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Provisional Formula Renault BARC Championship FR2000 Class standings – Round 12
Provisional Formula Renault BARC Championship Club Class standings – Round 12
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mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk Formula Renault BARC Championship Yousif and Seidlitz win at final round
Alpine Motorsport’s Isa Yousif and Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Johannes Seidlitz took one win a piece in the final two rounds of the 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship at Silverstone National circuit on Sunday, 5th October. Bahraini driver Yousif dominated the rain-affected round 11, while German racer Seidlitz won his fourth race of the season in round 12. In Club Class, 22-year-old Edward Heinzelmann took two victories ahead of Adrian Dixon and Fraser Smart. Smart’s two podium finishes were enough to secure Club Class title having never finished outside the top three all season. In wet and windy conditions, round 11 saw Hillspeed’s Ahmad Al Harthy line up as pole-sitter with Mark Burdett Motorsport’s James Dixon and Hillspeed’s Menasheh Idafar in second and third. As the lights went out for the start of the race, a great start by fifth place Yousif saw him shoot into second behind Al Harthy closely followed by Double M Racing’s Ross Curnow who also got away well from fourth. By the time the top three drivers reached Luffield for the first time they were three abreast with Yousif and Curnow just squeezing past Al Harthy to take first and second respectively with Al Harthy following in third. Club Class pole-sitter Steven Durrant quickly saw his chances of snatching the championship title from Smart end on lap two after spinning off at Brooklands into the gravel. On lap three a mistake by Curnow allowed Seidlitz, who had earlier passed fourth-placed Ash Davies, to move into second but this was short-lived as on lap nine the German spun at Luffield ending his race. As the 14-lap race continued around the 1.64-mile circuit, Yousif began to stretch his lead over Curnow with Al Harthy following closely in third and Davies in fourth. In the middle of the field, SSS Motorsport’s Lee Dwyer, who started 10th on the grid, and Dixon, keen to make up for a poor start, were battling hard for fifth and sixth places with Dixon eventually getting passed Dwyer on lap 12. By the last lap, Yousif had built a sizeable lead of almost 12 seconds to take the chequered flag comfortably – setting the fastest lap of the race in the process at 1min 06.984s (88.08mph) – with Curnow and Al Harthy finishing second and third respectively. Despite starting from the back of the grid after having his times disallowed due to receiving mechanical assistance during qualifying, Club Class driver Heinzelmann showed his superiority in the wet to clinch victory with Dixon in second and Smart, who struggled to find grip, finishing third to all but secure the title.
Fourth win for Seidlitz
A spin by Yousif at Luffield on lap one resulted in an early end to his race allowing Curnow to briefly head the field before Seidlitz out-braked him going into Copse on lap two to move into the lead. Idafar remained in third with Davies, Dixon and HS Motorsport’s Brett Parris following closely. In Club Class, Heinzelmann made the most of his pole position with Smart and Dixon fighting for second and third. Durrant, who had qualified second, was unable to start the race due to a fuelling problem. By lap seven, Seidlitz was already opening up a significant lead over Curnow before the Salisbury driver spun at Becketts on lap nine dropping him down the order. Idafar inherited into second as Seidlitz increased his lead to more than five seconds. Parris was showing great pace and moved up to fourth by lap 10 and then took third place from Dixon at Brooklands on lap 12. By the last lap Seidlitz had a comfortable lead to claim his fourth victory of the season and to move him into second in the championship standings just behind Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock, who was absent at Silverstone having already sealed the championship title in round 10 at Thruxton. Idafar looked destined to take second place until a determined Parris overtook him on the last corner of the last lap to claim the place with Idafar completing the podium in third. Heinzelmann took his second victory of the day in Club Class, setting the fastest lap in the process at 1.02.159s (94.92mph) to give him a tally of 33 points from the weekend out of a possible 34. Dixon and Smart reversed their finishing positions with the Scotsman taking second to win the title by 23 points from Durrant. Commenting on his victory in round 11 Yousif said: “I’m really pleased with my win especially in such slippery conditions, plus I don’t have much experience of driving in the wet. It was a long wait for the race to start with all the rain this morning but I tried to work hard and do the best I could.” Winner of round 12 Seidlitz, said: “To end the season with a victory is great and to finish second overall is even better. The conditions today were really difficult but the team had set up the car well and I managed to not make any mistakes in the second race.” Commenting on his two Club Class victories Heinzelmann said: “I couldn’t have asked for more this weekend, it’s just a shame it couldn’t have been like this all season! The car has felt just right all weekend and I much prefer driving in the wet. To finish third overall in the championship means a lot too, especially as I am a complete novice to single-seater racing.” 2008 Club Class champion Fraser Smart said: “I’m delighted to take the title as both the team and I have worked really hard all season to be consistently good. It’s a shame Steven [Durrant] had such a poor final round as I know we both would have preferred to have taken it to the wire, particular as we’ve raced so closely all season.” Commenting on his weekend, Steven Durrant said: “It’s been a disastrous weekend for both me and the team and I’m really disappointed not to have done better. I spun at Brooklands in race one and that pretty much handed the championship to Fraser [Smart]. I had a fuelling problem in race two which meant we were unable to start and so all in all not the best way to end the season.” pics Paul Williams
