Round Up: A new high for PBM Be Wiser Ducati
A new high for PBM Be Wiser Ducati
It was another huge weekend for the FUCHS Silkolene band of BSB riders, with podiums and points galore at Snetterton.
Scott Redding and Josh Brookes, of the PBM Be Wiser Ducati team, scored back-to-back one-two finishes – the first time the team has ever taken both top spots in both races.
Making his debut at the Norfolk track, 26-year-old Redding topped every practice and qualifying session on his factory-supported Be Wiser Ducati Panigale V4 R before winning the opening race to extend his lead at the top of the standings and in doing do, gave Paul Bird’s Cumbrian team their 100th BSB victory.
Not content with that, Redding scorched to victory in race two to add more vital Podium Points to his tally whilst adding the prestigious Monster Energy Race of Aces Trophy to his collection.
Elsewhere, Peter Hickman of the BMW Smith Racing Team claimed P7 and P5 to close the gap on the final Showdown position.
While it was a challenging meeting for the Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki team once more, Héctor Barberá ensured it ended on a high note when he took a strong seventh place in the second race.
Despite never having ridden at the circuit before, Spanish rider Barberá, deputising for Glenn Irwin, soon got to grips with the 2.96-mile layout and qualified in 14th place which could have been higher had he not encountered a technical problem in Q2.
The former MotoGP rider put in a superb ride and although he was down in 14th at the end of the first lap, he made good progress throughout the race to continually move forward.
By lap six he’d already moved up into the top ten and this soon became eighth where he remained until the 11th lap when fourth placed Tarran Mackenzie crashed out.
That promoted him up the order to a fine seventh place which was where he took the chequered flag and it ensured he not only ended the race as the first Kawasaki rider to finish, but it also gave the team their second-best finish of the season so far.
Supersport podiums for Seeley
Double podium success [3-3] in the British Supersport Championship at Snetterton maintained Alastair Seeley’s title challenge with FUCHS Silkolene backed EHA Racing, as the 2019 campaign reaches its halfway point.
Meanwhile, Ben Wilson secured two 10th places in the two Supersport races. His Gearlink Kawasaki team-mate Ross Twyman was forced to retire from both races.
Kershaw/Clark back on the podium
Kershaw Racing pair Steve Kershaw and Stuart Clark recorded two second place finishes in the Molson Group British Sidecar Championship at Snetterton.
Meanwhile, luck was finally smiling on Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki pair of Ricky Stevens/Ryan Charlwood as they took a brace of third-place finishes.
Team-mates Ben Holland/Lee Watson also enjoyed better fortune than they had at previous rounds with fifth and sixth.
Epynt date for BHRC contenders
The daunting challenge of the asphalt roads of the Epynt ranges in Mid-Wales form the next destination for contenders in the FUCHS Lubricants Motorsport UK British Historic Rally Championship for round five, the Harry Flatters Rally, on Sunday.
The Brecon Motor Club event marks the first asphalt rally of the championship season after the opening four gravel rounds. Historic cars spanning the 1960s and 1970s will tackle fast and flowing stages on Epynt during the fifth of the seven-round calendar.
This is proving to be one of the most open years yet for the BHRC and half a dozen crews will head to Wales with title aspirations. Competitors count their best five scores from seven events, so it is all to play for and the title battle could well go all the way to the final round. However, for the title hopefuls a strong finish on Epynt is essential.
Heading the points going into round five are Northern Irish crew Stanley Orr and Graham Henderson in their Ford Escort Mk1, who are the only contenders to have scored well on all four gravel rallies to date - and Orr has plenty of asphalt experience.
However, opponents include Escort Mk2 crews Rudi Lancaster/Guy Weaver, Simon Webster/Jez Rogers, Steve Bennett/Osian Owen, Adrian Hetherington/Ronan O’Neill and Joe Price/Chris Brooks.
Webster scored a famous victory last time out on the Red Kite and duly changed plans in order to contest the Harry Flatters as a title bid became a reality.
Meanwhile, Price missed the Red Kite completely after engine dramas on the Carlisle Stages and heads to Epynt knowing that he needs three strong finishes from the three remaining rounds.
