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Manor Competition pairing Kris Loane and Alexander Sims both made visits to
the Donington Park podium on Sunday, 4th May, during the fifth and sixth rounds
of the 2008 Formula Renault UK season respectively.
While for Northern Irishman Loane it marked his first visit to the podium
of the season, and his maiden rostrum finish in the main Formula Renault UK
series, Sims’ podium was his second of the year.
Team-mates Henry Surtees and Tom Armour also achieved season’s best results
with the former finishing in seventh place during round six and the latter
fighting his way through to 11th position for the New Ollerton team.
Taking all of the weekend’s results into consideration, Sims is fourth in
the championship on 120 points, Loane has climbed to fifth place on 111 points,
Surtees is tied in 12th position, with the more experienced Sho Hanawa, on 58
points and Armour has also moved up the order into 17th position with 32
points.
Lining up on the front row of the grid for round five, Sims made a good
start and as he rounded the outside of pole-sitter Adriano Buzaid at Redgate
Corner, contact resulted in the Manor star dropping a wheel off the circuit and
into a spin.
Dropping down to about 12th position, the 20-year-old battled back hard and
although bitterly disappointed to see a potential race win go begging, he came
home in ninth for what could be valuable points when all is said and done at the
end of the season.
Loane, meanwhile, made great progress from seventh on the grid and after
moving into the top five and then the top four, his moment of the race came on
lap 11 when he produced a superb overtaking move on championship leader Adam
Christodoulou.
Pressuring Christodoulou for several laps, it paid off on the 11th tour
when he slid slightly wide on the exit of McLeans allowing Loane to get inside
on the run to Coppice. He then sealed the move to take third place with a
fantastic piece of driving into Goddards.
Armour raced to a 14th place result to equal his previous best from
Rockingham while for Surtees, the outing turned into a nightmare after being
given a drive-through penalty when deemed to have jumped the start. He
eventually finished a lap down in 17th place.
“From seventh on the grid I really didn’t expect to be on the podium so I’m
really pleased”, said Loane after the race, “Things worked out for me, our pace
was good and I was definitely quicker than Adam (Christodoulou). I’m very happy
to be on the podium, it’s great for me and the team.”
Surtees and Armour achieve best FRUK finishes
Round six saw Loane, who celebrated his 20th birthday on
Saturday, start on row two in fourth place with Sims in sixth, Surtees in 12th
and Armour in 18th. At the start, Loane got away from the grid well to move into
third place at Redgate and while Sims was hung out to dry a little on the
outside, he made it through unscathed.
Challenging fourth placed Ryuji Yamamoto at the Old Hairpin and
McLeans, Sims was determined to take the place and make amends for the earlier
race. Looking ultra-quick, he made a pass up the inside at Coppice to take
fourth and then set after his Manor team-mate Loane.
With both drivers racing well, Sims managed to find a way through on lap
two and then began to pull out a gap over the 20-year-old from Co. Fermanagh.
Reeling off fastest lap after fastest lap, six on the trot to be precise, Sims
closed on second placed Buzaid but in the end he couldn’t quite get fully on
terms with his tyres having given their best.
Nonetheless, third place from sixth on the grid was a terrific result and
he also received two bonus points for setting the fastest lap, 1m 06.680 seconds
(105.67mph). Loane finished a highly creditable fourth to claim another good
sharing of points.
“I’m pleased to be on the podium but we had hoped for more this weekend”,
commented Sims, “Donington has always been very good to me and after testing we
were very strong. We should have had at least two podiums and, preferably, a win
but I’m aiming to make that happen during the next two rounds of the
season.”
Surtees made good ground early on and certainly put the thoughts of his
start-line indiscretion from round five firmly behind him. By lap three he was
into the top eight and he snatched one more position just before the finish when
Jordan Oakes hit problems.
Armour lapped impressively and clearly made big strides during the weekend.
In race conditions in round six he thrived, running in the top 14 before middle
distance with some good overtaking, he progressed into the top 11 before the
chequered flag.
Manor Competition team boss Tony Shaw said: “Two podiums isn’t a bad return
at all, and Henry and Tom both achieved their best results of the season which
was good to see. We’re confident we had the pace to achieve more this weekend,
it’s a shame we didn’t, but we know more podiums and wins are there for the
taking.
“It was a good birthday present for Kris to finish on the podium, he raced
very well and we’re absolutely delighted he’s finally been able to finish in the
top three during the main championship season.”
Manor Competition returns to action a fortnight from now, 17th/18th May, at
Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire for the seventh and eighth rounds of the 2008
Formula Renault UK Championship.
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