RACING EXPOSURE :: Club level motorsport e-magazine

Race Report – Oulton Park – 3^rd SEPTEMBER 2011

Wesley Fox claimed his sixth win of the season and edges ever closer to championship victory, while Mike Hart secured his first win this season proving Fox can be beaten.

Roadsport – Race 1

With one of the closest set of qualifying times yet, the first seven cars were separated by only a fraction over half a second. Fox who looked set to start sixth left it to the last lap to put in a flyer and snatch pole. Jon Mortimer started second and Aaron Head third.

The race started with a first corner incident creating pandemonium mid field, Sean Raftery spun after running wide at the exit of Old Hall, his car shot back across the track straight into the side of Matthew Whate, who was third in the championship going into this weekend but had qualified very low down. Duncan Harris tried to avoid the action but had nowhere to go and his car was airborne as he rode up the side of Whate. Raftery and Whate retired as a result.  Meanwhile the leaders where creating there own action, Fox had pulled away in the lead, but was unable to shake off Mortimer, Head, Mike Hart and Kurt Brady as all four tussled for position. Head got out of shape on the approach to Shell Oils hairpin; he ran out of track and kissed the barriers. He was able to keep going but had considerably dropped down the order. This left a four car scrap for the lead closely followed by an ultra determined 40^th birthday boy and local man, Chris Bingham who was hot on the heels of fifth place contender James Needham.

The quartet of leading cars swapped position many a time during the lap, sliding down the inside at Knickerbrook to get the advantage on the run uphill towards Druids. Brady rehearsed going around the outside of Old Hall a few times, it worked a couple of times but Fox shut the door when it was safe to do so. Brady decided to play out the move for a final time on the last lap but unfortunately running over the rough kerbs unsettled the car and caused a spin much to his frustration after remaining second for the majority of the race he was demoted back to sixth. An exceptionally close, thoroughly exciting race from start to finish was eventually won by Fox with Mortimer a very respectable second and Hart in third. Aaron Head got the fastest lap 2:00.403, but finished a very disappointing fourteenth meaning he would have his work cut out for him in race two.

Race 2

Just as the cars drove into the assembly area the dark heavy clouds that were overhead decided to open, rain lights came on and the first wet race of the day commenced. Fox led with Hart not far behind, Mortimer chasing but playing on the side of caution with Bingham on top form in forth. Hart snuck past Fox and was able not only to make it stick put also pull away putting air between them. The top four spaced out a little while they explored the change of grip levels but the gaggle of cars behind decided that sticking close together was a far more exciting option! Brady led the chasing bunch of five cars as they darted into the first corner two abreast and line a stern. Somehow they all exited unscathed. This bravery continued resulting in a wonderful scrap for fifth place.

Starting from fourteenth Head was one to watch as he is the Schumacher of Roadsports (he excels in the wet). His rain dance before the race must have paid off and he began to pass several cars per lap. He gracefully glided his way up towards the third place duel that was taking place. Bingham was on the tail of Mortimer, determined to try and find an opportunity to pass him, unfortunately Mortimer was playing the defensive game and blocked his rival very well. Head caught the pair napping on the final lap as they were concentrating on each other he passed the pair of them, setting the fastest lap in the process and secured a podium finish. Hart took a long awaited first win of the season, Fox settled for a comfortable second and Head was delighted with a recovery drive resulting in third.

Fox remains top of the championship table with a very commanding lead and 48 points clear of main rival Brady. Hart now moves ahead of Whate to steal third.

Next Round: Anglesey International – 24/25^th September

Race Report – Snetterton 300 24^th / 25^th April 2011

Supersports

Easter Bank Holiday weekend, Snetterton 300 circuit layout flooded in sunshine set the scene for racing to commence.

Race 1

Jamie Orton claimed pole with a one second gap between himself and Lee Wiggins who was closely followed by Jez Webb in third.

A scintillating close race ensued for the third round of the championship, Orton did not manage to utilise his pole position as he was beaten to the first corner by Wiggins who then spent the race defending his lead from the rainbow of cars behind. Steve Day, blue car, Orton in his JPS coloured car, Webb in the all yellow machine and Reece up at the front for the first lap until a puncture scuppered his chances after he ran wide at Hamilton.

The individual battles were momentarily paused while the safety car was deployed to clear the circuit after an incident on the apex of Oggies. Unusually the safety car didn’t pick up the leaders which caused confusion to both spectators and drivers. After the safety car peeled off a tremendous finish played out, Wiggins took the win narrowly as Day propelled his car down the Senna Straight using Orton’s tow to launch himself forward to finish second, which meant Orton missed out by 0.099 seconds and finished a rather deflating third after an amazing race up at the sharp end.

Race 2

The second race was an absolute stunner; a true performance of what Caterham racing is all about. Nose to tail action from lights to flag, a different leader each time they crossed the line not to mention multiple position changes during each lap. Wiggins wished to repeat his fantastic performance from race one and Day was desperate to claim his illusive win and make Snetterton 300 a circuit to remember for Stancombe Racing, while Orton really didn’t want to finish third again. Webb and Whibley followed inches behind waiting for an opportune moment to pounce.

