Brands Hatch finale 20th-21st September 2008
Clio Entrants Trophy JHR Developments
Paul Rivett 2nd in the ELF Renault Clio Cup
JHR Developments’ Paul Rivett brought his ELF Renault Clio Cup season to a positive conclusion with a second lights-to-flag win at Brands Hatch Indy circuit. The double former champion, who finishes as vice-champion in 2008, won round 20 on Sunday, 21st September by more than four seconds.
With the 2008 Clio Cup champion Ben Winrow opting not to contest the final two rounds, the start of the race saw Rivett out-drag Lanik on the run to Paddock Hill Bend for the second day in succession to take the lead.
At Graham Hill Bend, JHR’s Max Hunter (Milton Keynes) clipped the kerb and slid into Amery Motorsport’s Dave Newsham (Inverness), who was turned around and out of the race on Cooper Straight bringing out the Safety Car. Hunter was later given a formal reprimand by the Clerk of the Course and a two-point licence endorsement.
After the restart JD Pierce with JHR’s Derek Pierce passed Alex Osborne on the inside at Druids.
Árón Smith and Max Hunter joined Osborne and Pierce in their close battle, the quartet running as one for more than half a lap before Smith retired with a broken throttle cable. As Rivett built a handy lead Pierce had to retire with a puncture.
In midfield, Hunter was now chasing Osborne and he passed him for ninth before overtaking Pattison for eighth just three laps later..
The last decisive action saw disappointment for Hunter on his debut weekend in Clio Cup racing, a puncture after clipping a kerb dropping him to 12th as he crossed the line having been on course for eighth. At the head of the field, Rivett took a comfortable victory by 4.024s from a delighted Boston with Lanik in third.
Commenting after the race, Paul Rivett said: “That’s a nice way to finish the season, with two lights to flag wins. We’ve had seven wins this season and although we didn’t quite win the title, congratulations to Ben for what he did. I have to thank my team, JHR Developments, which has done a great job for me all season.”
In the Entrants’ championship, JHR Developments retained its title by 49 points ahead of Total Control Racing, with Team Pyro in third.
2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup provisional drivers’ standings – round 20 (incl. dropped scores)
1 Ben Winrow GBR Team Pyro 496 pts
2 Paul Rivett GBR JHR Developments 437 pts
3 Phil Glew GBR Full Speed Racing 345 pts
JHR Developments’ Paul Rivett took victory at his home circuit in round 19 of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup at Brands Hatch on Saturday, 20th September.
Pole-sitter Lanik was passed in the drag race to Paddock Hill Bend as Paul Rivett took the lead but they were evenly matched in the early laps. Rivett earned two bonus championship points by setting the NGK fastest lap of the race at 53.367s (80.85mph) to extend his lead to more than half a second. As an interesting side note, during the 2007 season when double former Clio Cup champion Rivett wasn’t racing he acted as driver coach to Lanik and the pair were now going head to head around the 1.20-mile circuit.
As Tyldsley gained another place on lap 16, Wood continued in the opposite direction as JHR’s newcomer Max Hunter (Milton Keynes) made a great pass at Graham Hill Bend.
Leading across the line, Rivett scored his sixth win of the season by 0.510s from Lanik. Newsham was two seconds further back but held on for a brilliant third place ahead of Boston, Glew and Bradley.
Commenting after the race, Paul Rivett said: “I managed to save my tyres in qualifying so I knew I was going to be strong in the race. My start was pretty good to get me ahead and after that it was a case of keeping an eye on the gap and making sure I didn’t make any mistakes. It’s great to win again and hopefully we can do the same again tomorrow to end the season on a real high.”
Rob Lawson 2nd in the Seat Cupra Championship
The final race at Brands Hatch was the 100th and final race in the six year history of the SEAT Cupra Championship. Starting in 2003, 78 drivers have contested the series and it has produced Champions Rob Huff (2003), James Pickford (2004), Tom Boardman (2005), Mat Jackson (2006) and Jonathan Adam.
Lawson just had the upper hand after the first race, finishing a place ahead of Adam, but in the second race he couldn’t get further than his 4th place starting position, seeing Daniel Welch (Marriott/Welch Motorsport) between him and his title rival in 2nd, while fending off the attentions of Carl Breeze (Blue Chip/Welch Motorsport) behind him. It was tough justice that Lawson, who had been so dominant in the early stages of the year, couldn’t finish the season on the podium, but despite that small set back the fact that he ran the reigning Champion so close in his rookie year can’t fail to impress.
In fact there were impressive displays from drivers throughout the grid, not only in these last two rounds but over the entire season. The young talents of drivers like Andrew Herron and James Appleby may not have had a chance to really shine with podium finishes at Brands Hatch, yet they have all shown massive improvements over the year and flashes of brilliance behind the wheel of a car that was completely new to all of them this season. Even though they won’t be able to capitalise on this next year in this Championship, they are bound to be stars of the future but the real stars of the 2008 SEAT Cupra Championship have to be Adam and Lawson. Between them they have notched up 15 wins from 20 races, with only Breeze and Byford from the rest getting a taste of victory.
Lawson’s ability with a new car from the off and Adam’s fight back from way back in the points standings have made the 2008 SEAT Cupra Championship one to remember, and taking the title right down to the wire was a fitting end to a Championship that has excited crowds around the UK for the last six years.
Robert Lawson: “To be honest, from our expectations at the beginning, we’ve done an excellent job. The team have done really well and it’s only my third year of racing and in a new car for both me and JHR. I think we’ve done really well to even put a challenge up. Our learning curve this year has been huge, a bit like Martin’s, but it’s been excellent. It’s been a fantastic Championship to be involved in.”
Andrew Herron: “I found it really hard to motivate myself this weekend as only John and Rob had anything to race for really. It’s only my second year racing and my first year in this car. At the beginning I had to learn the car but since then I’ve had about six podiums with seconds and thirds. Close but no cigar! I was looking forward to coming back next year as I really thought I could have had a go at winning it.”
James Appleby: “It’s been good to be honest. I had no racing experience before this year and I think I surprised some people with my pace. Would have liked a podium at Silverstone as I had the pace before I spun. I’ve become a lot tighter and smoother over the year and I want to move on now.”
ROUND 19
1.Martin Byford (AB Glass/Z Speed Racing)…17:09.181
2.Robert Lawson (Bardon/JHR)…17:12.046
3.Jonathan Adam (Total Control Racing)…17:12.510
4.Daniel Welch (Marriott/Welch Motorsport)…17:14.497
5.Freddy Nordström (Plumbertraining.com/Advent Motorsport)…17:18.654
6.Andrew Herron (Brian Herron Plant/JHR)…17:19.251
ROUND 20
1.Martin Byford (AB Glass/Z Speed Racing)…19:00.178
2.Jonathan Adam (Total Control Racing)…19:00.561
3.Daniel Welch (Marriott/Welch Motorsport)…19:03.450
4.Robert Lawson (Bardon/JHR)…19:06.356
5.Carl Breeze (Blue Chip/Welch Motorsport)…19:06.786
6.Andrew Herron (Brian Herron Plant)…19:11.413
SEAT Cupra Championship Standings (provisional and with dropped scores)
1. Jonathan Adam (Total Control Racing)…301pts
2. Robert Lawson (Bardon/JHR)…282pts
3. Martin Byford (AB Glass/ Z Speed Racing)…280pts
4. Carl Breeze (Blue Chip/ Welch Motorsport)…250pts
5. Andrew Herron (Brian Herron Plant/JHR)…202pts
6. Daniel Rowbottom (DRM M-sport)…136pts