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Club Class Drivers Standings after round 12 – provisional
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Formula Renault BARC Championship LLOYD CLINCHES TITLE IN NAIL-BITING CLIMAX
Hywel Lloyd is the 2007 Formula Renault BARC Champion, beating Dean Stoneman by just one point after 12 thrilling races. The Welshman’s victory from pole position in round 12 at Oulton Park Island circuit on Saturday, 29th September was his sixth of the season and third in succession to complete a stirring revival to end the season. Stoneman finished third in the race to leave the pair tied on 132 points after 12 rounds, but with each driver counting their 11 best scores in their final championship tally, Stoneman’s single dropped point from round two at Croft proved the difference. However, had the scores been level, Lloyd would have won on countback with six wins to Stoneman’s three. With a tense 15 laps in prospect at the 2.23-mile Cheshire circuit, the drama was almost immediately interrupted by a red flag after Russell Racing’s Bahrani driver Menasheh Idafar rolled his car on the first lap, fortunately escaping uninjured. A first corner incident also saw Lee Dwyer retire along with Eurotek Motorsport’s David McDonald, whose broken steering saw him collide with 2007 Club Class champion Ian Pearson.
At the restart, 3K’s Racing’s Kieren Clark capitalised on his best
qualifying performance of the season by passing Lloyd into Old Hall
corner. Worswick Engineering’s Rossi (pictured ) Knowing he needed a victory to maximise his title chances, Lloyd was eager to get past Clark and the pair ran together through Island Hairpin before the CF Racing ace made his move up the inside at Knickerbrook chicane. Clark, in his debut single-seater season, drove a fine race to keep within touching distance as the top two pulled away from the chasing pack. Following the retirement of nine-time race-winner Ian Pearson, Club Class honours were up for grabs and xado.co.uk & JH Motorsport’s James Heffernan seized the initiative on lap four by passing Reon Motorsport’s Roberto Tirone Bob Pearson was third, narrowly ahead of Fraser Smart and Muzz Race’s Matthew Clark. Desperate to claim the second place that could secure him the title, Stoneman attacked Rossi in the opening laps before coming under pressure from Double M Racing’s Aaron Steele who had charged from 10th to fifth by lap three. Hancock dropped back to 17th after contact with Stoneman on lap two, also leaving Stoneman with handling difficulties and hampering his chances. On lap five, Steele set the fastest lap to that point to put Stoneman under real pressure at Old Hall, while Hillspeed Racing’s Chris Dittmann (Tewkesbury) and Eurotek’s Tom Mun (Market Harborough) battled for seventh before Mun suffered a spin that left him down in 15th. By lap seven of the revised 12-lap race, Lloyd had opened a gap of 2.2s to Clark who was then passed by Rossi at Old Hall on lap eight. Hancock brilliantly fought back to a place in the top 10, while Lloyd set a new fastest lap in the battle for a potentially crucial bonus point, although Stoneman was still struggling to hold off Steele in fourth. Heffernan now comfortably led club Class but the gap from second placed Tirone to third placed Smart was reducing by several tenths of a second per lap. Bob Pearson and Matthew Clark were also both in the podium hunt in one of the closest races of the season for the pre-2000 specification Formula Renault cars. On lap nine, Kieren Clark saw what looked like a certain podium finish dashed after contact with Stoneman forced him wide and down to seventh place. Stoneman was now third and with Lloyd no longer holding the fastest lap, just one more place was needed for Stoneman to take the title, so close was the Championship race. Lap 11 saw Lloyd set the fastest lap and he was now 1.3s clear of Rossi in second place. Although Rossi set the fastest lap of the race on the very last lap at 1min 23.332s (96.16mph), Lloyd had done enough to clinch his first single-seater title by the narrowest of margins. In a dramatic end to the Club Class race, Tirone was caught on the final lap by Smart and the Scottish privateer was able to get a better run out of Lodge Corner to snatch second place by just 0.047s, a matter of centimetres separating the pair after more than 25 miles of racing. Commenting after the race, new champion Hywel Lloyd, 22, said: “It really hasn’t sunk in yet but I’m just ecstatic to have won. I knew I had to get past Kieren early on and once I did it was a case of doing 11 qualifying-style laps to try to get the fastest lap. I did all I could and it was better to be going flat out all the way to keep my mind focussed on the job. “After a stupid mistake at Brands Hatch, crashing on the Green Flag Lap, I thought Dean had it wrapped up. To come back and win three races in a row and six altogether is incredible. I have to thank my team, my dad, Sara my engineer and Manor Competition, which has given me some assistance this season, because without them none of this would have been possible.”
Vice-champion Dean Stoneman, Rossi, who finished second and set the fastest lap to secure fourth overall behind Ollie Hancock, said: “I was struggling to get past Kieren in the first half of the race but once I did I was able to press on. To set the fastest lap at the end shows the pace I had in the car and maybe I could have challenged for the win.” Club Class winner James Heffernan, who finished second overall to Ian Pearson, said: “To finish the season with two wins in a row is a real bonus and it was quite straightforward today. Once the FR2000 Class cars had gone ahead of Roberto it gave me the chance to get past and I was able to set my own pace, which makes a nice change! I’m hoping to move up into the FR2000 Class in 2008 but we’ll have to see what happens.” Second placed Fraser Smart said: “It’s great to end the season with a first podium because I’ve had three fourth places. I was closing on Roberto a lot in the last couple of laps and guessed he had a problem. I got right up to him at Lodge corner and just had a better run out and up to the line.” Third placed Tirone, who lost out on second overall by just one point to Heffernan, commented: “I did have a problem with my engine and almost didn’t complete the parade lap. The revs were topping out at lower and lower figures as the laps went by and it just wasn’t enough to hold on. At the start of the season I’d have been happy to take third overall but to lose it by that much is something I’ll be thinking about for a while.” The results of round 12 remain provisional pending the completion of technical enquiries. pics P Williams
LLOYD WINS AT THRUXTON TO SEND TITLE FIGHT TO THE WIRE
pic:Paul Williams
CF Racing’s Hywel Lloyd kept his Formula Renault BARC Championship title hopes alive with his fifth victory of the season at Thruxton circuit on Sunday, 16th September. The Welshman led home Eurotek Motorsport’s David McDonald and Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock, with championship leader Dean Stoneman in fourth. Stoneman now leads the FR2000 Class standings by six points with one race left. JH Motorsport’s James Heffernan took his first Club Class win of 2007 ahead of Reon Motorsport’s Iain Morton and Muzz Race’s Adrian Dixon. Recently crowned triple champion Ian Pearson looked set for a comfortable win before a rear suspension failure ended his race less than two laps from the end, while dad Bob Pearson lost his chance of the win by spinning on the last lap after inheriting the lead. A total of 30 cars filled the grid at the high-speed 2.36-mile Hampshire circuit with Worswick Engineering’s Rossi on pole for the first time this season after a great display in the morning’s qualifying session saw him set a benchmark time of 1min 14.398s (114.00mph). Lloyd joined him on the front row just 0.109s behind, while McDonald and 3K’s Racing’s Kieren Clark were within another tenth of a second on the second row. Clark’s race did not even get going, however, as a broken battery cable saw him pull off the circuit on the