S & B Automotive Academy Blue Challenge Round 5
at Whilton Mill on 24th May
For several drivers Whilton would be their first outing at this circuit. These were the ones who had arrived early on Friday in order to set up and be ready for the ‘off’ on Saturday. One notable exception was Kaite Crowther, who was on a flight back from her honeymoon in the USA. She hoped to be present by the first heat on Sunday !
Following the return of Anthony Cleal the previous meeting, after a long layoff, there was another notable entry in the form of Andy Beever. Like Cleal, Beever had a championship pedigree from well over 15 years ago and was returning to Formula Blue hoping to carry on where he had left off !
Saturday remained dry but Sunday dawned with the threat of rain at some time. Sure enough it drizzled before the first heat, compelling everyone to swap on to wet tyres. There was a twist, however, in that it dried by the time the grid took to the circuit. Those on worn wet tyres were lucky whilst those on new wet tyres suffered not only in performance but also in cost ! Their tyres were visibly shredded upon arrival at the post-race scrutineering enclosure.
In the race Kevin Ford was up and away from the lights change, winning by quite a margin. Second placed man Chris Derrick, had worked his way forward from grid 10 whilst Duncan McLeod having started in 3rd finished 3rd. the drive of this opening heat came from Matt Parr having moved up 10 places to finish in 4th, achieving fastest lap in the process.
Duncan McLeod was on fire in heat 2, winning from Ian Branfield. The pair had charged forwards from grid rows 7 & 8 respectively. 3rd in this race was Beever, gradually regaining his former flair.
The last heat saw Derrick on Pole a position he was not going to throw away as he moved into the lead to score an unchallenged win. Branfiled took second spot with Parr 3rd a few seconds adrift. The charger in this race, Sam Dible, finished 6th from a 16th place , and ending up with fastest lap.
The Grid for the Final revealed Derrick on Pole with Branfiled alongside. Second row had Ford with McLeod whilst behind Parr and Beever occupied row 3. From the start Derrick raced to the front followed by Branfield, McLeod, Parr and Beever. By the end of lap 1, Ford, having a stunning race- day, had passed McLeod for 3rd place. Dible accounted for both Beever and Parr and was up to 7th place. Cleal, in 8th, was forced wide allowing Robin Brotherwood, Toby Cook and Serita Shone through. Rob Mortimore got caught up in a tussle and slid back 2 places. Andrew Greenway and Ryan Griffiths taking advantage to slide by. David Goode also lost out in the same incident. Further back Ron Shone passed Mark Cook and Richard Wilkes overtook a slow starting kaite Crowther. Next lap Cleal re-took Serita Shone and set off after Toby Cook. Into lap 3 and Brandfield rolled to a halt, having thrown a chain, promoting the rest of the grid. Cleal regained his earlier loss by retaking Toby Cook. Mortimore did the same in 12th place by passing Ryan Griffiths. At the back Crowther, having settled down, passed Wilkes and set about lining up Mark Cook.
Next lap and contact between McLeod and Dible resulted in Dible rolling to a stop with a thrown chain. Beever took full advantage and passed McLeod in the process. Crowther took 16th place passing M. Cook.
The Race settled down in the laps up to half distance except for Serita Shone passing Toby Cook for 8th spot and Wilkes taking Mark Cook for 17th place.
Exactly at the half way mark, McLeod, who was using every inch of the raised Kerbs, also threw a chain vacating 4th place to the ever grateful Matt Parr. Crowther had caught R. Shone and squeezed past for 13th place.
With 3 laps to go Derrick was clear at the front although Ford was gradually hunting him down. Beever in 3rd spot had a 2 second gap over Parr, who was desperately trying to hold off Brotherwood. The pressure paid off on the penultimate lap and Brotherwood moved into 4th place. Further back the race long battle between Greenway and Mortimore saw Greenway retake 9th place.
Into the last lap and Derrick crossed the line in 1st, a mere 0.6 seconds ahead of Ford. Beever clinched 3rd place, a worthy achievement after such a long lay off ! Brotherwood, having started the Final in 9th, finished in 4th just ahead of Parr. A Final twist in the battle for 9th saw Mortimore make the last attempt of the race and got past Greenway.
Once the dust had settled the overall standing in the S & B Automotive Academy Blue Challenge revealed that the lead had changed. Derrick regained the lead from Branfield, McLeod moved up to 3rd displacing Dible and Ford rose up the order to head Parr. In the Master sections Derrick increased his lead over McLeod and Ford. It is McLeod and Ford who hold sway over Robin Stoddart-Stones, who was absent nursing a shoulder injury. Despite his absence, Stoddart-Stones still leads the Legend group from Shone and Nigel Pritchard. The Top Weight leader is still Branfiled from McLeod and Mortimore.
The racers now have a short break until Round 6 on 21st June at Buckmore Park.
RESULTS
FORMULA BLUE POINTS
1st Chris Derrick 0 + 0 = 0
2nd Kevin Ford 3 + 2 = 5
3rd Andy Beever 6 + 3 = 9
4th Matt Parr 5 + 5 = 10
5th Robin Brotherwood 9 + 4 = 13
BLUE MASTER
1st Chirs Derrick 0 + 0 = 0
2nd Kevin Ford 3 + 2 = 5
3rd Andy Beever 6 + 3 = 9
BLUE VETERAN
1st Kevin Ford 3 + 2 = 5
2nd Andy Beever 6 + 3 = 9
BLUE LEGEND
1st David Goode 12 + 12 = 24
BLUE TOP WEIGHT
1st Andy Beever 6 + 3 = 9
2nd Robin Brotherwood 9 + 4 = 13