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Continued from News mail your links to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk RADICAL CLUB CUP ROUNDS 11 & 12, ROCKINGAM Wright takes title by a point after Stables retires with engine failure Coming into the penultimate race of the season the championship battle was between two men, the Invitation class dominator Jonathan Wright and the Prosport of Richard Stables. With only a single point separating the pair in the overall championship the racing was always going to carry a certain degree of tension. With all eyes on the duelling frontrunners it was Wright who struck first, qualifying his PR6 fourth on the grid behind Tom Ashton’s SR3, while Simon Fish edged Simon Dolan in the battle of the Super Sports for pole. Stables suffered a less fruitful session, only managing 15th on the grid after being hampered by the thick fog and visor problems. “I couldn’t see where I was going,” he confirmed. “My visor kept misting up and I had to come in to wipe it. That combined with the conditions and traffic meant I only got one lap but I’m still hopeful for the race.” When it came to the racing however, qualifying form bore no resemblance as both title protagonists gave their all. Wright struck the first blow as he scraped between both Dolan and Fish off the line to secure the lead into Deene corner and quickly began to assert his authority on proceedings, establishing a one second lead after the first lap. Behind, the battle for second raged on as Dolan had an attempt on the inside at Tarzan cut short by the determined Fish. With all class points counting toward the overall championship it was up to Stables to ensure he secured the top step of the Prosport podium to keep his challenge alive, and the Seaton Ross-based driver soon caught the tail of class leader Darren Luke in seventh. The pair ran nose-to-tail down the pit straight on consecutive laps before Stables caught a draft into the banking at turn one to skip past into Deene and stake his claim to the title. At the front, Ashton was the man on the move as he ghosted past Dolan and Fish in quick succession to slot into second. Dolan quickly began to heap pressure on Fish and his persistence was soon rewarded as he became the beneficiary of a technical failure which dropped his rival out of contention. Wright was the class of the field throughout and took the flag 16seconds clear of second placed Super Sport victor Ashton. Dolan took third with only Paul Steele denying the rampant Stables a top four place. But the Prosport class win was enough to ensure the championship went down to the wire. “Darren didn’t make it easy for me,” smiled Stables after. “He definitely had me on the brakes into Deene but I managed to get a great tow and made it count. We will have to see what the last race brings as I’m not out of it yet.” Gary Kane took Biduro honours ahead of Dave Benham to cement his class crown, while Mark Boot dominated the Clubsport category to keep his challenge alive. Results
Class winners: Ashton, Stables, Kane, Boot. Fastest lap: Wright 1m19.445s (67.01mph). RACE TWO The final race of the season produced more than a few surprises as the long-term championship leader Jonathan Wright looked to make the most of a one point deficit over closest rival Richard Stables. For the duration of the season both drivers have been remarkably consistent and it was to be the ultimate irony that both failed to finish the encounter, leaving the championship in the hands of the mathematicians. Simon Dolan scored his first pole of the year but failed to hold on to the advantage as he bogged down off the start, relinquishing the lead to Wright, who once again got the jump on both Tom Ashton and Simon Fish into turn one. Stables again suffered for his qualifying woes, starting a lowly 20th as a result of his second fastest time being his out-lap in qualifying. But this was not to be the worst of the challenger’s troubles as the combination of a spin and engine failure sent him into the gravel at Tarzan on the second lap, resulting in the end of his challenge and a safety car period while the stricken PR6 was cleared. This left Wright needing only to finish to claim the overall honours, but with barely quarter of the race remaining disaster struck the Cambridgeshire driver as he suddenly slowed on-track allowing his eight second lead over Simon Fish to be rapidly eroded. “I developed an electrical problem that kept cutting my engine out,” he explained. With the championship at stake Wright valiantly attempted to coast round but eventually pulled off the track and into retirement when his wheezing engine finally gave in, but the result was enough to hand Wright the title by a single point. “It would have been nice to have taken the flag,” he grinned. “But it’s still a great result after a long, hard season.” With both title protagonists reduced to watching, the stage was set for a new star to shine and a close knit pack of Ashton, Dolan and Fish soon fought over the lead. The order was shuffled when Dolan and Fish made contact into Brook resulting in the Jota Sport driver spinning down to 11th. The leading pair were soon joined by the hard-charging Steve Burgess, who hastily dispatched Fish to run alongside Ashton through Brook for the lead, his moment was to be spoilt however, when an ill-timed spin on the exit of the corner gifted the lead back to Ashton. This left two cars to duel for the final honours of the season, and they duly produced the spectacle of the race as a determined Fish closed in behind Ashton. A three second lead quickly wilted to barely a cars length until the pair ran two-abreast down the pit lane with only two laps to go. A heroic late-braking manoeuvre from Fish into Deene meant the two ran parallel into Yentwood before Fish finally found some grip on the outside of the circuit and shot ahead to take his first win of the season as Burgess recovered to secure third. A spectacular recovery drive from Dolan saw him into fourth by the finish. Gary Kane secured the Biduro class crown with ninth, and likewise Harwood put the Clubsport category beyond reach with 17th. Results:
Class Winners: Banham, Luke, Harwood. Fastest lap: Wright 1m 19.417s (67.04mph).
