. Maclachlan has purchased a dpr motorsport built R300 which he will be racing in the forthcoming R300 rounds at Castle Combe and Donington.

James Maclachlan steps up to R300

Following his success in the 2010 Supersport championship James Maclachlan has purchased the dpr motorsport built R300 previously raced by Andrew Bruce. James Maclachlan said “Both Andrew Bruce and myself have been racing with the support of dpr motorsport. When Andrew’s R300 became available I jumped at the opportunity to race in the last two R300 race weekends. I recognise the step-up from Supersport and the benefit from gaining some actual Superlight race experience prior to the start of the 2011 championship.”

Oulton Park: dpr motorsport wins its second inaugural Caterham championship with three races in-hand.

James Maclachlan removed the last remaining doubts as to the outcome for the new Caterham Supersport championship by gaining pole and two double firsts in the penultimate round at Oulton Park. This time it was Nathan Lindop, taking full advantage of his local knowledge, who kept Maclachlan under constant pressure. Maclachan’s race one lead from Lindop, after 30 minutes of intense racing, was just 0.2 seconds and for race two this reduced to an almost imperceptible 0.055 seconds.

Maclachlan dominates in Supersport

Maclachlan has enjoyed what must surely be a record breaking run of race wins in the new Caterham Supersport Championship, with only a mere second marring his run of eleven firsts.

After allowing for the all-important dropped scores that impact the championship points, Maclachlan came to Oulton with a 23 point championship lead, With only 40 points left in play, a 20 point race win in race one would nail the championship for Maclachlan despite the three remaining races. Any doubt as to Maclachan’s intent was quickly removed by his blistering pole some 0.2 seconds ahead of Lindop and, more significantly, almost 0.6 seconds ahead of his potential championship rival, Robert Smith.

However in race one it became clear that the man to put Maclachlan under pressure was going to be Nathan Lindop driving a superb race on his local circuit. Pushing hard from the outset, Lindop took and held the lead for the middle part of the race. However with Maclachlan pushing even harder, the lead was regained and Maclachlan was once again the first man across the line some 0.2 seconds ahead of Lindop with Robert Smith taking a now academic fourth place.

Race two demonstrated that both Maclachlan and Lindop were driving in the first division with the rest of the field some way behind. For all of the thirty minute race it seemed that Lindop’s car was somehow almost glued to the rear of Maclachan’s bright blue Supersport. Despite the immense pressure and close racing, Lindop was never quite able to complete a pass; Maclachan’s command of the track denied Lindop any real opportunity. Almost side-by-side Maclachlan passed the line just 0.055 seconds ahead of Lindop.

dpr motorsport gains victory in a second inaugural championship

Running as the official MSA entrant for James Maclachlan, this represents a further inaugural win for dpr motorsport following their win in the 2009 Caterham Superlight R300 championship .

dpr motorsport team principal David Rowe said “We were delighted to be able to gain a championship victory with three races still to go. Because of the ability to drop scores, James Maclachlan is now in the unique position that his championship lead can only increase if he is able to replace his second with a further first.”

Race Report – Brands Hatch – 21/22^nd AUGUST 2010

Brands Hatch is the home circuit for Caterham, the factory being just a few miles away.  A mid-August trip promised sunshine and warmth compared to the usual October date for the championships’ visit to Brands.  The weather didn’t deliver, but the racing did…

R300

Fleury’s fastest, but Fowell’s the master…

Paul Fleury upset the apple cart on Saturday morning when he put his car on pole ahead of the usual suspects, by just 0.002s.  In fact, just a single second covered the top 21 cars on the grid.

Andrew McMillan made the best start from the front row to take the lead for the early laps, but was overhauled by Fleury and reigning champion Jon Walker.  The Fleury-Walker battle was a fraught, but short affair, the pair removing themselves from the race on the run up to Druids with Walker’s car launching over the top of Fleury as he tried to find his way through an ever-decreasing gap on the inside.  Championship leader Trevor Fowell was an innocent victim of the incident as Walker’s car rolled back onto the track.  After an appeal, Stewards overturned the initial declaration that Fleury was to blame, passing some to Walker (Fleury’s earlier fine was reduced to £100).  With the leaders out of the picture, McMillan Motorsport’s Jamie Ellwood assumed the lead with Ambitions Racing’s Ollie Taylor in close contact and Mark Shaw shadowing them closely.  But behind, Paul Wilson was making his way through the field.  When Ellwood and Taylor tangled, Taylor initially came off worst but Ellwood’s car had damaged rear suspension and he would eventually retire, while team-mate McMillan had his own problems pushing him down the order.  Wilson’s silent charge through the field was rewarded with the lead, while Shaw and a recovering Taylor argued over the remaining podium slots.  Bizarrely, although the battle was between three cars, there was a fourth in the pack on the track – Andrew Harrison-Sleap.  Having recovered from an earlier error, the Trackcars driver found himself amongst the three and pushed hard before it eventually dawned on him where they were in the race.  Fully entitled to un-lap himself and attempt to catch other back markers, Harrison-Sleap stayed with the leaders before dropping behind into ‘fourth’ to watch the lead battle without having a major bearing on it.  Fittingly, he was the fourth fastest car on the track.  Wilson went on to take a well deserved win for himself and SPY Motorsport, with Taylor an impressive second and Shaw at last being rewarded with a podium for his speed this season.  In his brief time on the track, Paul Fleury set the lap record.

