Haydn Chance proved to be the man to beat in his first outing with the new Radical SR3 XXR during the opening race, having claimed his maiden pole position.
“The new car had a better balance to suit me than the one I have raced this year and the set-up suited me too,” he said.
Chris Preen slotted into second behind his Valour team-mate at the start, from DW’s Ben Caisley, 360’s Jason Rishover and Doris’s Lay, but the safety car was deployed almost immediately after two SR1’s finished in the Redgate gravel.
Jacek Zielonka then hit Lay’s rear as he slowed for the safety car, which earned the former a post-race disqualification. “I braked behind the safety car and Jacek hit me and spun me, but I got away with it quite lightly,” said Lay, who dropped to 15th as a result.
Caisley pressed hard to challenge Preen for second once racing resumed, but it allowed Rishover to join in too, becoming a three-car battle as Chance increased his lead.
Another SR1 in the gravel meant the safety car was out again as the race became a two-lap sprint to the chequered flag. Once again Caisley was still pressing for second and was almost alongside Preen at McLeans, but Rishover and Tommi Gore were threatening too.
All this allowed Chance to claim his maiden victory, but behind, Preen was forced wide at Goddards, allowing Caisley to snatch second. Rishover and Gore followed through, dropping Preen to fifth.
“I had the pace from the start but they were difficult early laps and they had to be perfect to pull away. The second safety car didn’t help though,” said Chance.
The recovering Lay finished seventh, but the champion-elect enjoyed better success in the second outing.
Chance was on pole again but was slow away and got swamped by Lay, Caisley and Gore. Andy Lowe was off in the Gravel at Redgate and Rishover clashed with David Sven Thompson at Coppice, so the safety car was out as they started lap two.
After only one lap racing resumed and although Lay pulled away, Gore stuck with Caisley for second and Chance was all over Preen for fourth.
“I saw Haydn got swamped at the first corner and just managed to drive away from them,” said Lay, who sealed his second consecutive UK Cup title.
Behind, Chance had upped his pace, taking Preen and Gore on consecutive laps, leaving Preen on Gore’s tail for fourth. As Chance then started to close in on Caisley, they both ran wide at Redgate on lap 12, and into the Melbourne Hairpin a lap later Caisley overshot and Chance was through to second.
“I could see Haydn closing, I was just trying to focus on keeping him behind me, it was my mistake, though, just too late on the brakes,” Caisley admitted.
Lay took victory by 5.7s from Chance, with Caisley completing the podium as Preen managed to oust Gore for fourth down the Craner Curves on lap 13 of 18.
Caisley was in trouble on the green flag lap of the finale and joined Lay as a non-starter in the wet conditions. “Neither the ECU or gearbox were working, so I think it was something electrical as it wouldn’t restart,” Caisley explained.
Chance led Preen, with Gore in third as most drivers stopped at the same time, but Thompson had come in too early and was forced to serve a penalty.
Peter Tyler had stayed out and led until his stop, which handed Thompson the lead from Gore, Chance and Tyler. They all moved up when Thompson served his stop/go, rejoining fifth, but out in front Chance was reeling in Gore for the lead.
“The 20-second success penalty did it for me, as I came out among the SR1’s. I could hardly see and spent the second half just getting through the SR1’s,” said Preen after coming home eighth.
The clock was against race one winner Chance, though, as he was still 0.639s shy of Gore as they took the flag with Tyler third.
Chance added: “We were unlucky at the pitstop, so I was a bit annoyed not to get that win. But after this weekend it feels great, really boosted my confidence.”
SR1 class – Micouris claims title
Only 0.285s split Hart GT/RAW’s Theo Micouris and Derby University’s Tom Wood after qualifying, as the season-long rivals continued their duel. North’s Bradley Gaunt and DW’s Oscar Joyce were first corner casualties, bringing out the safety car in race one, as Micouris led Wood.
Micouris continued to build a lead, but once through some of the backmarkers, Wood began to close again as George Knutton and Jack Leese duelled for third. Shane Stoney was making ground after a poor start and moved ahead of Leese and Knutton on lap eight.
The pressure was off Micouris when Wood’s race ended in the Melbourne Hairpin gravel on lap nine, and only a lap later Knutton was off too at the Old Hairpin. After a brief safety car Micouris managed to open nearly a 1s lead over Stoney for the win, with Jack Leese third.
Micouris managed to hold off Wood again at the start of the second race, with James Ockenden just holding on to third. But as Wood got alongside his rival down the Craner Curves on lap five, Ockenden managed to split them, and which left Micouris third into the Old Harpin.
Four laps later Micouris managed to reclaim second, while Brookes had Stoney closing in behind.
Wood held onto a reducing advantage to take victory from Micouris with Stoney third from Brookes, while Ockenden came home fifth after grassy excursion trying fend off Stoney’s advance.
In the final race, Micouris battled his way through the wet conditions to take another win and seal the title.
Knutton had led after the pitstops, but was caught by Micouris three laps from home. The new champion edged ahead at Melbourne, but Knutton repassed at Goddards, only for Micouris to make it stick down the Craner Curves. The battle for the lead allowed Wood to close too, but he was still 0.5s off challenging Knutton at the flag.