Published by Peter Scherer for Radical Sportscars, September 29th, 2008.
ROUNDS NINE & TEN, BRANDS HATCH Two Wright! Jonathan Wright made it seven wins from ten races, with another fairly dominant double victory. It was close racing further back though, incidents, red flags and the elements to keep the crowd on their, but above all everyone walked away unscathed. The Club Cup continued to provide a healthy 25 car grid for its visit to Brands Hatch’s Indy circuit, but the Bank Holiday weekend weather did its best to put a dampener on the scene. Wright’s PR6 had taken pole for the first race by over three seconds from Tom Ashton’s SR3, but it was Ashton that won the dash to Paddock Hill Bend as the lights went out. But Wright quickly recovered from his tardy start and led as they charged up to Druids. “Not a very good start yet again, it’s just me getting my head together. But Tom left the door open at Paddock, I kept my head down and did my best,” said Wright. Roger Bromiley’s SR3 and Nigel Place’s PR6 attempted to go either side of Ashton as they plunged down to Graham Hill Bend, but by the end of the lap Ashton still had the place, while his rivals had both lost out to Chris Grieve’s SR3. Wright wasted no time in adding to his lead, but Grieve and Bromiley crawled all over Ashton in a terrific scrap for second, closely watched by Simon Dolan’s SR3, after he had darted past Place. Robert Baldock’s SR3 had become established in seventh, but Simon Tilling’s SR3 started to lose ground after a promising start. Having lost eighth to Nigel Morrison’s PR6 at Paddock on lap six, Simon Fish’s SR3 followed at Druids. Morrison’s continued his charge and soon reeled in Baldock, taking Fish along too. Although Wright was long gone, Grieve was able to concentrate on his fight for second, after Bromiley fell back to defend third from Dolan. But on lap eight it was all change. Grieve forced Ashton wide at Paddock to snatch second, Bromiley followed into Graham Hill Bend and Dolan made it past too, leaving the early leader down in fourth. “We fitted a new engine so hadn’t really concentrated on setting up the car. It had been OK in the wet qualifying though,” said Ashton. A lap later Dolan slid off at Clearways, and with no sign of a safety car the race was red flagged. “I was just too fast into the corner and lost the back end,” admitted Simon. The restart was red flagged after a matter of yards, when Grieve stalled on the front row, was collected by Baldock, but also took out David Enderby, Andy Harwood and caused slight damage for Richard Stables. “I saw it all in my mirrors it looked really scary,” said Bromiley. Results were declared after the original nine laps, with Wright, Grieve and Bromiley sharing the podium. Ashton was fourth, with Fish, Place and Morrison in close contention for fifth. “I had sat back at the start, not set the car up for dry. Then I started to pick a few off,” Morrison explained. “I got in the groove after a bad qualifying session, and was catching Tom when the race was stopped,” Fish added. Grieve still topped the Supersports class, with Jacob Greaves’ SR4 a dominant Biduro victor over Gary Kane and Pickup racer Chris Dawkins. Stables kept his title challenge up with another Prosport win, while Harwood came within a whisker of the Clubsport title, despite his ca being extensively damaged in the attempted restart. “I had avoided the initial impact and then got hit. It was my first ever crash. The car stood up remarkably well too,” he said. “All I need to do was finish the second race and the class was mine I think,” he added. Race 1 Result
RACE TWO It was desperately close at Paddock at the start of race two. Wright had made a better start than earlier, but still not perfect, which gave Ashton the encouragement to go for the lead again. But Wright held the tight inside line before heading the charge to Druids, with Ashton, Bromiley, Morrison and Place in line astern. “I was better this time and it was a determined move at Paddock as I knew he was trying to squeeze me, but I wouldn’t give in,” said Wright. “Jonathan was still there when I turned in, so I had to let him go,” Ashton replied. Wright pulled out a good lead by the end of the opening lap, while Bromiley was barely inches from the rear of Ashton’s SR3 in his quest for second. Dolan was also on the move again, picking off Tilling and the Place for fifth at Druids, before closing on Morrison. Paul Steele and Fish both started to close on Tilling for seventh, but it was all eyes on second place for the next few laps. Bromiley made it past Ashton into Clearways on the fifth lap, but lost out again as they flashed past the pits. They were side by side