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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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Menasheh now has a four-week break from competitive action with rounds 13 and 14 of the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship taking place over the weekend 1st/2nd August at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk.
Provisional
2009 Formula Renault UK Championship Positions (after Rd12):
Provisional
2009 Formula Renault UK ‘Graduate Cup’ Positions (after Rd12):
pics . Jakob Ebrey Photography
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mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk Two Points Finishes At Silverstone For Battling Idafar
Nick Yelloly was the next target and Menasheh passed him on the very next tour to go into 18th spot but a to-and-fro battle at mid-distance resulted in him dropping back into 19th position behind Alice Powell where he would remain to the chequered flag. Fighting hard to find a way by his fellow Graduate Cup competitor, at the finish they were split by only 0.4 seconds. Over the course of the weekend, a total of 135,000 spectators flocked to the track to watch all of the action from the World Series by Renault event – easily the biggest crowd Menasheh has ever raced in front of. For round 12, Menasheh started in 19th place – as he did for the earlier encounter – and a great battle ensued from lap three onward between the Hillspeed driver and former Formula Renault BARC title rival Ollie Hancock. Menasheh moved ahead of the 2008 BARC Champion on the fourth lap and remained ahead until the 13th tour when contact involving Jordan Williams occurred.
Running at full speed towards the first turn, Copse Corner, Williams was
under pressure from Menasheh but as the former darted back onto the
racing line he clipped the front wing of the Hillspeed car, breaking it
and also causing himself to pick up a puncture. Team principal Richard Ollerenshaw said: “It’s been quite a tough event for us but Menasheh did produce some good performances in the races. He raced well with Alice (Powell) in the first one and then got the better of Ollie (Hancock) nicely in race two. It certainly wasn’t Menasheh’s fault at Copse, there was nothing he could do and he actually performed well to finish where he did.
“We were exceptionally pleased with his racing in both rounds, it was
very clean and he put pressure on the drivers ahead, generally forcing
them into making minor mistakes. Our goal this year was to work on
Menasheh’s racing ability as his overall speed in testing and qualifying
is unquestionable.” BETTER FORTUNE FOR IDAFAR DURING ROUND 10 AT CROFT
The 18-year-old, who lined up on the ninth row of the grid after posting a lap of 1m18.387 seconds (97.59mph) during qualifying on Saturday, was in the thick of the action at the lower end of the points-paying positions and battled hard to take a 17th place finish overall, just under a couple of seconds shy of the top 15.
Although slipping outside the top 20 early on, the Ortolan and Gulf
Computer Services backed racer recovered well and mounted a determined
drive which culminated with a good move for 17th place at the hairpin on
lap 11 when he sliced by a couple of rivals who tangled and delayed each
other. “After Saturday’s race we were able to see Menasheh had picked up damage to the wood on the underside of the car when he went off at the first corner, so he actually did very well to finish the race at all and grab a point. All in all, there are positives to take from the weekend.”
UNLUCKY DAY FOR IDAFAR AT SUN-KISSED CROFT
Qualifying with the 18th fastest time of 1m18.072 seconds (97.98mph) for round nine, just half a second outside the top 10, Menasheh was confident of an improvement during the round 10 session but a broken rear wishbone, suspension pick-up and damaged wheel rim – the result of contact with the equally unfortunate Jordan Oakes – limited his pace and he ended up 18th quickest again. At the start of round nine, the 18-year-old was forced slightly wide at Clervaux and therefore lost a position on the run through Hawthorn but into Tower Bend he moved back into 18th place when Oakes ran off the circuit into retirement. In the middle of a very tight scrap involving three or four cars, Menasheh found himself squeezed wide once again, this time at the exit of the hairpin on lap three, and after recovering onto the track he was in 20th place. By lap six, the Hillspeed youngster was back into 18th and looking to make continued progress as he fought in a closely matched group of cars all queuing up behind David McDonald in 16th position, the latter struggling with a broken front wing. On lap eight though, a spin for Menasheh as he exited the hairpin meant he fell down the order out of the points. Mounting a good recovery, the Ortolan and Gulf Computer Services backed racer did manage to climb back into the top 20 before the finish on lap 15 to at least claim a championship point and he now hopes for a more straightforward outing in-front of the live TV cameras this afternoon, Sunday, 14th June, during round 10. Hillspeed’s Matt Shawyer commented: “It’s been another frustrating and very unlucky day for Menasheh and the team but we’re determined to have a better run during Sunday’s race. It’ll be tough starting on the ninth row again but with a little better luck we stand a decent chance of a fair result and some reasonable championship points.”