Sunday’s race looked set for action with Fowell starting at the back of the grid in his newly repaired Fauldsport car, with Fleury just ahead of him and Harrison-Sleap ahead of the pair.  Sadly, neither Ellwood or Walker’s cars was not able to make it out for the second race.  At the head of the grid, Taylor launched past Wilson off the line and the pair would set the early running, with DPR Motorsport’s Jon Packer finding himself battling with McMillan in the thick of things.  A bit of shoving between all the leaders on the exit of Druids resulted in a front left puncture Wilson, but the pressure remained for Taylor with McMillan now pushing hard and Packer still in the frame.  Meanwhile, Fowell was steadily picking off a car a lap, with Fleury (again the fastest man on the track), moving through the field as well, though not quite so effectively.  Things would change at the front when a desperate lunge by McMillan at Graham Hill Bend did nothing other than send him spinning onto the wet grass and out of the lead battle.  Paul Brannan and Mark Shaw now took up the third place fight, while Packer continued to hound Taylor, briefly grabbing the lead, but by now Trevor Fowell had found the lead group and started to make his presence felt.  At the front, Taylor was feeling the relentless pressure and eventually span out at Druids, handing the lead to Packer who had to defer to the skill of Fowell shortly after.  Further back, the flying Paul Fleury pushed a little too hard and span off at Clearways, calling it a day at that point.  With the race settled, Fowell drove to a peerless victory, with Packer close behind in an excellent second for the relative novice and Brannan picking up a welcome third having demolished his R300 in Friday testing.  Series sponsor BookaTrack.com came to the rescue, loaning him one of their hire R300 trackday/race cars for the event.

Fowell continues to extend his championship lead over McMillan, while Ellwood, Taylor and Brannan are locked in a tight battle for third.  Walker’s weekend takes him out of the title running.

Supersport – MacLachlan’s proves unstoppable.  Again.

Once again, DPR Motorsport’s James MacLachlan failed to secure pole, suggesting there was a chink in his armour.

Paul Begley made the most of his pole position at the start of the race, taking the lead and looking to control the race.  This started a four car lead battle which raged for the duration of the race, MacLachlan displacing Trackcar’s Begley a quarter of the way into the race.  Iain Forsythe had got the better of Keith Ashworth allowing him to tackle Begley for second.  The four extended a massive lead on the Nathan Lindop and Robert Smith battle for fifth, and continued to parry for the remainder of the race but the order remained the same.  MacLachlan won as usual, Forsythe getting the Begley for second and third and Keith Ashworth really deserving an extra place on the podium for a sterling drive to fourth.

Sunday’s race promised much of the same and duly delivered, although the lead battle was closer this time.  MacLachlan got away cleanly from pole to take the lead, Forsyth second and this time Ashworth taking third having passed Begley.  However, the lead four weren’t able to make the break and were joined by several others including Lindop and PIM Racing’s Smith, the only other winner this year.  With so many cars challenging the front, the pace slowed a fraction giving MacLachlan the breathing space he need to make a little gap to second, being hotly contested by Ashworth and Forsyth until the pair touched at Druids and sailed off the track.  Ashworth rejoined smoothly but Forsythe wasn’t so lucky, finding the barrier on the inside side of the track.  With Forsythe out of the picture, the race settled into a fast moving nose-to-tail train, led by MacLachlan and with little change until Rod Arnold starting fighting his way backwards down the order.  MacLachlan took yet another win, with Begley second and Smith, benefiting from the Ashworth-Forsythe clash in third.  Ashworth’s hard work all weekend didn’t go unrewarded as he now hold the lap record.

MacLachlan’s lead in the championship looks increasingly unassailable.  Behind him Smith and Lindop remain level pegging with Begley threatening to rob one of a championship podium position…

Roadsport-A

O’Malley joins the title chase, but can’t match Orton in the wet…

In a change from the usual suspects, Anthony Sidney-Woollett put his PIM Racing machine on pole, ahead of JJ O’Malley and an impressive performance from Jason Redding.

Off the line O’Malley instantly slipped into the brilliant form that has taken him to five wins already this year, passing ‘Sid’ for the lead and looking to instantly take control.  However, an early incident at paddock left Robin Ellis’ car in a vulnerable position bringing out the safety car.  O’Malley showed good sense to slow the field past the marshals on track before the safety car could pick up the leader and then made the perfect getaway on the restart leaving SPY Motorsport’s Ian Payne and Sid to battle over second.  Behind them Jonathan Ramsay ran wide at Clearways, making contact with Magd Mohaffel which sent him wider yet, through the gravel ending the challenge that had seen him occasionally in third.  This promoted Ramsay’s Fauldsport team-mate Orton to fourth, where he would eventually finish, only to be penalised ten seconds for not sufficiently slowing down under the earlier yellow flags.  Ahead, O’Malley never looked like anything other than winning and the Trackcars driver crossed the line for victory number six, with Sid in second place – a terrific result for him and a fitting tribute to his late friend Anders Nielsen for whom he bore an Anders RIP number plate.  Pretty much alongside Sid, Payne picked up third place.

