July 5th 2009 Round 6 FEKC Club Championship
Round 6 of FEKC’s 2009 Championship was greeted with one of the hottest days of the year along with some even hotter racing on track, coupled to a new signing on office, clubroom and medical office, July proved to be full of action for the Club!
First final to take to the track was Rotax, Barry Thomsit came through from third place past Chris Gibbs and Tom Thompson early on and looked set for the win, however an excursion on one the kerbs rendered his race finished early with a thrown chain. This left Gibbs to battle with Thompson, Jonathan Drabble also joining the fray as the three pushed and jostled each other right through to the chequered flag. When the flag dropped there was less than 3/10th s second separating the trio, Gibbs managed to hold the win from Thompson and Drabble who were alongside each other across the line!
Up next was the full grid of Minimax, with Mac Austin on pole, and Piers Hickin’s Alonso alongside, at the start Austin got a great start followed through by Matt Duffett from third place. Austin and Duffett started to ease away from the pack with Hickin being dropped slightly as the laps went by, Cody Tree looked ominous coming through from 7th and by lap 7 was right up behind Duffett. Coming off “Whingers” Tree got a run on Duffett into Bus Stop, Duffett taking to the grass allowing Tree to set after Austin. As the laps ticked down Tree got closer and closer to Austin but just ran out of laps and finished in second less than a second behind, Hickin secured third with Kieran Gifford tracking him down from a fine drive through from 13th place. First Novice home was a spirited drive from Elliot Carter.
TKM saw poleman Dan Bushell take an unchallenged win with a lights to flag victory from Jonny Goddard in second.
Next out was the cadet libre grid, Jordan Gilbertson on pole, with Jason Duffett’s Honda alongside, both got a great clean start and at the first corner a bit of turmoil saw the grid mixed up which allowed the front two to make a break. Gilbertson drove away from the field to take 1st Comer and 1st on track with Duffett being first Honda home by some margin. For the first half of the race all the action took place for third place which saw George Thomson, Peter Newman, Jordan Richards, Harry Torpy and Max Bird all battling, taking them unawares lap by lap was David Wright’s WTP with Harrison Newey’s Comer also bearing down. Wright and Newey both took full advantage of the battling ahead and Wright slipped into third 3 laps to go with Newey slotting in behind, the two youngsters swapped positions 6 times with Newey heading for the chequered in third place Wright timed the last overtake on the last corner to perfection to take third place on track with both side by side on the finish line. The battle behind was hotly contested with seven drivers separated by less than 1.5 seconds at the finish, George Thomson fought valiantly to hold onto fifth on track holding off Peter Newman and a train of drivers all swapping positions all looking for a way through. Great driving by all cadets with some great moves, minimal contact showing how exciting their racing continues to be.
Another full grid of Junior Max gave racing every bit as hot as the beaming sun on the day, Zak price on pole looked to be on form to take the win. At the start Price started well but was joined by Michael Cheek coming up from third and set about harrying him, Owen Hunter competing in both Minimax and Junior looked more settled in the Junior Max, early on edging out Ben Palmer to move into third where he was able to just ease slightly away from Palmer to take third and fourth respectively at the flag. Out front Cheek eased ever closer to Price to look for a way through to the lead, but Price had the race under control and responded accordingly with laps to equal Cheek’s and took the win from Cheek, Hunter and Palmer.
In 177 poleman Daniel Drew lost the lead at Haynes to Masters Kieron Woolgar, but seemed to be biding his time, after 4 laps Woolgar went wide and seemed tired with the heat (?) allowing Drew to capitalise and through and away to the flag to take a win on his first visit to the Hampshire track. Woolgar secure in second place on track had the advantage of Charlie Watson, Chris Hartridge and Gareth Hardy all battling behind which saw Watson testing a new chassis take third place from Hardy and Hartridge.
Formula Blue had Craig Copeland on blistering form sitting on pole having won all three heats, the final was no different and Copeland produced a masterclass drive to win from Dean Smithers and Michael Pocock, with Copeland pushing all the way to the end to produce the fastest lap on the last lap!
Last race of the day as normal was the Cadet’s Devil Take the Hindmost, Gilbertson and Wright at the back looked to have a mountain to climb to get to the front. Matteo Zanetti got caught up in the earlier fray in the main cadet race which gave him a better position for the Devil and started to make his way through the pack, passing Jodene Newman on the fourth lap and looking good to take the win. At the back Gilbertson got Wright on lap three and the pair of them moved through the field until they lay second and third, at this stage with the sun at its fiercest Zanetti looked to be heading for the flag, Gilbertson dug deep and with the fastest laps of the day caught and passed Zanetti to take home his second trophy of the day.
Next race weekend 1st and 2nd August with Clubroom to be fully operational and open!