_{theGrid.co.uk}                

  The national & club motor racing magazine on the Net -Established 1998

  ^News

 E mail the editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk for details

Formula Renault BARC  Championship

SIXTH WIN CAPS BRILLIANT SEASON FOR SINGLETON

Coles Racing’s Richard Singleton eased to victory in round 12 of the Formula Renault BARC Championship at Brands Hatch Indy on Sunday, 24^th September, his sixth in a title-winning season. The 17-year-old, who has entered the final two rounds of the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship in preparation for a full campaign in 2007, won by 5.730s from Hillspeed’s James Littlejohn Eurotek Motorsport’s Emma Selway scored her first podium in car racing, finishing in third place. 

The race was held as part of the support package to the British Touring Car Championship, guaranteeing a huge crowd for the season’s final race. 

Following the withdrawal of Jordan Oakes from the race, pole-sitter Singleton was unchallenged from the front row as the 26-car field negotiated Paddock Hill Bend for the first time. Andrew Meyrick had a poor first lap, dropping from third on the grid to fifth, allowing Littlejohn to slot into second ahead of Selway and Rossi. The Worswick Engineering racer, who overtook Hywel Lloyd at the start, made a successful pass on lap two and began to chase Littlejohn and Singleton. 

Meyrick’s disappointing start was compounded by a clash with Louis Hamilton-Smith on lap two, resulting in Meyrick’s retirement. In midfield, Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Thomas Arme  passed Welch Motorsport’s Ian Pearson on lap three before passing Ryan Borthwick and Andrew Bentley. 

In Club Class, for pre-2000 Formula Renault cars, Mark Terry led comfortably at his home circuit from James Heffernan and round 11 winner Adrian Dixon. He was unable to challenge for the Class lead, however, as FR2000 Class driver Robin Palmer was sandwiched between them. 

As Rossi closed on James Littlejohn, their ensuing tussle enabled Selway and Lloyd to reduce the gap between second and fifth places. Rossi made two attempts to pass Littlejohn after carrying more speed through Clearways, but on both occasions he found a backmarker thwarting his attempt at Paddock Hill Bend by occupying the overtaking line in their efforts to allow Littlejohn through on the racing line. 

On the third occasion, Adrian Dixon was the backmarker in question and as Rossi moved to pass at Druids Bend, the pair made contact causing damage to Rossi’s front wing and Dixon’s rear tyre. The tyre then punctured on the approach to Graham Hill Bend, leaving Dixon a passenger as he spun. The unfortunate knock-on effect saw Rossi run wide across the grass into the tyre wall and retirement.

 Where Rossi had failed to gain a place after carrying greater speed through Clearways, Hywel Lloyd was able to successfully complete this manoeuvre to pass Selway for third place. But disaster struck for the Welshman in the closing two laps, an intermittent engine problem causing him to lose power and dropping him to ninth place.

 Mechanical problems also ended the races of Club Class rivals Mark Terry and Simon Keast, a broken throttle cable and faulty gear selection highlighted as respective causes. This allowed Heffernan to claim his second category win in three races, ahead of Robert Pearson and Muzz Race’s Steve Hanselman, who makes his first podium appearance of the season.

The race, like the season, belonged to Singleton and his status as Champion was underlined with a sixth win in 12 races. He also set a new lap record with a time of 46.599s (92.59mph). His record of 11 podium finishes in 12 races, blotted only by a seventh place at Snetterton in round two, is even more impressive given the quality of this season’s opposition in the feeder series to the prestigious Formula Renault UK Championship. 

Commenting on his win, Singleton said: “The pressure was off today so I was able to go out and enjoy it a bit more. The whole season has gone better than I could have hoped for and to finish with six wins is amazing really. My only real worry in the race was getting past the backmarkers but they were aware and made it very easy for me. Now I want to show what I can do in Formula Renault UK at Silverstone.” 

Littlejohn was delighted with second place, which lifts him above Rossi in the final drivers’ standings. He said: “I was struggling for straight line speed today so Rossi was always going to be able to challenge me at Paddock Hill. But I enjoyed fending him off and it’s probably the longest amount of time I’ve had to do that for. To come second in front of a big crowd at a BTCC meeting and third overall is a great end to the season.” 

An emotional Selway said: “I’m just ecstatic with third place. I did a lot better in the second qualifying session and got a good start. I’ve been taking a different line through Clearways, which worked in qualifying. But in the race I ended up going through the gravel and that let Hywel past. When he slowed I knew I was on for a podium finish and I’m just so happy.”