through Paddock up to Druids, with Bromiley exiting on the grass having been forced to give best. “There was some grip on the grass and I thought if I did it again I could get used to it,” reckoned Bromiley. The battle consolidated Wright’s lead, but also enabled Morrison and Dolan to join in the fight. For a while Ashton managed to pull away, while in sixth Fish had managed to break clear too, from Place, Steele and Tilling. But by lap 11 Bromiley had re-closed the gap and was side by side again at Druids with his younger counterpart. It was another three laps though, before Bromiley finally got his break. Into Surtees they were closing on backmarker. Ashton read it wrong and lost out, as Bromiley charged around the outside and led through McLaren. “I could see Roger in my mirrors all the time, he even tried on the grass. It was no ones fault when he got me, I just read the backmarker the wrong way,” explained Ashton. “Tom did a fantastic job I tried to put him under pressure as much as I could, but he kept it clean and we had a terrific race,” Bromiley replied. As Wright cruised through the closing laps, Bromiley was able to consolidate second, as Ashton had his hands full defending third from Dolan. Morrison and Fish completed the top six, despite Steele having closed again in seventh. “Great fun for the whole race. I had to hit the brakes hard though when Roger past Tom, and that’s when Simon Dolan got me,” said Morrison. In only his second weekend of car racing, Steve Burgess brought his SR3 home eighth ahead of Tilling, as the race ended under red rather than a chequered flag again, with Nigel Cox’s Prosport off. While Bromiley took the Supersports class, Stables and Greaves made it class winning doubles in the Prosport and Biduro classes, while Mark Boot found himself unopposed in the Clubsports with Harwood’s absence. Race 2 Results
Published by Peter Scherer for Radical Sportscars, August 4th, 2008.
ROUNDS SEVEN & EIGHT, DONINGTON PARK Wright and Edwards duel it out once again Jonathan Wright and Ross Edwards continued their rivalry from last time out at Castle Combe and once again it was even, with one win each for the PR6 drivers, after two terrific racelong duels. Both Edwards and Chris Grieve (SR3) got the better of Wright at the start of race one, but Wright was into second as they braked for the chicane, at the head of a massive 30 car grid. The SR3’s of Tom Ashton and Simon Fish duelled for fourth, but were already falling adrift of the lead trio. Grieve spun exiting McLeans on the second and destroyed a marker Board and returnee Simon Packer spun his SR4 at the chicane. But at the front Wright went through to lead at Redgate. They were side byside still at the chicane again with no quarter given, but Wright held on, while Fish was left in third when Ashton pitted. Edwards was back in front from lap four and started build a slight lead, as Fish closed in on Wright. Having only just taken fourth Roger Bromiley pitted and handed the place to the duelling Paul Steele (SR3) and Alan Hogg (SR4).But Wright was back to challenge within a couple of laps and Steelemade it through the pack for fourth the chicane. On lap nine the lead changed and it began to look decisive after Edwards got put on thegrass down the main straight by a backmarker. But on lap 13 the boot was on the other foot. “I came through Craners flat out and got two wheels on the grass trying to taking a backmarker. Onto the rumble strips at the Old Hairpin I spun,” Wright explained. Edwards was able to ease up and cruise to victory by over two seconds from Fish, with Wright recovering to hold onto third. “Both my mirrors had been knocked sideways, so I was relieved when Jonathan went by so I could see where he was,” said Edwards. “I was just keeping out of trouble,” Fish replied after sealing a class win too. Steele, Grieve and Nigel Morrison completed the top six and the Supersports class, while in seventh Richard Stables PR6 was second in class to Edwards, after improving 12 places on his qualifying position.In the height of the overall scramble for honours, it may have gone unmissed that there was little to seperate Stephen Lindsay and Gary Kane again in the Biduro’s, in the end it was Lindsay’s win by 0.566secs. The Clubsports were as close if not closer, Andy Harwood heading Mark Boot and John Hayman, all three covered by 0.7secs after a racelong scrap Results