During the race, attention was given to Reece ‘the Rocket’ who flew through the field from the back row of the grid due to a DNF in race one. He progressed through the order like a man on a mission and gracefully picked his way up the order to join the leading pack. As they crossed the line for the final time it was Webb who was victorious, the waiting game had played off, Orton finished second and third place went to ‘The Rocket’. What an epic race, one of the closest Supersport races to date.

Orton proudly sets the new lap record, while Wiggins tops the championship table, ‘for now’.

Roadsport A

Both Roadsport A races were won by Richard Carter, Chris Legg in second and Rob Vissers in third. With only three entrants, all were guaranteed trophies if they finished.

Chris Legg now holds the lap record as he secured the fastest lap.

Roadsport B

To celebrate Easter, trophies filled with cream eggs awaited the podium finishes.

Mike Hart started his weekend on a high with securing pole and positioning his car ahead of the championship leaders, Kurt Brady and Wes Fox. A couple of names appeared higher up the standings than usual, Spencer Horgan in fifth and Ian Davis in seventh with newbie Adam White in thirteenth beating a few fast contenders that were expected to be higher up the grid including Matt Rigby (guest driver; third in Academy 2010).

Hart managed a perfect start and held the lead into Riches where he remained for the majority of the first few laps. A quintet of cars merged at the front forming a close train. Hart fought off Fox to keep his lead while Aaron Head made his way up into third. Brady and Jon Mortimer, who made fantastic starts were knocked out of contention when they collided together at the exit of Oggies and stranded their cars in the gravel, this made way for Jim Needham to nudge his way back up the ranks and allowed Hart and Fox to create some air between them and the chasing pack.

After an epic race with plenty of moments leaving the spectators on the edge of their seats there was no surprise as the leading pair came around Murrays for the last time neck and neck. The win genuinely could have gone to either of them. Hart tucked in behind Fox to get an almighty tow that he used to catapult himself across the line as they went side by side although he misjudged his exit slightly and ran wide, bouncing over the grass narrowly missing the armco after the flag had fallen. Hart missed out on the victory by 0.098 seconds. Needham finished third after beating off the competition from Horgan and Head. A truly spectacular end to the race that left the crowd wanting more of the same thrilling action.

Race 2

Race two was more of a battle for second and third as Fox was able to pull away from pole and break the all important tow that features so heavily in Roadsport B races. This resulted in lights to flag victory and a gap of nearly four seconds between him and the others.

Although Fox had pulled such a big lead the remaining cars did not disappoint to produce a thoroughly entertaining race. From the back of the field Kurt Brady and Jon Mortimer were trying to make amends for loss of points in race one and were both keen to make up as many places as possible. Brady managed to work his way up to ninth while Mortimer pulled out all the stops, bagged the fastest lap of the race and made his way all the way up to fourth. It was a race of much overtaking and Martin Pass carried out his fair share propelling himself from twentieth up to seventh, although unfortunately his great efforts were not able to be counted due to a technical infringement resulting in disqualification.   Meanwhile, Needham had recovered from a poor start, zoned himself back into the job in hand and managed to snatch second place leaving Hart the smaller trophy and third place.

It was Aaron Head who claimed the lap record and his name in the history books with a fantastic time of 2:15.916. Unsurprisingly it is Fox who tops the championship table with three out of four races won.

Next Rounds: Brands Hatch 11^th/12^th June

Roadsport B

Sunny skies over Silverstone’s new Arena GP circuit set the scene for the opening rounds of the 2011 Roadsport B championship.

Normal service continued as the two champions from their respective Academy groups lined up first and second on the grid after qualifying for the initial Roadsport B race. Wes Fox secured the first pole position of the year with Aussie Kurt Brady biting at his heels in second.

In an action packed close race, typical of Caterhams, a lead pack of six continually swapped places, each taking a turn in the lead. Fox had to fight off advancements of Brady, Jon Mortimer, James Needham, Joel Wymer and Mike Hart, frequently spreading five abreast down the Hanger straight into Stowe. Amazingly, despite locked brakes and puffs of tyre smoke, all would make it through the corner each time as the race raged on.

Further down the field  Academy frontrunners Martin Pass and Ross Macindoe were unusually off the pace, leaving them to mix it up with the mid field, rather than the lead pack.

Wymer spun from the lead pack dropping back to sixteenth place, allowing the top three of, Brady, Fox and Hart to pull away and decipher the order for the podium. Fox would eventually take the honors of a maiden Roadsport B victory closely followed by Brady in second and Hart completing the trophy winners.

In a near identical nail-biting encounter, a lead pack of cars quickly emerged in race two and broke away from the rabble. Hertfordshire driver Fox got a good start and held the lead for the first few laps, but this didn’t stick as Brady and Mortimer both proved they were worthy leaders. Meanwhile Aaron Head, who started on the back row of the grid due to a DNF in race one, sliced his way past his opponents and made his way up to a stunning fifth. The dice for the lead had pushed Fox down the order and allowed Brady to claim a win, with a dramatic photo finish between Hart and Mortimer for the runner up spot.  A delighted Mortimer learned of his 0.006 sec advantage when he arrived at the podium, leaving Jaguar development driver Hart to collect the third position trophy.