A nasty surprise greeted the Roadsport-A grid for Sunday in the form of a deluge before the start, though these conditions were to the delight of Orton, shunted back to ninth on the grid thanks to his penalty.  With the race underway he took just a lap and half to get to the front and overcome O’Malley for the lead, then set about building a margin while the top three from race one circulating well behind, with Ian Payne having got the better of O’Malley.  When Richard Boughton’s miserable weekend ended in the Druids gravel, the safety car was treated to another outing and Orton’s massive lead was instantly negated.  To the despair of his challengers, Orton kept his cool and on the restart simply drove off into the distance again with the order unchanged.  Further back, Ramsay and title contender Graham Johnson were making their way through the field from the back, only to plunge themselves into the recently vacated Druids gravel, this time bringing out the red flag.  Orton took a commanding victory ahead of Payne and O’Malley in third.

Orton resumes the championship lead, though O’Malley is ahead after drop scores, with former leader Colards Motorsport’s Johnson now third on both counts.

Roadsport-B

Wiggins finds his form again, but is briefly outclassed…

It made a change see Lee Wiggins rather than regular pole-man Steve Day in the top slot, but more impressive was Martin Addison alongside, qualifying just 0.001s behind.  Behind them, championship contender Jeremy Webb was demoted three places for repeatedly putting four wheels off the circuit and gaining an advantage.

Addison made the better start but was overhauled by Wiggins within a lap.  However, Addison wasn’t fazed by regular winner Wiggins and set about finding a way past before being retaken yet again by Wiggins.  The resulting epic battle saw the pair rarely separated by more than a tenth or two, Addison ultimately taking command of the situation and doing fantastic work to hold Wiggins off all the way to the line, with Reece Somerfield taking a deserved (if overlooked) third place.  Wiggins broke Gordon Sawyer’s lap record, indicating that the pace at the front of Roadsport-B this year is as quick as the Fowell-Sawyer-Brannan battle of 2009.

Come Sunday and Wiggins wasn’t about to be outdone a second time, helped mainly by Somerfield who was challenging Addison strongly for second, giving Wiggins a small but crucial gap.  Addison’s speed would win through and although he couldn’t quite catch Wiggins, he left Somerfield in the clutches of fourth place man Jeremy Webb, some way ahead of Ben Whibley.  As Webb considered his overtaking options at Paddock, Somerfield gifted him third with a wildly ambitious (much too) late braking move on the inside that sent him flying into the gravel, leaving the way clear for Webb to assume third.  Wiggins crossed the line for the win, Addison a creditable second and Webb third.

Wiggins is back at the top of the table, with Webb, Day, Whibley and Addison all to close to call in the positions behind him.

Academy Gp1

Mike Hart wins on the track, but loses to the officials…

It was no surprise that championship leader and undisputed fast man Mike Hart was on pole.  Alongside him and hungry for his first win was Merlin Edwards.

A strong start saw Edwards take the early lead with something of a gap, while Hart, Jon Mortimer, Blaize Rhodes and Wes Fox argued over the runner-up spot.  Once they’d sorted themselves out in Hart’s favour, he could set about catching the leader, which he duly did with the others in tow, until Rockingham winner Mortimer had a mishap dropping himself out of the running.  As Hart caught Edwards he gave him a hefty shunt, leaving Edwards to retire.  Hart took the lead, only to be displaced by Fox, while Rhodes kept a watching brief in third.  As the lead pair exited Druids, Hart ran down the outside of Fox in what would become a controversial move to take the lead again.  Hart crossed the line to win, Fox a disappointed second and Rhodes third.  However, after reviewing the officials’ report of the incident with Edwards, Hart was excluded from the race for ‘driving in a manner incompatible with general safety’, promoting Fox to first, Rhodes to second and Bishop, who had quietly crept up to the lead battle, third.

This result now hands the lead of the championship to Fox, with Mortimer second and Hart third, though Edwards takes the final podium position once drop scores are accounted for and he could easily overcome Mortimer for second.

Academy Gp2

Another race, another winner…

Like Mike Hart in Gp1, Kurt Brady was the dominant figure in the sprints, so predictably took pole with Snetterton winner-of-sorts Martin Pass alongside.

As the red lights went out, Pass got away cleanly, only to fluff the change to second allowing him to be swamped by the front of the field giving Brady a clear run into Paddock.  Not to be outdone, Pass fought back to catch Brady and the pair pulled clear of the rest until they tangled at Druids, plunging them both down the field.  Third place man Ross Macindoe inherited the lead, with David Menzies and Andrew West close behind.  Chris Bingham, not having a good race, slid off into the Paddock gravel bringing out the safety car and setting the race up for a sprint finish.  Macindoe made a confident restart and all looked settled until West span himself off at Clearways handing third to PistonHeads journo Matt ‘Riggers’ Rigby.  Macindoe took a worthy win, Menzies second and Riggers third, with a recovering Pass in a damage-limitation fourth.

Pass overhauls Tim Abbott for the lead of the championship by just one point, though with dropped scores, Brady is a point ahead of him.

Next Rounds: Academy, Mallory Park, 19^th September.

Roadsport B, Roadsport A, Supersport, Oulton Park 4^th September.

Superlight R300, Castle Combe, 2^nd October.

Brands Hatch: dpr customers at the front across all steps of the Caterham motorsport ladder

dpr motorsport customers had impressive results across all of the steps of the Caterham motorsport ladder. In the new Supersport category, James Maclachlan reinforced his championship supremacy with his two first place wins. Magd Mohaffel gained a fastest lap and fifth place in the parallel Roadsport A championship.

Despite the terminal exit for the Caterham R300 of the 2009 champion Jon Walker early in the first R300 race, the remaining three dpr motorsport Superlight R300 drivers gained impressive results including two podiums (Shaw & Packer) and a fastest lap (Mark Shaw, race two).

dpr motorsport customers had a similar result in the non-team supported championships with the dpr “accolade” of the weekend going to Academy driver Wesley Fox with a very impressive win that included setting a new lap record.