Making a welcome return after an enforced three-month sabbatical caused by an injury to the driver on the Carlisle Stages in early June are Nick Elliott and Dave Price.
His title hopes are pretty much over, but a strong result on Epynt would be the perfect way to rejoin the sport.
Ranged against the Escort hordes will be the Triumph TR7 V8 of David Kynaston and the Devon driver has extensive Epynt knowledge and will be pushing for a strong result.
Among the classes, leading contenders include Chris Skill/Tom Murphy (Escort Mk1), Josh Browne/Jane Edgington (Escort Mk2), Philip Atkinson/Louise Gilks (Escort Mk1) and Malcolm and Ron Mounsey (Talbot Sunbeam). Meanwhile, making a rare foray to Epynt is the redoubtable Bob Bean with Malcolm Smithson alongside in his Category 1 Ford Lotus Cortina.
More details are at the event website: breconmotorclub.co.uk
Brindle/Young clean up on Down rally
The FUCHS LUBRICANTS Classic Mini Challenge moved over the Irish Sea to Lisburn County Down to the Down Rally for 52 miles of closed road action over 11 stages.
The Rally was based at the Eikon Centre, which is on the site of the former Maze Prison.
New registrations were welcomed in the form of Jeff Robinson/Ian Evans and Colin McDowell, with the hugely experienced Geraldine McBride as co-driver, with regular drivers Jim Brindle/ Martin Young, Barry Stenhouse/Jamie Mactavish both having new co-drivers.
Martin Melling/Lewis Griffiths were the only full regular crew as Heidi Woodcock brought Louise Thomas as her driver for this event with the Mini Girls Rally Team.
The first loop of three stages included Lough Erne, Drumaknocken and The Eikon Super Special Stages.
This saw Colin McDowell set the pace, leading from Jim Brindle, with Jeff Robinson settling in third.
The second loop was a repeat of SS1 Lough Erne plus both sides of the infamous Hamiltons Folly and a repeat of SS3 Drumaknocken then a final run through The Eikon Super Special.
Colin McDowell fancied his overall chances in the rally and dropped a chance of championship points by using a non-championship tyre.
This allowed Jim Brindle to take the lead, Jeff Robinson to take second and Louise Thomas to sneak into third.
Martin Melling was having subframe mounting problems which slowed his progress and Barry Stenhouse followed close behind.
The final loop used both Hamiltons Folly stages and a third attempt at the Drumaknocken Stage.
Jim Brindle continued his dominance of the stages, recalling that his last to Northern Ireland was running 80s boxing legend Barry McGuigan doing the British Rally Championship with his Race and Competition Engineering concern.
The drivers consolidated their positions during this second loop, and all six classic Minis finished this thoroughly enjoyable event.
FUCHS Lubricants Classic Mini Challenge Top Three on Round 6 2019
1st Jim Brindle / Martin Young
2nd Jeff Robinson / Ian Evans
3rd Louise Thomas / Heidi Woodcock
CA1 Sport grace Ireland
FUCHS-backed rally team CA1 Sport were back in action again last weekend, looking after two cars on the Down Rally in Ireland.
Tom Preston, with regular partner Carl Williamson in the co-driver’s seat, debuted his new Ford Fiesta WRC, and was pleased to bring it home unscathed in 10th place, but Steve Simpson/ Patrick Walsh (Ford Fiesta R5) were unlucky enough to have a puncture on SS5, necessitating a change of wheel in-stage and thus dropping well down the order.
The crew were still unsettled going in to SS7, where they had an unfortunate coming-together which put paid to a promising run in their new car.
With David Bogie taking a mid-season break, having sold his previous Skoda Fabia R5, but awaiting delivery of his new car, the next event for the CA1 team is in Sweden, looking after Fredrik Ahlen’s R5 in the Swedish Championship.
Andy March-ants on
Andy Marchant enjoyed a great weekend of racing at round four of the Apico BSMA National Championship at Wroxton, taking four wins to finish first overall in the vets class.
Nothing sheep-ish about Shaun’s performance
Shaun Tarlton enjoyed an “awesome night’s racing” in the UK Modifieds competition at Mildenhall Stadium.
Shaun finished third in heat one, fifth in heat two and ninth in the final.
Shaun said: “I enjoyed every second. This car is insane.”
