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FENNYMORE TAKES NINE AT ROCKINGHAM
Ben Corley | September 30, 2007
CRAIG WELSHER/GRAHAM FENNYMORE/GLEN DENNY
Graham Fennymore edged to within a few points of claiming his second successive Avon Tyres Caterham Superlight Challenge championship title at the weekend (29/30 Sept) thanks to a brace of masterful race victories at Rockingham Motor Speedway.
Fennymore led both races from lights to chequered flag to take to nine his tally of wins for the season. A handful of points from the two season-closing Brands Hatch races in three weeks will clinch the crown for the Ambitions Racing/Hyperion driver.
His Hyperion Motorsport team-mate Craig Welsher made it to the podium for the first time at Rockingham, finishing second in both races to make certain of the team championship prize for his squad.
Race 1
Fennymore put in a dominant performance on Saturday to make up for a disappointing third place in qualifying; Graham blasted past pole-sitter Grahame Tilley and the other front-row driver, Glen Denny, at the start and, by lap’s end, his Superlight was 1.3 seconds clear of the field.
Rachel Green made a blinding start to lead Fennymore’s pursuers initially, before Denny reasserted himself on lap two and pulled into a clear second. Glen was unable to do anything about Fennymore, who was pulling away in leaps and bounds every lap, but looked settled in second until the last third of the race, when Welsher, having disposed of Chris Bialan, moved past Green for third and set about closing down Denny’s advantage.
It was an impressive drive from Silverstone Scholarship winner Welsher, who narrowed a 3.3-second gap within four laps and then snatched second from Denny at the Deene hairpin with four laps to go.
Fennymore’s winning advantage this time was 12.3 seconds. “I got a good start and went out to find some clean air,” said Graham, “after pulling a gap I could relax and concentrate on saving the car and my tyres while the others were fighting behind me.”
Welsher was delighted with second and his maiden podium: “It’s been a long time coming and I’m very pleased for me and for Hyperion Motorsport. It was a really tough race, too.” Expectant father Denny said his mind was on more important things; his third place was nonetheless a good result and was his fifth podium finish of the season.
Bialan liberated fourth spot from Green six laps from home, with Rachel slipping back to sixth three laps later and handing fifth to Will Mitcham. Chris Cappuccini equalled his best result of the season with seventh (and might have finished higher but for an early collision with the car of Peter Ratcliff) ahead of Richard Reed, Andrew Beaumont, Steve Ross, Neil Hinson and Tilley, whose pole position did him little favours. Graham was swamped at the start and slipped to eighth on the opening lap, then spun to dead last on lap three. Bill Addison, Ratcliff and Ron Johnson completed the field.
Race 2
Fennymore had to work a lot harder for Rockingham win number two, Welsher keeping him honest all the way to the line. Graham made the most of his pole position advantage to take an early lead and pull a slight gap, but Welsher’s Silverstone Academy car was close behind at all times.
Fennymore’s getaway was aided by Green’s relentless pursuit of Welsher, Rachel pulling ahead of the Hyperion man for a couple of laps at one-third distance before he reasserted himself and went clear, Welsher breaking Fennymore’s day-old lap record as he went.
Rachel soon after found her third place under attack from Denny and, in the closing stages, a battle royal ensued for the final podium spot, with Denny, Ratcliff and Bialan all taking an interest. Chris had battled through to the front after a first-lap delay when his car was in collision with that of Mitcham.
Fennymore took the win by 3.3 seconds from Welsher and admitted it had been tough: “It was a much harder race for me - Craig was right behind me all the time.” Welsher promised to give Graham another run for his money next time: “I will be giving it everything at Brands.”
Green held on for third and her seventh podium of the season ahead of Denny and Ratcliff, Peter just managing to hold off the determined Bialan on the final lap. Cappuccini won the battle for seventh ahead of Reed, Ross, Tilley, Addison, Beaumont, Hinson and Johnson. Mitcham was the only non-finisher, his car refusing to restart after its first-lap bashing.
Backers for Caterham Motorsport’s UK and European race series include Bilstein, Brian James Trailers, Cheesman Products, Circuit Driver, Cooper-Avon Tyres, Demon Tweeks, evo, HSBC Insurance Brokers, Mitchell Cotts, Motorsport News, Stack and Steel Fabrications.
Provisional results - 2007 Avon Tyres Caterham Superlight Challenge
Round 11 (of 14) Rockingham 29 September
21 laps / 40.74 miles
1, Graham Fennymore, Ambitions/Hyperion, 31m24.083s, 77.84mph
2, Craig Welsher, Hyperion Motorsport, +12.304s
3, Glen Denny, Colards Motorsport, +13.726s
4, Chris Bialan, Team GB, +16.560s
5, Will Mitcham, Taylor’s Foundry, +19.578s
6, Rachel Green, Fauldsport, +24.209s
Fastest lap: Fennymore 1m28.605s / 78.82mph Est Record
Round 12 Rockingham 30 September
20 laps / 38.80 miles
1, Graham Fennymore, Ambitions/Hyperion, 30m21.296s, 76.69mph
2, Craig Welsher, Hyperion Motorsport, +3.301s
3, Rachel Green, Fauldsport, +13.299s
4, Glen Denny, Colards Motorsport, +13.635s
5, Peter Ratcliff, Freestyle, +14.324s
6, Chris Bialan, Team GB, +14.486s
Fastest lap: Welsher 1m28.580s / 78.84mph Record
Full results: http://www.msttiming.com/meeting.asp?source=bf3gt2006&event=73905
Provisional championship standings
1 Fennymore 196.5 points; 2 Denny 169; 3 Green 166; 4 Welsher 157; 5 Bialan 139.5; 6 Ratcliff 138 etc
R400 Class: 1 Alastair Chalmers 182; 2 Stuart Dixon 138.5 etc
Teams: 1 Hyperion/Ambitions 408.5; 2 Colards 264.5; 3 Taylor’s Foundry 209 etc
Final rounds: 19/20 October, Brands Hatch
HAY & RICHARDS BID FOR TITLE AT NURBURGRING
Later this week (5/6 Oct) in Germany, Richard Hay and Clive Richards have the chance to take the CSR Masters championship title in the evo Caterham Eurocup. The three Nürburgring rounds - two 30-minute sprint races and a one-hour enduro - offer the Colards Motorsport pairing the opportunity to clinch the crown with a meeting in hand.
Richards and Hay have won nine races and finished second three times in their 12 outings thus far, and arrive with a 49-point lead over their closest title rival, Oliver Bull. If they can stretch that advantage to 60 points by the time they leave Germany the crown will be theirs.
Bull is paired at the ‘Ring in the Acre Jean/Hyperion CSR 260 with Phil Glew. Michele Tommasi and Sarah Reader will continue their fight for championship third.
The Eurocup Superlight Sprint and Endurance titles have already been sewn up by Graham Fennymore but Chris Bialan, Clive Coote, Bill Addison and Terry Clark will all be in action at the Nürburgring to try to settle the runner-up positions.
Topics: Racing, News & Updates |