A new circuit layout guarantees that there will be a new lap record and Wes Fox has secured his name in the record books with a time of 2.36.358

With a pecking order far from established, Brady heads the Championship table closely followed by Fox, Mortimer, Hart and Needham; but for how long?

Supersports

A whopping thirty nine cars took to the grid for the initial rounds at Silverstone, all keen to discover what the Arena GP has to offer.

Reece Somerfield seized the first pole position of the Supersports season with Jamie Orton and Jez Webb not far behind. Unusually, regular pole sitter Steve Day and fellow Essex fast man Lee Wiggins were much further down the field than expected.

Although frantic activity meant every lap produced multiple leaders, it was Somerfield who crossed the line each time in the lead lap until an electrical gremlin caused him to retire. Meanwhile Wiggins had carved his way from tenth into the lead pack to battle with Orton and Webb, each taking their turn in the lead. As the flag fell it was the JPS coloured car of Orton who was at the front followed by Webb and Wiggins.

Race two quickly produced two large groups of closely packed cars, thrilling the spectators and giving a fantastic example of what Caterham racing is all about,.

Orton, Webb and Wiggins were joined at the sharp end by Day early in the race, keen to prove that his qualifying performance was just a blip. As four cars funneled into a corner, Orton took evasive action resulting in a spin  pushing him well down the order. In the melee, an on-form Sean Byrne would produce a personal best performance, whilst Somerfield and Carlton brown were on a  rocket-like ascent through the field. But as the leaders crossed the line it was Wiggins who took the flag, with Day second and Byrne landing himself a trophy and podium position for the first time.

Brown can content himself with the new lap record whilst Wiggins tops the championship table ahead of Byrne and Day.

Roadsport A

Roadsport A shared the Supersports grid as the seminal series entered its farewell year.

Ian Payne secured pole position with a mighty two second advantage over Antony ‘Sid’ Sidney-Woollett and Adam Bettinson, lining up second and third.

Payne converted his pole into a lights-to-flag victory with a monumental twenty one second lead over second place. With Payne pulling out such a large gap the main race was for second and third as Peter Young, Sid and new-to-Roadsports, Bettinson duelling it out lap after lap. At the line it was Sid who would grab second and Young claiming third

As the lights went out for race two, Bettinson made a spectacular start.  Unfortunately, it was the start of the Supersports race and not the Roadsport A’s, which were to be started a minute behind the main pack.  Reversing back past the pole sitter into his grid spot was something new for the officials to consider, but thanks to the big time gap, no harm was done and no action was taken.

Payne put in a repeat performance and won the second race with another huge advantage. After his somewhat entertaining start Bettinson had a respectable race and finished second leaving Sid to take third position.

Payne now has a seven point lead in the Championship and the new lap record.

Photos: Rick Wilson

23/24^th OCTOBER 2010

Two new Caterham champions are crowned in an exciting finale to a close season for the Roadsport B and A championships, whilst the remaining podium places were fought out in the Supersport series.

Supersport

New faces on the podium as the championship runner up positions are settled.

Having secured the championship at Oulton Park, James MacLachlan was absent from Snetterton, having already switched to the R300 he’ll be racing next year.  Although this guaranteed a change on the podium, there was no shortage of quality racing.

Race 1

It was no surprise that runner-up favourite Nathan Lindop had his car on pole, but alongside him was a surprised but happy Andrew Salmon, having rocketed up the grid to enjoy his first view of an empty track ahead of him.

With the track still a little patchy in places following the regular Snetterton showers, arriving at the Esses off-line proved treacherous, as demonstrated on the first lap by a number of drivers, most notably PIM Racing’s Robert Smith who needed every point he could get to secure championship third.  The confusion allowed Lindop to make a small break for the lead, which he would never lose.  Behind him, Smith’s chief rival for the final championship pot, Paul Begley, had his hands full with Don Lamb, Salmon and a flying Albert Vella who had found the form he last showed in the very first round of the season.  The three exchanged places regularly, maintaining Lindop in their sights but never able to really challenge.

Meanwhile, Robert Smith, demoted to fourteenth place after his spin, was carving through the field and by mid-distance had caught the lead group.  Smith dispensed with each of the challengers in turn, but the duelling allowed Lindop to break the tow, making the Fauldsport driver’s lead unassailable.  A mistake by Smith in the final laps allowed Vella and Begley to overhaul him, picking up second and third respectively as the race came to a close.  An excellent first podium for DPR Motorsport’s Vella, he also established the lap record along the way.