RACE TWO It was Grieve’s turn to make the best get away in race two, with Wright and Edwards battling over second. Wright claimed the place at the chicane and both he and Edwards had demoted Grieve within a lap. All three were nose tail still, having broken clear of the duelling Fish and Morrison. Behind the top five, everyone seemed to pairing off, with Hogg fighting Packer and Darren Anley battling to hold off Kane. The lead pair were not to be outdone either, side by side at the chicane, before Edwards made it to the fore. With James Cook’s SR4 to be recovered from the gravel, the safety car came out and the whole field were back in contention. Edwards led the crocodile for two laps from Wright, Grieve, Fish, Morrison and Hogg, ready to charge again as the lights went out and the safety car peeled off. The top six held station, but Anley and Steve Burgess both found their way past Packer. Wright has stuck with Edwards for the lead and Morrison was on Fish’s tail still for fourth. Morrison successfully challenged Fish at the chicane, but the closeness of battle behind made overtaking commonplace. Hogg, Burgess and Steele circulated nose to tail and Packer retook Anley into the chicane. But as in the first race it was lap 13 that proved decisive, when Wright shot past under braking for the chicane. Wright took the win by 0.7secs over Edwards in a totally clean non contact battle, that lasted for the entire race. “I could have done that all day, really close. Whoever had the best run out of Coppice had the lead, and it proved to be Jonathan,” said Edwards. “It was just a brilliant race,” replied Wright. Morrison claimed third in a penultimate lap sort out as both he and Fish challenged Grieve. Morrison got through but there was contact with Fish who then spun. So Grieve followed Morrison home fourth, with Steele and Hogg both going through before the recovering Fish. “I left my braking late and had just got a nose ahead of Chris, I didn’t expect Simon to be there as well,” said Morrison. Morrison’s late charge also gave him the Supersports class over Grieve, Steele and Fish, while Hogg comfortably headed the Biduro’s from Packer. Although Harwood escaped to a clear win in Clubsports, Hayman ad Boot took their scrap for second down to the wire. Results
Published by Peter Scherer for Radical Sportscars, August 4th, 2008.
Ross Edwards beats Jonathan Wright...once ROUNDS FIVE & SIX, CASTLE COMBE Having been victorious in all but one round this year, Jonathan Wright was in the frame again in both races at Castle Combe with his PR6. He had to accept second place to returnee Ross Edwards in the first race, but after Edwards broke his PR6’s transmission on the green flag lap, Wright was a clear winner in race two. Only 0.807secs covered the top three after qualifying, with Wright, heading Edwards and Simon Dolan’s SR3. With Simon Fish’s SR3 completing the second row, fractionally ahead of Roger Bromiley. Race one Wright, Edwards and Bromiley’s SR3 managed to escape on the first lap of race one, but it was Edwards that snatched the advantage on the inside of Camp, to lead from lap four. “Jonathan had gone a bit wide at the chicane and it gave me a run on him into Camp. It was my first time out for two years and first ever in a PR6,” said Edwards. But Wright stuck with him before accepting second at they arrived at Quarry. Simon Tiling pitted from fourth with his SR3, handing the place back to Richard Stables’ PR6., after only gaining it a lap earlier. Edwards gradually began to consolidate his lead, but Bromiley was managing to hold the gap to Wright steady. Paul Steele’s SR3 and Nigel Morrison’s PR6 battled their way past Stables on lap five for fourth and fifth, and became evenly spread within a lap or two. By lap nine Edwards was in the thick of the lappery, which allowed Wright to close the gap once more. For the remaining laps the gap opened and closed again, but at the flag it was Edwards the victory by 0.445secs over Wright. “I got alongside again at the chicane, but had to back off,” said Wright. Bromiley slipped back during the closing laps, but was still a clear third and class winner. “For the first few laps I could just about stay with them. When we caught backmarkers at the Esses I lost ground and couldn’t catch up again, but still very happy with third and being on the podium” Bromiley added, Steele escaped from the battling group behind to consolidate fourth. Morrison retained fifth over Stables, who was also a class winner in sixth overall. Darcy Smith claimed seventh, while the Biduro SR4 trio of Gary Kane, Mark Griffiths and Stephen Lindsay completed the top ten, the latter having recovered from a first lap spin. . In the Clubsport class it was comfortable win for Andrew Harwood, but Mark Boot had a little more of a challenge from Tony Murray for second. There had been some casualties along the way too, notably Simon Dolan and Jon Ali who collided on the first lap, picking up substantial damage.
