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Excellent Points Haul For Epton At Donington |
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Monday, 31 July 2006 |
David Epton enjoyed his most successful race meeting of the 2006 Formula Renault UK season at Donington Park National Circuit over the weekend, the 25-year-old recording top eight and top six results in Rounds 11 and 12 respectively.
At the Scorpio Motorsport team’s home circuit, hopes were high for a strong weekend at Donington and David certainly didn’t disappoint the Apotex Pharmaceuticals-backed squad, particularly in Sunday’s second race which saw him climb from 12th on the grid to a superb sixth position at the chequered flag.
Sponsored this season by Bombardier Learjet, Universal Weather & Aviation Inc and Jet Air International Lebanon & Germany, the Preston-based driver’s performance this weekend has also put him firmly in the running for the prestigious Donington Park Racing Association Club (DPRAC) Cup.
Awarded to a Formula Renault UK driver for the first time in the category’s history, the DPRAC Cup will be presented to the British driver who has amassed the most points from the four championship races which are being contested at Donington this year.
On Sunday, David scored a combined total of 32 points and is therefore just two points adrift of James Sutton in the battle for the DPRAC Cup and a single point ahead of Scorpio team-mate Will Bratt who achieved his second career podium in Round 12. The next two Donington races, Rounds 15 and 16, will take place in September.
“It’s been a good weekend and I think we certainly made some progress
while also taking away some very good points for the championship”,
commented David, “I’m pretty happy with our pace, we just need to get
the last little bit out of the car and then we’ll be able to challenge
for the podium for sure.”
Round 11 saw David make a terrific start from ninth on the grid and in
no time at all he was mounting a challenge for the top six, before
unfortunately slipping back a couple of places by lap four. Embroiled
in a battle with Josh Fisher and Franck Mailleux, the latter soon fell
out of the equation after a coming together with Dean Smith on lap 10.
David, meanwhile, maintained his composure and although unable to
depose rival Fisher from seventh position, the former Hampshire
resident was nonetheless pleased with the result.
Better was to come in Round 12 though, the Scorpio ace enjoying an
entertaining battle with James Sutton early in the race having leapt
from 12th on the grid to the top eight by the time the Safety Car was
deployed on lap two, following a coming together between Sam Bird and
Jeremy Metcalfe.
The re-start came on lap six and by the ninth tour, David really was
putting Sutton under incredible pressure for sixth position. As the
race entered the closing stages, the battle intensified and after
forcing two errors in quick succession from the sixth-placed runner,
David produced a wonderful overtaking manoeuvre at Coppice to move
ahead.
“My battle with Sutton was good fun and for four or five laps he looked
quite quick”, explained David, “He was attempting to pass Mailleux
ahead of him but I could see Sutton was sliding around quite a lot so
it was a question of waiting for the right moment.
“I tried to pass him at Redgate but then he made a mistake at the Old
Hairpin so I was right underneath him as we approached McLeans. He made
another mistake there and I was in a position to move alongside on the
run up the hill to Coppice and then pass him with quite a good move up
the inside.”
The weekend’s results have seen David climb two places up the 2006
championship standings to 11th position, just 24 points adrift of the
top 10, having only contested 10 of the 12 races which have so far
taken place this season.
Both of Sunday’s races, which were broadcast live on Motors TV, will be
replayed in full tomorrow, Tuesday, 1st August, at 07.00. Motors TV is
available to Sky Digital viewers at channel 413 and via channel 173 of
the NTL cable network.
Rounds 13 and 14 of the 2006 Formula Renault UK Championship will take
place two weeks from now at Snetterton in Norfolk on 12th/13th August.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 06 January 2007 )
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