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Home Win For Byford As Onslow-cole |
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Monday, 14 August 2006 |
Martin Byford (Colchester) won his first race since returning to the ELF Renault Clio Cup after a three-year absence in a fascinating wet race at Snetterton on Saturday, 13th August. It was also the 50th win of the 34-year-old’s career. Paul Rivett (Banstead, Surrey) finished second with Robert Lawson (Richmond, N Yorks) gaining his first-ever podium in car racing in third. Championship leader Tom Onslow-Cole’s (New Malden, Surrey) damaged sump meant he failed to finish for the second race in succession and sees his series lead cut to 69 points.
Having qualified comfortably on pole position, Byford suffered excess wheelspin at the start and Rivett was able to get in front before Riches corner. Total Control Racing’s Onslow-Cole was held up by Byford allowing JHR Racing Developments’ Michael Doyle (Gartocharn, West Dunbartonshire) into third place, but the TCR man got back ahead on the second lap.
Also making rapid progress were Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert (Northampton), who climbed four places on the first lap, and JHR’s Steven Hunter (Coal Aston, Dronfield), who had started from the back of the grid after a technical infringement in qualifying. Hunter passed four cars on the second lap and was running seventh after just six laps before retiring when he made unavoidable contact with Nick Adcock (Bromyard, Hereford).
As the rain became heavier, Rivett pulled away from Byford to open a 2.5s lead after four laps. Just behind, Onslow-Cole ran wide at Riches allowing Doyle and Lawson to pass and the Championship leader was forced into retirement at the end of the lap. Onslow-Cole’s problem coated the already slippery circuit in oil, making the track conditions treacherous.
One of the worst affected areas was Coram Curve where Doyle and Team Pyro’s Mel Healey (Cheam, Surrey) spun on successive laps but both showed great car control to continue in the race. At the same time, Lawson was beginning his charge through the pack to third place, lapping at least one second per lap faster than those ahead of him.
On lap nine, Byford finally made his move on Rivett who had been struggling to find the best line on the oil-soaked track. Carrying better speed through Riches, the Z Speed Racing man was able to dive up the inside of his Boulevard Team Racing rival at Sear.
In midfield, sixth-placed Mark Speller (Hereford), Martin Johnson (Alford, Lincs) and Nick Adcock were running in close formation until Adcock began to drop back and was eventually passed by Doyle. At the same time, Lawson closed right onto the rear bumper of Rivett, but the two-time former Champion used all his experience to keep the rookie driver behind him over the final laps.
The battle between Rivett and Lawson allowed Byford to extend his lead to almost two seconds and the 34-year-old was able to complete a memorable comeback victory on his home circuit by 1.961s.
Commenting on his first Clio Cup victory since 2002, when he finished fourth in the Championship, Byford said: “To sum the race up in a word, I’d say it was ‘fraught’. When the oil
went down it made it very hard. I hadn’t made the best start but was
able to settle into second and then wait for Paul to make a mistake. He
was first to the oil every lap and I could see a couple of places where
I was quicker. I went to the inside at Sear and he gave me room when he
saw me coming through. It’s boosted my confidence for tomorrow’s race
for sure.”
Rivett was delighted to close the Championship gap on Onslow-Cole,
saying: “I didn’t realise Tom had retired but I knew he wasn’t in the
first four or five. I was on quite old wet tyres because I didn’t know
how bad the rain would get and with another race to come it was
important not to throw it at the scenery. I’d rather give up one place
to score good points than go all out for a win and end up with nothing.”
Lawson was ecstatic to earn his first podium appearance, adding: “It
feels absolutely fantastic. In wet testing I was half a second quicker
than the next best person so when it rained I knew I had a good chance
of being strong. I didn’t qualify well and knew I had a lot to do but
it all came together just right.”
Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 13 - provisional
| Pos. |
Team |
Nationality |
Team |
Points |
| 1 |
Tom Onslow-Cole |
GBR |
Total Control Racing |
351 |
| 2 |
Paul Rivett |
GBR |
Boulevard Team Racing |
282 |
| 3 |
Stephen Colbert |
GBR |
Mardi Gras Motorsport |
247 |
| 4 |
Nick Adcock |
GBR |
Total Control Racing |
221 |
| 5 |
Steven Hunter |
GBR |
JHR Racing Developments |
213 |
| 6 |
Philip House |
GBR |
PH Motorsport with JHR |
186 |
| 7 |
Mark Speller |
GBR |
Total Control Racing |
180 |
| 8 |
Michael Doyle |
GBR |
JHR Racing Developments |
178 |
| 9 |
Robert Lawson |
GBR |
Mardi Gras Motorsport |
173 |
| 10 |
James Williams |
GBR |
Total Control Racing |
156 |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 06 January 2007 )
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