It was two wins out three again for Luke Caudle at Brands Hatch, but his title aspirations took a boost as rivals Lee Allen and David Ogden both hit trouble.

Saturday’s race was dry at the start but became very wet. Caudle managed oust poleman Jason Richardson around the outside at Paddock on the opening lap, but as Richardson got sideways at Graham Hill bend, Chris Knox was forced to brake and Chris Smith snatched third.

The lead duo made a break on the second lap, as Smith, Knox, Lee Allen and Gavin Bristow ran nose to tail for third. But Richardson managed to snatch back the lead into Druids on lap three and started to pull away from Caudle, before the rain became heavier, and with cars off it was red flagged to enable a change to wets.

From the restart Caudle was straight into the lead, from Knox, Richardson and Allen. But S class leader Allen nipped inside Richardson for third at Graham Hill bend, before Smith followed along the Cooper Straight.

There was standing water and both of the lead duo took to the grass as they rounded Surtees. “I followed Luke as I couldn’t see where the track went,” said Knox. But Knox really started to pile the pressure on the leader, while behind them Smith made a costly mistake. “I thought it was a one lap dash so I slowed down and both Gavin Bristow and Jason Richardson went past me,” he said.

The duel for lead allowed Bristow to close in and make it a three way fight over the closing laps. Knox saved his move for the final lap and nosed ahead on the exit of Paddock. But Bristow squeezed between the dicing duo at Druids, only for Caudle to retake at Graham Hill Bend. Knox just held his new found advantage to the flag, but after contact at clearways it was a sprint to the line for second, going in Bristow’s favour by 0.001secs. However Caudle regained second spot after the race, when both drivers were reprimanded for various incidents.

“I was so glad in rained. I was struggling at first, especially when Luke and I both drove off the track. I just went for it at the end and we may have touched mirrors,” said Knox. “I lost the front splitter when I took to the grass, but Chris just got me on the inside on the last lap and then Gavin hit me at Clearways,” Caudle replied. “I was struggling to control the car without power steering and hit Luke, not big but it made him slide,” Bristow admitted.

Allen held onto fourth and won his class, “I was just trying to keep clear of my class mates. Had a bit of a touch with Chris James but got some R56’s in between us,” he said. Richardson was a disappointed fifth, “the first part was great but after the red I just fell down the order,” he explained.

A red faced Smith was sixth, from the S’s of Lee Sullivan and James. Matt Pike snatched ninth on the last lap from Tiffany Chittenden, after the debutante had recovered from an earlier spin.

David Ogden took the Club Class, with Sam Osborne and Kevin O’Connor nose to tail for second. Justina Williams brought up the rear after an off at Clark Curve, having led in the first start.

Race Two

Knox made the best getaway in Sunday mornings dry race, with Allen, Richardson and Caudle tucked closely behind as they exited Druids.

Allen was soon swamped by the R56’s and dropped to fifth behind Bristow, while Smith started to close in after taking Sullivan into McLarens.  The top four had briefly split into pairs, with Richardson harassing Knox and Bristow similarly with Caudle.

Richardson managed to squeeze inside Knox at Druids but Knox’s recovery was swift and they were almost four abreast into Surtees. There was another reshuffle into Paddock too, but the lead duo was as close as ever. It was Caudle that lost out with both Bristow and Allen demoting him.

A lap later Caudle was restored to fourth as Allen ran wide at McLarens, which also allowed Sullivan to take over the class lead. “It went into limp mode and I had to switch off and on to reset it and lost a lot time,” Allen explained,

The tide also turned against Knox, as he was blackflagged with his rear splitter dragging.  “Jason hit me at Druids, it had been perfect until then,” said Knox.

Richardson was the new leader, Caudle was into second from Bristow, with Smith fourth having charged back into contention. It was side by side for second along Cooper Straight and through to Clearways, but Caudle held on. The battle allowed the Smith, Pike and Chittenden to close in, with Smith and Pike continually swapping and changing.

The lead duo finally got away which allowed Caudle to focus his attention on Richardson’s lead. Caudle finally made it through to lead into Paddock on lap 11, while Richardson briefly lost second place to Bristow as they braked into Druids.

Caudle managed to ease himself clear to secure his first win of the weekend, with Richardson a disappointed second.  “I only had an average start and was all over the place for the first few laps. Then got the lead and opened a gap,” said Caudle.  “It was tough and I was a bit too fair, I need to be a bit more aggressive, but not too,” Richardson added.

Pike had caught the back of Bristow and put him sideways at Clearways, leaving himself to chase home Smith in fourth. “It was a bit aggressive, there was contact” said Smith.

 Bristow recovered to hold onto fifth from Chittenden and Sullivan took the S class victory in seventh. “I got by when Lee had his problem but I want to beat him a battle,” said Sullivan.

Allen recovered to retake second in class from James and they were split overall by Knox following his pit stop. Ogden was the Club Class winner again, from O’Connor, with Osborne third after long duel with Williams, which ended with her spinning at Druids on the last lap.

Race Three

It was Bristow’s turn to head the field on the opening lap of the race three, from Caudle, Chittenden Smith, Richardson and Dean Raymond.  There was a fairly early break for the top five, before Bristow and Caudle started to escape at the front.

Caudle led into Paddock on the third lap, but they were side by side into Druids, with two further exchanges before they reached the Cooper Straight. As Chittenden spun at Clearways after the close attentions of Richardson, Knox started to latch onto the lead group too.

Richardson was a notable absentee having pitted with damaged steering, but while Caudle and Bristow still had control at the front, Smith found his third place coming under increasing pressure from Knox.

Suddenly on lap 12 Smith went missing. “I misread a black and white flag and pitted,” he explained. Knox was not only left clear in third but had a clear run to real in Bristow too. A safety car period helped close the gap and from the green Knox dived inside Bristow at Paddock, but lost out again on the exit.

Caudle made it home safely for win number two of the weekend, but it was a four car train disputing second right to the flag. Bristow just held on front Knox. “I drove it like an HGV, I knew I was slower but defended to the end,” said Bristow.”That was fun, I messed up at the start when Jason slowed me up, so had to work through.  From the safety car it was a brilliant five laps and nothing in it.” Knox replied.

Chittenden snatched fourth from Pike at Surtees on the last lap too, “I got in touch with the leaders during the safety car too, but Tiff got me when I was understeering,” said Pike.

Sullivan was the S class winner again after Allen had contact with the rear of Richardson on the opening lap, but still fought his way back to second. James and Freeman completed the top ten.

 In the Club Class Justina Williams finally got her first win, “I really needed that. I have worked so hard and it gives me so much more confidence. But it was so hard sometimes,” she explained. Osborne was second after an early tussle with Sarah Parsons. But class leader Ogden ended his race in the gravel at Druids.

Published by Peter Scherer for MINI Challenge, August 17th,  2010