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Rounds six and seven of the 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship take place a lengthy eight weeks from now on 19th/20th July at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire.

 

Provisional 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship Standings (after Rd5)
1st Ollie Hancock, 64pts; =9th Aaron Steele & James Dixon, 18pts

 
 
 		  

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Formula Renault BARC

STARTLINE COLLISION THWARTS STEELE’S OULTON PODIUM BID 

Aaron Steele’s bid for his and Russell Racing’s first podium finish of the 2008 Formula Renault BARC season unfortunately came undone during a startline collision at the beginning of the fifth round of the campaign at Oulton Park Island Circuit yesterday, Spring Bank Holiday Monday, 26th May. 

After several weeks of inactivity, the Formula Renault BARC season finally returned to action at the Cheshire venue and the event started very promisingly indeed for Russell Racing with excellent qualifying pace shown by the 19-year-old Rochester driver. 

Leading the way early on in the 20-minute session, Steele was some four 10ths of a second clear of his nearest rival and continued to sit close to the top of the times until he pitted with about half the session gone. 

When he re-emerged, the Kent racer’s first flying lap of 1m 22.848 seconds placed him on the second row of the grid. Pipped by Ollie Hancock on the championship leader’s last lap, Steele slipped to sixth on the grid – even though he had improved his time to 1m 22.793 seconds (96.79mph). 

Incredibly, the Russell Racing ace ended the session only nine 100ths of a second away from the front row of the grid, such is the competitiveness of the headline FR2000 Class. 

With hopes high throughout the team for a season’s best performance, a stall on the grid for the No.19 Formula Renault resulted in a major impact to the right-rear side of the car from the unsighted Kourash Khani.  

Ending Steele’s involvement in the race immediately, the non-score means he has slipped to joint-ninth in the championship standings, tied on 18 points with James Dixon; the position in the driver standings certainly not indicative of Steele’s or Russell Racing’s good pace this season. 

Reflecting on the team’s luckless fifth round of the season, chief race engineer Paul Leach said: “It’s such a shame things turned out the way they did. After qualifying we were confident Aaron would have the pace to challenge strongly in the race and it could have potentially been the best result of the year for us – things looked good.
 
“Unfortunately the car crept a bit on the line at the start of the race, Aaron reacted to avoid a jump-start penalty and I think it was simply a stall which triggered the accident from behind. It was just one of those things. The team did a great job throughout testing and qualifying, it’s unfortunate we couldn’t achieve a good result.” 

 

BATTLING STEELE MOUNTS TERRIFIC ROCKINGHAM FIGHTBACK

Formula Renault BARC competitor Aaron Steele saw a brace of potential podium results go begging at Rockingham in Northamptonshire yesterday, Sunday, 20th April, with outside influences determining the outcome of both encounters for the luckless racer. 

The 19-year-old Russell Racing driver left the Northamptonshire venue in eighth position in the driver standings but he is firmly convinced he would have at least been in the top four had it not been for an unbelievable dose of bad luck.
 
Although qualifying didn’t go as planned on Saturday, the Rochester-based racer posting the 12th fastest time in each session, he headed into Sunday’s wet races in confident mood and after making a lightning getaway to the first outing, a potential podium looked well within reach.
 
Having made up serious ground on the opening lap of round three, Steele then lost out on the exit of the Brook Chicane when Mohammed Al A’Ali spun in the middle of the track, costing the Russell Racing star several positions. Slipping to ninth, he mounted a strong fight-back and by lap three was back inside the top eight.
 
Moving into sixth position on lap six, Steele then produced a great pass on Ash Davies up the inside at Deene Hairpin to climb into fifth place. On lap seven, the top four was within his grasp and as he tried to produce a replica of his earlier move on Brett Parris, the two touched and the result left Steele carrying damaged suspension.
 
Slipping down the order again after his spin, the Kent teenager was forced to mount another recovery which he did with aplomb during the second half of the race. The highlight came on the 14th and final lap when Steele produced a terrific overtaking manoeuvre on Davies at Deene to seal sixth place and five championship points.
 
Round four, which also took place on a slippery track, saw another of the Russell Racing driver’s customary electric starts as he climbed from 12th on the grid and into the top eight by the time the field reached Yentwood.
 
On lap two he gained another couple of places to move into the top six but red flags were then shown and the race halted due to Ellis Harkins’ car colliding with the perimeter wall at Turn One – the stoppage compounding Steele’s run of misfortune.
 
At the re-start, he made another good getaway but into Deene Hairpin contact from one of a group of half a dozen cars pitched Steele into a spin and off the track. Rejoining down in 22nd position, his luckless weekend then started to improve as he mounted a tremendous comeback in which he gained a full 12 positions inside 11 laps.
 