Maclachlan dominates in Supersport

Not only does James Maclachlan drive the most eye-catching Supersport on the grid but given his two wins at Brands adding to his near unbroken run of firsts, the championship outcome must surely be beyond challenge.

Not that this outcome was easy. In race one, Maclachlan was pressured by another dpr customer Iain Forsythe who, thanks to some sensational overtakes at the exit to Graham Hill bend, was able to relieve Maclachlan of his role as race leader several times. However in the final dash, Maclachlan was the first man across the line but with only 0.127 seconds separating the two drivers.

Race two saw Forsythe take advantage of the high ground on the outer side of the circuit to gain first place by Paddock only for Maclachlan to regain the lead by the end of the pit straight. Forsythe’s pressure ended with a DNF gained in an incident on the exit of Druids only for Paul Begley to take over the challenge ending the race just 0.111 seconds behind the bright blue Supersport of James Maclachlan.

Superlight R300 – Caterham novices Shaw and Packer get their first podiums

The opener of race one saw a repeat of Walker’s start line ability with a great move from his qualifying position of 5th to be 2nd on the downhill drop from Paddock. However an early-tangle at Druids saw Walker’s car out of contention for the complete race weekend.

However the remaining team members, all new comers to Caterham racing, gained an impressive result with Mark Shaw’s first podium (3rd), Jonathan Packer (7th) and Andrew Bruce (10th).

In race two, despite this being his fifth-ever Caterham race, Jonathan Packer took over Walker’s mantle with some brave opening moves that moved him up from his start position of 7th to become race leader but finished 2nd after succumbing to Trevor Fowell’s remarkable drive from the back of the grid. Despite a badly damaged rear suspension, Mark Shaw achieved 5th place and fastest lap with Andrew Bruce in 13th.

Strong dpr motorsport results across the Caterham Motorsport Ladder

dpr team principal David Rowe said “We gained impressive results across all steps of the Caterham Motorsport ladder. This demonstrates our unique approach in combining our championship winning car preparation with driver coaching. We have developed our own in-house driver coaching programme making use of the latest video V-Box technology. In the Caterham Academy our customers were at the top of the results with Wesley Fox and Blaize Rhodes gaining 1st & 2nd in Group One.

Whilst we have just provided a set-up service to Blaize Rhodes, Wesley Fox was one of the first dpr customers to try out our new coaching programme in combination with a highly personalised car set-up, so his result including setting a new Academy lap record has a special relevance to us. In Roadsport B, Jeremy Webb and Ben Whibley gained creditable results including Jeremy Webb’s podium in race two.

For the higher steps of the Caterham championships, team support is allowed and the Supersport championship race one saw dpr motorsport customers James Maclachlan and Ian Forsythe in 1st & 2nd. In Roadsport A, Magd Mohaffel gained fastest lap in race one but a racing incident on Clearways put him back from the leading pack to finish 12th. For the second race, which took place on the new and wet Brands tarmac, Mohaffel climbed through the field to finish fifth. Our novice driver Fraser Greenshields achieved his best ever race results with a 15th & 13th.

However the team outcome in the Caterham Superlight R300 championship demonstrates our ability to support and mentor drivers new to Caterham motorsport. Despite two DNF’s by the 2009 champion Jon Walker, our Superlight R300 novice drivers secured podium wins against some of the most successful drivers in Caterham motorsport and all of this in probably the most competitive championship currently in UK motorsport.”

Due to unique circumstances Jon Walker was able to win all of the three Superlight R300 races that took place due to the add-on of a replacement race for the red-flagged race at Silverstone that provided an additional race over the normal two.

Over the same weekend, Tony Bennett driving a dpr-motorsport upgraded R300 won 1st in class in a wet CSCC Magnificent Seven race at Spa coming seventh overall. Tony Bennett’s R300 has the Caterham Stage One upgrade producing 200 bhp instead of the standard 175bhp. Due to an inspired switch to new Avon CR500 tyres Bennett was able to capitalise on the wet conditions beating more powerful cars in his own class and the high performance CSR’s with his 7th overall result.

Rockingham: dpr drivers get podiums in all of the team-supported championships

dpr motorsport team drivers gained impressive podium results across all of the team supported championships. Jon Walker driving his dpr motorsport supported Superlight R300 took advantage of the unique three-race opportunity to dominate the opposition by winning all three races, finishing the last race eight seconds ahead of second placed man Trevor Fowell. James Maclachlan took first and second place in Supersport maintaining his lead in the 2010 championship. In Roadsport A Magd Mohaffel gained 4th and 3rd.

Walker dominates the three race Superlight R300 Rockingham weekend

A carry over of the abandoned first race at Silverstone provided a unique three-race format for the Rockingham round of the Superlight R300 championship. Race one at Rockingham was the replacement required after the red-flagged race at Silverstone. Walker’s pole for the Rockingham re-run was determined by the finishing positions in the single completed race at Silverstone. Despite strong pressure in the closing laps from Andy McMillan, Walker held his nerve and crossed the line just 0.159 seconds ahead. Paul Wilson celebrated his return to Superlight racing by setting the fastest lap and gaining an eighth place just behind dpr motorsport driver Mark Shaw in a solid seventh.