green flag lap. Rossi led away from pole position as Lloyd held off McDonald and Stoneman through the Complex. Misfortune then struck for Rossi as part of his aerodynamic bodywork rubbed against his rear tyre, causing it to deflate and force him into retirement and leaving the way clear for Lloyd to lead. Hancock had a great first lap from eighth on the grid to take second place exiting Club chicane, while Double M Racing’s Aaron Steele worked his way up from seventh to fourth, relegating Stoneman to fifth. Ian Pearson led Club Class in 12th overall, with Bob Pearson 18th overall just ahead of Heffernan and Roberto Tirone. A clear track allowed Lloyd to extend his lead on lap two, while Stoneman passed both McDonald and Steele to take third. Ian Pearson dropped four places, while the Club Class cars of Fraser Smart, John Johnsen, Steven Durrant and Adrian Dixon were separated by less than one second as they crossed the line. Lap five of 12 saw McDonald pass Stoneman for fourth place through Church corner, the fastest part of the circuit. McDonald’s Eurotek team-mate Tom Mun had already taken sixth place from Falcon Motorsport’s Sten Pentus on the previous lap. As the race entered its second half, Lloyd held a four-second lead over Hancock who was being caught by McDonald. The 17-year-old took second place on lap seven as Steele also looked to capitalise, McDonald going on to set the fastest lap of the race on lap nine at 1min 14.793s (113.40mph). After trying to take third place, Steele soon found himself down in fifth as Stoneman passed him on the inside at Club chicane after getting a great run up Woodham Hill. In Club Class, Ian Pearson was lapping quicker than the majority of the newer FR2000 Class cars but saw his race end on lap 11. With the two classes of car having finally separated, Heffernan was now tucked in behind Bob Pearson but still dicing with Iain Morton as the pair swapped positions more than once during the final three laps. Following Ian’s retirement, Bob Pearson’s spin at Cobb corner in the Complex meant Heffernan and Morton were now battling for the lead. Morton held the speed advantage through the first half of the lap, but Heffernan was able to pass him on the run to Club chicane to take his first Class victory of the season. At the head of the field, Lloyd was untroubled as he negotiated the back markers on his way to a 2.048s victory. McDonald, able to halve his deficit to Lloyd and proving to have the fastest car on track, scored his second podium of the season. With Stoneman coming under pressure from Steele, Hancock was comfortably able to add a third podium to his Silverstone victory and virtually assure himself of third overall in the drivers’ standings. Commenting after the race, Lloyd, who now trails Stoneman by six points with 17 remaining, said: “It’s brought the Championship much closer and I did almost exactly what I planned to do. Only the fastest lap got away from me but I didn’t want to push for the bonus point and make a mistake that would cost me the win. It was very close on the first lap and I was glad to come out of the Complex still in second and when Rossi pulled off I just had to concentrate on getting away and getting the best result.” Second placed McDonald said: “I got a bit boxed in at the start so I went to the outside at the Complex and around three or four cars. The car felt great all the way through the race and I was able to keep picking up places. It was a good battle with Ollie but by the time I got past him, Hywel was too far ahead to catch.”
Third placed Hancock (pictured - Pic: Paul
Williams)
Club Class winner James Heffernan said: “I was racing with Iain Morton and was too far back to see Ian Pearson go off so I didn’t realise I’d won until I got into parc fermé! It was close with Iain the whole race but I was able to drag past him up the hill on the last lap and was through before we got to the braking zone. It’s nice to get my first win this season and I’m very happy.” Second placed Iain Morton said: “Bob and James were slowing each other down with their own battle and there was no pressure on me so I could catch up. Then Bob went off and James and I were battling for the lead, without realising it. In the end, James just had the pace on me today but second place helps me in the championship and the car is right back on the pace after my accident at Silverstone earlier in the season.” Third placed Adrian Dixon said: “I’m very happy to be on the podium because I had a terrible start. I made up a few places in the first half of the race but left myself too much work to do and also made a couple of mistakes from trying too hard. Then I came round and saw Bob and Roberto either side of the track so it was a nice way to end the race.”
LLOYD HITS BACK WITH BATTLING VICTORY AT BRANDS HATCH
CF Racing’s Hywel Lloyd won round 10 of the 2007 Formula Renault BARC Championship on Bank Holiday Monday, 27th August but Alpine Motorsport’s Dean Stoneman(pictured above) still leads the drivers’ standings after a solid third place. Quantexe Racing’s Felix Fisher came second for his second podium in as many races at Brands Hatch Indy circuit. Ian Pearson celebrated winning the Club Class title for a third successive time on Sunday by winning round 10 despite a spin at Paddock Hill Bend. His dad Bob Pearson took second place ahead of Muzz Race’s Adrian Dixon after a race of attrition for the pre-2000 Formula Renault cars. Starting from pole position for the second time this season, Eurotek Motorsport’s David McDonald lost out to fellow front row starter Lloyd on the run to the first corner. Worswick Engineering’s Rossi was squeezed onto the grass but held on to third place under pressure from Stoneman. Fisher dropped two places to sixth as Falcon Motorsport’s Craig Copeland passed him at Graham Hill Bend. Unfortunately, the red flag deployed as Middle East/Russell Racing’s Mohamed Al A’Ali spun at Druids and with the car in a dangerous position the Clerk of the Course had no option but to halt the race. On the restart, Rossi surged past McDonald into second place behind Lloyd, while in midfield, Hillspeed Racing’s Ahmad Al Harthy ran wide at Druids to drop back from 11th on the grid. With the top four evenly spaced, Taro Motorsport’s Ash Davies gained a place at Paddock Hill Bend by passing Hillspeed’s Chris Dittmann. However, as the race for second place in Club Class was hotting up between Roberto Tirone, Fraser Smart and James Heffernan, the red flag was needed once again as Matthew Clark spun at Druids. The third restart saw the race shortened to just eight laps, making the start crucial on the tight 1.20-mile circuit. Lloyd once again made a great start from pole position ahead of Rossi and McDonald, with Stoneman down in fifth after Fisher made a better start from the third row. Lap one saw Tirone retire at Druids as he braked too late and found little grip on the outside line, but he was in a safe enough position for the race to continue. This moved Smart into second ahead of Heffernan, with Ian Pearson in a clear Club Class lead lying 13th overall. On lap three, contact between Smart and Heffernan at Druids saw the latter retire with a broken nose cone, while Smart suffered a slow puncture that would eventually see him drop back to last place. Meanwhile, 3K’s Racing’s Kieren Clark passed Falcon’s Sten Pentus for 10th place and Eurotek’s Tom Mun passed Copeland for seventh. In fifth place, Stoneman looked slightly quicker than Fisher but was unable to find a way past as the 19-year-old drove a solid race in fourth. Lloyd extended his lead to three-quarters of a second over Rossi but that was as big as the margin got as Rossi picked up speed to match the leader. A spin on lap four for Ian Pearson briefly threatened to cost him his Club Class victory but despite visiting the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend, the triple champion was able to recover and stay just ahead of his dad Bob at Druids hairpin. Adrian Dixon secured third in Club Class on lap seven as Smart’s puncture took its toll. Kieren Clark regained ninth place on lap seven with a neat overtaking