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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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2009 Michelin Formula Renault Winter Cup provisional drivers’ standings – round 4: 1st Harry Tincknell GBR CRS Racing 119 pts 2nd Nick Yelloly GBR Hitech Junior Team 93 pts 3rd Menasheh Idafar GBR Manor Competition 88 pts 4th Thomas Hylkema NED Manor Competition 86 pts 5th Marlon Stockinger PHI Hitech Junior Team 81 pts 6th Dino Zamparelli GBR/ITA Antel Motorsport 70 pts 2009 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Winter Cup provisional drivers’ standings – round 4: 1st Matthew Draper GBR Antel Motorsport 32 pts
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2009 Michelin Formula Renault UK Winter Cup mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk BLOMQVIST STORMS TO DOUBLE VICTORY AS TINCKNELL WRAPS UP WINTER TITLE
The overall Winter Cup honours though belonged to CRS Racing’s Harry Tincknell who followed up his two wins at Snetterton last weekend with two further podiums (third and second) to secure victory. Hitech Junior Team drivers Marlon Stockinger (PHI) and Nick Yelloly picked up the remaining podium spots over the weekend with Stockinger producing a great drive in round three to secure second with Yelloly finishing third in round four. The weekend also marked the last time the current tatuus-built Formula Renault UK chassis will be used following the arrival of a brand new car in 2010. Blomqvist takes the double...
Blomqvist, who had looked very impressive all weekend, set about establishing a lead until Manor Competition’s Robert Foster-Jones made contact with the barrier on the exit to Pif Paf on lap five causing the Safety Car to be deployed before the race was eventually red flagged. With less than half the race distance complete, the round was re-started using the track positions to form the new grid. With the re-started race reduced to seven laps, this time Blomqvist took the P1 spot and as the lights went out he made the most of his track position to lead from Tincknell and Yelloly before quickly establishing himself a lead. Behind places were far less certain with Stockinger and Manor Competition’s Thomas Hylkema (NED) having a great battle for fourth and fifth places with Fortec Motorsport’s Alex Lynn passing his team-mate Luke Wright at Deene to move inside the top 10. Out in front, Blomqvist looked to be in a class of his own setting the fastest lap of the race – a 1m 16.040s (91.84mph average) around the 1.94-mile circuit – before taking the chequered flag and his second win of the day. Tincknell finished second to secure the title with Yelloly in third and team-mate Stockinger in fourth. Blomqvist shines at Rockingham... On a damp but trying track, round three of the Winter Cup saw Tincknell on pole with Blomqvist joining him on the front row. As the race got underway, Tincknell made a poor start dropping him down the order and allowing Blomqvist, who finished third in Formula Renault Sweden this year, to move into the lead by the end of the first lap. Following a brief Safety Car period, racing resumed on lap three with Blomqvist once again making a good start. Stockinger was running in second with Tincknell in third. Lap by lap Blomqvist continued to pull away in his Fortec Motorsport car and setting the fastest lap of the race after one-third race distance. With the top three places looking increasingly fixed, behind a great battle was developing for fourth and fifth places with Yelloly eventually getting the better of Hylkema. A few laps later Hylkema locked-up on the run-up to Deene dropping him further down the order and allowing Antel Motorsport’s Dino Zamparelli (Bristol) to move into the top five. The chequered flag though belonged to Blomqvist which he took with a cushion of almost six seconds over Stockinger who secured his first podium position of the year. Tincknell finished a frustrated third with Yelloly in fourth and Zamparelli in fifth. Commenting on his performance at the weekend, Blomqvist said: “I got a good start in both races which helped and then it was a case of just putting in consistent lap times. I’m delighted with how well my first Formula Renault UK meeting has gone and hope to contest a full season with Fortec Motorsport in 2010.” Winter Cup champion Harry Tincknell said: “I struggled with my starts this weekend which cost me but I’m delighted with the overall win and how well my first season has gone in Formula Renault UK. Tom is certainly quick and will no doubt prove tricky competition in 2010 if he decides to race. I’m certainly hoping to compete next year and can’t wait to start testing in the new car.”
TINCKNELL DOMINATES AT RAIN-SOAKED SNETTERTON
The weekend also saw maiden podium finishes for Manor Competition’s Menasheh Idafar with second in round one along with team-mate Thomas Hylkema (NED) who picked two third places. Hitech Junior Team’s Nick Yelloly also enjoyed his first visit to the podium with second place in round two. Meanwhile newcomer Matthew Draper secured the honours in the BARC category racing in his Antel Motorsport car. One/two for Tincknell... After a polished performance during the morning’s qualifying session, Tincknell lined the start grid for round two as pole-sitter. The race had been scheduled to run earlier in the day but was postponed after it was red flagged prematurely and abandoned. Idafar joined Tincknell on the front row with Fortec Motorsport’s Dino Zamparelli (Bristol) and 16-year-old team-mate Alex Lynn (Essex) on row two. With the track still wet from earlier rain, all competitors began the 15-lap race on wet tyres. As the lights went out it was Tincknell who made the best start to take an early lead with Yelloly shooting up the grid from row three to move into second. A poor start by Idafar saw the 18-year-old drop to fourth on the opening lap leaving Hylkema to move into third despite starting from seventh on the grid. The opening few laps saw Tincknell quickly develop a lead over Yelloly as the rest of the field battled for position in the spray effected conditions. With clear visibility Tincknell was able to push early on and soon set what would become the fastest lap of the race with a 1m 15.577s (92.97mph average) and earning him two extra championship points. In the midfield, Zamparelli was trying hard to make up for his poor start by pressurising the back of Marlon Stockinger’s (PHI) fifth-place Hitech Junior car. Despite his best efforts the 17-year-old couldn’t find a way pass although Manor Competition’s David McDonald (Ewell) was able to find a way passed him to move into sixth. After a mistake by Yelloly, Tincknell was now enjoying a lead of more than eight seconds and able to ease off on the now drying track. The same couldn’t be said for Hylkema though who was now coming under increasing pressure from team-mate Idafar eager to taste a another podium position. Just behind, Lynn was looking impressive in his Fortec Motorsport run car and was now close enough to Zamparelli to make a move up the inside of Riches which Dino was able to defend. Formula Renault UK debutants Fortec Motorsport’s Luke Wright (Dorset) and Manor Competition’s Robert Foster-Jones were also on the pace running ninth and 10th respectively.