HANCOCK RACES TO TITLE AT HOME CIRCUIT Ollie Hancock wrapped up the 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship title with two races to spare after finishing second in round 10 at Thruxton on Sunday, 7th September. The Apotex Scorpio Motorsport driver came through from seventh on the grid to follow home race-winner Johannes Seidlitz of Mark Burdett Motorsport, who took his third victory of the campaign. Hillspeed’s pole-sitter Ahmad Al Harthy completed the podium line-up. Privateer Fraser Smart took the Club Class honours for the fourth time this season to open a 12-point lead over Steven Durrant who finished third. Durrant’s Muzz Race team-mate Adrian Dixon split the pair in second. The morning’s qualifying session was held on a drying track causing lap times to tumble throughout. A number of drivers took turns to head the 28-strong field but the session ended with Omani racer Ahmad Al Harthy on pole with a time of 1min 14.511s (113.82mph) around the 2.36-mile Hampshire circuit. Seidlitz was second ahead of HS Motorsport/Antel’s Brett Parris, Triple D’s Nathan Coulter, Mark Burdett’s James Dixon and Alpine Motorsport’s Kenny Andrews. Heuthsports of Royston’s Edward Heinzelmann took the Club Class pole in 22nd overall. Despite overcast conditions, the expected rain failed to materialise in the afternoon. As the race got underway, Seidlitz immediately took the lead with a move around the outside at Allard. Parris suffered a loss of power in his engine on the Green Flag Lap and fell back through the pack to eventual retirement, while Hancock went in the opposite direction passing four cars on the opening tour to reach third place. SSS Motorsport’s Lee Dwyer also had a flying start, moving from 12th to seventh on lap one. Hancock tried to pass Al Harthy at the Complex on lap two but had to back out of the move, before taking the place on lap three at Club chicane. Seidlitz opened a handy one-second lead, while Dixon tried to take third from Coulter at the Complex but spun down to 19th place. The Club Class lead changed hands three times in the early stages, starting with Durrant passing Heinzelmann on lap one. The five-time race-winner then ran wide and onto the grass through Goodwood, damaging his front wing and handing the lead back to Heinzelmann. The lead lasted just one lap, before the pole-man replicated Durrant’s mistake and damaged the front of his car to fall to fifth as Adrian Dixon became the third man to lead. Lap four saw Coulter and Al Harthy touch at Club as Coulter tried to take third place, the Northern Irishman retiring immediately as Al Harthy continued but fell behind Andrews. One lap later, Smart took the lead in Club Class with Dixon unable to offer much resistance to the Scot as he drafted past up Woodham Hill. By lap seven, Seidlitz’ lead was up to three seconds as Andrews, Al Harthy and Hillspeed’s Menasheh Idafar began to close on Hancock. The second half of the 14-lap race began with Al Harthy and Idafar dropping Dwyer, while Alpine’s Isa Yousif started to pick up pace in seventh place. After Welch Motorsport’s Kourosh Khani spun out of the race at the Complex on lap eight, Tempus Sport’s Don De Graaff almost followed on lap 10. De Graaff was trying to pass Hillspeed’s Michael Lyons for 10th place but spun as he reacted to the yellow flags deployed with respect to Khani’s stricken car and had to abort the manoeuvre. Hancock set his personal best lap time on lap 10 but it was Yousif who scored the bonus point for the race’s fastest lap at 1min 14.423s (113.96mph). Hancock then had a poor 11th lap allowing Andrews to cut half a second from his advantage as Seidlitz stretched away to safety. Like Seidlitz, Club Class leader Smart was managing the gap to Adrian Dixon, while Durrant had recovered to third place. In the closing stages, Idafar was looking to gain further places and almost took fourth from Al Harthy but thought twice about passing at Allard. Later on lap 13, the leaders caught a back-marker and Andrews was forced to brake through the fast corners midway round the lap. Al Harthy took full advantage of his greater momentum to reclaim third place, while Idafar dropped to seventh behind Yousif. Seidlitz locked a wheel under braking for the chicane on the penultimate lap despite being under no pressure. Yousif continued his second-half charge by passing Dwyer on the final lap but his team-mate Andrews was unable to catch Al Harthy for the final podium spot. At the chequered flag, German driver Seidlitz celebrated the race win but behind him, Hancock easily did enough to clinch the title at his home circuit. Smart was first home in Club Class, a full four seconds ahead of Dixon. The podium presentation saw Hancock doused in champagne as friends and supporters joined the celebrations. Commenting on his race win, Seidlitz said: “I got a good start and went for the lead straight away at the first bend and then had the inside at the Complex. Once I was ahead I got a gap as quickly as possible and made sure I kept it steady so it was quite a straightforward win.” New FR2000 Class champion Ollie Hancock said: “It’s just fantastic to win the championship today, I can’t quite believe it in a way. Again I have to thank the team at Scorpio who have done such a great job for me all year. The race today went well after a disappointing qualifying – I got off the line well and did most of the hard work on the first lap. After that I just had to concentrate on scoring the points I needed.” Third-placed Ahmad Al Harthy said: “In the end I’m quite happy with third place because my exhaust was hit early on and then I had a touch with Coulter at the chicane. I didn’t want to test how much damage there was to my wheel, it wasn’t worth the risk so I just made sure I kept going and was able to get back to third by the end of the race.” Club Class winner Fraser Smart said: “We had to make some repairs to the car after qualifying and the race was the perfect outcome for me. The car was working really well and I was quick enough to catch and pass Adrian in the slipstream. Once I’d built the gap I just kept an eye on it and it sets things up nicely for Silverstone.” Second-placed Adrian Dixon said: “It’s a very tough race at Thruxton because although you’re not working so hard as some circuits with the amount of turns, the high-speed corners take it out of you. I knew Fraser was a bit quicker than me but I was able to stay with him when he got by, which is encouraging.” Third-placed Steven Durrant said: “A podium is usually good but from a championship point of view I need to be doing a lot better. I was obviously disappointed to go off and the damage done to my car basically settled my race then. To get back to third was damage limitation and about the best I could do.” With Hancock already clinching the FR2000 Class title, all eyes will be on the battle for the last-ever Club Class title, which will be decided in rounds 11 and 12 at Silverstone National circuit on 4th/5th October. Smart holds a 12-point advantage but would currently drop 10 points as each driver scores their best 11 results from 12 rounds.