BATTLING IDAFAR SALVAGES TOP 15 FINISH AT OULTON PARK
The Hillspeed driver, who couldn’t quite put together the qualifying performance he wanted on Saturday at the 2.23-mile Island Circuit, started the first of Sunday’s races an uncharacteristic 22nd on the grid and was lucky not to be taken out on the opening lap when contact at Island Bend forced him off the track. Rejoining down the order, Menasheh fought his way back brilliantly into 18th place by lap 13 and he then gained another position on the following tour to edge ahead of team-mate Lee Dwyer. After the race, the 18-year-old was promoted into 15th place when former Formula Renault BARC rival Ollie Hancock and Dean Stoneman were both handed time penalties by officials. Although disappointed to have been placed on the back foot on the first lap of the weekend’s opening race, Menasheh did drive well during his recovery through the order, especially as he had some problems with his steering following the contact at the hairpin. For round eight, Menasheh started an improved 18th on the grid but his involvement in the race came to an end on lap three when contact to the rear of his car as he exited The Avenue pitched him into a spin and retirement at Dentons. Having started the weekend very well indeed during Friday’s practice sessions, Menasheh was hoping to battle for a brace of top 10 finishes but it wasn’t to be. He now takes that aim on to the ninth and 10th rounds of the season which will take place at Croft in North Yorkshire in two weeks. Looking back on the Oulton Park weekend, Hillspeed team boss Richard Ollerenshaw said: “We’re all disappointed with the outcome as we had good pace on Friday but qualifying was where everything went wrong for us. Salvaging a 15th place after the contact on lap one in the first race was a good drive by Menasheh and he should be pleased with it. “Race two was simply a racing incident, he was battling with Ryan Singleton as they headed towards Cascades but was then tagged from behind by another car which forced him out of the race. The weekend was exceptionally hot and it was the first time Menasheh had driven a Formula Renault UK car in those conditions so the experience will have served him well.”
DONINGTON DISAPPOINTMENT FOR IDAFAR
Having produced tremendous pace on Saturday in the round five qualifying session in particular where he was an excellent sixth fastest, the 18-year-old had a moment at the Old Hairpin on the first lap of the opening race on Sunday which saw him drop right down the order. Pitting after the spin so his Hillspeed team could check over the car, Menasheh went back out into the race a lap down on the leaders and although he missed out on the opportunity to score any championship points he did, at least, post the fastest lap of any of the Graduate Cup runners with a time of 1m06.340 seconds (106.21mph) – just half a second shy of the best lap of all. While the race result was far from what Menasheh had hoped for and expected following his superb qualifying performance on Saturday, he was at least able to prove his raw pace when he went back out on track. Round six – which took place in wet conditions – wasn’t without its problems for the Ortolan and Gulf Computer Services supported driver but he did manage to score five championship points with a 16th place finish, the sixth highest placed Graduate Cup runner. Lining up 13th on the grid, Menasheh remained in position on the opening lap after a decent run through the first few corners before the race came under caution following the deployment of the Safety Car at the start of lap two due to some cars off the circuit at Hollywood. After the re-start, Menasheh did slip a couple of places unfortunately but managed to bring the car home just half a second outside the top 15. Disappointed with the weekend’s eventual outcome, driver and team can at least be buoyed by the performance displayed throughout qualifying. Commenting on the weekend, Hillspeed’s Richard Ollerenshaw said: “It’s a shame the races turned out the way they did for Menasheh as our pace in qualifying was very good. That’s the way racing goes sometimes though, we just have to dust ourselves down and come back stronger during the next race meeting two weeks from now.”
FRUSTRATION FOR IDAFAR DURING ROUND FOUR AT THRUXTON
Lining up 12th on the grid after qualifying just over half a second shy of pole position with a time of 1m 11.355 seconds (118.86mph) on Saturday, Menasheh ran solidly in the first half dozen positions during the opening tour but slipped a handful of places after a slight moment on lap two. Battling around the top 15 through mid-distance, the Hillspeed racer moved into 14th place on lap 11 but then had a huge spin when going through the ultra-fast back section of the 2.355-mile track the next time around. Fighting hard in a tight group including Tama's Pa'l Kiss, Thomas Hylkema, Dean Smith and David McDonald, Menasheh looked to go around the outside at Goodwood Corner but his left rear wheel just edged onto the grass and pitched his 2.0-litre single-seater into a major spin. Luckily emerging unscathed, the 18-year-old was able to rejoin the race at the back of the field but managed to salvage a championship point on the final lap from fellow Graduate Cup runner Will Stevens who himself had a costly spin. Menasheh's race pace was certainly good enough to secure a top 10 finish during Sunday's encounter, underlining his undoubted progress, but attention now turns to the two-day official championship test which is scheduled for 6th/7th May at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire. Speaking on the latest action, Hillspeed team boss Richard Ollerenshaw said: "We were impressed this weekend with the improvement Menasheh has shown in his racecraft. His pace was good, certainly good enough for two top 10 finishes, but he took a gamble which didn't pay off. "It's still very early in the season but Menasheh is showing good speed and he's learning all of the time. He was racing wheel-to-wheel with some very good drivers this afternoon and that can only be good for his experience." THRUXTON TOP 10 JUST ELUDES IDAFAR DURING CONFUSING ROUND THREE
In the Graduate Cup standings for championship newcomers, the 18-year-old Hillspeed driver remains in the top five following this afternoon’s outing which saw a mix-up involving the Safety Car cost Menasheh a number of places at the end of the opening lap. Qualifying a superb sixth fastest, and second quickest Graduate Cup runner, with a time of 1m 15.197 seconds (112.79mph), the Ortolan and Gulf Computer Services backed racer stood a terrific chance during round three and things initially looked positive after a reasonable getaway from thegrid. Further behind, a start-line collision involving a handful of cars further down the order resulted in the deployment of the Safety Car in time for the start of lap two but with cautionary boards shown at Woodham Hill prior to end of lap one, the driver ahead of Menasheh slowed. Reacting to the drop in pace, Menasheh lessened his speed too but the four cars behind all passed him on the run into Club Chicane amid some confusion among the championship runners. With the Safety Car on track awaiting the competitors as they exited the chicane, Menasheh found himself down in 13th position following the mix-up but he fought back into 11th place before the finish. Commenting on the race, Hillspeed team principal Richard Ollerenshaw said: “Menasheh reacted exactly as he’s been taught to do by observing the Safety Car boards immediately and yet lost four places to other drivers who didn’t reduce their speed. Unfortunately he was unable to make those places up but he raced well and scored more good points to remain fifth in the Graduate Cup.”
