Palmer takes title and last-gasp win
GOING INTO THE FINAL CLIO CUP Series round of 2017, all Ben Palmer had to do was finish in the top six in both races to claim the title from season-long rival Anton Spires. Problems for the challenger ultimately made Palmer’s job easier and he celebrated the crown by winning the second encounter.
His cause was assisted by a throttle issue that plagued Spires’ qualifying session and relegated him to a mid-pack start for both races, while Palmer claimed a brace of poles.
He converted his first pole to second place in race one, beaten by a returning James Colburn, but that was enough to claim the title as Spires finished third despite a recurrence of his throttle problem. In the second race, Palmer got the better of Colburn on the last lap to finish the season with victory.
In the Road Class, Nic Harrison overcame his car going into ‘limp home’ mode in the opener to beat race-one winner Shanel Drewe to the class crown in race two, thanks to a hard-fought third-place finish behind Finlay
Robinson and Sean Thomas.
Four class titles were decided in the Caterham Graduates Championship. In the Mega class, Declan Dolan won twice to beat Glenn Burternshaw, while outgoing Mega class champion Oliver Gibson continued his run of success in the Sigmax category, his podium and fourth enough to wrap up the championship. Adrian Russell and Mark Johnson shared the victory spoils.
Two wins in the Super class for Toby Briant was enough to overturn a 39-point deficit to Barry White and secure the honours, while Graeme Smith took a second and a first to win the Classic title from race-one winner Robin Webb.
James Clarke lamented that he didn’t manage to lead every single lap as he took a hat-trick of victories in the Clubmans Championship to end his title-winning season in style.
The biggest grids of the weekend were in the amalgamated Classic Touring Car Championship races, with more than 30 cars in each of the six events. In the combined Classic Thunder, BOSS,
Classic VW and VTEC races, Dale Gent took a double victory in his Subaru Impreza, while Andrew Harrison did the same in his rapid Jaguar XJS in the Pre-’66 & Pre-’83 races. Craig Jamieson and David Griffin shared victories in the Pre-’93, Pre-’03, Pre-’05 and 4Two races.
In the Hyundai Coupe Cup, Alex Cursley took a pair of wins to finish the season with seven as Steven Kite – who came into the weekend with five wins – finished second in the opener before retiring with a clutch issue in the closer.
Kevin Denwood secured the only Kumho BMW class championship still to be decided as he claimed two CC Class wins, while James Card took both overall victories in his BMW M3 E46.
John Halliwell claimed the top Class C title in the MAX5 Championship with a win and a podium to beat John Loversidge, who came into the weekend tied on points with Halliwell.
In the two MG Owners Club Championship races, Alan Forster took a double victory in his MG ZR to round-off an exemplary season with the Class Z title. Simon Kendrick and David Amphlett took the crowns in Class F and A respectively.