Round 11 of the 2008 Elise Trophy held at Brands Hatch 8-9 Novermber 2008.
Introduction
A ‘homecoming’ double-header on the Indy loop started with a two-day event with seperate Class A grids, originally planned to be the final round. Several drivers joined the series, in readiness for their 2009 campaigns. In addition, Chris Randall and Andrew Walsh stepped down to Class B, making this an exciting preview for the new Modified class, making its debut next year.
Class A Qualifying
A wet session provided plenty of challenge for everyone. Steve Wentzell was straight on the pace, Marcus Jewell and Mick Edwards providing the expected competition for pole. For lap after lap these three were always in contention, then BJ Chong joined the party with Paul Harding. By the flag it was Edwards three tenths from Harding, then Wentzell, Jewell and Ken Savage, from Peter Driver, Gary Broad, BJ Chong, Hans Baumhardt and Matthew Bartlett completing the top ten.
Class B Qualifying
The cars headed out to similar track conditions encountered in the Class A session. Andrew Walsh and a returning Martin Donnelly set the immediate pace, Chris Randall delayed towards the back of the top 10. Ben Pitch and Steve Williams, back in Class B, were providing the immediate threat to the leaders. They were followed by another familiar face, David Skeggs giving his highly tuned K-series car another outing.
A sub-57 second lap by Donnelly seemed to settle the matter once and for all, Walsh unable to offer a reply. Back in Class A, Gary Broad was setting the pace by a clear second.
Walsh did all he could to close the gap and it seemed that Donnelly had put the matter beyond dispute with another fast lap. However, right at the last minute Andrew put in a great lap to steal the pole. Ben Pitch took a fine 3rd, with Williams and Connaire Finn in 4th and 5th. Chris Randall just missed the top 5 but would start in front of Gavin Kirby, he and Bateman demoting Skeggs, who returned to the pits with a misfire several laps previously. David Alexander took tenth place.
Class A Race One
The rain that blighted qualifying for both classes intensified in the interval before stopping, leaving a drying, but still greasy circuit. Clearly those who revel in changing conditions would be at an advantage for this first encounter.
31 cars lined up for the start and Mick Edwards converted pole into the lead, with Steve Wentzell making a poor start, whilst Gary Broad did the opposite and took fourth place. On lap two Marcus Jewell took second from Paul Harding and set off in chase of Edwards. The top four circulated together for the early laps, Wentzell holding up a train of cars in 5th.
Jewell challenged at Paddock Hill on lap 5, taking the lead on the run up to Druids. Broad made up a place on Harding a few laps later, his additional track time in the Class B/C qualifying session seeming to pay off as he set the fastest lap of the race so far.
By the mid stage we had Jewell a second ahead of Edwards, Broad challenging for second, Harding falling back and Wentzell a further 4 seconds back, in front of BJ Chong. BJ was unable to overtake but staying ahead of Peter Driver, who was battling with Ken Savage.
On lap 14, a late lunge from a long way back at Druids saw second finally fall into Broad’s clutches. He immediately set upon Jewell, cutting the gap by half. Edwards hung on though, and we had a three-way battle for the lead. Only for two laps, for at the start of lap 16, Jewell went straight on at Paddock Hill, slamming the barrier. Despite a heavy hit, he drove his car back to the Paddock after the race.
The lead battle was by no means certain, Edwards keeping behind Broad through the traffic. By the last lap the track ahead of them was heavy with backmarkers. However, Broad held on to take a fine victory, Edwards finishing a third of a second behind. Harding dropped 14 seconds back, 4 ahead of Wentzell, who was followed home by Driver, then Chong, Matt Bartlett, Hans Baumhardt, Simon Deacon and Tom Chatterway in 10th.
Class A,B,C,2-11 Race One
A dry Sunday morning turned wet five minutes before the cars were due to take to the track, promising high drama. At the start Martin Donnelly got the jump on Andrew Walsh, with Doug Setters hitting the barrier. He retired after another spin several yards later at Paddock. Walsh took the lead back at the end of lap one, with Chris Randall settling into third place. He was followed by Steve Williams, Connaire Finn, Ben Pitch and Gavin Kirby.
David Skeggs was catching Kirby but he spun at McLaren on the increasingly wet track. By this point Donnelly had taken the lead, which he would hold during the subsequent safety car period. At this point Class A was being led by Gary Broad and with lapped cars from this class separating the top three, the restart would appear to be straightforward.