FR2000 Class Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 12 - provisional 

1 Richard Singleton                     GBR                Coles Racing                         158 pts

2 Jordan Oakes             GBR                Eurotek Motorsport                109 pts

3 James Littlejohn                      GBR                Hillspeed                                97 pts

4 Rossi                                    GBR                Worswick Engineering            82 pts

5 Hywel Lloyd                          GBR                CF Racing                         57 pts

6 Craig Copeland                     GBR                Mark Burdett Motorsport            44 pts

7 Matt Shawyer                      GBR                Russell Racing                       40 pts

8 David Scott                          GBR                DS Motorsport                               39 pts

9 Thomas Arme               GBR                Mark Burdett Motorsport            38 pts

10 Michael Broadhurst            GBR                Hillspeed                                32 pts

Club Class Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 12 - provisional 

1 Ian Pearson                          GBR                Driver                                      138 pts

2 Mark Terry                            GBR                Reon Motorsport                   106 pts

3 James Heffernan                    GBR                JH Motorsport                               105 pts

4 Robert Pearson                      GBR                Driver                                      84 pts

5 Andrew Webb              GBR                Driver                                      62 pts

6 Simon Keast                                    GBR                Muzz Race                           53 pts

OAKES WINS BUT SINGLETON STILL CONTROLS TITLE RACE

Eurotek Motorsport’s Jordan Oakes won round 10 of the Formula Renault BARC Championship at Thruxton on Saturday, 16^th September, storming through from fifth on the grid to finish just 0.178s ahead of Championship leader Richard Singleton The Welshman’s podium means he stays 15 points ahead of Oakes in the FR2000 Class title race with two races left. 

In Club Class, Ian Pearson successfully defended his title despite retiring on lap two of the 12-lap race at the 2.36-mile Hampshire circuit. His nearest challenger, Mark Terry finished third but Pearson’s bonus point for pole position gives him a 34-point lead with two rounds left. Each round carries a maximum 17 points but even if Terry was to achieve this, Pearson would win the title by virtue of having a greater number of race victories.

The closest qualifying session of the season saw the top five cars lap with 0.095s of Falcon Motorsport’s pole-sitter Andrew Meyrick Hillspeed’s James Littlejohn lined up alongside him on the front row with Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Craig Copeland in third. Singleton and Oakes started fourth and fifth, with Ian Pearson a fantastic 10^th on the grid to easily claim the Club Class pole position ahead of Mark Terry in 23^rd. 

As the lights went out to start the race, Oakes blasted past Singleton off the line and then passed Littlejohn at the Complex to slot into second place behind Meyrick. Littlejohn lost out to Copeland and Singleton on lap one to drop to fifth. Hywel Lloyd also lost two places, to Russell Racing’s Matt Shawyer and Worswick Engineering’s Rossi Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Denis Autier made up three places and Louis Hamilton-Smith picked up four places to run 13^th and 14^th respectively. 

Singleton responded to Oakes’ initial early burst by setting a new fastest lap on lap two, passing Copeland for third place in the process. At the end of the lap, the charging Autier attempted to pass Ian Pearson for 10^th place at Club chicane, having already dispatched Eurotek Motorsport’s Emma Selway As the Frenchman moved to the outside, Pearson ran wide under braking and the cars touched, sending Autier into the crash barrier and out of the race, with Pearson limping into retirement in the pits. 

As Meyrick and Oakes pulled away from the chasing pack, Rossi was attacking Littlejohn and finally got past on lap five, only to out-brake himself and lock a wheel at Club chicane and fall back to sixth place. Meanwhile, with Ian Pearson out of the Club Class race, James Heffernan led the category ahead of Robert Pearson and Mark Terry. 

At mid-race distance, Meyrick and Oakes exchanged fastest laps as they continued to stretch away from Singleton. On lap seven, Meyrick set the Fastest Lap of the race at 1min 14.515s (113.82mph) to open a 1.396s lead over Oakes. The leaders were already beginning to lap backmarkers and this was to have a defining effect on the outcome. 

Meyrick caught up to Club Class driver Steve Hanselman on the approach to the Complex and moved to the left side of the track to take the right-hander at Segrave. But as Hanselman drifted wide, their wheels became interlocked forcing Meyrick to spin out of the lead and onto the grass in his effort to avoid contact. He re-joined in eighth place, gifting Oakes the lead. 