Race 1 result
Class winners: Edwards; Bromiley; Stables; Kane; Andrew Harwood (Clubsport). Fastest lap: Edwards 1m04.706s (102.92mph).
Race Two Wright was on pole again with Dolan alongside, while Edwards and Fish were due to line up on row two. Bromiley and Tiling shared row three, but Morrison was on his own on the fourth after Ali’s car was damaged in the first race. There was drama at the start of race two before the lights had gone out, when Edwards toured into the pitlane on the green flag lap, having broken his diff with a practice start. Tilling was also left on the grid as the field departed and was pushed away into retirement. Wright made a flying start to head Dolan. But by the end of the first lap the lead was 3.7 secs and growing, leaving Dolan to defend second from Morrison. Simon Fish and Steele were next up, before Smith led a six car train for sixth. By the end of the third lap Dolan was a clear second, as Fish and Steele started to close on Morrison. By lap six they were nose to tail, with Dolan long gone, and holding a steady gap to the leader. Stables made it past Darcy and they continued to fight, leaving them both well adrift of fifth placed Steele. The top five remained unchanged for the rest of the race, leaving Wright to take another win by well over four seconds. But still sporting a novice cross, Dolan drove an exceptional race for a solid second. “It drove just perfectly, it was so good for all the lads that had worked so hard to repair the damage from the first race,” he said. Morrison held onto third, despite Fish coming close at the end. Class winner Stables finally shook off Smith for sixth and Robert Baldock’s SR3 came through to secure seventh. Griffiths gradually lost touch with Lindsay in the Biduro class and ninth overall, while Harwood took his second win of the weekend in Clubsports over Boot. Apart from Edwards and Tilling at the start, John Hayman’s Clubsport was the only other casualty. Gary Kane also had spin which dropped him to 12th behind Charles Loughran’s SR3, and put him out of contention for the Biduro class. Edwards is hoping to do at least two more meetings this year, one of which is Donington in two weeks. But Dolan’s pace and consistency in the second race at Castle Combe, brings him into contention too, despite Wright having won four of the six races so far. Race 2 Result
Published by Peter Scherer for Radical Sportscars , July 21 2008.
