SINGLETON EXTENDS LEAD WITH DOUBLE PODIUM AT SNETTERTON
Richard Singleton (Conwy, Wales) opened a 15-point lead at the top of the Formula Renault BARC Championship with a brace of third place finishes in rounds five and six at Snetterton on Sunday, 25th June. Now competing for Coles Racing, the 17-year-old stays ahead of round five winner Rossi (Blackburn) and round six winner Jordan Oakes (Hopton, Norfolk).
In the Club Class category, for cars built before 2000, reigning Champion Ian Pearson (Didcot, Oxon) took maximum points in both rounds with two victories from pole position and set the Fastest Lap in each race. Mark Terry (Chatham, Kent) remains in second place after following Pearson home in both outings.
On a day that saw a record entry of 29 in the Formula Renault BARC Championship, a packed schedule saw qualifying and both races held in the space of just a few hours. Singleton gained an early advantage by claiming pole position for both races, with the second grid determined by each driver’s second best time in the 35-minute session.
Singleton took pole by 0.140s from Rossi, with Oakes just 0.005s further adrift and the trio would go on to dominate the top three places of each race. Just behind, Felix Fisher (Bridgwater, Somerset) and Michael Vitulli (Cowley, Oxford) equalled their best qualifying performances in fourth and fifth.
The start of round five was marred by two red flag incidents when Club Class driver James Heffernan (London) and FR2000 Class man Pierre Renom (London) went off at the first corner, Riches, in separate incidents. As the cars slowed after the first stoppage, Vitulli and Fisher made contact, forcing the latter out of the race with a damaged rear suspension.
On the first restart, Rossi made the best start from the outside of the front row and was able to pass Singleton, who had led off the line initially. In midfield, Welch Motorsport’s James Green (Torquay) gained four places to climb to ninth, while Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Thomas Arme (Staffordshire Moorlands) gained three places to 10th.
A shortened eight-lap race was run and the front three were able to pull away from the rest of the field, although only 0.8s covered the leading trio. Oakes, who won round two at the 1.95-mile circuit, set the Fastest Lap of the race to that point and passed Singleton, who was struggling for straight-line speed, for second place.
In Club Class, Ian Pearson made a slow start allowing Mark Terry to close up behind the category leader. But Terry was passed by FR2000 Class cars Denis Autier (London) and Chris Murray (Salisbury, Wilts) and although he held on to second place in his class, he could not threaten Pearson’s victory.
Rossi extended his lead to more than one second and picked up a bonus point for setting the Fastest Lap of the race at 1min 09.047s (101.77mph). Arme and Green continued their battle throughout the race, 16-year-old Arme attempting an unsuccessful pass at Riches and then losing seventh place to Hillspeed’s Michael Broadhurst (Cheltenham) before regaining it at the end of a thrilling lap.
On the final run through Russell chicane, Oakes closed right up behind Rossi but decided against a risky overtaking move, settling for second place just 0.352s behind the winner. It is 17-year-old Rossi’s first victory in the Championship and his first-ever car racing win, after ending his karting career last season.
Round six followed a similar pattern to the day’s earlier race with two red flag incidents on the opening laps. The first saw Steve Hanselman slide off at Riches corner and pole-sitter Singleton was again denied the lead after a good start when a second red flag came out after Felix Fisher crashed heavily into the tyre wall at the start of lap four.
The 18-year-old was travelling at more than 120mph when the car spun out of control, hitting the safety barrier and overturning before coming to rest upside down. Medical teams were on hand instantly and the youngster was taken to the medical centre and given the all clear, again confirming the strength of the Formula Renault 2.0 car.
After repairs to the tyre wall, Singleton had to make his third start from pole position and on this occasion, lost out to Oakes who went through at the first corner. Singleton was also slower than his rivals in Sears corner and was passed by Rossi, who had started third.
With just six laps scheduled, Russell Racing’s series debutant Andrew Bentley (Barnard Castle, Co Durham) made a great start to gain two places to run in fifth, having already climbed from 10th on the grid before Fisher’s accident.
At the head of the field, Oakes used his knowledge of his home circuit to hold off the advances of Rossi and win by 0.585s. In Club Class, Ian Pearson and Mark Terry completed their second one-two of the day. James Heffernan and Andrew Webb diced for the final podium place, swapping positions several times before Heffernan got his nose in front on the final lap to clinch third by just 0.196s.
Commenting on the weekend, Championship leader Richard Singleton said:
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