Singleton was immediately able to challenge for the lead and crossed the line just 0.255s adrift at the end of lap nine. Copeland, Littlejohn and Rossi completed the top five and the quintet broke clear of the field as the scrap for podium places entered its final stages. 

Oakes was able to increase his lead by almost four-tenths of a second on the penultimate lap, although he still had to negotiate backmarkers. The closest tussle saw Rossi tucked under the rear wing of Littlejohn, but the Hillspeed man drove superbly to keep him at bay.

 Finally, on the 12^th and last lap, Rossi made the pass at Goodwood corner to take fourth place. However, Rossi was later excluded from the results for a technical infringement, technical scrutineers finding an irregularity with the teenager’s gearbox. Littlejohn regained fourth place in the amended classification as all finishers moved up one place. 

Oakes’ final difficulty arose in the last few hundred yards of racing as he and Singleton encountered series debutant Julie Clark at Club chicane. However, the Muzz Race driver was aware of the leaders’ approach and kept the track clear for them to pass, Oakes beating Singleton to the chequered flag by just a few car lengths. 

In Club Class, James Heffernan was able to pass Falcon Motorsport’s FR2000 Class driver Robin Palmer (Yelverton, Devon) to give him some breathing space over second placed Robert Pearson, who, by keeping Mark Terry behind him, helped his son to retain his title while sitting in the pitlane. 

Commenting on his victory, triple race-winner Oakes said: “I was closing on Andrew before he spun but kept making silly little mistakes to let him get away slightly each time. He made a mistake by passing the backmarker on the outside to let me through to the lead and once I got ahead, I eased off a bit and made sure I covered the line in the slow corners. The title is still possible but I’d have preferred to have someone finish between myself and Richard. 

Singleton added: “I would have liked to come first but second will do in terms of the title. I thought I may have been able to have a go for the lead on the outside at the chicane on the last lap but I backed off because I’ve got more to lose than Jordan. Hopefully I’ll be able to win the first race at Brands Hatch and wrap it up then.” 

For Copeland, it was a second podium of the season and his first since the wet race at Croft in May. He commented: “I got a good start and was racing alongside Andrew for the lead through the Complex but I was under power on the straights and that’s a big thing around here. All the tracks I’ve raced on this year are new and with the limited testing I’ve had, a third place here is a good result for me.” 

Celebrating his first Club Class victory of the season at Thruxton, James Heffernan said: “It’s fantastic to get a win and all the hard work’s finally paid off. I had a great start and got past Mark Terry, who had a few issues, on lap one and then passed Steve Hanselman at the Complex. I didn’t realise Ian had stopped but still felt like there was more pace in the car because I was keeping up with the FR2000 Class cars. 

Second placed Pearson said: “It was a good race today and very pleasing to see nine Club Class cars in the field. I managed to stay just behind James at the start and we both gained a few places. Fortunately for Ian, I was able to keep Mark Terry behind me and like to think I played my part today in him winning the title.”

 For Terry, a collision in qualifying with debutant Ryan Borthwick hampered his chances. He stays second in the Club Class drivers’ standings and said: “I rebuilt the right rear suspension between qualifying and the race but I was understeering in right-handed corners and that’s a major problem at this circuit. I had to brake very early just to get round corners and so I wasn’t able to make up ground.”

 The final two rounds of the Championship take place at Brands Hatch circuit, Kent, this weekend, 23^rd/24^th September. Round 11 is scheduled to start at 17:20 on Saturday, 23^rd September with round 12 on Sunday, 24^th September at 17:10.

FR2000 Class Standings after Round 10 – Provisional

1 Richard Singleton            GBR            Coles Racing                                     124 pts

2 Jordan Oakes GBR            Eurotek Motorsport                            109 pts

3 Rossi                        GBR            Worswick Engineering                 78 pts

4 James Littlejohn            GBR            Hillspeed                                            77 pts

5 Hywel Lloyd              GBR            CF Racing                                     49 pts

Club Class Standings after Round 10 – Provisional

1 Ian Pearson              GBR                                                                138 pts CHAMPION

2 Mark Terry                GBR            Reon Motorsport                               104 pts

3 James Heffernan            GBR            JH Motorsport                                           76 pts

4 Bob Pearson            GBR                                                                64 pts

5 Andrew Webb  GBR                                                                62 pts

LITTLEJOHN AND SINGLETON CLAIM PEMBREY VICTORIES

Hillspeed’s James Littlejohn and Coles Racing’s Richard Singleton  took one win apiece as the Formula Renault BARC Championship visited Pembrey for rounds eight and nine on 19^th/20^th August. Eurotek Motorsport’s Jordan Oakes finished second in both races but remains 18 points behind Singleton in the race for the title. Worswick Engineering’s Rossi secured his fourth podium finish of the season by taking third place in round nine.

