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Championship Leader Smith Heads Testing Times |
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Wednesday, 04 July 2007 |
Dean Smith (Wolverhampton) negotiated a day of changeable weather and track conditions to set the fastest time during official Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship testing at Brands Hatch on Tuesday, 3rd July. The Fortec Motorsport driver, who leads the drivers’ standings, set a mark of 44.747s (96.43mph) in the morning session at the 1.20-mile Kent circuit.
Rounds 15 and 16 of the Formula Renault UK Championship take place at Brands Hatch on 18th/19th August and all competitors, with the exception of Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid (Oxford), completed more than 100 laps in preparation.
Smith set his quickest time early in the morning session before a rain
shower meant slower lap times. All drivers set their fastest time in
the morning session as a further downpour at lunchtime left some
standing water on the circuit.
AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe (Fleet) finished second quickest, just
0.052s adrift. Fortec’s Riki Christodoulou (Sutton Coldfield) also
lapped within a tenth of a second of Smith with a time of 44.829s
(96.25mph).
Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims (Peterborough) took fourth place
ahead of Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Sho Hanawa (Skegness), both drivers
appearing higher up the timesheets than in recent tests. Apotex Scorpio
Motorsport’s Will Bratt (Banbury) and Fortec’s Duncan Tappy (West
Ewell), both with three race wins in 2007, finished sixth and seventh
ahead of AKA Cobra pair Adam Christodoulou (Lichfield) and Chris Holmes
(Ilkley). RS Racing’s Richard Singleton (Conwy) completed the top 10.
Six drivers from the Formula Renault BARC Championship joined the test
day, with CF Racing’s series leader Hywel Lloyd (Corwen) fastest in
15th place overall. Hi Tech Racing’s Bia Figueirdo, believed to be the
only female to ever win a Formula Renault race, was 17th overall as 22
drivers lapped within 0.931s of the leading time.
In the afternoon session, Round 10 winner Jeremy Metcalfe set the
fastest time on the damp track at 45.262s (95.33mph), just 0.004s ahead
of Hanawa. Smith and Riki Christodoulou followed with the Manor duo of
Sims and Alex Morgan (Bridgend) completing the top six.
Commenting on the successful test, Dean Smith said: “It’s difficult to
learn too much more at Brands Hatch having raced here so much before
but it’s always good to be fastest on the day. I grabbed the
Championship lead back at Oulton Park and now I need to carry this pace
into the next race meeting.”
Rounds 11 and 12 of the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship
take place at Donington Park National circuit on 14th/15th July. In a
change from its usual Friday slot, testing for the event takes place on
Thursday, 12th July.
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