The two races within the Rockingham championship round both took place on Sunday with the day starting with a 9 am warm-up session. Whilst the actual Saturday qualifier put Walker third on the grid, Walker made clear his intent by being the only man in the warm-up to get below 1:30 with his time of 1:29.658 almost 0.4 seconds ahead of second placed man Simon Young. Ignoring his third place on the grid Walker made a ballistic start that saw him get to the front by turn one. However Walker’s initial lead became narrowed by the intervention of the safety car resulting in a similar end-game to race one with Walker’s lead over McMillan slightly increased to 0.2 seconds. Mark Shaw improved his race position to 5th place

However as events were to prove the first two Superlight R300 races were a mere prelude to Walkers’ domination of the race weekend in the last race of the day. Walker’s first lap of 1.35.709 was a mighty 1.5 seconds ahead of the next best time set by Ellwood. Until lap five Walker was the only man under 1:31 and his slowest time over all 20 laps was 1:31.367. This consistent pace allowed Walker to run ahead in a race on his own finishing eight seconds ahead of second placed Trevor Fowell. Third placed man Paul Wilson trailed Walker by nineteen seconds. Mark Shaw finished in seventh place with his best lap of 1:30.625 being ahead of Walker and third fastest in the race.

Maclachlan continues his Supersport championship assault with 1st & 2nd

Rockingham saw a repeat of the tussle between James Maclachlan and Robert Smith. Smith demonstrated his pace by gaining pole in qualifying almost 0.5 seconds ahead of Maclachlan. In Race one the two swapped places but it was Maclachlan who crossed the line first with a lead of just under 0.3 seconds, although Smith gained fastest lap. Race two saw a fired-up Smith determined to bring and end to Maclachan’s run of race wins. Smith survived early pressure to keep Maclachlan at bay and finished first to take the first non-Maclachlan win of the year but this time it was Maclachlan who gained the fastest lap. dpr motorsport customer Iain Forsythe gained a creditable 4th and 3rd being his best results of the year.

Mohaffel gets a podium with his 4th & 3rd. Jeremy Webb gets two 1sts in Roadsport B

One again JJ O’Malley took two firsts in the Roadsport A category. dpr team driver Magd Mohaffel gained 4th and a 3rd place podium result in race two. Our congratulations also go to dpr motorsport customer Jeremy Webb who won both of the Roadsport B races.

Perfect weather conditions for the first of two all-series meetings for the Caterham Motorsport circus and two unbeaten succumb to the challengers…

R300

Reigning champ Jon Walker shows the rest how it’s done…

Paul Wilson’s return to the series looked full of promise when he set pole on Saturday, well ahead of a good performance from SPY Motorsport team-mate Simon Young and reigning champion Jon Walker.

The first race of the weekend for the R300’s was effectively Silverstone’s Race 2; that weekend having been cut short due to horrendous weather conditions. With the grid set from Silverstone’s race result, our pole man from qualifying would be starting dog last in this race; Walker and Andy McMillan lining up on the front row. As the race got underway the front pair never really looked like anyone could challenge them and after a brief spell in the lead, McMillan dropped behind Walker contenting himself with practicing potential overtakes in readiness for the right moment at the end of the race. But a mistake on the penultimate lap put too much distance to Walker and the McMillan challenge faded to nothing, Walker taking victory. A few seconds down the road, McMillan Motorsport’s Jamie Ellwood had fended off Trevor Fowell to take the final podium spot, while Ambitions Racing’s Ollie Taylor came in fifth. However, the drive of the race was really had by that last place man Wilson, who had picked off cars lap after lap to come home 8th.

On Sunday morning Wilson was in his rightful place at the front of the grid, although Walker had signalled his intentions with a blistering time in the earlier free-practice. Wilson’s tenure at the front of the grid was short lived when Walker and Ellwood surged past on the first lap, while McMillan fumbled on the grid dropping himself well down the order. The subsequent battle was little short of epic as several,… well everyone actually, queued up behind to take turn at making up places. McMillan was charging through the queue, much to the expense of David Walley who he shunted off the track at Chapman Curve (McMillan receiving licence points and a reprimand for the action). As the train of cars argued over positions, confusion reigned at Dean when there was contact between team-mates Young and Wilson, spinning the latter out of his position. More team-mate drama would occur between Mike Rowland and James Sharrock, depositing Sharrock in the Yentwood gravel trap to bring out the safety car. This closed up the gaps that had formed, bringing McMillan into striking distance of the front. As racing resumed, he wasted no time about trying to get to it, overhauling first Fowell then Ellwood to take second and then having a very good look at relieving Walker of first. But despite a good effort, it wasn’t to be and Walker duly claimed his second victory of the weekend, McMillan second, Fowell third, Ellwood fourth and a good drive from Walker’s DPR Motorsport team-mate Mark Shaw for fifth.

By contrast to the excitement of the morning’s race, the afternoon affair was more subdued. Walker made a break in the opening lap, giving himself a comfortable margin to set about driving off into the distance, letting the rest squabble over the scraps. Ellwood, Fowell, Wilson, McMillan and Young would all have a good look at the podium until first Ellwood found himself with a ‘box full of neutrals, putting him into retirement, closely followed by McMillan who came off worst as he and Young refused to give in at Tarzan (Young was rewarded with licence points and reprimand). With Paul Fleury picking up the action, Wilson found him fending off yet another team-mate, leaving Fowell to follow in Walker’s wheel tracks with a comfortable second-place. Along the way, the Fauldsport driver also set the R300 lap record, bringing his tally to six. Fleury briefly got the better of Wilson, but not for long, Wilson wasn’t about to go home empty handed after everything he put in to the weekend and was ultimately rewarded with third. A recovering Young followed Fleury home for fifth and a creditable sixth place, her second of the weekend, went to Flick Haigh.