Ian Pearson took maximum Club Class points in both races ahead of Reon Motorsport’s Mark Terry to leave him just one win away from retaining his Club Class title. James Heffernan completed the Club Class podium with a pair of third place finishes.

After a wet qualifying session for round nine, a further rain shower just before the start of the race prompted a late change onto wet tyres for the day’s first race. Pole-sitter Oakes was beaten away from the line by second placed Littlejohn, who set about opening an early lead. Just behind the leading group, Hillspeed’s Michael Broadhurst passed Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Craig Copeland  for sixth place, with Copeland’s team-mate Tom Arme also getting the better of him to claim seventh on the following lap.

Ian Pearson slipped back two places on lap two as FR2000 Class drivers Emma Selway and Chris Lamare went ahead but with Louis Hamilton-Smith overtaking Mark Terry on lap six, Pearson’s Club Class lead was still safe.

At the head of the field, Littlejohn and Oakes were well clear of Singleton, with Oakes never more than six-tenths of a second behind the leader after erasing the early advantage. Littlejohn’s only respite came when passing back-marker Robin Palmer  but Oakes soon closed on his gearbox once clear of the Falcon Motorsport man.

Having qualified fourth, Falcon Motorsport’s Andrew Meyrick was forced to drive a recovery race after a first lap spin and made his way to 12^th place by passing Pearson on lap eight. He set the Fastest Lap of the race on lap 11 with a time of 1min 00.120s (87.18mph) to give an insight to what might have been had he started well, before passing Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Denis Autier and Lamare on the final lap to claim the last points position of 10^th.

After a race-long battle, Littlejohn prevailed by just 0.524s over Oakes, with Singleton a distant third, some five seconds adrift. Ian Pearson finished in 13^th overall with Mark Terry in 17^th. James Heffernan passed Muzz Race’s Adrian Dixon on lap nine to claim third place in Club Class, finishing more than 16 seconds clear by the end of 15 laps.

For race two, Singleton beat Oakes to pole position by just 0.083s with Rossi and Littlejohn sharing the second row, separated by an even narrower margin of 0.003s. As the flag dropped, Rossi made the cleanest start of the leading quartet to beat Oakes to the first corner with Singleton keeping his lead.

Further down the grid, Hywel Lloyd leapt five places up the order to fifth with Tom Arme dropping three places to ninth. Autier was another to fall back, moving from ninth to 14^th, while Hamilton-Smith spun halfway round the first tour of the 1.46-mile circuit to drop to 22^nd and last place.

Club Class leader Ian Pearson avoided the traffic to gain three places on the opening lap and put two FR2000 Class cars between himself and Mark Terry, who began one place behind Pearson in 17^th. Although the recovering Autier passed Pearson, Terry was never able to close sufficiently to challenge for the Class win and had to settle for second.

On lap three, Oakes pulled off a good overtaking move on the inside of Rossi at Honda Curve, leading onto the start/finish straight. On the following lap, Arme finally passed Michael Broadhurst having been swarming all over his gearbox for the opening three laps. At the same time, Welch Motorsport’s Chris Murray  passed Emma Selway and Autier got ahead of Ian Pearson.

At the front, Singleton was asserting his authority over the chasing pack by building a three-second lead in the space of two laps. When Oakes passed Rossi, the margin grew to more than four seconds and although Oakes began to close slightly as the halfway point of the race approached, his charge was halted by a red flag.

At the start of lap nine, Autier spun on the start/finish straight while trying to negotiate a tussle between Murray and David Scott  and Emma Selway, following closely in 12^th place, was helpless to avoid hitting Autier. The pair came to rest at Hatchets Hairpin and with more than 50 per cent of the race distance completed, the result was declared.

Two podium finishes each for Singleton and Oakes, together with respective bonus points for pole position and fastest lap, means the pair remain separated by 18 points with three races left. James Littlejohn closes on Rossi in the battle for third place with his second victory of the season. In Club Class, James Heffernan climbs to fourth place in the drivers’ standings, while Sarah Lambert scored her first Championship points with a pair of sixth place finishes.