Race 2

A terrific battle for the lead of the second race commenced as soon as the lights turned green with Lindop and Smith leading the charge, hounded by Lamb, Vella and Begley.  Occasional racer Lamb found his way to the front and despite regular challenges along the Revett straight would repeatedly emerge in front as the cars exited the Esses.  Smith’s fourth in the earlier race meant he only needed to follow Begley home to secure his position, but he wanted to put as much distance between himself and the Trackcars driver as possible, eventually pinching the lead from Lamb.  An error by Vella sent him across the grass at Russell, dropping him from the battle, leaving just four to fight it out.  Lindop also had a brief turn in the lead before Lamb found his way back to the front with just two laps to go.

The delighted BA pilot held onto the lead to take his first ever win in challenging conditions and against some hard charging rivals.  Behind him, Lindop out-dragged Smith to the line, but Smith had done enough to take the championship third from fourth placed Begley.

James MacLachlan is the 2010 Avon Tyres Caterham Supersports champion, Nathan Lindop runner-up and Robert Smith third.

Roadsport-A

Orton takes the championship and leaves the rest to fight over the scraps.

Race 1

With light rain and slippery track greeting the drivers for qualifying, Jamie Orton’s pole position was inevitable before qualifying had even started.  The Fauldsport driver was nearly a second ahead of team-mate Jonathan Ramsay and title rival JJ O’Malley with Antony Sidney-Woollett a creditable fourth.

But it would be a short lived position for the PIM Racing driver as he was shunted into a spin at the first corner by Paul Latimer, dropping him to the back of the field.  Oops-hespunnit’s position was quickly assumed by championship contender Graham Johnson who joined the leading trio to make it a quartet, now quickly leaving the remaining pack behind.  Trackcar’s O’Malley held the lead for the first leg of the race, handing it to Ramsay, then Johnson, with Orton also having a little look himself before settling back to watch the rest fight it out.  As the race drew to a close, the lead changed regularly until a mistake by Ramsay put O’Malley back in charge.  The Irishman would cross the line first, with ever-the-bridesmaid Ramsay in second and Colards Motorsport’s Johnson third.  Orton, cruised home in fourth and in doing so (and only confirmed once a laptop had frantically been employed to produce the points table), put the championship beyond anyone else’s reach.

Race 2

Nursing a sore head from the previous night’s celebrations and with the championship his to lose (if a penalty was incurred), Orton sensibly chose to sit out the final round.

Despite the less than ideal conditions a day earlier, Ramsay had come tantalisingly close to Gary Halcrow’s long established lap record.  With speed clearly on his side, a blistering start to Sunday’s race put the Wigan driver in control and slightly ahead of the chasing pack led by O’Malley until he span at the Esses.  O’Malley was fighting for second in the championship with equal points partner Johnson.  Whoever finished ahead of the other would take the runner-up spot.  Trynot-Tobinnit was now promoted to second, a reward for a decent comeback drive in race one, and a great start from eighth on the grid.  Charging up from even further back was SPY Motorsport’s Richard Boughton’s similar black Caterham and the pair, joined by Johnson, formed a pack to hunt down Ramsay which they duly did shortly after mid-distance.  Boughton was first to take the lead, quickly followed by Could-Hewinnit, the pair the exchanging lead a few more times.  But Ramsay wasn’t about to let his hard work go so easily and in the final laps, he reassumed the lead to take the win with Boughton close behind and O’Malley snatching third following yet another great comeback drive, a crucial place for O’Malley, giving him the championship second place.  Well-Hefluffedit had made an error on the final lap, knocking himself off the podium.

Jamie Orton is the 2010 Avon Tyres Caterham Roadsport A champion, JJ O’Malley runner-up and Graham Johnson third.

Roadsport-B

Webb takes victory in an epic climax to a tight season.

Race 1

Reece Somerfield has been increasingly quick all year with his car on pole, looked favourite for the race.  Points leader Lee Wiggins lined up alongside with title rival Jeremy Webb behind.

A first lap spin at Sear for Webb was good news for Wiggins, the Essex driver left in a four car battle for the lead, headed by Somerfield and also containing Ben Whibley and Martin Addision (the chief protagonists for the final championship position).  As the four took turns to lead, first-time racer Aaron Head was using his karting knowledge of damp lines to put in good times and amazingly bring himself into play.  Whibley ran wide at the Esses, a second lost being enough to put him behind the lead group, while meanwhile Webb was making good progress through the pack.  Somerfield overcame the lead Wiggins held for a while and would stay there to take the win, whilst a last lap move by Head allowed the novice to come home second, pushing Wiggins down to third.  Meanwhile, Webb had fought his way to eighth, only to blow it at the Esses, slipping another ten places.

Race 2

With Wiggins four points ahead of Webb (now bringing a drop score into play), and Webb languishing in fourth place, Wiggins had little more to do than follow his rival home, in the unlikely situation that the Kent man could catch the lead group.