Tincknell reigns supreme in the wet... On a damp track, Tincknell lined the start grid for the first round of the Winter Cup as pole-sitter with Idafar alongside him and Zamparelli and McDonald on row two. Tincknell took full advantage of his P1 position as the race got underway to lead with Idafar also holding his own while Hylkema made an excellent start from row three to move into third by the end of the first lap. Series newcomer Wright had also made a promising start to move into fourth after the opening lap with McDonald rounding off the top five. In the opening stages Tincknell quickly established his authority, setting a pace which no other driver could match and building more than a five second lead after one-third race distance. Idafar looked comfortable in second while behind, both McDonald and Zamparelli had been able to pass Wright to move into fourth and fifth places respectively. As the race progressed, Tincknell continued to dominate on a track which was starting to dry on the racing line. Meanwhile behind, a great battle was developing for third, fourth and fifth places with a three-car-train of Hylkema, McDonald and Zamparelli. Just outside the top five, Wright was having to work hard to keep Yelloly at bay or risk losing yet another place. With a sizeable cushion, race leader Tincknell began to ease off slightly something which second-place Idafar was certainly not doing and consequently saw the 18-year-old set the fastest lap of the race – earning him two bonus championship points. Zamparelli was also pushing hard in the battle behind with a move up the inside of McDonald at Riches although to no avail. With the chequered flag insight, Tincknell comfortably crossed the line to take his maiden Formula Renault UK victory with Idafar and Hylkema following to also take their first podiums in the series. McDonald held on to take fourth with Zamparelli forced to settle for fifth. On the last lap, Wright eventually succumbed to the pressure of Yelloly to finish seventh with Draper taking the BARC win along with the fastest lap. Commenting on his performance this weekend Tincknell said: “It’s been a really good weekend for me and I’m delighted with how things have gone. It was my attention to make sure I got a good start in both races and then to push early on which I did. That meant I could ease off slightly during the later stages. The conditions were less than ideal today and the track felt very greasy which made things tough.” Commenting on his maiden podium Idafar said: “I’m really pleased with the result and my first podium and to get fastest lap too was a real bonus. Manor Competition have given me a great car which has really helped my confidence.” Second place in round two Yelloly said: “I got a good start to get ahead of Menasheh [Idafar] and wasn’t far behind Harry until I made a mistake halfway through the race which cost me but I managed to hold on. I’m a big fan of the circuit and its fast corners.” Double podium finisher Hylkema said: “I’ve had really good pace today and I’m really pleased with my two podiums. The team have done a fantastic job with the car.”
pics Jakaob Ebrey photography
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Fortec
Motorsport’s Tom Blomqvist, son of rally legend Stig, produced two
faultless drives in the 2009 Michelin Formula Renault UK Winter Cup at
Northamptonshire’s Rockingham Motor Speedway on Saturday, 7th November
to become the youngest ever winner in the championship. The 15-year-old
from Sweden, who joined the series late, took a clean sweep of the
points with two wins and two fastest laps in the final rounds (three and
four) of the one-make series. 
The
final round of the series saw Tincknell qualify as pole-sitter with
Blomqvist alongside him on the front row. As the lights went out for the
start of the 15-lap race, it was Graduate Cup winner Tincknell who made
the best start to lead from the youngster only for the Swedish driver to
get the better of him through Yentwood. Yelloly meanwhile had been able
to slip by into third as the field safely navigated the opening lap. 
Harry
Tincknell took an early lead at the halfway stage of the 2009 Michelin
Formula Renault UK Winter Cup series with two dominate victories at a
rain-soaked Snetterton circuit on Saturday, 31st October. The reigning
Graduate Cup champion who recently turned 18, secured two lights-to-flag
victories in rounds one and two at the 1.9520-mile Norfolk circuit to
take an early lead in the series. 
The
race belonged to Tincknell though with the Exeter racer exiting Russell
for the last time to take the chequered flag and his second win of the
weekend. Yelloly finished second to collect his maiden podium with
Netherland’s racer Hylkema rounding off an impressive weekend with
another third place. Idafar finished fourth with Stockinger in fifth
while Draper took the BARC honours.