Van Spijker makes big trip all worthwhile
Organiser: Skegness Stadium When: March 25 Where: Skegness, Lincolnshire Starters: 33
Daniel van Spijker makes the 1000-mile round trip from his home in the north of the Netherlands to compete in the United Kingdom almost every week, often driving past a meeting in his native country. His visit to the Good Friday meeting at Skegness was rewarded with a final win.
Sean Willis took the lead from the drop of the green flag and opened up a healthy lead. Behind him, van Spijker, Joe Booth, Steve Whittle and Todd Jones were swapping places on every bend.
By the time a flat tyre forced Willis to retire from the race just after the halfway point, van Spijker had opened up a small gap on the rest of the field but Booth was just a few feet away from the Dutchman’s back bumper for the remaining laps. Booth seemed to be biding his time waiting for the right moment to make his move but, going down the back straight for the final time, Booth was baulked by a backmarker and was unable to launch an assault on the race leader.
Van Spijker said: “The car has been fast all day. It was fast in practice and fast in the final. It feels great to win; the car was handling perfectly all race.
“I would like to thank Lee Fairhurst and his team for setting the car up for me, and my crew and family for all their help. I was expecting a big hit from Booth on the last bend but it never came.”
“You’re a lucky man,” said Booth to van Spijker afterwards. “I was lining you up but I just couldn’t get to you on the last corner! The backmarker just got in my way at the wrong time.”
Nigel Green, brother of DTM star Jamie, rounded off the podium positions, making it his second rostrum finish of the season. Frankie Wainman Jr was fourth and maintains his lead in the points standings over Green.
Result
1 Daniel van Spijker; 2 Joe Booth; 3 Nigel Green; 4 Frankie Wainman Jr; 5 Todd Jones; 6 James Neachell; 7 Luke Davidson; 8 Craig Finnikin; 9 Lee Fairhurst; 10 Mat Newson.