Brands Hatch - 27th March 2010
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Season Gets Underway at Brands Hatch
The opening rounds of the 2010 Cannons Tin Top Challenge kicked off at Brands Hatch, with a bumper grid producing some, clean, hard but fair racing and a great spectacle for the all of the fans that turned up in Kent's unpredictable March weather.
The 2010 season opener saw some new competitors join the series, while 2009 champion Danny Cassar's new Proton Satria wasn't ready for action just yet and last year's championship challenger Dave Clark in his Renault 5 GT Turbo decided to swap race series and join the Toyo Tires Racing Saloons Championship.
Race One:
For the opening race of the season, the drivers took to the track, with the weather being dry but cloudy, with 2007 & 2008 Champion Gary Chappell in his recently refurbished Toyota Celica on pole. Alongside Chappell on the front row was series new-comer Andrew Mitchell in his Peugeot 205 GTI. Terry Searles in his MG ZR was third and Gary Barlow in his Proton was 4th with Kenny Coleman (Seat Ibiza GTI) and Steve Cassar in the second Proton making up the top six.
The cars headed to Paddock Hill Bend for the first time with Mitchell getting the jump on Chappell and Searles closely following behind being chased by the leading Proton of Barlow. For the opening few laps, Mitchell began to pull a slight lead over Chappell who seemed to be holding up the bunched up field behind him, which later turned out to be gearbox problems. Searles stayed behind Chappell, until the two of them met some back markers and Searles saw his chance to take second place and chase Mitchell, who was now nearly 6 seconds in-front.
With Searles in Pursuit of Mitchell, Chappell lost 5th gear but was still able to hold onto third place with Barlow, Coleman and Cassar making up the top six and shadowing his every move. All this let Searles start to close the gap on Mitchell's Peugeot. Lap by lap Searles was convincingly closer and held a commanding second place over the second Chappell Racing prepared car of Gary Chappell who was still holding onto third.
With the last lap board out and only 3 corners remaining, Barlow made his move and made it stick demoting Chappell, who was still experiencing gearbox problems down to fourth.
With only the Clear Ways complex to complete Searles was taken off the track by a back-marker and whilst he did well to keep out of the tyre wall, he was unable to keep off the grass promoting Barlow and Chappell to second and third respectively and leaving Mitchell to cruise across the line to his first championship win. Five seconds further back, Barlow, Chappell, Luke Bennett in his Honda Integra, the recovering Searles and Coleman made up the top six.
Race Two:
With the grid for race two determined by the finishing positions of race one, Mitchell took pole position from Barlow, Chappell, Bennett, Searles and the top six completed by Coleman. With the skies darkening considerably, it was only a matter of time when the heavens would open.
Off the line to start race one, pole man Andrew Mitchell made a great start and led the pack into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time. Chappell who still had gearbox problems managed to pass Barlow into second place. Searles, who was starting further back got boxed in and dropped further back into eighth place.
With the track becoming greasy, Mitchell pulled out a commanding lead he never looked like surrending. Further back Chappell was beginning to pull out a lead on the following pack of Bennett, Barlow, Coleman and Searles who were beginning to slow each other up while josteling for position.
With three laps remaining, Searles passed Coleman's Seat Ibiza and into 5th, although by this time the gap to fourth was to prove too big to close.
With the skies becoming even darker and all headlights blazing, Mitchell took another championship win followed by Chappell, Bennett, Barlow, Searles and Coleman. The race finished just in time as the heavens opened as the cars were on their perade lap.
Race One Result:
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Race Two Result:
Fastest Lap: Gary Chappell, Lap 6 |