Round 10 of the Championship takes place at Thruxton on Saturday, 16^th September.

FR2000 Class Standings after Round Nine – Provisional

1 Richard Singleton            GBR            Coles Racing                                     112 pts

2 Jordan Oakes GBR            Eurotek Motorsport                            94 pts

3 Rossi                        GBR            Worswick Engineering Ltd                   78 pts

4 James Littlejohn            GBR            Hillspeed                                            69 pts

5 Hywel Lloyd              GBR            CF Racing                                     43 pts

Club Class Standings after Round Nine – Provisional

1 Ian Pearson              GBR                                                                137 pts

2 Mark Terry                GBR            Reon Motorsport                               94 pts

3 Andrew Webb  GBR                                                                62 pts

4 James Heffernan            GBR                                                                60 pts

5 Bob Pearson            GBR                                                                52 pts

SINGLETON BACK ON TOP AT OULTON PARK

Richard Singleton took his third victory of the Formula Renault BARC Championship season at Oulton Park Island circuit on Saturday, 5^th August. The 17-year-old won by just 1.245s from Jordan Oakes to extend his lead in the drivers’ standings to 17 points with five races left. Hywel Lloyd  took his first Formula Renault BARC podium in third place. 

Ian Pearson took the Club Class honours for the fifth time in seven races, finishing ninth overall. James Heffernan  made his first appearance on the Club Class podium in second place, with Ian’s father, Bob Pearson, completing a happy day for the father and son team. 

Singleton secured pole position at the Cheshire circuit in a dramatic end to a qualifying session held on a drying track. Debutant Andrew Meyrick  held top spot for much of the session and the Falcon Motorsport driver looked to have made the best possible start to his Formula Renault BARC career. But with many of the drivers setting their best times towards the end of the 20-minute stint, Singleton took pole with a time of 1min 23.402s (96.08mph) around the 2.23-mile circuit, with Meyrick relegated to fifth place. 

The race began in dry conditions and Coles Racing’s Singleton made a clean start from the front, keeping ahead of Oakes as the 26-car field entered Old Hall corner for the first time. Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Thomas Arme failed to capitalise on another impressive qualifying performance, the 16-year-old tangling with Hywel Lloyd at Knickerbrook chicane on the first lap, ending his race. Louis Hamilton-Smith  also managed just one lap before being forced into retirement. 

Worswick Engineering’s Rossi  made the best start, gaining four places after starting eighth on the grid. Hillspeed Racing’s Michael Broadhurst  made up three places from 11^th on the grid but had to pit for a new nose cone on lap four, dropping him well out of contention, while reigning Club Class Champion Ian Pearson also picked up four places on the opening lap.

 Singleton made an early break and was able to open a gap of more than two seconds to Oakes, with Lloyd comfortably in third. Just behind, Meyrick passed Rossi for fourth place on lap four, but the round five winner was able to regain the place on the following lap. Running in ninth place, Ian Pearson was comfortably heading the eight Club Class challengers ahead of Heffernan in 16^th and newcomer Adrian Dixon driving for Muzz Race in 17^th. 

At the race entered its second half, there was a change in the midfield as Vitulli Racing’s 11^th place man Michael Vitulli,  who had to start from the back of the grid after missing qualifying with mechanical problems, was passed on successive laps by Welch Motorsport’s James Green and Macob Motorsport’s Chris Lamare , who was making his debut in the series. Lamare, 23, then passed Green on the final lap to finish just outside the points in 11^th place. 

Meanwhile, Singleton was looking to re-establish his advantage over Oakes after running wide onto the grass at Old Hall corner on lap five allowing his title rival to close the gap to just over one second. Oakes also set a new lap record for the circuit on lap 10, a time of 1min 24.414s (94.93mph) but it was not enough to prevent Singleton taking his third win of the season. Ian Pearson also broke the lap record for Club Class with a time of 1min 25.868s (93.32mph).

 Rossi just managed to hold off the advances of Meyrick after the pair lapped nose to tail for much of the race, while less than two seconds covered the trio of James Littlejohn and Mark Burdett Motorsport pair Denis Autier and Craig Copeland. 

Commenting on the victory that extends his Championship lead to 17 points over Oakes, Singleton said: “I made a very good start and put in some good lap times in the early part of the race. But then I made a small mistake and Jordan was able to close in but I knew as long as I kept a tight line I’d be in control. It’s great to win again and hopefully I can repeat this performance in the next races.”