Wright is the right stuff ROUNDS ONE & TWO, SNETTERTON
Jonathan Wright’s PR6 proved unbeatable in opening rounds of the Club Cup. The former 750MC Roadsports champion led the opener from lights to flag, and only lost out at the start of the second, when he accidentally engaged neutral. Race 1 It was a healthy start to the new championship with 23 cars on the grid. The SR3’s of Philip Jenkins and Simon Fish joined poleman Wright in an early break, leaving Simon Tilling’s SR3 in a solitary fourth, as Bill Henderson, Richard Stables and Paul Steele fought for fifth. As Wright’s lead grew, Fish started to pile the pressure on Jenkins for second. Henderson managed to make a slight break from his rivals as they started to run wheel to wheel, Steele finally getting the better of Stables on the 10th lap. Wright carved his way through the backmarkers with ease, and took the flag nearly five seconds clear. “I backed off mid race as the steering wheel looked out of line. It was a good early lead and I just kept it consistent,” said the victor. Having briefly lost touch during the lappery, Fish came surging back onto Jenkins tail over the last two laps. “He got me through he Esses on the inside when I was caught out by a backmarker. I tried to come back at Russell, was late on the brakes and almost alongside, but took to the grass to avoid a collision, spun and stalled,” Jenkins explained. “I just took my opportunity with the backmarkers,” Fish replied. Although Tilling inherited a late third, he almost lost out to Henderson and Steele on the last lap. “It was hard keeping pace on my own, then I had to slow near the end as oil was leaking onto my rear tyres and made the back end loose,” said Tiling. Having looked to have the measure of Henderson, Steele had to settle for fifth. “I had massive understeer and it got worse as the tyres got warmer. I had got past Richard Stables at Sear on the 10th lap and Bill Henderson for the first time at the Esses. I was right with Simon Tilling and went inside him at Sear on the last lap, ran wide and lost two places again,” Steele explained. After his early skirmish with Steele, Stables was left to claim a solid sixth, with Jon Ali the last unlapped runner. Simon Dolan survived an opening lap spin at Sear to finish eighth on his race debut, with Stephen Lindsay and ex Rallycrosser Simon White rounding off the top ten. Former Porsche Carrera Cup and MG Trophy racer Colin Willmott coasted into the pits in the closing laps from ninth and Nigel Morrison was a second lap pit visitor from an early eighth. White’s 1300 SR4 took the Biduro class over the 1500’s of Mark Griffiths and Gary Kane, Griffiths having spun at the Bombhole. In the Clubsport class Andrew Harwood was the only survivor after Ian Charles retired on the fifth lap. Stables was unopposed in the Prosports, while Fish topped the Supersports.
Class winners: Fish; Stables; White; Harwood (Clubsport). Fastest lap: Philip Jenkins (SR3) 1m09.057s (101.75mph). Race 2 When the lights went out to start the second race it was Jenkins that had the edge. “I put it in neutral by mistake,” said the polesitter and first race winner Wright. His delay was shortlived as he was running nose to tail with Jenkins on the second lap, when the safety car was scrambled. Stables, Steele, Fish, Willmott, Ali, Tilling, Henderson and Dolan formed up behind, as Charles car was recovered. After two laps the safety car lights went out the race went green again, with Wright surging into the lead at the Esses. Fish also made it past Steele, while further down the order Dolan had edged out Henderson for ninth. A lap later Stables also lost out to Fish, and the top three went clear, leaving Stables and Steele to resume their duel for fourth. As Stables continued to hold the advantage, they became the head of a four car train, as Willmott and Tiling caught them. But as Wright’s lead grew again Fish began to chip away at Jenkins second place. Stables and Steele managed to drop their rivals by the end of lap nine, but there was still no more than a few yards between them. Although Tilling had a power advantage over Willmott, he was unable to find a gap to take sixth. “I was just stuck behind him, he made it very wide and hard to pass,” said Tilling. Dolan and Henderson both capitalised on the battle and brought themselves onto the back of the duo. The safety car was out again for a second stint on lap 11, but managed to miss the leader. “I saw it come out behind me and wasn’t sure what I should have done next,” said Wright. Eventually the whole field was collected by which time four laps had gone by and were set for a one lap sprint to the chequered flag. Wright kept his cool and collected his second win of the day, “I was happy with that, but had to back off again when it was oversteering and got a loose rear end,” he explained. Jenkins, Fish, Stables and Steele all held station behind, but Tilling finally got sixth aided by Willmott spinning and stalling at Russell. Dolan claimed seventh and Robert Baldock snatched a handful of places to take eighth at the flag, after Henderson spun. “I went off at Sear and I was most impressed that Richard Fearns spun too rather than t bone me,” he said. Gordon Patterson and Lindsay therefore completed the top ten. Gary Kane won the Biduro class after White broke a driveshaft and Griffiths retired. Mark Boot headed Harwood in the Clubsports after missing the first race. Stables and Jenkins were the other class winners.
Class winners: Jenkins; Stables; Gary Kane (SR4); Mark Boot (Clubsport). Fastest lap: Fish 1m08.944s (101.92mph).
Issued for Radical Sportscars by Peter Scherer, April 28th 2008.
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