Somerfield led at the start, with Addison taking a brief turn as another four-way battle set about deciding the lead.  Wiggins and Whibley rounded out the quartet, newcomer Head being outclassed in the dry conditions and quietly being consumed by the pack.  But Webb was making mincemeat of the cars ahead of him and within four laps was in sight of the lead group.  As they continued to battle Webb was able to close on the fast moving pack, gaining a series of exceptional tows to put in a stunning sub 1:23 lap, three-quarters of a second better than any rival would achieve.  Webb was now on part of the lead pack and at half distance, took the lead.  Although Somerfield was occasionally able to pass him, Webb was not to be outclassed and would lead to the line.  Crucially, Wiggins was not having the best time and was back in an otherwise respectable fourth.  However, the win and fastest lap gave Webb the points he needed to take a stunning championship victory from Wiggins, who once again sees an assured title slip from his grasp.  Second in the race went to Somerfield, with Whibley rounding out the top three.  Whibley and Addison tie on points and have a win a piece, but Addison’s two second places during the year are one better than Whibley’s sole second, giving the Cleveland driver the final championship position.

Jeremy Webb is the 2010 Avon Tyres Caterham Roadsport B champion, Lee Wiggins runner-up and Martin Addison third.

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.”

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.

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.

Out of the chaos, Roadsport-B champion Trevor Fowell emerges as championship leader at Oulton Park.

A single blistering lap by current title holder Jon Walker put him on pole half a second ahead of his rivals early on Saturday morning, but he was just one of eighteen drivers that qualified under the old lap record, suggesting the pace was going to be frantic.

Alongside Walker was DPR Motorsport team-mate Mark Shaw.  The newcomer had impressed with his speed at Silverstone and was now living up to that promise.  The 2009 Roadsport-B championship’s three amigos, Gordon Sawyer, Trevor Fowell and Paul Brannan rounded out the top spots, while McMillan Motorsport head-honcho Andy McMillan, who had been so quick at Silverstone, languished in thirteenth after a minor problem with the rear suspension upset his handling, and him.

The green light was the signal for bedlum, which duly followed in the first run to Cascades.  Fowell had jumped Walker for the lead, whilst a poor start from Shaw saw him hustled back to eighth.  Jamie Ellwood had lost out to both James Sharrock and a lightening start from McMillan, and attempted to make up for it on the entry to Cascades by using a gap that wasn’t there.  In the process, he triggered a chain reaction of events as he nudged Shaw into a spin, who then collected Dave Pearce.  Ollie Taylor was too close to be able to take avoiding action, though several drivers successfully took to the grass, including Pete Young whose remarkable head-height jump only knocked off a sensor on landing, sidelining him.  McMillan was sent scrabbling for the pits with a mangled front tyre whilst Paul Turley was shunted well down the order; a poor reward for skilfully avoiding everyone.  After a brief safety car period Turley set about putting things right with a series of stunning laps, but on the entry to Knickerbrook, tripped over a slower car and after a brief visit to the tyre wall, finished up back on the track minus a couple of corners, bringing the race to a halt.

Fowell and Walker now headed the front row for the ten minute sprint to the finish, but it was Brannan and Ellwood from third and fifth that made the best of the restart to take the lead places.  Meanwhile, McMillan, given another chance, launched himself from twentieth to sixth on the first lap with unrivalled pace, though once with the lead group he was unable to make much progress as the four leaders tussled for position allowing Brannan to make a small gap.  After a poor opening lap SPY Motorsport’s Paul Fleury had clawed his way back to third, passing Walker who had worked his way backwards, meaning it would be Brannan from Ellwood, followed by Fleury at the end of the six lap sprint, with Fowell just outside the trophy positions.

If the on track action had been frenetic, it was nothing compared to the work going on in the pit garages over lunchtime as teams and drivers battled to meet the deadline for the afternoon’s race, but a notable absence from race two would be Walker who couldn’t take part due to another engagement.

Race two was an altogether more sensible affair although the safety car would still see some action.  A poor first lap for Brannan pushed him down the order, whilst McMillan’s charging resumed once again and he was leading by the end of lap one.  As Brannan recovered to third place, he made a small but punishing mistake.  Running wide onto the grass he was fired back onto the track and into an unfortunate Sharrock, running a strong fourth position.  After a short safety car period, McMillan continued on his way, putting a gap between himself and Fowell, now up to second after Fleury and Ellwood’s battle for second was slowed at Druids with Fleury forced to take a trip through the gravel.  Ellwood was left fighting for third with Sawyer and novice Jon Packer, who was putting in a brilliant performance, albeit short-lived as he drove himself into the gravel at Shell Oils and out of contention.  Ahead of them, Fowell had started to reel in McMillan until he was alongside with just a lap to go.  An epic final lap between the pair went the way of Fowell, giving his Fauldsport team a second win for the day.  He had nosed past McMillan at the line four-hundredths ahead.  Ellwood would come home third, just ahead of Sawyer.

Three races, three different winners.  Indeed, three different pole men, none of whom have led to the flag!  Fowell now has a three point lead over McMillan in the championship, helped by the two lap records he has already set this year, bringing his tally to five current Caterham lap records – more than any other driver.  Ellwood is just behind the pair, with Walker and Brannan equal in the fourth spot.  Shaw, Sawyer, Sharrock, Taylor and Turley have all shown they’ve got what it takes – will one of them be the next winner as the championship heads for Belgium?