 Oakes, winner of two races this season, said: “Second place is usually good but I can’t be too pleased because my main Championship contender was in first place. The track conditions were quite poor and once you got off the racing line it was hard to push because you would understeer off the circuit. There’s still five races to go and that’s enough to keep my Championship challenge going.”

 For Lloyd, it was a first podium finish after stepping up from a very successful karting career and he commented: “My aim was to be on the podium before the end of the season but it’s a reward for all the hard work we’ve put in this year. I was slightly lucky not to be damaged when Thomas hit me on the first lap but then opened a gap to Rossi and although he came back at me late on, I wasn’t too worried. I’m over the moon to be on the podium and hopefully there will be more to come before the end of the year.”

 Club Class winner Ian Pearson, who now has a 33-point lead over Mark Terry (Chatham, Kent) after he failed to finish the race, said: “I’m pretty pleased to finish in the top 10 overall and to break the lap record by nearly three seconds is a great bonus. The car was working well in qualifying and then it was a case of avoiding the trouble in front of me to make sure I got the win.” 

Rounds eight and nine of the Formula Renault BARC Championship take place at Pembrey circuit, Wales, on 19^th/20^th August. 

FR2000 Class Standings after Round Seven – Provisional

1 Richard Singleton            GBR            Coles Racing                                     86 pts

2 Jordan Oakes GBR            Eurotek Motorsport                            68 pts

3 Rossi                        GBR            Worswick Engineering Ltd                   61 pts

4 James Littlejohn            GBR            Hillspeed                                            46 pts

5 Matt Shawyer            GBR            Russell Racing                                   35 pts 

Club Class Standings after Round Seven – Provisional

 1 Ian Pearson              GBR                                                                103 pts

2 Mark Terry                GBR            Reon Motorsport                               70 pts

3 Andrew Webb  GBR                                                                62 pts

4 Simon Keast                        GBR            Muzz Race                                       43 pts

5 Bob Pearson            GBR                                                                38 pts

SINGLETON EXTENDS LEAD WITH DOUBLE PODIUM AT SNETTERTON

Richard Singleton  opened a 15-point lead at the top of the Formula Renault BARC Championship with a brace of third place finishes in rounds five and six at Snetterton on Sunday, 25^th June. Now competing for Coles Racing, the 17-year-old stays ahead of round five winner Rossi  and round six winner Jordan Oakes .

In the Club Class category, for cars built before 2000, reigning Champion Ian Pearson  took maximum points in both rounds with two victories from pole position and set the Fastest Lap in each race. Mark Terry  remains in second place after following Pearson home in both outings.

On a day that saw a record entry of 29 in the Formula Renault BARC Championship, a packed schedule saw qualifying and both races held in the space of just a few hours. Singleton gained an early advantage by claiming pole position for both races, with the second grid determined by each driver’s second best time in the 35-minute session.

Singleton took pole by 0.140s from Rossi, with Oakes just 0.005s further adrift and the trio would go on to dominate the top three places of each race. Just behind, Felix Fisher and Michael Vitulli  equalled their best qualifying performances in fourth and fifth.

The start of round five was marred by two red flag incidents when Club Class driver James Heffernan  and FR2000 Class man Pierre Renom  went off at the first corner, Riches, in separate incidents. As the cars slowed after the first stoppage, Vitulli and Fisher made contact, forcing the latter out of the race with a damaged rear suspension.

On the first restart, Rossi made the best start from the outside of the front row and was able to pass Singleton, who had led off the line initially. In midfield, Welch Motorsport’s James Green gained four places to climb to ninth, while Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Thomas Arme  gained three places to 10^th.

A shortened eight-lap race was run and the front three were able to pull away from the rest of the field, although only 0.8s covered the leading trio. Oakes, who won round two at the 1.95-mile circuit, set the Fastest Lap of the race to that point and passed Singleton, who was struggling for straight-line speed, for second place.

In Club Class, Ian Pearson made a slow start allowing Mark Terry to close up behind the category leader. But Terry was passed by FR2000 Class cars Denis Autier and Chris Murray  and although he held on to second place in his class, he could not threaten Pearson’s victory.

