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[Formula BMW UK] Ross Curnow seizes championship lead at Oulton Park |
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Wednesday, 17 May 2006 |
Ross Curnow seizes championship lead at Oulton Park with a 1st and a 2nd in the 2 Formula BMW UK Championship Races
Ross Curnow delivered his best performance of the season in an action-packed two days ofrRacing at Oulton Park on 13th/14th May.
Friday testing went well with Ross ending up 3rd fastest in the dry morning session, and the afternoon rain then saw him finish 2nd - just 6/1000ths off the fastest time.
The first qualifying session on Saturday was run in cloudy conditions with the field going out onto a damp track. Ross was hampered by traffic throughout and was disappointed to qualify 6th, 0.7 sec off pole. The second session started in light drizzle but with the track looking as if it might dry. Most of the front runners, including Ross, went out on wets but Ross pitted after 4 laps to switch to slicks. After working hard to get these up to temperature, he put in a stunning lap of 1.27.06 sec to grab pole ahead of Chris Holmes by 1.5 sec.
Set up for Race 1, unusually run on the Saturday to help BTCC TV schedules, was less of a problem since it was raining. Ross got off well from the third row to beat Breen off the line and take Meadows by the time the pack came out of Old Hall. Howson jumped the start from the second row and incurred a 45 sec penalty which effectively ended his race before it had begun. On Lap 8, Ross passed Legris to take 2nd place and hold this to the end. It was a mature drive in difficult conditions and Ross was overjoyed at the end.
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