Fowell extends his championship lead over McMillan and Ellwood, though with two drop scores to come into play at the end of the year and a seemingly unstoppable pace, Walker is becoming a threat to Fowell’s dominance.

Supersports

MacLachlan’s winning streak comes to an end, but his championship looks ever more secure…

Robert Smith lined up alongside the unbeaten James MacLachlan on the front row with Paul Begley and Iain Forsyth behind, and Nathan Lindop, the other potential MacLachlan beater, a row behind them. A good start from P.I.Motorsport driver Smith was followed by quick laps, showing that he had the pace to beat MacLachlan but keeping him behind proved to be too much of a challenge and with only a few laps gone the distinctive blue DPR Motorsport car was at the front. Smith wasn’t done with him though and pushed him to the line, while Paul Begley kept the pair in his sights. This set the order for the finished, with Iain Forsyth picking up fourth, just ahead of Lindop. Business as usual for MacLachlan.

In the afternoon’s race, Smith kept up the pace, pushing MacLachlan hard and mistakes started to become apparent as the pair left it later and later for braking into Dean, allowing Trackcar’s Begley to stay with them. Smith overhauled MacLachlan and briefly took Begley with him, but MacLachlan reasserted his authority and found his way back to the lead. A hefty thump over the Brook chicane’s kerbs knocked off Begley’s fuel cut-off, cutting his engine and putting him out of the race, leaving MacLachlan and Smith to drive clear of the. Smith retook the lead at mid-distance, MacLachlan occasionally getting his nose past, but starting to struggle with a gear-shift problem (although it did little to slow his lap times). Smith held the line to take the chequered flag, denying MacLachlan for the first time this year though he established the lap record during the course of the battle. A long way behind, Iain Forsyth picked up a lonely third while Don Lamb and Nathan Lindop benefited from a spin by Rob Cooper, giving them fourth and fifth.

MacLachlan’s lead in the championship is starting to look unassailable, but behind him Smith and Lindop are level pegging…

Roadsport-A

JJ O’Malley puts his title bid back on course…

Failing to put his car on pole was about the only thing JJ O’Malley did wrong over the weekend, well that and hospitalising himself following an accident on a child’s scooter during Caterham’s Saturday night paddock party…

SPY Motorsport’s Richard Boughton took head of the grid for the first time, although it was his team-mate (and O’Malley’s sparring partner at Silverstone) Ian Payne, who made the best start from the second row to take the lead. O’Malley soon put that right and held firm while the others argued over who was going to challenge next. Championship leader Jamie Orton’s day didn’t get any better having qualified a desperate 18th then holing his radiator on lap one putting him out of the race. Meanwhile, credit must go to all the remaining drivers for maintaining such a strong pace despite the challenges, with Fauldsport’s Jonathan Ramsay setting a new lap record before passing Payne for second. DPR Motorsport’s Magd Mohaffel and series returnee Stephen Tucker also made their way to the lead pair, Mohaffel briefly displacing Ramsay before pole-man Boughton found his pace once again and fought back to third, although by now O’Malley and Ramsay were too far ahead for him to catch. At the chequered flag, the order at the front remained unchanged, with Boughton third, Mohaffel fourth and championship contender Graham Johnson fifth after a disappointing race by his standards.

Having paid a visit to A&E overnight, there had been some doubt as to whether O’Malley would be fit to race, but the Trackcars driver lined up on pole unfazed on Sunday afternoon. Ramsay and Boughton challenged him in the opening laps, with Tucker getting in on the action again and Johnson trying to make up for his relatively poor finish. But this time, the pursuing pack did hold themselves up and as the race matured, O’Malley started to create a gap which suddenly doubled when Ramsay spun at Brook leaving Boughton to pick up second, Mohaffel third, Payne fourth and Tucker fifth. Jamie Orton salvaged a very creditable eighth from last place on the grid.

Colards Motorsport’s Johnson now takes the lead of the championship from Orton, but with drop scores taken into account they are level pegging with O’Malley a single point behind and now looking like the man to beat, despite having three no scores on the board.

Roadsport-B

The title chase hots up with four points separating the top four drivers…

It’s becoming something of a tradition for Steve Day to qualify his car on pole and Rockingham was no different, but Jeremy Webb made a strong start from the behind him to take the lead on the second lap with championship leader Lee Wiggins in third. Webb pulled away while Day, Wiggins and front-row man Chris Lay fought for the runner-up spot. Day succumbed to Wiggins, who started to build a gap between himself and the pack, leaving Day and Lay to fight it out for third. Webb crossed the line for another victory, having kept the pace up to prevent Wiggins from catching him, leaving the Essex man to take second, Day third, Lay fourth and Carlton Brown an impressive fifth having displaced Ben Whibley in the closing laps and establishing the lap record in the process.

An awesome first lap by Reece Somerfield in the second race saw him leap from eighth place to challenge Webb’s lead as soon as the red lights went off, while Wiggins was a first lap casualty in the melee at Yentwood, although he managed to keep it going through the gravel to rejoin. With Somerfield pushing Webb, Whibley was having a better race, troubling Day’s third position. Just as Somerfield finally overhauled Webb to take the lead, the red flag was thrown due to coolant at the Dean hairpin. With the one lap count-back, Somerfield was demoted back to second, though Webb was gracious in victory. Day picked up another third and Whibley fourth. Wiggins charge back through the field was curtailed by the shortened race, only finishing twelfth.