Rossi extended his lead to more than one second and picked up a bonus point for setting the Fastest Lap of the race at 1min 09.047s (101.77mph). Arme and Green continued their battle throughout the race, 16-year-old Arme attempting an unsuccessful pass at Riches and then losing seventh place to Hillspeed’s Michael Broadhurst before regaining it at the end of a thrilling lap.

On the final run through Russell chicane, Oakes closed right up behind Rossi but decided against a risky overtaking move, settling for second place just 0.352s behind the winner. It is 17-year-old Rossi’s first victory in the Championship and his first-ever car racing win, after ending his karting career last season.

Round six followed a similar pattern to the day’s earlier race with two red flag incidents on the opening laps. The first saw Steve Hanselman slide off at Riches corner and pole-sitter Singleton was again denied the lead after a good start when a second red flag came out after Felix Fisher crashed heavily into the tyre wall at the start of lap four.

The 18-year-old was travelling at more than 120mph when the car spun out of control, hitting the safety barrier and overturning before coming to rest upside down. Medical teams were on hand instantly and the youngster was taken to the medical centre and given the all clear, again confirming the strength of the Formula Renault 2.0 car.

After repairs to the tyre wall, Singleton had to make his third start from pole position and on this occasion, lost out to Oakes who went through at the first corner. Singleton was also slower than his rivals in Sears corner and was passed by Rossi, who had started third.

With just six laps scheduled, Russell Racing’s series debutant Andrew Bentley made a great start to gain two places to run in fifth, having already climbed from 10^th on the grid before Fisher’s accident.

At the head of the field, Oakes used his knowledge of his home circuit to hold off the advances of Rossi and win by 0.585s. In Club Class, Ian Pearson and Mark Terry completed their second one-two of the day. James Heffernan and Andrew Webb diced for the final podium place, swapping positions several times before Heffernan got his nose in front on the final lap to clinch third by just 0.196s.

Commenting on the weekend, Championship leader Richard Singleton said: “I came with the intention of extending my lead and that’s what I’ve done so I’m happy. It’s a shame I couldn’t get a good start every time and on the times I didn’t I lost the lead, but I was struggling for speed on the straights anyway so two podiums is still good.”

Rossi was delighted with his first victory in car racing in round five, saying: “I’m starting to get more used to the car now and the start I made to get ahead of Richard was the best one so far. It was fairly comfortable after that and I started to ease off to save my tyres. Hopefully it will be the first of many.”

Round six winner Jordan Oakes commented: “I made a good start and was able to open a gap on the first lap as Rossi and Richard were fighting for second. After that it was a case of making sure I braked early to cover the line and got the power on early to keep ahead down the straights.”

The Championship now takes a five-week break before returning for round seven at Oulton Park circuit, Cheshire on Saturday, 5^th August.

FR2000 Class Standings after Round Six – Provisional

1 Richard Singleton            GBR            Coles Racing                                     70 pts

2 Jordan Oakes                 GBR            Eurotek Motorsport                            55 pts

3 Rossi                            GBR            Worswick Engineering Ltd                   52 pts

4 James Littlejohn            GBR            Hillspeed                                            41 pts

5 Matt Shawyer                GBR            Russell Racing                                   35 pts

Club Class Standings after Round Six – Provisional

1 Ian Pearson              GBR                                                                86 pts

2 Mark Terry                GBR            Reon Motorsport                               70 pts

3 Andrew Webb          GBR                                                                62 pts

4 Simon Keast            GBR            Muzz Race                                       43 pts

5 Bob Pearson            GBR                                                                28 pts

DOUBLE PODIUM FOR NEW CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER SINGLETON

Richard Singleton  won his second race of the Formula Renault BARC Championship in round three at Croft on Saturday, 20^th May to regain the lead in the drivers’ standings. He added a second place finish in round four on Sunday, 21^st May to consolidate his position, with James Littlejohn (Warwick) winning the race to claim a debut victory in the low-cost single-seater series.

In the Club Class category, for pre-2000 cars, Andrew Webb closed within eight points of reigning champion and Championship leader Ian Pearson  with two victories in the wet conditions, setting the Fastest Lap in both races. Pearson finished third in round three and fifth in round four and now leads the standings by just six points from Mark Terry  who came second in both races.

The star of the weekend was Tom Arme who qualified on the front row of the grid for both races in his first competitive outing in a Formula Renault 2.0 car. Although the 16-year-old made poor starts in both races, spinning off on lap one of the first race, he recovered to finish second and third for a stunning debut.