VICTORIOUS HANCOCK HAS ONE HAND ON TITLE
Scotsman Fraser Smart took Club Class honours in round eight when title rival Steven Durrant retired with a snapped throttle cable. Durrant made amends in round nine with victory ahead of Smart to trail by just seven points in the Club Class standings. The morning’s qualifying session saw Hancock claim pole position for both races ahead of Yousif, with Double M Racing’s Ross Curnow and Hillspeed’s Menasheh Idafar on row two. Durrant took the Club Class pole for both races, on the 11th row overall. Race one began with the leaders making an even start, the top four on the grid followed by Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Johannes Seidlitz. Hillspeed’s Ahmad Al Harthy came through from ninth to sixth ahead of Mark Burdett’s James Dixon and Alpine’s Kenny Andrews. Hancock’s lead was short-lived, however, Yousif passing him with a brave move on the outside as the pair entered the Esses on lap two. The Bahraini driver was able to maintain the inside line for the right-handed half of the corner as he sought his first Formula Renault BARC victory. Down the order, Taro Motorsport’s Ash Davies passed Hillspeed’s Michael Lyons for 12th behind Tempus Sport’s Don de Graaff, who succumbed to the Welshman on the following lap. At the front, Yousif built a one-second lead by lap four and set the fastest lap of the race on lap six at 1min 08.620s (102.40mph). A poor second lap by Durrant saw him slip to second in Club Class behind Smart and the pair were separated by less then a second during the first half the race, crossing the line side by side to begin lap six with Durrant taking the lead. With the top three evenly spaced at 1.5s intervals, Davies completed his rise to the top 10 by overtaking HS Motorsport/Antel’s Brett Parris on lap five. Parris re-took the place on lap seven with a move that began at Riches and ended at Sear, while Dwyer passed Lyons after several unsuccessful attempts on the preceding laps. Lap eight saw Durrant crawl into the pits with his mechanical issue, gifting the Club Class lead to Smart with Steve Hanselman and Adrian Dixon filling the remaining podium positions. The start of lap 10 saw Andrews, Dixon and Triple D’s Nathan Coulter cross the line covered by less than a car length, Andrews maintain his seventh place, while Coulter slowed enough to lose ninth place to Parris. With Yousif untroubled by Hancock throughout the race, the main battle in the podium positions saw Curnow pressed constantly by Idafar, Curnow making no mistakes to allow the British-born Bahraini a chance of third place. Lap 11 saw Parris re-passed by Coulter as they continued their tussle for ninth before the Ulsterman put a wheel off the circuit at the Bomb Hole. As he slid back onto the track, he collected the unfortunate Parris ending both their races. With the cars in a dangerous position, the red flag was deployed to end the race and the result declared at the end of lap 10. Hancock hits the front Heavy rain between races saw the 29-strong field take to the grid on wet weather tyres for the start of round nine. Hancock bogged down on pole position allowing Yousif through into first place. In midfield, Pearson Engineering Services’ Ian Pearson stalled but great work from the marshals saw his car removed in time for the race to continue. With spray a problem for all the drivers, Andrews slid wide at Coram on lap two allowing Seidlitz through into fifth place. The end of lap three saw Alpine’s Belgian racer Jordi Weckx spin on Senna Straight, hitting the pit wall and bringing out the red flag. The race restarted over a revised 10-lap distance with the grid in race order. This time it was Yousif’s turn to struggle for grip on pole position allowing Hancock to move in front by going round the outside at Riches. The championship leader wasted little time in asserting himself, taking full advantage of a clear track and spray-free visor to build a six-second lead inside three laps. Parris picked up two places at the start to lie sixth. Curnow was third behind Yousif, followed by Seidlitz and Andrews. In Club Class, Durrant had made a great start to lie 12th overall ahead of several FR2000 Class cars and comfortably ahead of Smart. Lap three saw Yousif spin out of second place at the Esses, the corner where he had excelled in the earlier race. The mistake cost him 20 seconds and dropped him to 11th but he recovered to cross the line in eighth. Seidlitz inherited second place but was coming under extreme pressure from Curnow in third. They had a larger gap back to Andrews and Parris who were also running nose-to-tail. Lapped traffic was the only problem for Hancock, his lead reduced by three seconds when he caught a back marker but was unable to pass immediately due to yellow flags after a spin by Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Pierre Renom. A slide by James Dixon dropped him from seventh to 13th, while Welch Motorsport’s Kourosh Khani and Lyons both retired on lap six. Hancock rebuilt his lead to seven seconds by lap seven, while Idafar passed Tempus’ Niki Faulkner for seventh place. By now, Curnow had fallen several seconds behind Seidlitz as the German driver looked to take second place in the overall standings from Yousif. In Club Class, Durrant drove a superb race to be the only competitor in a pre-2000 car to remain on the lead lap, crossing the line in 15th overall. First to the chequered flag, however, was Hancock who now needs just five points from the final three races to clinch the title. Following post-race scrutineering, Ross Curnow was excluded from the results promoting Kenny Andrews into third place and his first podium of the season. Commenting on the weekend, Ollie Hancock said: “It’s gone almost as well as possible and now the job is nearly done. I came here looking for two podiums at the least so a second and a first is excellent. The conditions were tough in the afternoon but the best place to be in that situation is out in front and I made the most of it.” Round eight winner Isa Yousif said: “I’ve been waiting a long time to get a win in Formula Renault BARC so it feels great. I was very confident going for the overtaking move in race one and I have to thank the team for giving me a great car. I haven’t got much experience in the rain and made a small mistake but I will learn from it.” Club Class leader Fraser Smart, victor in round eight, said: “It’s not the way you want to win a race, seeing another car retire in front of you, because we’ve been having close races all season. We had to change the gearbox overnight on Friday so to get a win and still be leading the championship is a good reward for my whole team.” Round nine Club Class winner Steven Durrant said: “I was gutted to lose points to Fraser in the first race because it had been going so well, but winning this afternoon makes up for it. The conditions were pretty bad in the midfield with the spray so in a way it’s good just to finish. Hopefully we can close the gap further at the next event.”