He may not have won (yet), but Day’s consistency has rewarded him with the championship lead, a single point ahead of Wiggins, who in turn is one point ahead of Whibley. Webb completes the top four, a comparatively massive two points adrift, though with drop scores taken into account, he’s on top.

Academy Gp1

Jon Mortimer denies Mike Hart…

The Academy first races are always exciting, both for competitors and spectators, and they didn’t disappoint – but this time it was purely for brilliant racing…

Having won the three sprint rounds, no-one would have bet against Mike Hart putting his car on pole at Rockingham and that’s exactly what he did, with only Merlin Edwards looking like he’d be able to stay in touch. But Hart’s start was poor, Edwards getting a jump on him, followed by Jon Mortimer from the second row. But just one lap in and Edwards made a mistake under the heavy braking at Dean, spinning him out of contention, handing the lead to Mortimer. Hart quickly closed the gap and passed Mortimer by mid distance and that was probably going to be that, but Mortimer thought otherwise and fought back brilliantly to retake the lead and then defend it well during the closing laps while Hart’s attention was diverted to Wes Fox, now in a strong third (and momentarily second) place. A delighted Mortimer took the first Academy win, Hart held firm for second, Fox third and Blaize Rhodes a somewhat distant fourth, the early leader Edwards was rewarded with sixth for his impressive recovery efforts along with fastest lap.

Hart heads the points table, followed by Fox and now Mortimer who has displaced Edwards (well, he displaced himself really) for third.

Academy Gp2

Kurt Brady is still the man to beat, though it was Martin Pass’ day…

By contrast to Gp1, the top three in the Academy Gp2 is a little more open. Kurt Brady had been the fastest man at the start of the year, but he missed the last round and a testing opportunity at Rockingham, so others have taken his place at the top.

Martin Pass, who has promised speed all year, put his blue car on pole with Chris Bingham alongside. Behind them Kurt Brady lined up menacingly. Bingham made the best start, only to be passed by Pass and then, just as Edwards had done in the early Academy race, spin himself out of contention at Dean, frustratingly having to watch the entire field pass before he could rejoin. This was to the benefit of Spencer Horgan from third on the grid and Brady, but Pass had already started to stretch his legs. Brady would make it past Horgan at mid-distance and start to leave him behind, but even being the fastest man on the track wasn’t enough to catch the flying Pass, who took his triumphant first win. Horgan came in third ahead of James Needham and the Tim Abbott. Chris Bingham struggled to get back on terms and finished 19th.

Abbott leads the championship from Pass, with Brady in third, though he remains in front after the single dropped score is taken into account. PistonHeads journo Matt Rigby is demoted to fourth, level pegging with Horgan.

Next Rounds: All series, Brands 21st & 22nd July.

‘EUROFEST!’ Race Report – Zolder, 5/6th June 2010

A new circuit for every competitor is a rare event, but that’s partly what made Caterham’s Eurofest at Zolder so special…

R300

Fowell leads the title chase, but lets a race win slip…

Ambitions Racing’s Ollie Taylor emerged top in Saturday’s free practice, nudging out champion Jon Walker, but come qualifying Andy McMillan surpassed Taylor’s best to put his car on pole with Taylor alongside him. Championship leader Fowell was a lowly 11th.

In the searing heat of the afternoon, relative novice Jon Packer made the best of his excellent fourth place grid slot to tuck up behind McMillan, the pair making a break on the first lap, Packer driving his socks off to stay with the vastly more experienced McMillan. Jamie Ellwood, also from the McMillan Motorsport camp, made a strong start, muscling past Taylor in the first corner (and receiving a formal reprimand for it), before fending off the attention of Paul Fleury, until a coolant leak forced Fleury’s retirement. The lead pair soon became a pack of seven as Fowell and others found their way through to the front, including Fowell’s Fauldsport team-mate Paul Brannan until a damaged radiator from indiscretion forced his retirement. When McMillan posted a slow lap, Packer and Taylor made their move, albeit short-lived. Packer took the lead and Taylor second until the pair bounced off each other in the (apparently too kleine) Kleine Chicane, pushing Taylor down to fourth and Packer out completely. As both cars were judged to be effectively off the circuit prior to meeting in the middle of it on their rapid return, both took equal blame and equal reprimands for their trouble. Fowell and Ellwood benefited from their exuberance to take the win and second place respectively, with a recovering McMillan on the final podium step.

Packer was again denied his chance to shine when a first lap incident with his DPR Motorsport team-mate Walker punted him into retirement. A blistering start by McMillan saw him take the lead on the first lap, shadowed by Fowell. The pair quickly pulled clear of the pursuing pack led by Taylor, until Fowell’s former Roadsport-B sparring partner Gordon Sawyer nabbed the position. Meanwhile, Brannan, who had started nineteenth following his race one retirement, was carving through the pack passing first Ellwood and Mike Rowland then a dismayed Sawyer as he ran out of fuel. At the front, Fowell passed McMillan for the lead having timed his move to perfection, but shortly after his braking less so, plunging through the gravel at the Gilles Villeneuve chicane, just ½ a lap from home, handing the win to McMillan and having to make do with second. A triumphant Brannan came home third ahead of a creditable fourth place for Mike Rowland.