Arme’s Mark Burdett Motorsport team-mate Craig Copeland secured pole position for both races and led the field away from the start line in round three. On a drying but still slippery track, the 16-year-old held his lead until the midway point before being passed by Singleton at the chicane.

Singleton was able to open a gap in the second half of the race and went on to win by more than six seconds from Arme and Copeland. Club Class winner Andrew Webb finished eighth overall, beating seven Formula Renault 2.0 cars in his nine-year-old Tatuus RC97.

In round four on Sunday, James Littlejohn drove an exceptional race to storm to victory after qualifying in eighth. The start of the race was delayed by 15 minutes when a sudden downpour with the cars already on the grid resulted in slick tyres being replaced by wet tyres, with even Championship officials helping smaller teams by carrying equipment.

Copeland again made a strong start from pole position while Arme slipped back to eighth, while Littlejohn made up four places on the first lap to run in fourth. A collapsed rear suspension ended Copeland’s race on lap nine, as Arme and Littlejohn continued to enjoy the overtaking opportunities on offer at the North Yorkshire circuit.

Meanwhile, Webb was repeating his superb form of Saturday and was able to keep in contact with the leading group of FR2000 Class cars on his way to ninth overall. James Heffernan scored his first podium finish of the season in Club Class, following Mark Terry home to finish 16^th overall.

Littlejohn took the lead midway through the race when Singleton ran wide at Sunny corner and the Hillspeed star was able win by almost five seconds, despite a minor off on the last lap. Singleton fought off pressure from the charging Arme in the closing stages and now leads the Championship by 10 points from Littlejohn. Matt Shawyer (pictured left), who lead the standings after round two, finished fourth and six to drop to third in the Championship.

Commenting on a successful weekend, Singleton said: “It was a pretty perfect weekend for me. I had two decent starts and made sure I didn’t lose any places and once I was able to pass Craig in race one I could open a gap. My aim is now to not take any risks and finish on the podium in every race, hopefully with a few more wins.”

Round four winner Littlejohn was delighted to get his first victory in the Championship, saying: “It’s such a great feeling. It’s been a long time since I last won a race and although I’m 10 points behind Richard, myself and the team will be working hard to close that gap.”

For Arme, who set the Fastest Lap in each race, the two podium finishes far exceeded his expectations. He revealed: “I was just hoping to finish the races and gain some experience because this season is all about learning for me. In a way, I’m disappointed with the results because I had the pace and the car was easily capable of winning.”

Club Class winner Andy Webb explained he has achieved one of his goals for the season, commenting: “I was really hoping to win a race this year so to get two in one weekend is brilliant. I put it down to two great starts but I was also able to set a good pace throughout and keep up with the Formula Renault 2.0 cars.”

The fifth round of the Championship takes place on Sunday, 25^th June at Snetterton circuit in Norfolk.

FR2000 Class Standings after Round Four – Provisional

1 Richard Singleton            GBR            Richard Singleton Racing             48 pts

2 James Littlejohn            GBR            Hillspeed                                            38 pts

3 Matt Shawyer            GBR            Russell Racing                                   35 pts

4 Jordan Oakes GBR            Eurotek Motorsport                            27 pts

5 Tom Arme                GBR            Mark Burdett Motorsport                   24 pts

Club Class Standings after Round Four – Provisional

1 Ian Pearson              GBR                                                                52 pts

3 Mark Terry                GBR            Reon Motorsport                               46 pts

3 Andrew Webb  GBR                                                                44 pts

4 Simon Keast                        GBR            Muzz Race                                       29 pts

5 Bob Pearson            GBR                                                                19 pts

SINGLETON WINS FROM POLE FOR PERFECT START TO SEASON

Richard Singleton battled back from a poor start to win the opening round of the Formula Renault BARC Championship at Silverstone National by 2.438s. Rossi  led for just over half the race but finished third, losing out to Matt Shawyer ( who took second place on the final lap.

Reigning Champion Ian Pearson  dominated the nine-strong Club Class field to win the race for pre-2000 cars and finished seventh overall despite a spin at Brooklands on the penultimate lap. Andrew Webb  took second in Club Class, holding off a late charge from Mark Terry  who completed the podium.

For 17-year-old Singleton, in his first-ever car race after completing the BRDC Scholarship last season, victory capped a perfect day after he qualified on pole position with a time of 57.259s (103.04mph). He also set a the fastest lap around the 1.64-mile circuit of 57.435s (102.73mph) on lap 11, a new lap record, to give