manoeuvre to pass Dittmann, before drama on the final lap altered the lead positions. As Rossi moved wide in an attempt to out-drag Lloyd to the chequered flag, McDonald went to the inside with contact resulting as the pair raced through McLaren. McDonald was given a formal reprimand by the Clerk of the Course and had his race licence endorsed with two points. As both Rossi and McDonald retired in the gravel trap, Fisher inherited second place ahead of a delighted Stoneman, who now leads the FR2000 Class standings by 13 points with two races left and 34 points available. Commenting on his victory, Hywel Lloyd said: “After what happened yesterday I owed it to my team to win today and give them some reward for all their work. I made three good starts and once I was clear on the second restart I just had to keep going because it was a short race. I got caught in traffic a little but in the end it didn’t matter.” Second placed Fisher commented: “This is a brilliant end to a great weekend. Third place yesterday was good but to go one better is fantastic. I had a bad start the first time round but then gained places on the next two and kept ahead of Dean fairly comfortably. I inherited second at the end but I was in the right place to take advantage and hopefully now I can finish the season strongly.” Third placed Stoneman said: “Felix was holding me up but there was nowhere I could try to pass, just because it’s so hard to overtake here. It was definitely a good bonus to get the podium when two cars went off and now if I can get a couple of podiums to finish the season I can win the title.” Club Class winner Ian Pearson said: “I certainly made it hard for myself with the spin at Paddock Hill and that was probably caused by trying too hard to keep up with the FR2000 Class car in front. Luckily I got it pointed in the right direction quickly and still got the win but it was harder than it could have been!” Of his first podium of the season, second placed Bob Pearson, 60, joked: “I’ve struck a blow for the older generation today! I did get alongside Ian at one point but I knew it would be a lost cause if I did get past so I stayed in second place. Finishing first and second is fine with me!” Third placed Adrian Dixon said: “It was definitely a race of attrition in Club Class today and I’m glad to come out of it with a podium. I was a bit concerned with how my car would be at the start and the last thing I needed was to have to start three times. I managed to get through and it’s a good result for myself and my team.”
STONEMAN EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AS ROSSI WINSWorswick Engineering’s Rossi took his second victory of the season in round nine of the 2007 Formula Renault BARC Championship on Sunday, 26th August. Alpine Motorsport’s Dean Stoneman finished second at Brands Hatch Indy circuit to open an 18-point lead at the top of the drivers’ standings. Quantexe Racing’s Felix Fisher made a welcome return to the podium in third place. In Club Class, for pre-2000 Formula Renault cars, Ian Pearson retained his title with his eighth win of the season. He now leads the Club Class standings by 61 points with just 51 available in the final three races. Reon Motorsport duo Roberto Tirone and Iain Morton completed the podium. The drama in FR2000 Class started on the green flag lap when pole-sitter Hywel Lloyd lost control as he warmed his tyres, hitting the crash barrier at Druids hairpin. He recovered to the pit lane, but left the way clear for Double M Racing’s Aaron Steele to lead away from the front row of the grid. Eurotek Motorsport’s David McDonald made a slow start from third place allowing Rossi to take second ahead of Stoneman, Fisher, Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock and Falcon Motorsport’s Craig Copeland. Lap one saw the retirement of Russell Racing’s Mark Gillibrand with a broken gear cable and Jigsaw Engineering’s Louis Hamilton-Smith, who out-braked himself into Druids and beached in the gravel. A second incident at Druids, involving Hillspeed Racing duo Chris Dittmann and Ahmad Al Harthy saw the red flag brought out to recover the stricken car of the Omani driver, who was forced into the gravel in avoidance of his team-mate. The red flag benefited Lloyd, who was able to take the restart having joined the race from the pit lane prior to the stoppage. Steele was on pole position but was swamped on the first lap as Rossi, Stoneman and Fisher got away well. Hancock then passed Steele on lap two before the local racer suffered a big accident at Clearways as he went backwards into the crash barrier. Desperate to score some championship points, Lloyd had a storming first lap to lie 17th at the end of the first tour, gaining one place on each of the next four laps before coming up behind Ian Pearson. He was comfortably ahead of Club Class second-placed man Tirone, with Morton, Fraser Smart and James Heffernan enjoying a close race for the podium places. Taro Motorsport’s Ash Davies headed a train of four cars in seventh place but was passed on lap seven by Falcon’s Sten Pentus. On the same lap, 3K’s Racing’s Kieren Clark overtook Eurotek’s Tom Mun for ninth but was unable to find a way past Davies in the remainder of the 12-lap race. Once past Pearson, Lloyd overtook Dittmann for 11th place and salvaged one championship point for 10th place when he passed Mun on the last lap. He also scored a bonus point for pole position, plus one for fastest lap at 46.700s (92.40mph). However, Stoneman was easily holding onto second place and happy to follow Rossi on the tight Kent circuit. Rossi continued to lap consistently under the 47s mark to gradually extend his lead over Stoneman, winning by 3.763s. Fisher drove a solid race in third to take his first podium since round one, narrowly ahead of Hancock and McDonald. A series of four quick laps in the middle part of the race saw Tirone open a gap in second place of the Club Class, with Morton holding off Smart by just over half a second to claim his second podium of the season. Commenting on his victory, Rossi said: “I had Dean right behind me in the early part of the race until my tyres warmed up and then I was able to hold him off quite comfortably. After that it was a case of treating it like a qualifying session and get some consistent lap times. The car felt brilliant so I thank my team for that and hopefully I can repeat the result in the next race.” Second placed Stoneman said: “When I knew that Hywel wasn’t going to score many points it wasn’t worth pushing too hard for the lead and I’m happy with second. I eased off slightly about halfway through and I could still see Hywel at Paddock Hill Bend as I was coming down from Druids so I knew there was no pressure.” Third placed Fisher commented: “It’s been a long time since Donington Park but this podium is a reward for my dad and brother and everyone else who has helped me this season. It’s my first full season of racing so great to get on the podium again before the end of the year. Although I didn’t overtake anyone on the track, I was in position to take advantage of other people’s mistakes and the car has felt great all weekend so hopefully that can remain the case.” Ian Pearson, who adds the 2007 Club Class title to his wins in 2005 and 2006, commented: “It was relatively straightforward today and a good way to win the title. I always try to have a good race with the FR2000 Class cars and there were a couple I was able to keep ahead of today, which shows that the car was working really well.” Second placed Roberto Tirone said: “Since Snetterton I’ve found some extra speed and this is another good result for me. In a way it’s good to have Ian up there winning because it gives the rest of us something to aim for. I’ve got a bit closer to him this weekend so maybe I can keep moving in that direction.” Third placed Iain Morton commented: “I had a good race but there was an FR2000 Class car between myself and Roberto so I couldn’t pressure him directly. We have managed to get the car back to the level it was at before my accident at Silverstone and that’s reflected in today’s result.”
