JAMSPORT’S DAY HAS SWEET ENDING
Excellent move from Whorton-eales and podium for Kidsley in race two
It’s amazing how quickly fortunes can change – especially if you’re a Jamsport Clio Cup driver. Ant Whorton-eales went from a first race retirement to winning the second contest, while Luke Kidsley recovered from a roll in testing on Friday to take his maiden podium.
The Snetterton weekend had threatened to be a Mike Bushell benefit. The 2014 champion was dominant in qualifying, setting an ominous pace, but the Jamsport duo had other ideas.
Kidsley made an audacious move around the outside of Bushell at Riches at the start of the opener but ultimately it didn’t pay off as he was too “eager” to move back across and was clipped into the grass.
Behind, Paul Rivett collided with Senna Proctor and broke his steering before then clattering into Whorton-eales at the hairpin. This left the WDE driver out and WhortonEales had a flailing bumper. He was later given the black-and-orange flag and was forced into retirement, despite hoping the bodywork would detach itself.
All this left Bushell a comfortable winner, from the impressive Max Coates and Proctor. Bushell said of the start: “I got a tap from behind and that sent me into Kidsley. Then Rivett made a do or die move to get between me and Ant and that damaged both their cars – which was perfect for me.”
The start of race two was almost a carbon copy of the opener, except this time Kidsley managed to make his move stick, while the faststarting Whorton-eales also passed Bushell on the first lap into turn three.
Kidsley continued to lead his team-mate until WhortonEales ran slightly wide at Riches and let Bushell back through.
But then came the overtaking move of the weekend on lap six as Whorton-eales dived inside both Bushell and Kidsley at Riches to take the win.
“It was all a bit of a blur,” he admitted. “I thought ‘oh no, I’ve let him [Bushell] through, what have I done’. Then I couldn’t believe I passed them both – it’s not very often a move you plan comes off like that in Clios!”
Kidsley clung onto second place to take his maiden podium after an eventful weekend that included him striking his pit board early on.
“It’s been a bit crazy,” he said. “I thought that was my weekend over [after the roll on Friday] but I’m buzzing to get my first podium.”
Rivett salvaged something from his weekend too after passing Bushell into Nelson for third place in the closing stages. Despite this, the Pyro driver still has a 19-point lead in the standings over Whorton-eales.