Next Rounds: Zolder, 5/6^th June.

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 wouldn’t be on the podium.  Lindop and Begley would occasionally get a glimpse of the lead, but MacLachlan wasn’t going to give it up, staying ahead to take the flag.  Lindop’s unparalleled pace helped propel him to the front of the second-place battle with Begley third, leaving Forsyth to finish a lonely fourth just up the road from the Arnold, Cook and Fronzoni scrap raging behind.

MacLachlan fluffed his pole start in race two, with the majority of the grid streaming past before he recovered.  With MacLachlan (very) temporarily out of the way, Begley took the lead, but in a repeat of a qualifying error, ran into the barrier and retirement at Tower.  Lindop now led, but MacLachlan had already scythed through the field and usurped the leader before mid-race, pulling Robert Smith along with him.  The trio pulled clear of the remainder of the race where an almighty battle was raging for ninth position between eight cars.  A last corner effort buy Lindop was thwarted by MacLachan who’s tight line in resulted in a very wide line out, taking the flag somewhere near the finish line on the grass, just ahead of Lindop than Smith.

In the championship, MacLachlan extends his healthy lead whilst Begley’s non-finish drops him to fourth behind Forsyth and Arnold.

Roadsport-A

Changing conditions see the championship leaders succumb to the magnetism of the Tower barrier and a stunning drive from Jamie Orton, blowing the table wide open.

In a repeat of Silverstone, JJ O’Malley and Ian Payne lined up on the front row for race one and set about racing alongside each other, exchanging the lead.  But when rain came shortly before mid-distance, chaos ensued.  As the grip disappeared, Superlight R300 regular Peter Young stirred into action.  Already on a charge up the grid, the wet conditions suited him perfectly and he joined the lead group, passing Payne in time to see JJ O’Malley be the first of the leaders to find the Tower barrier (joining a car already there).  Payne couldn’t stay with Young, or on the track, and joined O’Malley at Tower a lap later.  Young now had a healthy lead, but behind him Orton had passed twenty-five cars and was staggeringly now in second place.  Caught out by a timetable running ahead of schedule, Orton had arrived at the grid almost too late to take the start and had been demoted to the rear.  Unfazed, he’d been picking off drivers quietly, but when the rain came he really stormed through the field.  As the track dried, Young’s advantage diminished and Orton reeled him in, passing him to take his first race win.  Behind Orton and Young a three way battle for the final podium pace went the way of Graham Johnson ahead of Jonathan Ramsay and Antony Sidney-Wollett, well ahead of the remaining pack

The grid for race two had been substantially thinned by the loss of not only O’Malley and Payne, but also Richard Cater and Rob Vissers, all victims of individual offs at Tower.  With his Silverstone disappointment behind him, Graham Johnson was back on form and quickly took the lead from Orton who was having a ding-dong with Richard Boughton.  Boughton span at Quarry leaving the close-by Orton to take evasive action putting the pair out of running for the lead.  Johnson drove a commanding lead with Jonathan Ramsay and Peter Young riding shotgun all the way to the flag.  Young content with both third and setting a perhaps unassailable lap record early in the race as the lead five ran nose to tail.

Jamie Orton now assumes the championship lead, two points ahead of Graham Johnson with Antony Widney-Woollett in third.  O’Malley and Payne drop to seventh and ninth respectively.

Roadsport-B

Roadsport-B continues to provide the closest racing as Lee Wiggins’ rivals try to stop his march towards the title.

Steve Day qualified in his customary pole position, only to once again hand over the lead to Wiggins within the first lap.  He wasn’t to be deterred though and hounded Wiggins to the line, briefly snatching the lead back in the dying laps before Wiggins won through.  In the meantime, Reece Somerfield, Jeremy Webb and Ben Whibley fought amongst themselves for the other podium place and the chance to snatch a bigger trophy if Wiggins or Day let slip for a moment.  But despite some near moments, it wasn’t to be, Webb finishing in third though Whibley had been the fastest man on the track.

The Wiggins, Day and Webb party looked set to continue in race two until new boy Reece Somerfield leapfrogged from fourth into first on lap five at Quarry, which set the group into action.  A demoted Webb did the same trick a few laps later only for the large crowd at Tower to experience deja-vu as he became the third Caterham race leader of the day to exit the race here.  Somerfield assumed the lead with Wiggins attached to the back of his car until the last lap when he made an overtake move stick, edging across the line for his second win of the day.  Behind the pair, Whibley was rewarded with third for being fastest again, with Martin Addison fourth and a dramatic backwards-across-the-grass taking of the chequered flag by Day for fifth.

Day and Whllbey move up to second and third in the championship ahead of Webb and Addison, whilst Wiggins starts to stretch his lead.

Next Rounds: Zolder, 5^th & 6^th June.

Race Report – Silverstone

Just one week after the opening R300 rounds, the weather at Silverstone couldn’t have been more different for the family of Caterham Roadsport championships.  Blue skies and not a hint of rain gave everyone something to smile about, as did the sometimes wincingly-close racing that the National circuit always provides.