TOP 10 TARGET ACHIEVED BY IDAFAR DURING ROUND TWO AT BRANDS
Qualifying for round two in sixth position and the highest placed of the rookie drivers, the Hillspeed racer was looking forward to the outing but he didn't get the start he wanted and lost ground to a couple of rivals as the encounter got underway on the 1.2-mile track. Determined to make amends and secure his first top 10 finish of the season, Menasheh battled on and fought a very good race with a number of drivers including team-mate Lee Dwyer and highly-rated British karting graduate Will Stevens. Running inside the top eight early on, Menasheh slipped to ninth at Druids Hairpin on lap three but remained ahead of close rival Stevens. Pressing on to try and take eighth position, the British-born Bahraini -- whose best lap was a mere three 100ths of a second shy of the best time set by any of the rookie drivers -- made a couple of attempts at Clearways on lap 14 and Paddock Hill Bend at the start of lap 15, but the latter saw him lose some momentum and this allowed Stevens to mount an attack. On lap 20, the safety car was deployed onto track while the stranded car of Ryan Singleton was removed from the gravel trap on the exit of Paddock. At the re-start, Menasheh handled it well and maintained his top 10 placing but on lap 23, Stevens managed to edge through at Surtees. Round one wasn't as fruitful for the Gulfol, Gulf Computer Services and Ortolan backed driver with a 19th place finish largely the result of a qualifying run which didn't go as hoped, tyre choice proving critical in the damp conditions on Saturday morning. Lining up on the ninth row of the grid, he raced solidly enough and at least ensured he started the season with a double points-scoring finish. "We're very pleased to have seen Menasheh pick up a top 10 finish this weekend, that was a target we had in mind so we're happy to have achieved that aim", said Hillspeed team principal Richard Ollerenshaw, "He was the third highest Graduate Cup runner in the second race too so that was a promising start. The first race was unfortunate but if you don't qualify well at Brands Indy, to make up any ground in the races is nigh-on impossible." Combining his brace of points scores from the first event of the 2009 championship, Menasheh is equal 14th in the overall Formula Renaulkt UK driver standings -- tied on 13 points with reigning Formula Renault BARC Champion Ollie Hancock -- and in the Graduate Cup chase he is fifth. pics . Jakob Ebrey Photography |
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Determined
performances from Menasheh Idafar during rounds 11 and 12 of the
Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship at Silverstone Grand Prix
Circuit yesterday, Sunday, 5th July, enabled the 18-year-old category
rookie to secure a brace of points scoring finishes. 
Hillspeed’s
Menasheh Idafar emerged from an action-packed 10th round of the Michelin
Formula Renault UK Championship at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire
yesterday afternoon, Sunday, 14th June, as the sixth highest placed
‘Graduate Cup’ runner. 
First
year Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship racer Menasheh Idafar
bounced back from an unfortunate spin during the ninth round of the
season at Croft in North Yorkshire yesterday, Saturday, 13th June, to
salvage a points-scoring finish on what proved to be a fairly luckless
day.
Gulf
Computer Services and Ortolan backed racer Menasheh Idafar had a
bittersweet experience at Oulton Park in Cheshire over the weekend,
30th/31st May, after bouncing back from a difficult run in qualifying to
secure a fighting top 15 comeback drive in the seventh round of the
season. 
Donington
Park National Circuit was the venue for the most difficult race meeting
of the 2009 season for Michelin Formula Renault UK racer Menasheh Idafar
over the weekend, 16th/17th May, a very promising qualifying effort
compromised by a couple of unfortunate race incidents. 
Michelin
Formula Renault UK racer Menasheh Idafar endured a highly frustrating
fourth round of the 2009 season at Thruxton on Sunday, 26th April, but
still managed to maintain a top 15 position in the driver standings.
Round
three of the 2009 Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship saw Menasheh
Idafar just miss out on his second top 10 finish of the season on
Saturday, 25th April, but 10 points for 11th position saw the teenager
maintain 13th place overall in the driver standings. 
Michelin
Formula Renault UK Championship competitor Menasheh Idafar secured a
richly deserved top 10 finish during the second of today's two races at
Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in Kent; the 18-year-old concluding the
opening weekend of the season fifth overall in the 'Graduate Cup'
standings.