There was youthful look to the top of the podium after an action packed opening round at Mallory Park. Peter Daglish’s determination was rewarded with a late victory, while teenager Andrew Spencer earned a hard fought second.
17 cars made it to Leicestershire for the opening round of this seasons Championship, and for some it was the first time in the car since last season. Daglish secured pole but barely half a second covered the whole of the top ten. “We have spent a lot of time to get this pole, changed everything on the car and we we worked on new suspension today too,” he said.
A surprised Jon Chappell was alongside, only 0.019s down. “I am more
than happy with that, and to be a whole second quicker than testing
without making a change, I just can’t explain it. I don’t think I have
ever started from the front row before, I’ll have to find out what to
do,” he reckoned.
Thomas Robinson just edged out defending Champion Nick Flowers on row
two. “Matt and I went round together, but I think I can get more out of
it, as it didn’t feel 100%,” he explained.
Martin Gartside was more than delighted to be fifth best, “that’s my
best ever qualifying position. We played with tyre pressures a bit, but
that was all,” he said. Matthew Flowers was still settling into his
rebuilt car, “it felt good and I reckon I could get a couple more
tenths out of it,” he said.
“Not a great session for me,” said Didier Prongue. “It’s understeering
and can only get better,” he added. Andrew Spencer completed the fourth
row, with Simon Pryke and Peter Chattin rounding off the top ten. “I
was disappointed, apart from trying harder, there’s not much I am going
to change though,” reckoned Chattin.
Andy Mowbray was next up, but his day was already over. “it wasn’t on
all four cylinders from mid session, no idea why,” he said. Brian Small
regretted spending so much of the session circulating alone. “I didn’t
really know how I was doing compared with the others,” he said. Mark
Curtis headed the seventh row, with debutant Dean Leighton alongside.
“No brakes from lap one, so that made it interesting. I think there was
air in the system,” said Leighton.
Paul Taberner, Jon Morton and Geoff Fairburn completed the line up. “I
wasn’t happy, it might be me,” said Taberner. “Mine was overheating
still and we’ve checked everything,” Morton replied. “I had three
cylinders only as the plug lead for four wasn’t pushed on. It lost me
over four seconds,” said Fairburn.
RACE
Chappell made an excellent start and briefly led into Gerards, but
Robinson, Nick Flowers and Daglish soon charged past and started an
early three car break. “I actually led until halfway around Gerards,
but everyone else was quicker and I got swamped,” said Chappell.
Into Shaws on the second lap Spencer tagged onto the back of the lead
trio, to make it a four way battle. Chappell still headed the chasers
from Gartside, Matthew Flowers, Prongue, Pryke and Chattin.
The scrap for the lead started to intensify when Daglish grabbed second
at the Esses on lap three, while Nick Flowers was squeezed onto the
grass at Shaws, Daglish was delayed and unable to stop Spencer going
by.
The gap from the lead trio started to grow, as Gartside headed the
recovering Nick Flowers and Prongue closed in too. Chappell did his
best to keep Matt Flowers at bay for seventh, leaving Pryke, Chattin
and Small to fight for the remaining top ten places.
Daglish made it back into second at Gerards on lap six, but the smokey
Spencer stayed close. Prongue’s pursuit of Nick Flowers had just paid
dividends at Gerards, before he spun the place away going into Shaws.
“I was in gear on full throttle and it stuck, so I spun,” he explained.
Flowers had also got past Gartside to fill the top five, but back at
the front Daglish’s challenge for the lead was on.
Through the Esses for the tenth time the pair were side by side, but
Robinson held the line for Shaws and the lead. The next couple of laps
were equally close until they arrived at Gerards for the penultimate
time. “I got cut right across, we both braked late and I had to brake
again. The car got unbalanced and spun,” explained Robinson. “It was
very close, I had to take the outside, we both braked late and I kept
on. A good clean race for me,” Daglish replied.
Spencer completed the podium finishers, “eighth to second in two laps
all seemed very quick. My mind went blank when I was in third, I could
see Peter driving defensively, bit still managed to close,” he said.
Nick Flowers eased clear of Gartside to secure third, “I almost got
away at the start but chose the wrong side of Tom Robinson,” he saids.
“I was just happy sitting behind Nick and I could see we were closing
on the leaders,” Gartside replied.
Chappell successfully held Matthew Flowers at bay, “I could tell I
wasn’t going to get past Jon, so just had to settle for what I’d got,”
said Flowers. “The object was not to let anymore past,” Chappell
admitted.
Chattin headed the next group for much of the race, but a spin at the
Esses put him out of contention. “I blew the water out over the back
tyres and spun,” he explained. While his chasers took to the grass in
avoidance, Fairburn briefly headed the group. “I was telling myself to
stay calm, but was still too excited and spun out of the race at Shaws
Hairpin.
Small therefore came through to take seventh, “stuck in fourth gear
from the Elbow on the last lap too,” he said. Leighton was eighth, “it
was nice to have brakes and I was happy just to finish,” he said.
“Whatever happened I enjoyed it,” admitted ninth placed Curtis, while
Pryke completed the top ten, “I hit Peter Chattin at Shaws early on and
then went over the grass when he spun,” said Pryke. Prongue recovered
for 11th and Taberner headed fellow recoveree and erstwhile leader
Robinson.
Morton completed the classified finishers, after a pit stop. “I went quicker than in qualifying though,” he concluded.
RESULTS
1 Peter Daglish 14 laps in 12m22.120s (91.66mph); 2 Andrew Spencer
12m22.474s; 3 Nick Flowers; 4 Martin Gartside; 5 Jon Chappell; 6
Matthew Flowers; 7 Brian Small; 8 Dean Leighton; 9 Mark Curtis; 10
Simon Pryke; 11 Didier Prongue; 12 Paul Taberner; 13 Thomas Robinson;
14 Jon Morton. Fastest lap: Nick Flowers 51.902s (93.6mph).
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