STONEMAN SURGES INTO CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH DOUBLE WIN
Alpine Motorsport’s Dean Stoneman came away from Norfolk’s Snetterton circuit leading the Formula Renault BARC Championship after winning rounds seven and eight on 11th/12th August. The 17-year-old leads the FR2000 Class standings by nine points from CF Racing’s Hywel Lloyd as the Welshman finished second and seventh. Reon Motorsport’s Roberto Tirone collected a first victory in Club Class in round seven, adding second place in round eight. Reigning Club Class champion Ian Pearson bounced back from retirement in round seven to win round eight comfortably, finishing 13th overall. Each day of the race meeting saw one qualifying session and one race, with Eurotek Motorsport’s David McDonald scoring a first single-seater pole position for Saturday’s round seven with a time of 1min 08.386s (102.75mph). His team-mate Sung Hak Mun lined up alongside him as Lloyd and Stoneman could only manage seventh and eighth. On the green flag lap, an electrical problem ended Ian Pearson’s race before it began. As the race got underway, Mun got past McDonald at Riches to lead with Worswick Engineering’s Rossi and Double M Racing’s Aaron Steele also making good starts. Problems arose at Riches as Steele spun, collecting the unfortunate Rossi and forcing him into retirement as Steele resumed with front-wing damage. Lloyd and Stoneman each collected two further places to lie third and fourth when the red flag was deployed due to Russell Racing’s Mark Gillibrand retiring in a dangerous position at the Esses. The race re-started with the cars in race order but a spin at the Esses for the Club Class car of Bob Pearson on the first racing lap saw a second red flag in quick succession. Following the two stoppages, the race distance was five laps at the second re-start as Mun led away from McDonald. On lap three, Mun made an error to drop to fifth and hand his team-mate the lead. Stoneman passed Lloyd on the same tour to claim second place, while Roberto Tirone led the Club Class from Heffernan with the FR2000 Class car of Robin Palmer between them. More drama came on the final lap as McDonald, on the verge of his first win in car racing, ran slightly wide at Coram curve and was unable to take his usual line through Russell chicane to drop to fifth. Stoneman took full advantage to move through on the inside to take the win ahead of Lloyd, while 3K’s Racing’s Kieren Clark passed both Eurotek cars to clinch fourth and his best result of the season. Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock scored one bonus championship point for setting the fastest lap of the race at 1min 09.436s (101.20mph). Bright and dry conditions continued into Sunday as the 30-car entry qualified for round eight, with Stoneman clinching his third pole position of the season with a time of 1min 08.350s (102.81mph). The first-year driver made a perfect start to lead away from fellow front-row starter Mun, who was passed by Rossi at Riches. Starting from eighth on the grid, Championship leader Hywel Lloyd was squeezed onto the grass as McDonald and Kieren Clark battled, dropping the Welshman to midfield. Once again a red flag intervened at the end of lap two as Club Class duo Adrian Dixon and Steven Durrant came together at the Bombhole hitting the tyre wall. The leaders were starting lap three at the time and McDonald retired at Sear after contact with Aaron Steele under braking. At the re-start, Rossi threatened to pull alongside Stoneman but the pole-sitter held the lead through the first lap. Lloyd made his way up to 13th as he tried to limit the damage caused by his earlier excursion on the grass, while Hancock and Copeland touched wheels at the Esses on lap two dropping Hancock to 22nd. Despite slight damage to his steering caused on the first start, Kieren Clark was able to pass Quantexe Racing’s Felix Fisher (Bridgwater) for sixth place on lap three. Stoneman continued to edge away from Rossi by a couple of tenths of a second per lap, with Mun and Steele running in tandem two seconds behind. Falcon Motorsport’s Craig Copeland (Wimbourne) occupied a lonely fifth place. Lloyd was making progress on his recovery drive, passing Hillspeed’s Chris Dittmann and Taro Motorsport’s Ash Davies on successive laps to lie eighth on lap five. Davies retired two laps later, while Ollie Hancock continued to make his way through the field to reach 16th by the end of lap seven. Ian Pearson was running 12th overall to comfortably lead the Club Class from Tirone and Heffernan in 20th and 21st respectively. The race for second place in Club Class saw the duo separated by no more than one second for the duration of the 12-lap race but Heffernan was unable to force a mistake from the calm Tirone. On lap eight, Lloyd passed Fisher for seventh place and was lapping at the same pace as leader Stoneman, who held a two-second advantage to Rossi. The closest battle on the circuit saw Hillspeed Racing’s Omani racer Ahmad Al Harthy and Boulevard Team Racing’s Joshua Brooks dicing for 17th place, with Brooks eventually winning out after a fantastic duel. Lap 10 saw Kieren Clark set a new fastest lap as he kept clear of Lloyd and pressed Copeland for fifth place. Stoneman responded on lap 11 with the fastest lap of the race at 1min 08.615s (102.41mph) and claim a bonus point that could prove crucial in the title race. Stoneman went on to win by 2.302s from Rossi, with Mun taking a maiden Formula Renault BARC podium in third. Commenting on the weekend, Stoneman said: “Two wins – I can’t ask for any better than that! It was close yesterday but I knew my car was quicker than I’d shown in qualifying. Today I made two good starts and once I got to a two-second lead I could ease off and it was quite comfortable. I’ve got two of my favourite circuits still left to race at so hopefully I can go on to win the series.” Round eight runner-up Rossi said: “After a non-finish yesterday it’s great to come back and finish second. I got into second on the first start and then got almost alongside Dean on the re-start but couldn’t quite get through. I came back later in the race but Dean was too far ahead to challenge for the win.” Third placed Mun commented: “It took a few laps for the tyres to give optimum performance but when they did I was able to catch Rossi. I was very comfortable in third and didn’t have to defend at all and I’m happy to get my first podium.” Round eight winner Ian Pearson, who picked up his seventh win of 2007, commented: “It was a broken wire that stopped me on the warm up lap yesterday and that was disappointing because I wanted to keep my winning run going. Today was much better and one of my best overall finishes this year, which is positive.” Round seven Club Class winner Roberto Tirone said: “Usually finishing second to Ian is as good as a win but to actually win a round is brilliant. The whole Reon team has worked hard this year to get the car running well and this is the best way to repay them for their work.”
