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 MINI CHALLENGE, BRANDS HATCH, JUNE 04/05TH
Chris Knox proved unbeatable on the Brands Hatch GP circuit. The young Scot not only took pole by 0.498secs, but won all three races in dominant fashion.
As Knox and Jason Richardson headed for Paddock at the start of race one, they had a touch before Knox took charge.
Lee Allen snatched second exiting Druids, but Richardson was almost off at Graham Hill Bend, while Martin Depper spun out too. “I was on the outside and Lee on the inside. I don’t think I was hit, but went in a bit too hot, ” said Richardson.
Knox was already pulling away as they came through Clearways for the first time, with Allen established in second and Sam Osborne all over Luke Caudle in his quest for third. Panayiotou and Smith were next and also looking to improve.
Having briefly shaken off Osborne, Caudle mounted his challenge to close on Allen. Panayiotou, Smith and Stewart Lines ran nose to tail for fifth, while further down the order Richardson began his recovery by taking Kevin O’Connor into Paddock for eighth.
Into Druids for the fifth time Smith dived ahead of Panayiotou, but lost out again on the exit, which gave Lines a run on them both into Surtees. “It was too tempting not to try, but couldn’t make it spun and I was too impatient, and then did it again there a few laps later but had damaged the radiator and boiled the engine,” said Lines.
Smith made it by before the end of the lap however and left Panayiotou to fight off Richardson.
Although Knox and Allen stayed in the clear Osborne had managed to take Caudle for third on lap six, but the places reverted once more when they arrived at Paddock. Although Richardson took sixth into Surtees on lap seven, the top five were too far gone for any further progress.
Knox cruised through the remaining laps to win by 3.8 secs, “I think Brands pole is one of the hardest starts. It was side by side with Jason but when we touched it knocked my steering out a bit as we both got sideways, then I just pushed on,” he said. Allen was delighted with his second place, “good start, stayed tight at Druids and got Jason on the inside and then he lost it. Just like last year again,” he said.
Caudle and Osborne took their fight down to the wire, with Caudle finally securing third into Paddock with a lap to go.”That’s more like it,” he reckoned. But Osborne had ignored a black flag for exceeding track limits and his subsequent penalty dropped him to eighth.
Smith was fourth but only just held off Richardson on the line. “Awful start but then got Chris, pulled a gap and I knew Jason was closing at the end,” he explained.
Panayiotou and Depper were promoted to sixth and seventh after Osborne’s penalty. Lee Sullivan and Finlay Crocker followed the teenager in the amended results, to complete the top ten.
Antony Whorton-Eales took another club class victory over Ben Gridley and Dean Raymond. “Starting in third gear didn’t help though,” said Whorton-Eales. Raymond had spun at Druids, while early leader Sarah Parsons crashed out after eight laps. “I didn’t see Chris Knox lapping me and spun, oh I didn’t touch Sarah when she went off either, at least not that time,” Raymond admitted. RACE TWO
 It was virtually perfection from Knox at the start of the wet second race, giving him a clear lead over Allen, with Caudle just holding off Smith for third as they plunged down Paddock Hill for the first time. Smith then nosed in front of the 2009 champion, but he retook again into Surtees.
Allen was on the grass exiting Stirlings but still held second, while Panayiotou and Richardson were battling for fifth, with Richardson just ahead as they crossed the line for the first time.
Caudle had said “this is the one,” before the race and was right on Allen’s tail through Westfield for the second time. Osborne had a couple of swaps and changes with Crocker before establishing himself in seventh, but on lap three both were on hand to depose Panayiotou after he made a slip.
While Knox continued to pull clear, Caudle’s challenge on Allen almost cost him dearly when he exited Druids on the grass on lap three and almost let Smith through at Surtees.
It became nose to tail between Allen, Caudle and Smith, which allowed Richardson to close to. But into Clearways on lap four Allen slowed and both Caudle and Smith shot by.
 Richardson was next to challenge Allen and brought the closing Osborne with him, but Allen fought back and fended off the threat.
Knox collected win number two with somewhat ease,” I got away well, knew I had the pace, nailed it and didn’t look back,” he explained. “That’s more like it again,” said Caudle after seeing off Smith’s challenge. “I could stay with Luke but couldn’t get him, although I had a few goes,” added Smith.
“I had two bad left tyres, half worn wets. I reckon it would have been OK if all four had been the same, but it never felt right,” said Allen, who settled in fourth.
Osborne pipped Richardson in the run to the line for fifth, after nipping ahead into Paddock on the last lap and Panayiotou completed the top six, after Crocker went off at Druids. “I just couldn’t live in those conditions, I slid everywhere when it rained harder. I tried to defend from Sam though at the end,” said Richardson.
It was lights to flag for Whorton-Eales in the Club Class, but Raymond’s hold on second ended when he ran slightly wide on the exit of Clearways and touched Ben Gridley who had taken the opportunity to slide up the inside resulting in Raymond going off hard into the barriers at Clearway. Raymond was unhurt but his car was extensively damaged. Gridley still retained second, from Parsons. RACE THREE
With the top six reversed on the grid for the final race of the weekend, Richardson lined up on pole with Osborne alongside.
Both front row men made Ok starts, but Allen shot between the two of them and led into Paddock. Osborne had second up to Druids, but Caudle and Richardson fell over each other at Graham Hill Bend and Richardson spun.
Smith briefly had third, but by the end of the opening lap Knox was through and chasing down the lead duo. Osborne soon surrendered second and by the exit of Clark Curve for the second time, Knox was poised to challenge for the lead.
Smith was clear in fourth, but the top three were nose to tail still, until Knox made his move around the outside at Paddock on lap four, to lead down the Hill. But once Caudle had retaken O’Connor for fifth on lap four, the pressure began to tell on Smith. Into Graham Hill bend he was all crossed up and Caudle almost got him.
With Knox well set for his third win of the day, Smith’s efforts to hold off Caudle brought into contact again with Allen and Osborne’s duel for second. By lap seven it was line astern from second to fifth and Smith dived ahead of Osborne for third into Paddock, before Caudle followed on Cooper Straight.
Osborne continued to slip out of contention with the lead group and when Smith went wide again at Graham Hill Bend, Caudle got a run on him to snatch third into Surtees.
“It can’t get any better,” said Knox after his clean sweep. Caudle had a couple of exploratory lunges at Allen and it finally paid off with a lap to go, but initially Smith and Osborne followed. Smith retained third, but Allen claimed fourth back from Osborne. O’Connor managed to ease away from Panayiotou to claim a solitary sixth. “A really good dice, loads of position changes, wheel to wheel, a bit of door handling but hardly any touches, “Smith concluded.
Whorton-Eales made it a hattrick too, with Parsons just taking second from Gridley. In a fantastic effort Dean Raymond’s Powerstart Team repaired the battered car and made it out for race three and would have had a podium too had he not had a wheel bearing start to fail, however he reduced speed and made the finish much to the delight of the team and MINI Challenge paddock. Published by Peter Scherer for Mini Challenge, June 6th, 2011 |