COULTER AND SEIDLITZ WIN AS HANCOCK EXTENDS SERIES LEAD
In Club Class, Steven Durrant took two victories ahead of Fraser Smart and Edward Heinzelmann to cut Smart’s lead in the Club Class standings to just five points with Heinzelmann only eight points further back. Round six saw pole-sitter Coulter make a perfect start to lead the field into Clervaux for the first time. Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Seidlitz slotted into second with Alpine Motorsport’s Bahraini driver Isa Yousif passing Hillspeed’s Menasheh Idafar for fourth. Hillspeed’s Ahmad Al Harthy passed Mark Burdett’s James Dixon for fifth, while Durrant took the Club Class lead from Smart on lap two. SSS Motorsport’s Lee Dwyer passed Taro Motorsport’s Ash Davies at Tower Bend for ninth as the top eight broke away. Idafar passed Yousif at the Hairpin, while Al Harthy and Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Hancock, who had climbed from 11th on the grid, touched wheels on the exit of the Hairpin but remained sixth and seventh. On lap six, Idafar made a bid for second place but tagged the back of Seidlitz, spinning the German out of the race with a puncture and breaking his own front wing. Dixon then came through to take second ahead of Yousif and Al Harthy as Idafar dropped back, while Coulter took advantage to build a huge eight-second lead. A tremendous race continued with Yousif also struggling with an offset front wing, while Hancock and Dixon took to the grass after the latter suffered a puncture exiting the chicane. Al Harthy was now second ahead of Idafar and HS Motorsport/Antel’s Brett Parris, while Hancock passed Yousif on the inside at the Hairpin. In Club Class, there was still nothing to separate Durrant and Smart with the lead changing hands throughout the race. Heinzelmann’s pace dropped in the second half of the race but he was comfortably in third ahead of Adrian Dixon and Steve Hanselman. The end of lap 12 saw Hancock gain another place at the Hairpin as a wide entry preceded a tight exit to pass Parris for fourth. Coulter began the last lap with an 11.5s lead, while Durrant went past Smart at Clervaux for a decisive lead. At the chequered flag, Coulter took victory from Al Harthy by 12.003s with Idafar less than one second further back. After the race, Idafar was excluded following contact with both Seidlitz and James Dixon at the Hairpin, with punctures effectively ending the Mark Burdett Motorsport duo’s races when they had been lying second. Round six winner Nathan Coulter said: “I hadn’t tested at Croft until this weekend so I’m very happy to get m first victory in Formula Renault BARC. In the first few laps I tried to get my head down and open a gap and I then kept calm to pull away later in the race.”
Second win for Seidlitz Round seven saw Coulter bog down on the outside of the front row, while Idafar got away cleanly from pole position as a rain shower made conditions slippery. At the first corner, Idafar was spun into retirement in the gravel in an incident that also ended the races of his Hillspeed team-mates Al Harthy and Michael Lyons, plus Lee Dwyer. Having started 10th, Hancock immediately gained five places due to the retirements and Coulter’s poor start before going round the outside of Davies at Tower to lie fourth at the end of lap one behind Seidlitz, Yousif and Dixon. Durrant held the Club Class lead in 14th place overall, while Smart was again in a titanic battle, this time for second with Heinzelmann. Coulter’s recovery drive began on lap four as he passed Davies at Tower for fifth place. On the following lap an identical move saw Hancock take third from Dixon after two failed attempts on the previous laps. Behind Coulter, Alpine’s Kenny Andrews passed Davies for sixth and then closed on Coulter and Dixon. Meanwhile, Hancock quickly caught and passed Yousif for second place at Tower. In clear air, Hancock set the fastest lap to that point but Seidlitz hit back on the following lap to re-establish his 2.8s lead. In midfield, Welch Motorsport’s Kourosh Khani held 11th place at the head of a train including Alpine’s Jordi Weckx, Pearson Engineering Services’ Ian Pearson and Durrant, who was keeping up with the FR2000 Class cars. Lap nine saw Coulter lock a wheel at the Complex allowing Andrews to take fifth before the Ulsterman hit back at Clervaux with a bold move. As backmarkers came into play, Dixon took third from Yousif on lap 11 and Seidlitz negotiated the traffic better than Hancock to open a 4.2s gap at the head of the race.
For Seidlitz, it was a comfortable 4.305s win from Hancock with Yousif just over 10 seconds adrift in third. Dixon edged out Andrews and Parris in the top six, while Durrant came home 14th overall to lead Club Class. Smart was some eight seconds behind, edging out Heinzelmann by 0.233s to cap an absorbing battle. Commenting after the race, Johannes Seidlitz said: “This win makes up for the disappointment earlier when I lost a podium place. I made a good start and with the problems behind me I was able to break away. Ollie came back at me but once I was through the traffic I could hold the lead.” Championship leader Ollie Hancock said: “After qualifying 11th and 10th, to come away with two podiums is a great weekend. I knew wins were virtually out of the question barring a lot of rain but I needed to make up as many places as I could. I have to thank the team for making changes to give me a car that made it possible.” Double Club Class winner Steven Durrant said: “The weekend went as well as possible for me. The first race was a great fight with Fraser and we did accidentally touch a couple of times. In race two I wanted to race with Ian Pearson and the other FR2000 Class cars but my team told me to back off, which was a shame in one way but the right thing to do for the championship.” pics Paul Williams
HANCOCK CONTINUES WINNING STREAK AT OULTON PARK Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock (Hook) extended his Formula Renault BARC Championship lead to 17 points by picking up his fourth successive victory in round five at Oulton Park Island circuit on Bank Holiday Monday, 26th May. SSS Motorsport’s Lee Dwyer took second to claim his first-ever podium finish while Alpine Motorsport’s Isa Yousif finished an impressive third after qualifying 14th. Now in his second season of car racing, Muzz Race teenager Steven Durrant scored his second successive victory in Club Class, a category for cars built prior to 2000, with privateer Fraser Smart finishing second ahead of Adrian Dixon in third. As the lights went out for the start of the race, Hancock made a fantastic start to shoot from fourth on the grid to first ahead of Hillspeed’s pole-sitter Menasheh Idafar. Taro Motorsport’s Ash Davies moved into third ahead of Triple D’s Nathan Coulter, while Mark Burdett Motorsport’s James Dixon didn’t make the most of his front row position, dropping down the order. Just behind the front runners, Russell Racing’s Aaron Steele stalled in sixth place on the grid and was unavoidably hit by