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After
securing its maiden podium finish last time out, Hitech Junior headed to
the stunning Spa-Francorchamps circuit confident of repeating the result
in the latest round of the Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup. Fielding
cars for Australian Motorsport Foundation International Rising Star Ashley
Walsh and rapid Briton Luciano Bacheta, the fledgling team also had
Formula Renault UK Winterseries Champion Richard Singleton on track.
In first
qualifying it was former T-Car champion Bacheta who led the way for the
team. The Briton, who won on his single-seater debut at the end of 2006,
was 11th quickest of the 35-car field with Singleton and Walsh
in 16th and 22nd respectively.
As is
typical of the Belgian track, the unpredictable weather played its part in
the outcome of the second session, intermittent rain ensuring track time
was critical. In the wet session Singleton and Walsh both improved their
positions to take 14th and 17th, with a disappointed
Bacheta down in 31st.
In the
weekend’s opening race, it was again Bacheta who took the early advantage,
a superb start off the line moving him up six places going into the first
corner. However a hit from
another car at La Source ended his fantastic charge, causing a puncture to
his right rear tyre and sending him into the pits for replacement. Almost
a lap down, the teenager quickly got back on the pace, easily amongst the
quickest on the track, to finish 31st.
For
Singleton, who scored the team’s first Eurocup podium in Estoril last
weekend, race one proved frustrating as he was unable to shake off the
advances of Benjamin Lariche, the pair swapping places throughout the race
and preventing Richard from making the break as he attempted a repeat of
his second place in Portugal.
Walsh
meanwhile drove a steady opening race, starting 22nd and
driving a good opening lap to move up the order to 14th
although he slipped back to 17th at the
flag.
The
weekend’s second race proved to be effectively a non-event. Held in treacherous conditions, it
was started under the safety car which ensured there was no overtaking
over the opening laps. At the finish all three drivers declared the
conditions as ‘undriveable’ with no visibility due to the spray, leaving
the results of the race effectively as the qualifying positions had been
with Singleton finishing 17th, Walsh 22nd and
Bacheta 24th.
Silverstone-based
Hitech Junior will be back on track this weekend (11 and 12 October) in
the penultimate rounds of the Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup Magny
Cours in France.
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