Archive
Radical Clubmans Cup - Brands Hatch '09
8th June 2009
Reigning Champion Jonathan Wright remains unbeaten, after securing another double win at Brands Hatch in his PR6.
Wright was pipped off pole by 0.362secs by Gary Kane’s PR6. The similar cars of Darren Luke and Colin Millar shared the second row, with Simon Fish topping the SR3’s and the guesting Richard Stables heading the Biduros in his PR6 over Rachel Davies’ SR4. Simon Garmston had a marginal advantage over Mark Abbott to head the Clubsports.
28 cars made it to the grid for the first race and it was a familiar pattern as the lights went out. Wright led into Paddock, from Luke, Kane, Millar, Barry Marks, Fish, Paul Steele and Richard Carver. But Luke spun at Druids and Wright was already going clear as he came down to Graham Hill Bend. “It was an optimistic move I made on Jonathan, and I half spun before going on the grass to get out of the way, “ said Luke. “I wondered where he was going,” added Wright.
David Thorburn had also spun his SR3 at the bottom of Paddock Hill, and was clipped by the unsighted Clubsport of Mark Boot.
Millar started to fall back from Kane on the second lap, as Wright’s lead continued to grow. Steele’s PR6 took Marks for fourth past the pits and by lap four he was a clear fourth, leaving Darren Anley’s Prosport to watch for the ever closing Luke, recovering from his first lap spin. Fish headed for the pits with a puncture, leaving Carver at the head of a seven car train for fifth.
Luke made it past Steele for fourth on lap eight, but although he closed on Millar he was never in a real position to challenge for third. Wright cruised his way to victory by over nine seconds from Kane. “I had a brilliant start and didn’t expect the race to go the way it did,” said Wright. “My start was terrible and I still haven’t got the set up right, as it had a lot of understeer,” Kane replied.
Steele pitted to retire having looked almost safe in fifth behind Millar and Luke. “I ran in qualifying with a wet set up, but we changed to dry and forgot to take the tape off the radiator, so it overheated,” he explained. Steve Burgess’ SR3 therefore emerged to take fifth and the Supersports class, from Carver, who had an entertaining duel with Charles Loughran. “I thoroughly enjoyed that race, but not the best of starts,” said Loughran after settling in eighth behind Stables PR6.
Thorburn recovered to secure ninth, with Don Patterson’s PR6 completing the top 10 after a couple of spins. In the other classes Rachel Davies was the first of the SR4’s and Boot recovered from his first lap contact to head Andrew Harwood and Garmston in the Clubsports, after Abbott crashed out at Clark Curve
1 Jonathan Wright (PR6) 26 laps in 20m17.515s (92.14mph); 2 Gary Kane (PR6) 20m26.716s; 3 Colin Millar (PR6); 4 Daren Luke (PR6); 5 Steve Burgess (SR3); 6 Richard Carver (SR3); 7 Richard Stables (PR6); 8 Charles Loughran (SR3); 9 David Thorburn (SR3); 10 Don Patterson (PR6). Class winners: Wright; Burgess; Stables; Mark Boot (Clubsport). Fastest lap: Wright 45.549s (94.73mph).
RACE TWO
Starting in the finishing order from race one, it was Millar that lost out from the start. Wright headed the charge through Paddock, from Luke, Kane and Burgess, with Millar down to fifth. Luke managed to edge alongside into Graham Hill Bend, but Wright pulled ahead onto the Cooper Straight. Burgess then spun at McLaren, before Kane charged inside Luke at Paddock to snatch second.
Millar was back up to fourth from Loughran, Stables and Carver, but out came the safety car to recover Burgess and Peter Coulridge and everyone formed up behind.
Four laps later it was green again and Kane made a determined effort to challenge Wright again into Paddock. But the defending champion had it covered, and a lap later Luke relegated Kane to third. While Millar held onto fourth, Loughran, Stables and Nigel Morrison had a great battle for fifth, after Carver lost out at the green flag.
Over the closing laps Wright made sure of his second win, even though there was a second safety car spell, which left a two lap sprint to the flag. “I could have done without that safety car, but it made it interesting,” said Wright. Luke took the flag 1.051secs adrift but still had four seconds in hand over Kane. “Gary has got a power advantage but my car’s handling was very good,” Luke replied.
Millar retained fourth with Morrison in fifth, winning the Supersports class. Stables completed the top six, while Thorburn snatched a late seventh, when Loughran had rear bodywork rubbing and Bill Henderson coasted to a halt on the last lap. Carver and Fish followed Loughran home to round off the top ten, while Harwood had the legs of the rest of the Clubsports. Davies’s SR4 took the top Biduro points by coming second in class to Stables, who isn’t registered for points.
1 Wright 21 laps in 20m45.164s (72.77mph); 2 Luke 20m46.215s; 3 Kane; 4 Millar; 5 Nigel Morrison (PR6); 6 Stables; 7 David Thorburn (SR3); 8 Charles Loughran (SR3); 9 Carver; 10 Simon Fish (SR3). Class winners: Wright; Morrison; Stables; Andrew Harwood (Clubsport). Fastest lap: Wright 45.554s (94.72mph).
Published by Peter Scherer for Radical Sportscars, June 8th, 2009.