HANCOCK AND LLOYD SHARE WINS AT SILVERSTONE
Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock and CF Racing’s Hywel Lloyd took a win each in rounds five and six of the Formula Renault BARC Championship, with Welshman Lloyd retaining the lead in the FR2000 Class standings. Ian Pearson took both Club Class victories to keep his 100 per cent record intact. The result of round six remains provisional pending an appeal to the Motor Sports Association by Hancock. Both Dean Stoneman and Rossi were adjudged to have passed Hancock under yellow flags and were excluded by the Clerk of the Course. On appeal, Stoneman was reinstated by the Stewards of the Meeting, a decision Hancock is now appealing. Round five saw Hancock have things all his own way in the first half of the 15-lap race. He led away from pole position as Worswick Engineering’s Rossi got the best start to pass both Lloyd and Stoneman on the opening lap. Taro Motorsport’s Ash Davies spun into retirement at Becketts after starting 11th on the grid, causing several cars to take evasive action. The four leaders opened a lead over fifth-placed Craig Copeland, having a strong race on his return to the series. Lloyd challenged Stoneman for third place at Copse but fell back as Stoneman defended. Meanwhile, Ian Pearson had taken the lead in Club Class on lap one as Clutton got caught in the fallout from Davies’ spin and fell to 21st overall. Double M Racing’s Aaron Steele passed Copeland for fifth at Brooklands, only for Copeland to counter on the following lap at the same corner. Jigsaw Engineering’s Louis Hamilton-Smith gained five places in the early stages, while Club Class racer Adrian Dixon surged from 20th to 11th on lap one before being passed by several FR2000 Class cars. On lap seven, Rossi passed Hancock for the lead, squeezing through on the inside at Brooklands. He then began to pull away, opening a one second lead within a few laps and setting the fastest lap of the race on lap eight at 57.423s (102.75mph) to secure one bonus championship point. In Club Class, Clutton retained second place over Dixon with the pair racing just one second apart after Middle East-Russell Racing’s Essa Mohammed passed Clutton on lap 12. Near the head of the field, Steele once again passed Copeland at Brooklands to secure fifth place, with 3K’s Racing’s Kieren Clark also passing Copeland to finish sixth. As the battle for podium places came to its conclusion, Lloyd once again challenged Stoneman on the penultimate lap but the 16-year-old defended his position well. However, Hancock stole a dramatic lead as a backmarker spun in front of Rossi and Copse forcing him to take to the grass. Hancock took full advantage and went on to win by just 0.174s from Rossi with Stoneman 4.606s behind in third. Lloyd’s rapid start pays dividend in round 12Round 12 saw Lloyd make the best start from third on the grid, passing Stoneman at Copse and then Hancock at Brooklands for the lead. Further down the field, Reon Motorsport’s Iain Morton (London) clashed with Middle East-Russell Racing’s Mohamed Al A’Ali with both drivers ending their race in the gravel at the exit of Luffield. On the run into Brooklands on lap two, Hancock lost two places to Stoneman and Rossi leading to the later protest regarding overtaking under yellow flags. Meanwhile in Club Class, second-placed Dixon, Ian Pearson, Roberto Tirone and James Heffernan crossed the line within 0.3s of each other to start lap three. Steele and Copeland resumed their earlier battle with Steele taking fifth place from the Falcon Motorsport driver. The duel for first place in Club Class came together at the start of lap four as Pearson closed onto the rear wing of Clutton, before passing him on lap six. Once past Copeland, Steele set his sights on Hancock’s fourth place, challenging the round 11 winner at Copse before backing out. Copeland briefly joined the battle before falling back to more than one second behind. In Club Class, Tirone passed Dixon for fourth place on lap eight behind Heffernan. On the following lap, contact at Brooklands between Steele and Hancock as the former attempted a pass saw Hancock drop eight places to 12th, while Steele continued in fourth. Club Class leader Ian Pearson picked up two more places in the overall classification, gaining two more on lap 10 to finish 14th overall. Lloyd’s lead at the head of the field had now reached 3.5s over Stoneman, while in midfield, Eurotek Motorsport’s David McDonald in sixth place headed a chain of five cars separated by just 1.5s. In Club Class, JH Motorsport’s James Heffernan retired on lap 12 to promote Tirone to his first podium finish of the season ahead of Fraser Smart and Bob Pearson. The FR2000 Class win went to Lloyd ahead of Stoneman and Rossi before their exclusions saw Steele and Copeland promoted to second and third respectively. Following Stoneman’s successful appeal, he is classified second ahead of Steele. Commenting on his victory, Championship leader Lloyd said: “I made a brilliant start, which is something I’ve struggled to do this season. Once I got past Ollie the car felt really good and I was able to get a lead quite quickly. I have to thank my team and Sara, my engineer, for their work and I’m pleased to still be leading the championship.” Round 11 FR2000 Class winner Hancock said: “I had to fight to stay in the lead on the first lap going side by side with Rossi. Then he got past me but I never dropped too far back and I could watch where he was slow during the lap. It was good fortune for me that the back marker worked in my favour and it feels great to get a win.” Club Class double victor Ian Pearson, who started from an unusually low 28th and 30th on the grid after a mechanical problem in qualifying, commented: “It certainly made it interesting having to come through the field in both races. It wasn’t easy and in the second race even my dad made sure I had to work hard for a place but I can’t ask for much more than two wins.”
