S & B Automotive Academy Blue Challenge Round 2
at Mansell Raceway, 29th March
JUNIOR BLUE
A clean sheet in the heats gave Jake Calvert Pole for the Final. Alongside him sat Taylor Waldron with Mitchell McLeod and Luke Lattimer on row 2. Problems for Calvert arose on the dummy grid as his engine failed to start and he used the external starter. This would later affect his end results as he has already used the starter earlier in a heat. From the off Calvert raced away into the lead, Waldron stayed with him for a while until after a mistake he slipped back into the clutches of Lattimer. After many laps of trying to find a way past, Lattimer eventually succeeded. At the flag it was Calvert from Lattimer and Waldron. After post race scrutineering Calvert was excluded for a second use of the external starter , thus promoting Lattimer to the win.
RESULTS
Junior Blue
1st Luke Lattimer 4 + 0 = 4 points
2nd Taylor Waldron 2 + 2 = 4 points
3rd Jake Calvert 0 + 5 = 5 points
FORMULA BLUE
Chris Derrick was on form taking 2 heat wins and a 4th in the other. Sam Dible won the 3rd heat with 2nd and 4th finishes in the other 2 heats. These impressive results gave Chris Derrick pole position with Dible alongside. Ian Branfield and Duncan McLeod shared the 2nd row. Behind, on row three, Kevin Ford and Matthew Parr sat waiting to resume their race long battle.
At the start Derrick took the lead from Dible followed by Branfield McLeod and Ford. It didn’t take long for Branfield to show his intentions as he accounted for Dible by the end of lap one. Further back, Kate Crowther outbraked Ron Shone. Ryan Griffiths then passed both David Goode and Shone. Into lap 2 and Griffiths undid his previous good work spinning off to restart last. At the front Derrick was away , but shadowed by Branfield. Not to get left adrift McLeod passed Dible and set about catching the front two. Crowther slipped past Robin Stoddart-Stones to take up 8th place. Behind, David Goode was making his mark, passing Shone. At the rear Griffiths, having recovered from his earlier ‘off’ , had caught and passed novice Richard Wilkes.
The next few laps saw the racers consolidating their earlier moves and passes. Then on lap 7 Branfield made his move, passing Derrick and taking the lead. Further back Goode passed Stoddart-Stones to claim 9th place and go into the lead for the ‘Legend’ section of the class. Nigel Pritchard having bent his kart in an earlier heat could only stand and watch as his ‘legend’ rivals fought it out at the back. By lap 9, the race at the front had settled down with Branfield clear and untroubled by Derrick and McLeod. Matt Parr made the first of several moves as he and Ford traded places over the remaining 5 laps. Near the rear Stoddart-Stones out braked himself allowing Shone and Andrew Greenway past. 3 laps to go and Ford re-took Parr whilst Greenway outgunned Shone out of the pit bend. The last 2 laps saw little change, but all eyes were on Parr and Ford as they continued to swap places, often racing around each bend beside each other. In the end it was Parr who crossed the finish line half a second ahead of Ford for 5th place. At the front Branfield won an immaculate race from Derrick, McLeod and Dible.
RESULTS
Formula Blue
1st Chris Derrick 0 + 2 = 2 points
2nd Ian Branfield 3 + 0 = 3 points
3rd Sam Dible 2 + 4 = 6points
Master
1st Chris Derrick 0 + 2 = 2 points
2nd Duncan McLeod 4 + 4 = 7 points
Veteran
1st Duncan McLeod 4 + 4 = 7 points
2nd Kevin Ford 5 _ 6 = 11 points
Legend
1st David Goode 10 + 9 = 19 points
2nd Ron Shone 8 + 11 = 10 points
Top Weight
1st Ian Branfield 3 + 0 = 3 points
2nd Duncan McLeod 4 + 3 = 7 points