By the third lap of the race, Steele had already moved up into the top 15 and over the course of the remainder of the race he pushed on in an effort to try and finish in the points. On the final lap he caught 10th placed Lee Dwyer and after pressuring the latter into a mistake at Tarzan, Steele took the final championship point.
 
“It’s been a frustrating weekend but we at least salvaged some points from all of the bad luck we had”, reflected Steele, “I think we missed out on two pretty certain podiums. One because of a spinning car on the exit of the chicane coming onto the start/finish straight in the first race, and of course the contact with (Brett) Parris later on, and then the other because I got tagged at the first hairpin in race two.
 
“The weekend didn’t start brilliantly in qualifying, I had some problems with traffic and in the second session I made a small mistake which cost me quite a bit of time. Taking into account we ended up in 12th place, just half a second from pole, we could have been in a much better position but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
 
He added: “This weekend the car has had significant improvements in handling and reliability and the team is definitely moving forward. I’m still a bit rusty having only done a couple of test days and two race meetings in about 10 months – most of the other guys have done a lot more than that – but we’re improving and moving in the right direction.
 
“We need to make sure we can get out testing in the next few weeks before the Oulton Park race, that’s an absolute must, and hopefully then we can begin to show our true pace and start to challenge for the results I know we’re all capable of.”
 
There is now a five-week break in the Formula Renault BARC Championship calendar ahead of the third race meeting of the season, round five, which will take place at Oulton Park Island Circuit in Cheshire on Spring Bank Holiday Monday, 26th May.
 

BRACE OF TOP FIVE FINISHES FOR STEELE AT SEASON OPENER
 
Russell Racing's Aaron Steele secured two well deserved top five points finishes at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit yesterday, Easter Monday, 24th March, during the curtain-raiser to the 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship.
 
With the first two races of the year now completed, the 19-year-old from Rochester in Kent is tied on 12 points in joint-sixth place in the FR2000 Class driver standings,  a good return from a chaotic weekend affected by snow and several race stoppages.
 
Rookie team-mate Don De Graaff, meanwhile, did well on a debut which most certainly couldn't have thrown more at him in consideration of the conditions. Rounds one and two offered a baptism of fire for the 17-year-old but a best result of 12th position in class during the opening race provided a great fillip for both driver and team.
 
"We're very pleased with the way the weekend has gone overall", commented Russell Racing's Matt Russell, "Two top five results for Aaron show a good return, especially when you consider the issues with the weather and all of the stoppages. He performed well and his presence in the team is a major plus for us.
 
"In terms of the weather and the incidents, it couldn't have been a trickier debut for Don to deal with but he did a fantastic job and we're really pleased with his progress. To finish both races is a good start to the year for him and with more time in the car we're confident he can develop very quickly."
 
While round one pole-sitter Nathan Coulter was unable to take part in the race due to being a reserve entry, Steele lined up in third position on the grid, having qualified fourth, while De Graaff would start in 17th position.
 
Continual snowfall ensured the drivers would need to utilise wet weather tyres and the slippery track surface made for a difficult beginning to the race for a number of competitors. Both Russell Racing drivers encountered problems on the opening lap but when the red flags were shown on lap three, a second opportunity would await them.
 
At the re-start, following a lengthy delay and with snow worsening, Steele lined up in 12th position and De Graaff in 22nd as per their placings prior to the stoppage. Experienced single-seater runner Steele made a lightning start this time around, scorching into the top five while De Graaff also did a great job to climb into 17th position.
 
Unfortunately, a second incident brought out more red flags at the start of lap six and so Steele's close pursuit of fourth-placed Lee Dwyer was nullified. He was credited with fifth place in the final classification and De Graaff was 15th overall but 12th in class.
 
Round two took place on a drying track and at the start Steele launched himself from the grid well and rapidly made his way into the top 10 from 13th position. De Graaff, starting 19th, didn't have the best of opening laps and as the race entered the second tour he had slipped to 25th place behind a handful of Club Class cars.
 
Beginning to slice his way by the older Formula Renaults, De Graaff's progress was halted when yet another race stoppage affected proceedings on lap four due to a car stranded in the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend. Prior to the red flags, Steele was in eighth and his Russell Racing team-mate 22nd.
 
When the race got underway again, Steele made a rapid start and climbed into fifth position but after just six laps of action another stoppage was ordered by the Clerk of the Course when a car ended up stranded on circuit. The declared result classified Steele in an impressive fifth position and De Graaff 21st overall, 20th in the FR2000 Class.
 
There is now a gap of four weeks before the third and fourth rounds of the 2008 Formula Renault BARC Championship, on 19th/20th April, which will take place at Rockingham International Super Sports Car Circuit in Northamptonshire.