LLOYD EXTENDS LEAD WITH SECOND WIN OF THE SEASONHywel Lloyd clinched his second victory of the 2007 Formula Renault BARC Championship in an action packed race at Oulton Park Island circuit on Saturday, 16th June, extending his lead at the top of the FR2000 Class drivers’ standings to six points. The CF Racing man finished ahead of Alpine Racing’s Dean Stoneman and Eurotek Motorsport’s David McDonald. Club Class series leader, Pearson Engineering Services’ Ian Pearson , made it four wins out of four ahead of Mark Clutton Racing’s Marcus Clutton and Reon Motorsport’s Iain Morton. Adding one bonus point each for pole position and fastest lap, Pearson now leads the Club Class drivers’ standings by 20 points from Clutton. There was drama right from the start of the race as a capacity grid of 30 cars took to the grid at the 2.26-mile Cheshire circuit. Double M Racing’s Aaron Steele was on pole position by just 0.007s from Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock after a qualifying session split in two by a red flag after a spin by Boulevard Team Racing’s Joshua Brooks. Hancock made the better start to lead Steele through the first two corners ahead of Lloyd, while Stoneman also climbed two places from his eighth place grid slot. On the run to the hairpin on lap one, Hancock defended the inside line but Steele tried to squeeze past before bumping the leader into a spin. Steele retired from the race, while Hancock was forced to wait for a gap in the traffic before rejoining in 20th place. By the end of the lap, Lloyd held a clear lead over Worswick Engineering’s Rossi and Falcon Motorsport’s Sten Pentus who was up to third after starting ninth. Stoneman soon passed Pentus and then also overtook Rossi at the first corner, Old Hall, to lie second by the end of lap three, although almost five seconds adrift of Lloyd. In Club Class, Pearson held a comfortable lead over Clutton having claimed pole position late in the session on a drying track. Running just outside the top 10 overall, Pearson enjoyed a battle with Mark Burdett Motorsport’s FR2000 Class duo Pierre Renom and Denis Autier. Clutton was involved in his own tussle with the newer model Middle East/Russell Racing car of Menasheh Idafar, eventually losing out on lap six to the Bahraini driver. On lap three, Renom passed both Pearson and Autier to take 12th place but would then retire on lap eight. Two retirements had already come on lap six in unrelated incidents. Falcon Motorspot’s Craig Copeland retired at Knickerbrook chicane, while Rossi encountered problems with his battery and was forced to pit. Jigsaw Engineering’s Louis Hamilton-Smith joined Hancock in having to fight his way back through the field after spinning out of fifth place at Deer Leap. Rejoining in 26th, the 23-year-old made his way up to a creditable 11th at the end. By the midway stage of the 16-lap race, Stoneman had chipped away at Lloyd’s lead by almost half a second per lap and closed right onto his rear wing as the pair began to negotiate back markers. Lloyd fared better in the traffic, extending his lead over Stoneman back up to one second. On lap nine, third-placed Pentus retired after running wide at Old Hall, promoting McDonald up to third having been down to 10th after a poor start. Hillspeed Racing’s Chris Dittmann ended his race with a spin at the same corner to become the seventh retirement of the race. The battle for the final Club Class podium place continued with Morton heading a chain of cars including Pearson Engineering Services’ Bob Pearson, Muzz Race’s John Johnsen and JH Motorsport’s James Heffernan. Johnsen passed Pearson early in the race, only for Pearson to regain fourth place in class on the following lap. While racing closely among themselves, the group moved up in the overall classification as others retired, with Johnsen among those failing to finish. At the head of the field, Stoneman was unable to challenge Lloyd for the lead as the Welshman, in his second season of car racing, drove a calculated race. McDonald was comfortable in third, while Hillspeed’s Ahmad Al Harthy was enjoying his best race of the season in fourth before being passed by the recovering Hancock with just two laps to go.Late drama saw Autier and Russell Racing’s Mark Gillibrand touch wheels on the final lap as they battled for eighth place, with the position going to Gillibrand as Autier was forced to retire from what would have been his first points finish of the season. Gillibrand joined Al Harthy, McDonald and Taro Motorsport’s Ash Davies (Conwy) in recording his best result of the season to date. With a lead of almost 20 seconds over McDonald who was content to settle for third place, Stoneman pushed Lloyd all the way to the line and was just 0.342s behind at the chequered flag. Commenting on his second victory and third podium appearance in four rounds, Lloyd said: “There was just enough room for me to get past when Aaron and Ollie clashed and then it was up to me to build a gap. I lost most of my advantage when a Club Class driver waved me through but there were yellow flags waving so I couldn’t overtake but luckily it didn’t cost me. It’s a good result again and nice to extend the lead in the championship.” Second-placed Stoneman said: “I got a great start to pass two people and made it up to third by lap three. The car was working really well and I was able to close on Hywel, especially in the traffic. He was defending well though so I couldn’t try a move anywhere and I wasn’t going to risk the points I had in the bag already.” Third-placed McDonald added: “It was a good result for me given that it’s only my fourth car race. Towards the end I backed off so as not to risk the podium place but I felt I had the pace in the car all weekend. I got too many revs at the start so left myself some work to do and even if others hadn’t gone off in front of me I think I would have made up places.” Club Class winner Ian Pearson commented: “I had a good race with the FR2000 Class cars in the beginning and was biding my time in case they made mistakes. To finish 10th overall is great for me and I think there is more to come from the car. It’s a bit down on power and a little too heavy so hopefully I can make improvements before Silverstone.” Second-placed Clutton said: “I got a good start a had a battle with the Russell Racing car for the first six laps or so. Then it was a case of settling for second because I was a long way ahead of the group in third but also a long way behind Ian. It was a hectic race with all the retirements but I’m happy with the result and looking forward to the next round.” Third-placed Morton added: “My last lap in qualifying put me third among Club Class on the grid but there was a group of us quite close together. I opened a bit of a gap when James tangled with Bob and then he caught me again but I was able to bring it home. It’s nice to be on the podium at last and hopefully I can get closer to the leading two at Silverstone.”
ROSSI AND STONEMAN CLINCH FIRST VICTORIES OF THE SEASON