The safety car came in with 4 minutes left to run and immediately Donnelly pulled out a 2 second lead whilst Chris Headlam spun off at Paddock Hill. Walsh clawed away but failed by a third of a second at the flag, the pair 10 seconds ahead of Randall. Williams was a further second back, from Finn, Pitch, Paul Bateman, Rob Beves and then Broad, who took a second Class A victory of the weekend by a couple of seconds from Dolan, the tenth place driver.
Class A Race Two
The rain that blighted the previous race had stopped by the time the Class A cars lined up for their second appearance of the weekend, leaving a greasy track. The reverse top ten meant that Matt Bartlett and Hans Baumhardt lined up on the front row, with Gary Broad in a threatening third. Those three entered Paddock Hill almost side by side, Hans getting the lead from Matt. However Broad kept a watching brief and soon took second from Bartlett. The following lap, braking very late for Paddock in a manoeuvre that he practiced the last time round, he took the lead.
Meanwhile Nigel Ayres and Stuart Kirkbride spun off at Surtees bringing the safety car out. A straightforward restart meant Broad led from Baumhardt, Bartlett, Ken Savage, Marcus Jewell, BJ Chong, Paul Harding, Steve Wentzell, Peter Driver and Ian Berry.
Wentzell dropped off the time sheets halfway through the race and an intense battle for 9th place formed between Simon Deacon, Tom Chatterway, Mick Edwards and Ian Berry. Deacon started to pull away and at the front Broad was doing the same.
On lap 14 Baumhardt was holding up a queue of traffic, struggling for grip. He got sideways into Graham Hill, the resultant compression causing Harding and Savage to come together and spin down the order. Before this Jewell was moving up the order and had taken third to add pressure to Baumhardt and into Paddock on the next lap he took second.
Towards the end Bartlett was starting to take advantage of Baumhardt’s struggles. Poised to take the lead heading into the last lap he slowed on the approach to the line. Heartbreakingly, he pulled off the circuit at the exit of Paddock with engine trouble. This wasn’t the only drama as Jewell took the flag, Broad nowhere to be seen. Exiting Graham Hill he got caught up with backmarkers, sending him off the circuit. This promoted Baumhardt to second, with Chong taking the final podium place, from Deacon, Edwards, Driver, Berry, Chatterway, Andy Dolan and Peter Storey taking 10th.
B/C/211 Race Two
The rain returned for the start of the second race, followed by bright sunshine which made conditions very tricky. With David Alexander’s withdrawal, David Skeggs had the front row to himself, with the 2-Elevens of Gavin Kirby and Paul Bateman on row 2. Kirby took the lead at Paddock, with Bateman slotting into second. Meanwhile Martin Donnelly, Chris Randall and Andre Walsh were on the move. A bold move round the outside from the former meant he exited Druids in the lead, which he extended whilst those behind battled, Skeggs making up for his tardy start.
On lap 3 Steve Williams and Kirby entered Paddock side by side, the inevitable contact putting both of them out in an instant and beached in the gravel, they caused another safety car interruption. With Randall and Walsh in second and third, we expected them to battle hard. We didn’t, however, expect Skeggs to overtake both at Druids! Down to Graham Hill, the Honda-powered drivers retook second, Walsh exiting ahead. Andrew then set off in pursuit of Donnelly, repeating their race one battle. Skeggs settled into a battle with Ben Pitch, whilst further back, Peter Storey held the Class A lead.
Whilst Walsh was cutting into Donnelly’s lead, the Skeggs/Pitch battle caught and passed Randall, who then tried very hard to hold onto them. Getting past Pitch, he then piled the pressure onto Skeggs, who finally capitulated two laps from the end.
Meanwhile Walsh got within a second of Donnelly but try as he might, he could not clear the 2-Eleven. The pair finished 24 seconds ahead of Randall, Skeggs and Pitch, who were a similar margin ahead of Finn, followed by Rob Beves, Chris Headlam, Bateman and David Harvey. Class A was won by Andy Dolan, 6 seconds ahead of Storey.
Conclusion
A fine weekend’s racing, full of action and drama, which can be seen on Motors TV. For further details of our television coverage and to see a short promo, please check out the Race Television web site. One final round at Brands Hatch on November 15th rounds off the 2008 season.
Race 1 All Classes
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Race 2 All Classes
| Class A | Class B | 2-Eleven | Class C | Overall |
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