Welch Motorsport’s Kourash Khani and Edward Heinzelmann, leading to a red flag. At the restart, Hancock was again quick off the line to lead the field into Old Hall corner closely followed by Idafar, Davies and Coulter. Pearson Engineering’s Ian Pearson was fifth ahead of Dwyer and Double M Racing’s debutant Ross Curnow. Club Class pole-sitter Durrant made the most of his start to lead the Club Class drivers on the opening lap ahead of Smart, Dixon and Heinzelmann, who had been forced to start from the pit lane following his early incident. By lap two Hancock was beginning to pull away from Idafar building a gap of 0.387sec but he was given little time to extend his lead as the race was cut short for a second time. Alpine Motorsport’s Jordi Weckx spun at Lakeside leaving his car in a dangerous position, forcing the red flag to be deployed for a second time. The second restart saw a revised grid and the race reduced to six laps of the 2.23-mile Cheshire circuit from the originally scheduled 12. Hancock once again proved his determination by taking an early lead leaving Idafar, Davies and Coulter to jostle for second place as they headed into the first corner. However, contact between Davies and Coulter caused them both to spin at Old Hall, clipping Idafar in the process and dropping him down the field. This allowed 17-year-old Dwyer to get past Pearson into second with Yousif moving to fourth followed by Curnow, Alpine Motorsport’s Kenny Andrews and Mark Burdett Motorsport’s German racer Johannes Seidlitz. In the middle of the pack, Dixon moved to eighth ahead of Idafar, Hillspeed’s Michael Lyons and HS Motorsport/Antel’s Brett Parris. By lap three, Hancock was beginning to dominate at the front, setting the fastest lap of the race at 1min 23.901s (95.51mph) to earn a bonus championship point. In the battle for Club Class honours, Durrant continued his excellent form from Rockingham to maintain his lead from the start, setting the fastest Club Class lap with a time of 1min 27.473s (91.61mph) on lap two. Behind him, Smart tried hard to catch Durrant but couldn’t match him for pace while third-placed Dixon had to work hard to keep a determined Heinzelmann at bay. At the end of lap three, contact between Ian Pearson and Curnow at Lakeside caused both drivers to spin allowing Yousif to move up into a podium place with Andrews in fourth and Seidlitz in fifth. With both cars stranded in dangerous positions, the Clerk of the Course had no alternative but to deploy the red flag and with Oulton Park subject to a curfew, the race was declared over with Hancock claiming his fourth successive victory and extending his championship lead. Commenting on his victory, Ollie Hancock, said: “I’ve worked hard all season on perfecting my starts and this really paid off given we had three to contend with. On all of them I managed to get away cleanly which meant I had a clear run leading into Old Hall. As the race finally got going, I made a decision to just go for it as the car was running well and pretty soon I lost sight of anyone in my mirrors.” Second-placed Dwyer, said: “I’m delighted with my first podium of the season especially as I very nearly got caught up in the incident between Coulter and Davies and in fact I did take a little knock. Luckily there wasn’t any serious damage done and I was able to continue, although the race was stopped anyway.” Third-placed, Yousif, said: “I can’t believe I finished on the podium after starting in 14th place on the grid. It was a real stop/start race but I’m pleased with the outcome. I just had to be really careful with other cars spinning and I’m very happy to get back on the podium.” Club Class winner Steven Durrant said: “I’m over the moon to make it two wins out of two, although I have to confess this is not how I like to win. The car has been running fantastic recently and a lot of thanks have to go to my team for that.” Second-placed Fraser Smart who still leads the Club Class standings, said: “The interruptions made this a very difficult race and didn’t give us the chance to get going. I’m now certainly going to be keeping a close eye on Steven given his current form.” Third-placed Adrian Dixon said: “It’s good to be on the podium again in what can only be described as a messy race. Edward and I were battling hard for much of it but I managed to hold him off in the end.”
ELATED HANCOCK COMPLETES ROCKINGHAM DOUBLE
Now in his second season of car racing, Muzz Race teenager Steven Durrant scored his first victory in Club Class, a category for cars built prior to 2000. He led home round three winner Fraser Smart and Heuthsports of Royston’s Edward Heinzelmann who joins Smart with four podium finishes from four races. The race was restarted after an accident for Double M Racing’s Ellis Harkins on lap two when he slid wide on the uniquely banked Turn One and hit the concrete wall. When the red flag came out, Hancock had risen three places from sixth on the grid, while Russell Racing’s Aaron Steele had surged from 12th to sixth. As the race had run less than two complete laps, the cars re-formed in their original order. At the restart, pole-sitter Parris made a second clean start and built an early advantage over fellow front-row starter Idafar. Mark Burdett Motorsport’s German racer Johannes Seidlitz had moved into third ahead of Hillspeed’s Ahmad Al Harthy, as Taro Motorsport’s Ash Davies, Triple D’s Nathan Coulter and Club Class runner Steve Hanselman all retired on lap one. Steele was caught up in the melee at Deene Hairpin, dropping him to last place. The opening lap saw a great tussle in midfield between Welch Motorsport’s Kourosh Khani and Boulevard Team Racing’s Joshua Brooks. The pair swapped places several times on the opening tour before a spin for Brooks on the slippery infield section saw him fall behind. As Parris built a four-second lead after four laps, Hancock passed Al Harthy and took advantage of a slip by Seidlitz to claim third place and close on Idafar. The following lap saw Hancock pass Idafar and, just behind, Alpine Motorsport’s Isa Yousif pass Al Harthy at Tarzan hairpin. Seidlitz, having dropped to 12th, was now back up to ninth. Club Class leader Durrant had made a brilliant start and was lying as high as 15th overall in the early stages, a cushion of three FR2000 Class cars between himself and Smart in second place. By the midway point of the reduced 12-lap race he had a buffer of more than 20 seconds over Smart, who was unable to match the 17-year-old’s pace. Pearson Engineering Services’ Ian Pearson continued his troubled day, following a spin in round three, with a minor spin out of eighth place exiting Tarzan. He was able to rejoin but down in 14th place where he would eventually finish. Lap six also saw Tempus Sport’s Mohammed Al A’Ali out-brake himself at Tarzan, running into the gravel but far enough from the track to avoid causing a second race stoppage. Lap eight proved to be crucial to the race outcome as Parris encountered backmarkers, which allowed Hancock to reduce his deficit to