Worswick Engineering’s Rossi (above)took victory in round two of the Formula Renault BARC Championship at Croft on Sunday, 20th May. Alpine Racing’s Dean Stoneman won round three later the same day as both drivers made their first trip to the top step of the podium of 2007. Pearson Engineering Services’ Ian Pearson took the Club Class win in both rounds. Round one victor Hywel Lloyd now leads the FR2000 Class drivers’ standings by just one point, with Pearson heading the Club Class standings. Lloyd and Pearson will be invited to attend a Formula One test at Silverstone on Thursday, 21st June as guests of ING Renault F1 Team. The invite from Renault Sport UK is a reward for leading the standings of each class at this point of the season. Round one saw Stoneman line up on the front row alongside CF Racing’s Lloyd in a race reduced to 11 laps after one driver stalled on the grid. But the leading duo did not make it past the first corner as Stoneman clipped the kerb on the inside at Clervaux and collected Lloyd on his way to the gravel trap. Rossi was the chief beneficiary as he assumed the lead after starting third, with Falcon Motorsport’s Sten Pentus just behind him. Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock was coming under heavy pressure from Eurotek Motorsport’s David McDonald in third and fourth, with Double M Racing’s Aaron Steele and Jigsaw Engineering’s Louis Hamilton-Smith completed the top six at the end of lap one. Ian Pearson led the Club Class category in 17th overall, while MCR’s Marcus Clutton also made a good start to be right behind him at the end of the first lap after starting 24th. Two seconds behind them, Muzz Race’s Adrian Dixon led Bob Pearson and John Johnsen in the chasing pack. On lap two, Clutton made a bid for the Club Class lead at the hairpin but Pearson managed to repel the move. Clutton was forced to back off and was passed by Boulevard Team Racing’s FR2000 Class car Joshua Brooks. Hancock and McDonald continued to battle for third place with McDonald just failing with an overtaking attempt on lap three as he set the fastest lap of the race of 1min 21.976s (93.32mph). On the following lap, McDonald tried exactly the same manoeuvre at the hairpin with both drivers running wide onto the grass as McDonald ran wide. This allowed Steele to climb to third as McDonald dropped to fifth and Hancock to ninth. A spin for DS Motorsport’s David Scott on lap six dropped him from seventh to 13th place, while Middle East/Russell Racing’s Menasheh Idafar retired on lap five. Meanwhile, McDonald passed Hamilton-Smith to regain fourth place as Rossi increased his lead over Pentus to almost two-seconds at the halfway stage. As the leaders began to lap the tail-enders, Rossi extended his lead to four seconds enabling him to ease off in the closing stages. In Club Class, RPD Racing’s Steven Durrant passed Fraser Smart for sixth in class and then overtook Reon Motorsport’s Roberto Tirone for fifth before a spin by Johnsen promoted Durrant to fourth at the chequered flag. With three laps to go, Russell Racing’s eighth-placed Mark Gillibrand made an error at the Complex allowing Hillspeed Racing’s Ahmad Al Harthy and Quantexe Racing’s Felix Fisher to catch him in the closest battle among the top 10, with Fisher passing Al Harthy on the last lap to snatch the final point for 10th place. Hancock also gained a place in the closing stages as Eurotek’s Sung Hak Mun locked a wheel. But the race belonged to Rossi as he cruised to victory by 3.399s from Pentus and Steele. Round three saw a less dramatic start for pole-sitter Stoneman as he safely negotiated the first corner with his lead over Hancock intact. Starting from fifth, Rossi passed McDonald at Clervaux, while Scott picked up three places from 12th on the grid. Club Class pole-man Marcus Clutton initially stalled on the grid and after being passed by every other car, he re-took his original position. This breach of the regulations meant he was issued with a 10-second penalty, to be applied at the end of the race. The opening lap action saw Rossi make a bid for Lloyd’s third place, while Hamilton-Smith challenged Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Denis Autier for 12th. Aaron Steele made a fine late-braking move to pass sixth-placed Sung Hak Mun on lap two, while Hamilton-Smith did manage to pass Frenchman Autier at the hairpin. Problems on the Green Flag Lap for Taro Motorsport’s Ash Davies and Middle East/Russell Racing’s Menasheh Idafar enabled Idafar’s team-mate Mohamed Al A’Ali and Ian Pearson to start from the pitlane and both passed RPT Racing’s Richard Taylor and Bill Allen on lap one. As the 12-lap race approached half-distance, Stoneman was looking untroubled in the lead while Lloyd began to catch Hancock for second place, leaving Rossi trailing in fourth. Mark Gillibrand led the race for the final point-scoring place in 10th, heading a train of five cars covered by less than two-seconds. On lap six, Lloyd made his move on Hancock with a seemingly impossible late dive to the inside at the hairpin. Hancock fought back to draw alongside on the start/finish straight but ran wide as he attempted to regain the place at Clervaux and was forced to settle for third. However, Lloyd was too far back to challenge Stoneman’s lead, which now stood at 2.7s. After being passed by Felix Fisher, Gillibrand then relinquished 11th place on lap seven as he ran wide to allow Hamilton-Smith through. The Russell Racing man would later regain the place and also pass Sten Pentus to score his first point of the season. Meanwhile, Ian Pearson was continuing his charge through the field in a bid to catch Club Class leaders Clutton and JH Motorsport’s James Heffernan. Clutton led by more than three-seconds on the road, but his time penalty meant he was officially third, just ahead of Steven Durrant. Durrant was the next target for Ian Pearson on lap eight, the reigning champion having too much experience for the 16-year-old series newcomer as they raced through Jim Clark Esses. Pearson then caught and passed James Heffernan and although he finished behind Clutton, Pearson took the victory by 5.5s ahead of Heffernan with Clutton relegated to third. Stoneman visibly began to ease off the pace during the latter stages of the race, always aware of Lloyd’s position in second place. The gap remained steady at around two-seconds, with the final margin of 1.351s as Stoneman slowed to acknowledge his team on the pit-wall, who worked hard to repair his car following his earlier accident. Commenting on his victory, Stoneman said: “I was quite comfortable after the first lap because I managed to build an advantage quite quickly. As soon as I got more than one second in front I knew I had it won as long as I kept going. My team put in a lot of hard work after my crash so I’m very happy to repay them.” Second-placed Lloyd, who now leads the drivers’ standings, joked: “It was nice just to get past the first corner this time! It was a good clean race with Ollie and we both gave each other room when we needed to. He got the run on me after I’d gone past but I managed to brake late enough and he went onto the dirt to let me back through. It’s a good end to the day after a bad start to it earlier.” Round two winner Rossi commented: “I had a bit of luck at the first corner with the two leaders going off and then I just got my head down and tried to put in consistent lap times and treat it almost like a qualifying session. I only got a bit nervous when I caught the back markers but they helped by keeping to the racing line and letting me go round them. It’s great to get my first win this year and I couldn’t have done it without the whole of the Worswick Engineering team.” Double Club Class winner Ian Pearson revealed: “I had a suspension problem in qualifying yesterday so I had to set the car up again and didn’t’ quite have it right for race one because of a slight slope in the garage. I managed to put it right for race two, although I’d rather not have to come from the back of the field. I also feel bad for Marcus and the win’s not quite so satisfying, although it is a good result.” Second-placed James Heffernan, who spun out on the Green Flag Lap in round two, added: “After some bad luck earlier this is a much more positive result for me. It was a good battle with Marcus and we both seemed to gain and lose time in different places but I couldn’t quite catch him. I saw Ian coming in my mirrors and couldn’t hold him off but hopefully this can start a run of solid finishes.” A disappointed third-placed Clutton, who was second in round two, said: “At the moment I feel gutted not to have won because we really had strong pace the whole weekend. I was much closer to Ian in qualifying and also kept well ahead in the second race despite having trouble selecting third gear. I’ve made a step forward though and hopefully I can get a real win next time.” Aaron Steele third in FR2000 Class in round two said: “I just kept it on the black stuff and after the first corner I looked ahead and realised I was up to fifth. Then Ollie and David went off in front of me and put me up to third, so I was really benefiting from a solid driver and other people’s misfortune.” Adrian Dixon, third in Club Class in round two, said: “The front two got away early on and it’s always difficult to chase once they open up a gap. But I’m happy to get a second podium in two races and hopefully there’ll be many more.”
