|
First Car Racing Win For Welshman Lloyd |
|
|
|
|
Monday, 30 April 2007 |
Hywel Lloyd (Corwen) claimed the first victory of his single-seater career with a dominant display from pole position in round one of the Formula Renault BARC Championship at Donington Park on Sunday, 29th April. The Welsh privateer led home series debutant Aaron Steele (Chatham) and Felix Fisher (Bridgwater) to take the early lead in the FR2000 Class drivers’ standings. Reigning Club Class champion Ian Pearson (Didcot) took the Club Class win ahead of newcomer Marcus Clutton (Oldham) and Adrian Dixon (Harpenden).
A record 38 pre-season registrations ensured a capacity entry of 32 cars on the Leicestershire venue’s National circuit. Only JH Motorsport’s James Heffernan (London) was unable to start the race after a gearbox problem in qualifying. CF Racing’s Lloyd scored one bonus point by taking pole position with a time of 1min 08.873s (102.31mph), which put him 0.473s ahead of Double M Racing’s Steele with Quantexe Racing’s Fisher in third.
Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock (Hook), brother of Le Mans
Series racer Sam, also qualified on the second row, while Rossi
(Blackburn) and former Eurocup Formula Renault driver Sten Pentus
(Faringdon) made up row three. Pearson took the Club Class pole
position, in 19th overall, with Dixon and Clutton ahead of Iain Morton
(London) in fourth.
As the season’s racing began, it was Pentus who made the early move by
climbing two positions to fourth and challenging Fisher’s third place.
Lloyd led Steele into the first corner, Redgate and held off the
younger driver’s pressure despite a small mistake at the Old Hairpin.
Hillspeed Racing’s Ahmad Al Harthy (Hathersage), the first driver to
represent Oman in Formula Renault BARC, made up three places while in
Club Class, Bob Pearson (Didcot) climbed five spots to 24th at the end
of lap one.
Lloyd made the most of the clear track in front of him to open a
two-second lead within the first two laps as the early race order took
shape. Alpine Racing’s Dean Stoneman (Southampton) dropped two places
on the opening lap but was back up to his starting position of 8th by
the end of lap two. He then passed Eurotek Motorsport’s David McDonald
(Ewell), Worswick Engineering’s Rossi and Falcon Motorsport’s Pentus in
successive laps to lie fifth.
Rossi had been looking to take Hancock’s fifth place as the pair
entered Redgate on lap four but with the overtaking attempt failing,
Stoneman capitalised to demote Rossi to seventh. Hillspeed’s Chris
Dittmann (Tewkesbury) climbed four places in as many laps, while
Clutton passed Bob Pearson to move in behind Dixon in the battle for
the remaining Club Class podium places.
After following Dixon for a lap, Clutton, making his single-seater
racing debut, picked his spot at the Old Hairpin to take the place. At
the same corner on lap eight of 14, Boulevard Team Racing’s Joshua
Brooks (Alford) out-braked himself to drop from 18th to 27th and well
out of points-scoring contention. The only retirement of the race came
on lap seven when Middle East-Russell Racing’s Essa Mohammed (London)
went off the circuit at Coppice.
Pentus’ fine start went to waste on lap seven when, having already run
wide to drop two places, the Estonian spun to fall a further five
places down the order to 11th. On lap eight, former motorcycle racer
Craig Harris (Preston), making his car racing debut for Blackpool and
the Fylde College Racing – a team run by the College’s students –
passed Bob Pearson for 25th overall and sixth in Club Class.
Rossi and David McDonald were having a see-saw battle for sixth place
with both drivers swapping the advantage for four consecutive laps
before Rossi claimed the position as his on lap nine. Meanwhile,
Stoneman’s rise through the order halted at fifth place as he struggled
to find a way past Hancock.
At the head of the field, Lloyd’s lead over Steele, which had been as
much as 3.4s after five laps was now down to just 1.7s thanks to Steele
setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 11 with a time of 1min
09.626s (101.20mph). Fisher was secure in third place but Stoneman was
keen to take fourth and attempted to pass Hancock as the duo lapped a
Club Class driver.
Hancock defended his position on that occasion but at the end of lap
13, Hancock ran wide at the exit of the final chicane and over a small
bump in the track causing him to spin. Excellent car control saw him
right the car instantly but the loss of momentum allowed Stoneman
through to finish fourth. Meanwhile, negotiating traffic meant Steele
was unable to pressure Lloyd for the win, with the 22-year-old taking
victory by 1.596s.
Commenting on the victory, Lloyd said: “I got the good start I wanted
and then set about building a lead as quick as possible. I had the car
set-up to be quick in the early part of the race and although the tyres
started to go off later in the race, I was always in control. It’s a
great way to start the season and hopefully it will be the same at
Croft.”
Second-placed Steele said: “Maybe if the race had been a few laps
longer it would have been interesting but it wasn’t to be. My tyres
took a while to warm up so I spent four or five laps defending rather
than attacking for the lead. I’m pleased to have started second and
finished second and I set the fastest lap as well but I know there’s
more to come.”
Third-placed Fisher, who was forced to end his 2006 campaign early
after a big accident at Snetterton, said: “I’m really happy just to
finish the race and it’s been a long nine months out of the car since
Snetterton. I had a good battle with Aaron early on and then against
Sten as he caught up. When I saw him go off at the Old Hairpin I was
quite pleased and to finish third is a great start for me.”
Club Class race-winner Ian Pearson said: “Considering I only just got
the car rebuilt after the recent test at Brands Hatch today went better
than I could have hoped. I had a good race with the Hillspeed Racing
cars for much of the race and with pole position and fastest lap I
couldn’t ask for much more.”
Second-placed Clutton, whose previous car racing experience lies in GT
and saloon racing, said: “I had to get back to basics today and
remember techniques from karting as I’ve only had around 100 laps in
the car prior to today. I would have settled for third today so to come
second is great and hopefully I can gain on Ian during the year,
although it will take time to learn the car.”
Third-placed Dixon, 42, said: “I struck a blow for the older generation
this afternoon! To be fair to Marcus he got me with a great pass at the
Old Hairpin and that has been my weak point in practise and qualifying.
But I’m closer to the Class leaders in qualifying than last season so
my performance has improved and it’s onwards and upwards at Croft.”
Rounds two and three of the Formula Renault BARC Championship take place at Croft circuit, North Yorkshire, on 19th/20th May.
FR2000 Class drivers’ standings after round one – provisional
1 Hywel Lloyd GBR CF Racing 16 pts
2 Aaron Steele GBR Double M Racing 13 pts
3 Felix Fisher GBR Quantexe Racing 10 pts
4 Dean Stoneman GBR Alpine Racing 8 pts
5 Ollie Hancock GBR Mark Burdett Motorsport 6 pts
6 Rossi GBR Worswick Engineering 5 pts
Club Class drivers’ standings after round one – provisional
1 Ian Pearson GBR Pearson Engineering Services 17 pts
2 Marcus Clutton GBR Mark Clutton Racing 12 pts
3 Adrian Dixon GBR Muzz Race 10 pts
4 Iain Morton GBR Reon Motorsport 8 pts
5 Fraser Smart GBR Driver 6 pts
6 Bob Pearson GBR Pearson Engineering Services 5 pts
|
News