MINI CHALLENGE, BRANDS HATCH, INDY JULY 16/17th

Rain, red flags and more rain made it more of a survival exercise than a race weekend at Brands Hatch. But reigning champion Lee Allen shone through to claim two victories and put himself firmly at the head of the chase for this year’s crown too.

Saturday’s race was on a drying track but only lasted a matter of yards before it was red flagged. Nine cars were off between the entrance and exit of Paddock Hill Bend! Poleman Chris Knox, Sam Osborne and Lee Allen had all got through, but Lee’s father George from a creditable fourth on the grid had problems as he pulled away and mayhem ensued.
Chris Panayiotou and Martin Depper both speared off left and heavily into the armco. Depper had to be cut from the car, and taken to hospital for a check up, but was released relatively uninjured. “When George slowed we all got squeezed , sadly it was one of those incidents’ said Panayiotou. The race wasn’t restarted.

RACE TWO

The grid lined up again as it had for the previous days race, but although dry when they assembled there were damp patches on circuit, and the rain was on the horizon.
Knox made his almost customary flying start, as Osborne and Allen duelled for second. But it was red flags again with Gavin Bristow and Stewart Lines in the barriers approaching Paddock again. An innocent Arthur Forster was also out after being collected by a spinning George Allen at Graham Hill bend and Kevin O’Connor took to the grass infield in avoidance resulting in a roll in the gravel trap, a cool O’Connor stayed in the car while the marshals rolled him upright. It was lucky for Chris Smith however, as having had technical problems in qualifying, he needed a quick check over as the grid reformed again.
The rain arrived as they headed out on the green flag lap, prompting Lee Allen, Luke Caudle and Jason Richardson to pit before the start for their wet tyres, while Knox initially opted to stay out and led the field into Paddock.
But Knox was soon in for wets too, which left Panayiotou to complete the opening lap at the head of the field, from George Allen and the Club Class cars of Dean Raymond, Ant Whorton-Eales, Patrick Mortimer and Sarah Parsons.
Both Panayiotou and Allen Snr pitted over the next two laps, “they didn’t tell me I was actually leading the race when I pitted,” said George. But while dad was in the pits, Lee was storming through the order and was into third by the end of lap three, and closing rapidly on Whorton-Eales and Raymond. Into Druids a lap later he was into second, with Raymond almost throwing away third with a grassy excursion exiting Graham Hill Bend.
Whorton-Eales succumbed to Allen’s advances into Surtees, but both he and Raymond held onto podium places until lap eight, when Caudle’s charge through the field netted him second into Graham Hill Bend.
Allen took his win by over 35 seconds, “maybe a bit of local knowledge paid off, I saw the black sky when we sat on the grid and made the decision to come in straight away. I didn’t even let them torque up the wheels nuts I was in such a hurry,” he said.
Caudle also delighted with second, “we decided on the early stop to, I came out second in class and finished second,” he said. Richardson claimed a late third, “mine wasn’t a good stop but I had to follow Lee and Luke in. I didn’t really know where I was, but happy to be on the podium,” he said.
Although Whorton-Eales was still fourth overall and Club Class victor again, he was a little disappointed. “I’d got hit at Paddock on the opening lap, but it was a good race for me. Just wish I could have held on for an overall win,” he said.
Chris Knox worked his way back to fifth on the last lap, “I was half way around the first lap when I decided it had to be wets” he explained. Raymond survived a few slips and slides to hold onto sixth from the closing Mortimer. “My new car wasn’t working really, a real handful,” he reckoned. Ben Gridley had split the duo until he crashed heavily heading up to Druids and brought out the red flags again.
Sarah Parsons was eighth, “I made an attempt to challenge Patrick but then spun,” she explained. Panayiotou, George Allen and Osborne completed the finishes, and although four more drivers took the flag, they were too many laps down to be classified. A chaotic race, and challenge for drivers and teams.

RACE THREE

It was still wet for the weekends finale and the reverse grid once again through up a puzzling line up. George Allen was on pole, from Panayiotou, Knox, Richardson, Caudle and Lee Allen.
As the lights went out for the rolling start George just held the lead as the fight for second went Knox’s way from Panayiotou. But Allen was off at Graham Hill Bend, “I just went a little wide,” he explained. Although Knox led through Clark Curve, Panayiotou nosed ahead over the line.
Lee Allen was up to third as they completed the opening lap, from Richardson, Caudle and Osborne. Richardson was visibly struggling and couldn’t hold off Caudle’s challenge for fourth into Surtees. Knox was also losing ground as Allen successfully challenged Panayiotou for the lead into Surtees on lap three.
It was briefly a four car train with Knox at the head for third, as Caudle, Richardson and Osborne ran nose to tail.
Allen started to stamp his authority on the race, which left Caudle to chase down Panayiotou for second. Knox and Richardson shared a couple of exchanges, but once the rain started to fall heavily again, Knox pulled clear and set about closing the gap to the cars ahead once more. He took Caudle into Druids on lap 10 and Panayiotou at Surtees, but time ran out and he took the flag four seconds down on the dominant Allen. “I got a good start from 6th on the grid, the track opened up for me and chased Chris for a lap and then led and looked after it and dealt with the traffic carefully” Allen reckoned.
Panayiotou just held onto second, despite a last lap challenge from Caudle at Surtees. “I expected it to be tough, plus the conditions were so changeable. I just wanted to get a podium for the team. But as soon as the rain came, Knoxy was there again,” he explained. “It took me a while to get through, then settled until it rained and Knoxy came through again. But did push hard on that last though,” Caudle added.
As Richardson’s challenge ebbed, there became a growing pack for fifth. Lee Sullivan had made it to the head of the battle, but was tipped into the wall on the pits straight by Bristow, who was later excluded. “It was on the main straight, the visibility was poor, but I was a bit surprised to be heading towards the wall” said Sullivan
Osborne had an entertaining duel with Allen Snr, which despite a bit of contact which caused both to spin, it was teenager Osborne that clinched fifth, with four laps to go. “I didn’t expect Sam to brake twice at Clearways and I hit him. But the little sod still came back and beat me,” said George. “We had a few nudges, I had accidently hit Jason too, but George knocked me sideways when I dabbed the brakes,” Osborne added.
Lines, Finlay Crocker. Richardson and Ogden completed the top ten. “Horrendous, I couldn’t drive through Graham Hill Bend and Clearways and got beaten up badly, a bad day at the office” said Richardson.
Raymond led the Club Class initially, but after a few swaps and changes, Whorton-Eales held the advantage from lap five. Raymond then came under pressure from Mortimer and was left to settle for third at the flag. “It’s starting to click for me now, hope it happens again,” said Mortimer. Parsons and Motorsport News scribe Rob ‘Gaga’ Ladbrook completed the finishers.