the leader by two seconds in a single lap. Two laps later, Hancock got his man by carrying more speed through Chapman Curve and cutting to the inside at Pif Paf to take the lead. Meanwhile, Mark Burdett Motorsport duo Seidlitz and James Dixon were dicing with Hillspeed’s Michael Lyons. Although Lyons led the group for much of the race in sixth, lap nine saw Seidlitz pass on the banked Turn One with Dixon following his team-mate through later in the lap. After a failed attempt to regain the place at Tarzan, Lyons hit back on the final lap to grab seventh place. In the race for the remaining Club Class podium positions behind Durrant, Smart was enjoying the cushion of FR2000 Class racer Bob Pearson between himself and Heinzelmann. Although Heinzelmann lapped faster on the final tour, he was unable to pass Pearson to enable any overtaking attempt for second place in class. At the head of the field, Hancock was forced to keep the pace high as Parris fought back and he held on to win by 3.8s with Idafar a distant third a further seven seconds adrift. Durrant finished a creditable 15th overall and on the lead lap, while Smart and Heinzelmann were both one lap down. Commenting on his second victory of the day, Ollie Hancock, who also set the fastest lap of the race at 1min 31.546s (76.62mph), said: “I have to give massive thanks to my team who gave me a great car for both races today. I made a good start again and it was a case of biding my time because I knew I had the pace. I got the run on Brett coming through the right-hander and just kept it to the inside at the left. It feels great to win again and now I can’t wait for Oulton Park and the next round.” Second-placed Parris said: “It’s a bit disappointing to lose the race having led for so long. We had the car set-up to be quick early on and make a break away, which I managed to do, but obviously I paid for it later in the race. We always knew Ollie had the pace on us in the wet because we’ve done no wet weather testing but we can take positives from this weekend compared to Brands Hatch.” Third-placed Idafar said: “It’s great to be on the podium for both races and I’ve learned a lot today about racing in the wet that will help me in the future. My lack of experience in these conditions meant I couldn’t challenge for the win but to have four podiums in four races is a very good start.” Club Class winner Steven Durrant said: “It’s the first time everything has come together, from the car’s handling to being on pole and getting a good start. Although the track was greasy I managed to find some grip and keep myself a good distance from Fraser. This result was a massive improvement from round one after a blown tyre forced me to retire so overall a good weekend.” Second-placed Fraser Smart said: “Steven had tremendous pace this afternoon and proved that when he gets it right, he gets it very right! I was conscious of the fact I had cars between myself and Edward and that was reassuring. I think it’s shaping up to be a great season and look forward to more close racing as the year goes on.” Third-placed Edward Heinzelmann said: “I couldn’t quite match Steven and Fraser’s pace this afternoon but another podium is a good result. The conditions were slightly better than this morning but it’s still very easy to make a mistake so I’m happy with the result.” Round five of the 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship takes place at Cheshire’s Oulton Park on Bank Holiday Monday, 26th May.
SECOND WIN FOR DOMINANT HANCOCKOllie Hancock highlighted his stunning pace and confidence with a crushing victory in round three of the 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship at Rockingham International circuit. After starting eighth on the grid, the Apotex Scorpio Motorsport driver won by a massive 35 seconds in the first of two races on Sunday, 20th April. Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Johannes Seidlitz came through from ninth to finish second, with Hillspeed’s pole-sitter Menasheh Idafar completing the podium line-up. In Club Class, for Formula Renault cars built before 2000, privateer Fraser Smart took a narrow win ahead of Heuthsports of Royston’s Edward Heinzelmann and Adrian Dixon as persistent drizzle and grey skies produced awkward conditions for the 29-strong field. Hancock, winner of round two at Brands Hatch, completed much of the hard task he faced on lap one. As Triple D’s Nathan Coulter (Hillsborough) made a slow start from seventh, Hancock stormed away from the adjacent grid slot and was third exiting Deene Hairpin for the first time. He then took second before passing Idafar out of Brook chicane to lead by the end of the first lap. Lap three saw Hancock set the fastest lap of the race, worth one bonus championship point, at 1min 35.518s (73.44mph) and he consistently lapped more than one second quicker than his pursuers when faced with a clear track ahead of him to lead by 20s at the midway point of the 14-lap race. Behind Hancock, Idafar held second ahead of Hillspeed team-mate Ahmad Al Harthy before Coulter made amends for his poor getaway by surging through to third on lap three. HS Motorsport/Antel’s Brett Parris was fifth, ahead of Mark Burdett’s James Dixon and Taro Motorsport’s Ash Davies who had fallen from third on the grid to seventh. Seidlitz had dropped to 13th on the opening lap but, having won a snow-hit round one at Brands Hatch, was relishing the wet conditions and was up to ninth by lap four by dispatching Hillspeed’s Michael Lyons and seeing Coulter spin out of contention. In Club Class, Smart and Heinzelmann were nose-to-tail on track, running inside the top 20 overall with early challenger Steven Durrant having spun out on lap three. At the halfway stage with backmarkers beginning to be lapped, Seidlitz gained three places on lap seven to lie fifth after Russell Racing’s Aaron Steele made contact with Parris at Deene Haipin, Davies also rising a couple of spots. On the next lap, the German racer passed Davies and his team-mate Dixon to reach the final podium position. Now with a clear track ahead of him, Seidlitz reeled in Idafar at a rate of two seconds per lap, making the decisive move on lap 11. By this time, Parris had re-passed Davies for fifth and in Club Class, Smart and Heinzelmann had swapped positions twice as the Englishman briefly took advantage of traffic to pass the Scot before losing out again. The second half of the race proved difficult for FR2000 Class father-and-son debutants Bob and Ian Pearson. The pair, both stalwarts of the Club Class won by Ian for the past three seasons, ended the opening race of their full season debut in retirement with Ian set for a ninth place finish before his final lap spin. All the while, Hancock was pressing relentlessly on building his lead and by the chequered flag had lapped every car up to 14th placed Jordi Weckx. Seidlitz edged away from Idafar by almost three seconds to settle the podium places, while Smart held on to beat Heinzelmann and Adrian Dixon in Club Class. Commenting