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[Formula Renault, UK] Hogan Closes On Championship Lead With Second Victory |
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Sunday, 04 June 2006 |
HOGAN CLOSES ON CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH SECOND VICTORY
Patrick Hogan (Killiney, Co Dublin) closed to within four points of Championship leader Jeremy Metcalfe (Fleet, Hants) by winning round five of the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship at Thruxton on Sunday, 4th June. The AKA Lemac driver passed pole-sitter Sebastian Hohenthal (Northampton) on lap seven and pulled away comfortably to win by 5.739s.
Coles Racing’s Dean Smith (Wolverhampton) drove a fantastic race to lead the B4 Group Graduate Cup contenders by finishing 10th overall having qualified in 20th. Fabio Onidi (Northampton) ran wide at Church on the first lap to drop to the rear of the field and eventually finished 21st.
Fortec Motorsport’s Hohenthal made a clean getaway from pole position but was unable to build a lead over Hogan, who stayed within half a second of the Swede. Hohenthal’s team-mate James Sutton (New Barnet, Herts) was running in third ahead of Metcalfe, who tried to pass Sutton at Club chicane but ran wide. Although he gained the place, he was later penalised 1.5s by the Clerk of the Course to drop him to fourth with Sutton taking third.
Manor Motorsport’s Franck Mailleux (Hull) continued his good form from Oulton Park by climbing from 10th on the grid to sixth, just behind his team-mate Valle Makela (Sheffield). Comtec Racing’s Pippa Mann also achieved her best result of the season in 13th place.
The decisive moment of the race came just before the halfway point when Hohenthal made a slight error exiting Goodwood corner allowing Hogan to carry greater speed through Village bend and take the lead. The Irishman was able to steadily increase his advantage by around half a second per lap.
Another close battle was developing for eighth place with Fortec Motorsport’s Sam Bird (Claygate, Surrey) and Manor Motorsport’s Cheng Cong Fu (Oxford) swapping positions three times in the space of six laps, Bird eventually winning out to finish eighth.
Sutton held onto third place in the Championship by resisting the pressure from Makela in the closing stages. But the day belonged to Hogan who took his second victory of the season at the high-speed Hampshire circuit.
A delighted Hogan explained how he had to bide his time before making his attempt at the lead, saying:
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