FIRST CAR RACING WIN FOR WELSHMAN LLOYD
Hywel Lloyd claimed the first victory of his single-seater career with a dominant display from pole position in round one of the Formula Renault BARC Championship at Donington Park on Sunday, 29th April. The Welsh privateer led home series debutant Aaron Steele and Felix Fisher to take the early lead in the FR2000 Class drivers’ standings. Reigning Club Class champion Ian Pearson took the Club Class win ahead of newcomer Marcus Clutton and Adrian Dixon. A record 38 pre-season registrations ensured a capacity entry of 32 cars on the Leicestershire venue’s National circuit. Only JH Motorsport’s James Heffernan was unable to start the race after a gearbox problem in qualifying. CF Racing’s Lloyd scored one bonus point by taking pole position with a time of 1min 08.873s (102.31mph), which put him 0.473s ahead of Double M Racing’s Steele with Quantexe Racing’s Fisher in third. Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock, brother of Le Mans Series racer Sam, also qualified on the second row, while Rossi and former Eurocup Formula Renault driver Sten Pentus made up row three. Pearson took the Club Class pole position, in 19th overall, with Dixon and Clutton ahead of Iain Morton in fourth. As the season’s racing began, it was Pentus who made the early move by climbing two positions to fourth and challenging Fisher’s third place. Lloyd led Steele into the first corner, Redgate and held off the younger driver’s pressure despite a small mistake at the Old Hairpin. Hillspeed Racing’s Ahmad Al Harthy, the first driver to represent Oman in Formula Renault BARC, made up three places while in Club Class, Bob Pearson climbed five spots to 24th at the end of lap one. Lloyd made the most of the clear track in front of him to open a two-second lead within the first two laps as the early race order took shape. Alpine Racing’s Dean Stoneman dropped two places on the opening lap but was back up to his starting position of 8th by the end of lap two. He then passed Eurotek Motorsport’s David McDonald, Worswick Engineering’s Rossi and Falcon Motorsport’s Pentus in successive laps to lie fifth. Rossi had been looking to take Hancock’s fifth place as the pair entered Redgate on lap four but with the overtaking attempt failing, Stoneman capitalised to demote Rossi to seventh. Hillspeed’s Chris Dittmann climbed four places in as many laps, while Clutton passed Bob Pearson to move in behind Dixon in the battle for the remaining Club Class podium places. After following Dixon for a lap, Clutton, making his single-seater racing debut, picked his spot at the Old Hairpin to take the place. At the same corner on lap eight of 14, Boulevard Team Racing’s Joshua Brooks out-braked himself to drop from 18th to 27th and well out of points-scoring contention. The only retirement of the race came on lap seven when Middle East-Russell Racing’s Essa Mohammed weent off the circuit at Coppice. Pentus’ fine start went to waste on lap seven when, having already run wide to drop two places, the Estonian spun to fall a further five places down the order to 11th. On lap eight, former motorcycle racer Craig Harris, making his car racing debut for Blackpool and the Fylde College Racing – a team run by the College’s students – passed Bob Pearson for 25th overall and sixth in Club Class. Rossi and David McDonald were having a see-saw battle for sixth place with both drivers swapping the advantage for four consecutive laps before Rossi claimed the position as his on lap nine. Meanwhile, Stoneman’s rise through the order halted at fifth place as he struggled to find a way past Hancock. At the head of the field, Lloyd’s lead over Steele, which had been as much as 3.4s after five laps was now down to just 1.7s thanks to Steele setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 11 with a time of 1min 09.626s (101.20mph). Fisher was secure in third place but Stoneman was keen to take fourth and attempted to pass Hancock as the duo lapped a Club Class driver. Hancock defended his position on that occasion but at the end of lap 13, Hancock ran wide at the exit of the final chicane and over a small bump in the track causing him to spin. Excellent car control saw him right the car instantly but the loss of momentum allowed Stoneman through to finish fourth. Meanwhile, negotiating traffic meant Steele was unable to pressure Lloyd for the win, with the 22-year-old taking victory by 1.596s. Commenting on the victory, Lloyd said: “I got the good start I wanted and then set about building a lead as quick as possible. I had the car set-up to be quick in the early part of the race and although the tyres started to go off later in the race, I was always in control. It’s a great way to start the season and hopefully it will be the same at Croft.” Second-placed Steele said: “Maybe if the race had been a few laps longer it would have been interesting but it wasn’t to be. My tyres took a while to warm up so I spent four or five laps defending rather than attacking for the lead. I’m pleased to have started second and finished second and I set the fastest lap as well but I know there’s more to come.” Third-placed Fisher, who was forced to end his 2006 campaign early after a big accident at Snetterton, said: “I’m really happy just to finish the race and it’s been a long nine months out of the car since Snetterton. I had a good battle with Aaron early on and then against Sten as he caught up. When I saw him go off at the Old Hairpin I was quite pleased and to finish third is a great start for me.” Club Class race-winner Ian Pearson said: “Considering I only just got the car rebuilt after the recent test at Brands Hatch today went better than I could have hoped. I had a good race with the Hillspeed Racing cars for much of the race and with pole position and fastest lap I couldn’t ask for much more.” Second-placed Clutton, whose previous car racing experience lies in GT and saloon racing, said: “I had to get back to basics today and remember techniques from karting as I’ve only had around 100 laps in the car prior to today. I would have settled for third today so to come second is great and hopefully I can gain on Ian during the year, although it will take time to learn the car.” Third-placed Dixon, 42, said: “I struck a blow for the older generation this afternoon! To be fair to Marcus he got me with a great pass at the Old Hairpin and that has been my weak point in practise and qualifying. But I’m closer to the Class leaders in qualifying than last season so my performance has improved and it’s onwards and upwards at Croft.” Rounds two and three of the Formula Renault BARC Championship take place at Croft circuit, North Yorkshire, on 19th/20th May. FR2000 Class drivers’ standings after round one – provisional 1 Hywel Lloyd GBR CF Racing 16 pts 2 Aaron Steele GBR Double M Racing 13 pts 3 Felix Fisher GBR Quantexe Racing 10 pts 4 Dean Stoneman GBR Alpine Racing 8 pts 5 Ollie Hancock GBR Mark Burdett Motorsport 6 pts 6 Rossi GBR Worswick Engineering 5 pts Club Class drivers’ standings after round one – provisional 1 Ian Pearson GBR Pearson Engineering Services 17 pts 2 Marcus Clutton GBR Mark Clutton Racing 12 pts 3 Adrian Dixon GBR Muzz Race 10 pts 4 Iain Morton GBR Reon Motorsport 8 pts 5 Fraser Smart GBR Driver 6 pts 6 Bob Pearson GBR Pearson Engineering Services 5 pts pics Jakob Ebrey |
|
got
a great start from the third row to move past Stoneman into third ahead
of Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock. 
(leading
Steele below) third in the race, said: “I don’t feel too bad
about it because it’s been really enjoyable racing all season. I had a
problem with my steering, especially in the high-speed corners, during
today’s race and without that I would have been on the pace. To finish
second in my first full season is a good result and I’m only just 17 so
I’ve got time on my side.” 
said:
“My first lap was a stormer because although I went the longer way round
at the Complex, it was also the faster line and I got up to fourth. Then
Rossi pulled off with David getting caught behind him a bit so I was up
to second. I’d made a change to the car from qualifying and it was the
best it’s ever been and although David got past me, to start eighth and
finish third is a good result.” 