after his win, Hancock said: “At the start a number of the drivers were struggling for grip but I managed to get away well and was up to third. Fairly soon I was challenging Idafar for the lead and I did have an opportunity to try a manoeuvre up the inside of the chicane but I didn’t want to risk it. I noticed him hesitate getting onto the power out of the chicane and was able to get the better of him on the start/finish straight. After that it was just a case of getting my head down and not making any mistakes.” Second-placed Seidlitz said: “I definitely enjoy the slippery conditions, first at Brands Hatch and now here. I did a lot of overtaking through the last left-hander on the infield because I was able to find grip on the inside. It’s great to have another podium and I’m confident of getting more during the season.” Third-placed Idafar said: “I haven’t had much practice in the wet so I wasn’t able to do the best start from pole position. If it had been dry I think I would have been able to have a much better result. I’m still happy to be on the podium and hopefully I can this afternoon as well.” Club Class winner Fraser Smart commented: “I had one of my worst ever starts but in the run into the first corner I managed to gain three or four places. At one stage Edward briefly took the lead from me but I managed to regain it quickly and just held my nerve, despite almost going sideways, until the chequered flag.” Second-placed Heinzelmann said: “It was a great race with Fraser even though we both agreed it was one of the most frustrating because of the conditions. I thought when I got past him I’d be able to hang on for the win but he drove a great race today and full credit to him.” Third-placed Dixon said: “It was almost a case of survival first out there because the track was so greasy. It’s never nice to race in conditions like that so to come away with a podium is a good result for me.”
HANCOCK SECURES SEASON’S FIRST VICTORY AT BRANDS HATCHApotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock secured
his first victory of the new season by winning round two of the 2008
Formula Renault BARC Championship on Easter Monday, 24th March at Brands
Hatch Indy circuit. Scottish privateer Fraser Smart added a round two Club Class victory to his earlier podium finish with Heuthsports of Royston’s Edward Heinzelmann claiming second ahead of another privateer Steven Durrant. After the earlier snowstorm that hampered round one, clearer skies and a dry line on the tight 1.20-mile circuit emerged for round two. Despite qualifying on pole position, Idafar was unable to retain the lead heading into the run on the first corner, having been pipped at the start by Hancock and an over enthusiastic Ash Davies (Taro Motorsport), whose false start from fifth on the grid propelled him into second with Idafar back to third. Unfortunately, Hancock had little time to establish a lead as the red flag was deployed on lap two as Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Pierre Renom spun at Graham Hill Bend and SSS Motorsport’s Lee Dwyer also stopped in a dangerous position, causing the Clerk of the Course to halt the race. For the restart, the race was shortened to a scheduled 12 laps and Davies was given a 10-second penalty for his earlier false start dropping him from second to 12th on the reformed grid. As they got under way for the second time, Hancock made the most of his pole position and led the pack into Paddock Hill Bend closely followed by Mohammed who had squeezed his way into second from fourth with Idafar tucked in behind him. With a clear, dry track, Hancock was quickly able to establish a lead, forging a gap of just over one second by the end of lap two. The midfield remained evenly spaced on the short circuit, although Davies, eager to make amends for his false start, was already up to seventh and continuing to pressure Welch Motorsport’s newcomer Nathan Coulter for sixth place. After much jostling, Davies was finally able to pass the debutant at Druids Hairpin, although with Coulter earlier recording a provisional pole for round one nullified only by his status as a reserve entry, the 17-year-old showed his potential for the season by finishing seventh. In the battle for victory in the Club Class, Smart showed his experience by developing an early lead in his Tatuus RC98 ahead of round one winner, Heinzelmann. On lap four, Russell Racing’s FR2000 Class driver Don De Graaff came between the pair allowing Smart some breathing space, while Durrant had to settle for third. By lap four, Hancock had stretched his lead over Mohammed to 1.246 seconds – scoring a bonus point for setting the fastest lap of 49.469s (92.85mph) in the process - with Idafar, Hillspeed’s Ahmad Al Harthy and Russell Racing’s Aaron Steele (Rochester) making up the top five. Double M Racing’s Ellis Harkins unfortunately led to the second red flag of the race being produced on lap five as he ran into the gravel trap at Paddock Hill Bend. With his car in an unsafe position the Clerk of the Course deployed the red flag and declared the race complete, leaving Hancock to secure the 15 points for the race win to put him third in the drivers’ standings just four points behind early Championship leader Menasheh Idafar. Commenting on his first victory, Hancock said: “After the disappointment of the first race I was happy to get my first win in the bag. The car has had great pace in testing so I was keen to be able to show this in the race. I was able to get in front early on - although Ash Davies certainly gave me a scare with his start – and then I just put my head down through to the chequered flag.” Second placed Mohammed commented: “I was very pleased with my second spot and my first podium in the UK. My new team has been fantastic and I feel very comfortable with the car already. I could have gone quicker at Paddock Hill to maybe put more pressure on Ollie but second place is very good.” Third placed Idafar said: “I was a bit nervous before the start of the race given it was my first ever pole. I soon settled down though and began to enjoy it and am really pleased with how the car is running.” Club Class winner Fraser Smart said: “That race was much more enjoyable than this morning and I was able to enjoy it. I got a bit of a cushion with the newer car separating me from the drivers chasing me so compared to the earlier race it was relatively comfortable.” Second placed Edward Heinzelmann, who leaves Brands Hatch leading the Club Class drivers’ standings, said: “I’ve had a really good weekend of racing and I’ve already emptied one of my bottles of champagne! I’m looking forward to Rockingham but have realised that I need to work on my starts.” Third placed Steven Durrant said: “It was a very frustrating race because just as the Club Class cars settled in together to have a proper race the red flag came out. It happened again in the second race so it’s a shame I didn’t get the chance to try any overtaking but the car has been great all weekend so I can take some positives.”