Supersports

James MacLachlan produced a peerless display in his immaculate blue car to take an early lead in Caterham’s newest championship.

In Saturday’s race, the DPR Motorsport driver briefly lost the lead in the opening laps after a mistake at Brooklands dropped him to fourth, but was quickly back at the front whilst the drivers behind jostled for the remaining podium places.  Paul Begley, Iain Forsythe and new-to-Caterhams Nick Fronzoni all took turns at harrying MacLachlan for the lead, with Begley and Fronzoni both very briefly getting a nose in front.  But MacLachlan held his nerve and crossed the line just one tenth of a second ahead of Begley.  The one-tenth separation would become a feature of all the Caterham racing over the weekend.  Forsythe took the remaining trophy whilst an impressive drive from an uncharacteristic thirteenth on the grid gave Rod Arnold valuable points in fourth, after displacing Fronzoni on the final lap.

There was no such trouble from the also-rans on Sunday for MacLachlan.  A superb first lap gave him a one-and-a-half second lead over the Begley/Forsythe/Arnold battle that started on lap one and didn’t finish until they’d crossed the line thirty minutes later, helping MacLachlan disappear eleven seconds up the road.  MacLachlan’s fellow Academy 09 graduate Forsythe went one better than Saturday to take second, after trading places all through the race with the Trackcars supported car of Begley, who spent much of it sporting one of Arnold’s wings around his nose cone.  Begley took third and Arnold another fourth, but the drive of the race belonged to Robert Smith, who finished sixth having started last, after retiring from the lead group of the first race with fuel problems.

Roadsport-A

JJ O’Malley leads the championship after Silverstone, thanks to a pair of wins that couldn’t have been more closely fought.

Occasional Roadsport-A racer Ian Payne, now aiming for a full season, put his orange car on pole, but veteran O’Malley made the better start.  Payne held firm in the first few corners, but by lap two, Trackcars driver O’Malley was ahead – just.  The pair would be separated by just 0.01s on more than one occasion, but O’Malley retained the advantage.  Behind them, Magd Mohaffel, Antony Sidney-Wollett and Jamie Orton pushed themselves into the lead pair’s battle.  Sidney-Woollett was first to take advantage and would often grab the second-place spot, before a single mid-race lap in first for the PIM driver.  Meanwhile, Mohaffel’s DPR Motorsport car, confusingly nearly identical to Payne’s, made a measured attack on the podium, rising to second at just the right time, but it wasn’t to be.  O’Malley held onto first and Payne overcame Mohaffel for third with Sidney-Woolett fourth and Jamie Orton, who’d kept a watching brief on the lead four for the entire race, finishing fifth.

It was thought that the only way Payne could be closer to O’Malley was if he sat in the passenger seat for a race, but the pair did manage to reduce the gap even further on Sunday, with the same leading group joined by pre-race favourite Graham Johnson, who had been hampered by car trouble prior to race one, and ex-Caterham Grads racer Darrell Wilson.  Behind O’Malley, positions were changing lap after lap until the mid-way point when contact between Mohaffel and Payne pulled out a valve on Mohaffel’s front left tyre, sending him to the pits for a new wheel and putting him out of contention.  O’Malley and Payne now stretched their legs on the third place battle being fought between Orton and Sidney-Woollett.  Things became a little too close between the pair and Sidney-Woollett came off worst, dropping down to eighth, whilst Johnson was in a similar position with Mark Figes, Figes being spun even further down the field.  O’Malley took the chequered flag 1/20^th of a second ahead of Payne.  Orton maintained his third place to the end, whilst Wilson avoided trouble to finish fourth in a good debut weekend.

Roadsport-B

Roadsport-B provided the closest series in 2009 and following the opening rounds, 2010 looks sets for another to-the-wire year, but this time with even more drivers.

No fewer than eight cars squabbled over the lead in Saturday’s race, with Lee Wiggins, pole man Steve Day and Academy 09 Gp2 champion Ben Whibley, all taking their turns to lead the pack.  Behind them, but only just, Martin Addison and Jeremy Webb were enjoying banging wheels, whilst Richard Dolby, Chris Lay and the other 09 Academy champion Jay Gardner couldn’t find a way past.  Wiggins passed Whibley for the lead with three laps to go and made it stick to the line; Whibley less than the customary tenth behind.  Day picked up the third place trophy, with Webb in fourth and Addison fifth.

Whibley made the early running on Sunday and for a moment, looked liked he’d broken the tow, surging a massive three-quarters of a second ahead…  But Webb had other ideas and reeled him in before passing for the lead.  Wiggins came back from being shunted down the order in the first few laps to snatch the lead from Webb at the halfway point.  Webb would have it back within a couple of laps and in the confusion of just who should be leading the race, Wiggins span (or was spun) well down the order, leaving Day to pick up the battle with Webb.  Day and Webb set about exchanging the lead, just 0.001s separating them at one point.  Meanwhile, the two Academy champions were now together, Gardner working his way up the order and Whibley his way down.  Gardner put a strong move on Whibley to take third, punting him down to eighth.  It was Webb who would lead at the crucial time to take the win from Day, with Gardner in third and Addison just behind.  Wiggins, showing an amazing display of speed and determination, recovered to finish fifth.  However, the stewards were already looking at the Gardner/Whibley clash and penalised Gardner, who acknowledged and accepted his part in the incident, with 10 seconds, dropping him to ninth.