Fowell retains the championship lead and with McMillan the pair having set the pace for R300s. Ollie Taylor joins a select group of now four drivers that hold R300 lap records.

Supersports

Is James MacLachlan unstoppable? Results say no, rivals say yes…

Nathan Lindop and Rob Smith lined up ahead of unbeaten title leader James MacLachlan for the first Supersport race. Rob Smith was able to hold back MacLachlan for a few laps before the DPR Motorsport driver edged ahead and once there, was aided by the squabble beaten Smith and Lindop, allowing him some breathing space. Lindop won through and caught MacLachlan convincingly but ran out of laps in which to mount a concerted challenge, MacLachlan taking the chequered flag first, as is now customary. PIM Racing’s Smith picking up third ahead of an impressive fourth position for race-returnee Stephen Appleton.

In race two, the podium trio pulled clear of the rest of the pack within a couple of laps and set about a titanic battle to arrange the trophy order. Once again, Smith and Lindop set faster laps than MacLachlan, just as they had done in qualifying and race one, but still failed to overcome the Londoner. MacLachlan secured his unbroken winning streak and Smith took the runner-up spot, with Lindop in third; less than four tenths of a second covering the three.

MacLachlan obviously leads the title chase, with a consistent Rod Arnold a full thirty points behind and falling pray to the ever-increasing speed of newcomer Nathan Lindop.

Roadsport-A

Once again rain plays its part and produces another spectacular win.

JJ O’Malley’s pole position and strong start were short-lived when a blown fuse ended his race after just three laps. Graham Johnson and Magd Mohaffel had already passed the Irishman by this point and Johnson set about extending an unassailable lead. Jamie Orton inherited third, illustrating the blistering start he’d had from eighth which he wasn’t about to let Mohaffel spoil. He quickly took up second place, pushing Mohaffel into the clutches of Orton’s Fauldsport team-mate Jonathan Ramsay, whose challenge was curtailed by a spin that sent him back down the field. With Johnson being boringly brilliant up front, the podium positions were set for the finish, Orton second, Mohaffel third and just off the podium, Rob Vissers in a very creditable fourth.

As the cars lined up for race two, the brilliant sunshine that had bathed the circuit all weekend gave way to a sudden downpour. Starting dead last and with nothing to lose, O’Malley gambled that the rain would last and dived into the pits on the second green flag lap, giving his Trackcars team little more than two minutes to change the set-up. It turned out to be an inspired decision and after a safety car period to clear up Rob Vissers & Richard Carter at one corner and Jonathan Ramsay & Richard Boughton at another, all victims of the treacherous conditions, O’Malley started his charge up the field. Johnson was in the lead again, with Orton hot on his heels. PIM Racing’s Anthony Sidney-Woolett, took up position in third as Mohaffel worked his way backwards, but O’Malley’s speed was unparalleled and he was quickly past the DPR Motorsport driver into third and chasing down the leaders who had switched positions, Orton looking stronger in the wet as he had done at Castle Combe. Two laps from home O’Malley was past Johnson and on the final lap, past the leader to take a memorable win, leaving Orton a disappointed second and Johnson third.

Orton continues to lead the championship with Colard Motorsport’s Johnson a single point behind.

Roadsport-B

For so long the bridesmaid, Benji finally makes it stick.

A stunning performance from Jeremy Webb put him on pole by nearly a whole second, much to the dismay of his rivals. But when the race got underway chaos ensued at the first corner (several spinners, many helped) sending the pack scattering. Fellow Tonbridge resident Ben Whibley had made the better start from alongside Webb to take the lead, followed by Reece Somerfield. Whibley fought tooth and nail to hold off Somerfield all race long, whilst far behind them a displaced Lee Wiggins was making his way back up the field by being the fastest man on the track (as usual) until an error at Earste corner sent him across the gravel looking for an escape road and stunting his charge. Webb, unable to reproduce his qualifying speed, held a strong third until a mistake allowed Fergus Ryan to take the place with just two laps left, but he threw it away with a spin in the final chicane, handing third to Addison who by now had also passed Webb. Ahead of them exhibition organiser Whibley drove to well deserved glory ahead of Somerfield.

Another error of judgement at the start of race two by Ryan resulted in championship front runner Steve Day being punted down the field and having to embark on a recovery drive. Meanwhile a four way lead battle become five as Somerfield, recovering from a startline stall, worked his way up to the front, before Lee Wiggins started to fall back uncharacteristically. Whibley, Webb, Addison and Somerfield bickered over the top spots for the duration of the race, but Whibley was unable to make it a double as Webb once again found his form and took the lead and ultimately the win, with Addison in second and Whibley third.

Wiggins championship lead has been cut, with Whibley now in striking distance, Day having dropped a place after a disappointing weekend – but he’s only just behind.

Next Rounds: All series, Rockingham 3rd & 4th July.

Race Report – Castle Combe, 3^rd May 2010

A welcome return to Wiltshire by the Roadsports family of Caterhams saw close and sometimes dramatic racing, with the barrier at Tower corner being amongst the winners on bank holiday Monday.

Supersports

Another brace of wins for James MacLachlan gives him a healthy championship lead, but his rivals are edging ever closer…

Stewards ignored an apparent jump start by both MacLachlan and pole sitter Nathan Lindop, though it made little difference by the time the pack reached Quarry.  MacLachlan overcame the Lindop, whilst he, Paul Begley and Iain Forsyth fought to see who would