SEIDLITZ COMES THROUGH SNOWSTORM IN SEASON OPENERHeavy snow greeted a capacity grid of racers for
round one of the 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship, which was won
by German driver Johannes Seidlitz. Edward Heinzelmann, in the Heuthsports of Royston entered car, won the Club Class race ahead of Muzz Race’s Steven Durrant and privateer Fraser Smart with only three Club Class cars classified in the final result. Grey skies were present at the Kent circuit throughout the event but produced the heaviest snow of the day just as the single-seater cars were preparing to take to the grid. The consequence was severely reduced visibility and extreme punishment for any deviation from the racing line onto the slick painted kerbs or grass. The start of the race saw Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock make a clean getaway with Davies passing Seidlitz for second place. Russell Racing’s Aaron Steele stalled in third place on the grid causing delays to those cars directly behind him. Boulevard Team Racing’s Joshua Brooks spun exiting Graham Hill Bend on lap two and stopped on the grass alongside Cooper Straight. On the following tour, Falcon Motorsport’s Andy Flynn stopped on circuit in a similar place bringing a red flag to stop the race with the grid for the restart taken from the current race order. While waiting for the restart, two cars overheated on the grid causing further delays, HS Motorsport/Antel’s Brett Parris being assessed a 10-second penalty after being adjudged to have caused an aborted start. At the restart, Hancock was the driver to be caught out by stalling on pole position to gift Seidlitz an easy lead ahead of Davies and Idafar. Lap two saw the German run wide at Graham Hill Bend, sliding the car as he negotiated the kerb allowing Davies to take the lead, while setting the fastest lap of the race at 58.259s (74.06mph). Alpine Motorsport’s Isa Mohammed also spun on the exit of Graham Hill Bend, with Hancock down in 18th place almost collecting the Bahraini driver’s stricken car. Meanwhile, Steele had made a superb recovery to climb back up to fifth place, while Durrant was running seventh overall in his 1997 Tatuus RC97 car ahead of the majority of FR2000 Class cars. His joy was short-lived, however, as the slightest tap pushed him wide and into the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend on lap two, the teenager just managing to keep going to claim his podium place as Heinzelmann took the lead. A change of lead in FR2000 Class came on lap four as Seidlitz saw a gap to the inside of Davies at McLaren bend and took the race lead on the run out of Clearways. Just one lap later, a spin for Club Class driver Steve Hanselman, once again on the exit of Graham Hill Bend, saw him come to a halt across the track forcing the Clerk of the Course to once again deploy the red flag, together with the chequered flag, to end the race. Commenting on his victory Johannes Seidlitz said: “I’ve never raced in conditions like that before. The track was slippery enough with the snow and the truck racing earlier in the day made it even more slippery. Although it was a short race it was a great battle with Ash Davies for the lead and a fantastic way to start the season.” Second-placed Davies said: “To get on the podium in the first race of the season is a great result, especially given the circumstances of the race. After taking the lead it would have been nice to hold on to it but Johannes made a good move and second place from ninth on the grid is a good result.” Third-placed Menasheh Idafar, a British-born Bahraini national, said: “I’m very happy. This is my first podium in the Formula Renault BARC Championship and for that to happen in the snow is incredible for me. It was hard to see much but I just tried my best to keep going.” Club Class winner Edward Heinzelmann said: “Visibility was virtually zero and to be honest I didn’t know what position I was in. It was a case of trying to keep it on the track but obviously I’m delighted to have got the win in my first race in the Championship.” Second-placed Steven Durrant said: “It’s a bittersweet result for me because I had a great start and was on course for the win. I got a tap from behind that pushed me into the gravel and I was just about to stop as I reached the edge of the track and was able to continue. In the end it’s not a bad result but I feel it could easily have been better.” Third-placed Fraser Smart said: “The weather was that bad, I was just thinking about keeping the car and myself in one piece because I’ve got work in the morning! You can’t keep your visor down on your crash helmet because it mists up but with it open the snow came pouring in. It’s much worse then racing in rain so I’m happy to get a podium finish.” pics jakob ebrey. |
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Round
12 saw the field take to the grid on a dry track after the day’s earlier
downpour had eased. Seidlitz made a lightning start to jump from sixth
to third as the field headed into the first corner with pole-sitter
Yousif hanging onto his lead and Curnow in second with Davies in fourth
and 
Apotex Scorpio
Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock is within reach of the 2008 Formula Renault
BARC Championship crown after a win and a second place in the latest
rounds at Snetterton on Saturday, 9th August. The FR2000 Class leader
finished second to Alpine Motorsport’s Isa Yousif in round eight before
winning a rain-affected round nine. 
Lap
12 saw Heinzelmann(pictured left) briefly take second in Club
Class before Smart hit back to regain the position. Yousif then passed
Dixon for third place with Coulter coming up behind in fifth. As the
final lap began, Coulter clipped the back of Dixon’s car but both cars
continued. The contact allowed Yousif to cement third place, while
Coulter went on to spin at the final hairpin and drop to a disappointing
ninth place behind Tempus Sport’s impressive debutant Niki Faulkner. 
Apotex
Scorpio Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock picked up his third successive
victory by winning round four of the 2008 Formula Renault BARC
Championship on Sunday, 20th April. In damp but drying
conditions at the overcast Rockingham International circuit, Hancock
made a late move to overhaul HS Motorsport/Antel’s long-time leader
Brett Parris, with Hillspeed’s Menasheh Idafar collecting his fourth
podium in four races. 
Alpine Motorsport’s Bahraini racer Isa Mohammed finished second while
Hillspeed’s Menasheh Idafar completed the podium line-up after
starting the race from pole position – his first ever in his UK racing
career. 
The Mark Burdett Motorsport driver started on the front row and won a
race shortened by two red flags held in treacherous conditions at Brands
Hatch Indy circuit on Easter Monday, 24th March. Taro Motorsport’s Ash
Davies was second with Hillspeed’s Menasheh Idafar in third.