Wiggins leads the table, with Webb and Day just behind, reminiscent of the Fowell/Sawyer/Brannan scrap last year.  This time, however, Addison, Dolby and Lay clearly have the pace to stay with them and Gardner has been artificially pushed down the table.  The race, literally, is on.

Next Rounds: Castle Combe, 3^rd May.

A new season for the three Avon Tyres Roadsport championships gets underway in slipstream-tastic style at Silverstone on the weekend of the 10/11^th April and like the R300’s, there’s no clear cut pecking order.

Roadsport-B sees most of the drivers progressing from the 2009 season Academy with the same cars now equipped with sticky tyres and a small suspension modification.  As Academy produces two champions from its twin grids, at least one will be disappointed later in the year.  Jay Gardner won his title convincingly, whilst in the second (equal) group, Ben Whibley won through consistency having never actually won a race!

It’s Whibley’s rivals from 2009 that will provide the biggest challenge for the two champions.  The Geezers from Essex, Lee Wiggins and Steve Day lead the charge.  Wiggins all but had the championship sown up last year, but snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with a spin at Mallory trying to fend off Day, who himself had to make way for Jeremy Webb.  Webb finished runner-up to Whibley, his neighbour from Tonbridge in Kent.  Can Webb, Wiggins and Day overcome the champions?  You wouldn’t bet against it.

In Roadsport A, all eyes should be on ’09 runner-up Mike Steadman who could so easily have taken last year’s title, but he’s sitting out the start of the season recovering from a wrist injury.  This will open the door to a host of front runners, keen to make hay whilst Mike is sidelined.  Chief amongst them is Steadman’s teammate Graham Johnson.  Johnson knows how to win and has a consistency that alludes the pursing pack, such as JJ O’Malley and Jamie Orton.  Both are often untouchably quick, but also have a tendency to push the boundaries of physics a little too far.  Meanwhile, improving performances from third-place specialist Jonathan Ramsey and occasional front-runner Anthony Sidney-Woollett could push them to the top of the table.  But once Steadman is back behind the wheel, all will have to raise their game…

The newest member of the Roadsport family is Supersports.  This Ford powered series is taking over from Rover powered Roadsport-A as the progression from Roadsport-B.  A tremendous debut year is guaranteed as the top four drivers from last year’s Roadsport-B series have all progressed into R300, blowing the formbook wide open.

Paul Begley and Robert Smith were the only other drivers to pick up trophies in Roadsport-B last year, though Begley had the edge on regular results by some margin.  Just one point ahead of him at the end of the season was Rod Arnold.  Arnold went home empty handed at every round, despite strong performances, but this this dearth of silverware is likely to be replaced with the exact opposite in 2010.  Meanwhile, James MacLachlan and Iain Forsythe jump straight from Academy to take on the more experienced racers.  Although MacLachlan never quite made it to the podium in his first year, he has a string of fourths and Forsythe was just behind.  It might come as a surprise to their competitors to see them on the podium, but not to those in the know…

“It’s going to be a very exciting year for Roadsports”, explains Caterham Motorsport Manager Simon Lambert, “They provide some of our closest racing, so to add a third grid in the form of the new Supersport will make for action packed weekends.  Best of all, there isn’t a sure-fire winner in any of the series, so who knows what might happen!”

Background

The Roadsport championships form the bulk of the Caterham Motorsport ladder, with the progression from Academy into Roadsport-B, then on to Supersport.  Roadsport-A remains part of the mix to cater for pre-2007 Academy based cars in this ever popular series.  As with all Caterham racing, close control of the regulations ensures a level playing field of machinery and in Roadsport-B team support is prohibited to keep costs in check.

Specification

All Roadsport cars are based on an upgrade Academy car.  Roadsport B and Supersport share the same 125bhp Sigma engine and 5 speed gearbox, driving an non-LSD differential and Avon CR500 tyres.  The Supersport is stripped of its light and screen to give it a race car fell, race springs and dampers replace the original road spec items.  Roadsport-A provided the template for Supersport, so is a similar specification, except powered by a 120bhp Rover k-series engine.

Points & Awards

20 points are awarded for a win, then 18-17-16-15 and so on, with 1 point for every classified finisher.  An additional point is awarded for the fastest lap.  Drivers count their best twelve of fourteen scores for the championship.  Trophies are awarded to 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd.

Championship Rounds

10/11 April – Silverstone
3 May – Castle Combe
5/6 June – Zolder, Belgium
3/4 July – Rockingham
21/22 August – Brands Hatch Indy
4 September– Oulton Park International
23/24 October – Snetterton.