CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT SILVER STONE

Ben Palmer declared that his Clio Cup Series title success was the result of a season of hard work as he claimed the series crown at Silverstone.

Going into the final round of 2017, all Palmer had to do was finish in the top six in both races to claim the title from seasonlong rival Anton Spires. His cause was assisted by a throttle problem that plagued Spires’ qualifying session which relegated him to a mid-pack start for the pair of races while Palmer took 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 Burtenshaw while outgoing class champion Oliver Gibson continued his run of success in the Sigmax category, his podium and fourth enough to maintain his lead in the championship.

Two wins in the Super class for Toby Briant was enough to overturn a 39-point deficit to Barry White and secure championship honours. Finally, Graeme Smith took a second and a first to win the Classic title from race one winner Robin Webb.

James Clarke said the most disappointing thing of the weekend is that he didn’t lead every 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 grids of more than 30 cars in each of the six races. 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. David Griffin and Craig Jamieson 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 Steve Kite – who came into the weekend with five wins – finished second in the opener before retiring with a clutch issue in race two.

Kevin Denwood claimed the only Kumho BMW class championship still to be decided as he took two CC class victories while James Card took both overall victories in his BMW M3 E46.

Jon 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 crown in Class F and A respectively.

Pressure affects different people in different ways. Some crumble under it, others thrive. Kevin O’hara falls into the latter category and he proved that in no uncertain manner at Kirkistown, becoming the first three-time winner of the Martin Donnelly Trophy. In a titanic 21-lap FF1600 battle, he fought off a series of determined attacks right up to the flag.

O’hara clinched pole in an earlier qualifying race, with victory over James Roe. Noel Robinson and Jordan Dempsey lined up on the second row, and with both showing strong pace all day, nothing was certain going into the final. O’hara got the drop as they ran down to Colonial for the first time with the pack close behind, Robinson getting shuffled down the order by a fast-starting David Mccullough from row three.

Roe mounted the first attack, getting alongside O’hara several times, but he left the door open too long, allowing Dempsey to slip into second. Dempsey applied intense pressure to the leader, setting fastest lap in the process and even getting ahead briefly, before the cool O’hara reestablished himself at the front. Robinson and David Mccullough had their own battle for position, but soon joined the top trio, creating a five-car battle for the lead, until David Mccullough’s adventures caused him to fall back. Robinson passed Roe and Dempsey to become O’hara’s latest tormentor, drawing alongside several times but never quite managing to grab the lead.

At the flag, O’hara, Robinson, Dempsey and Roe were covered by just 0.8 seconds. Ivor Mccullough, having his first race in more than a year, took fifth ahead of Alan Davidson.

Earlier in the day, Davidson had followed winner Roe across the line in the Northern Irish FF1600 finale.

If anything, Formula Vee produced an even more intense battle for the Emerson Fittipaldi Trophy. Ray Moore took the honours, despite the best efforts of a 10-car train, which changed every lap until the flag. Behind Moore, Adam Macaulay took second and Dan Polley third, chased home by Anthony Cross, Gavin Buckley and Jack Byrne.

Even the normally placid Roadsports gang got in on the Kirkistown battles, with Jim Larkham and Mike Johnston enjoying plenty of side-by-side action. Johnston got ahead a few laps from the finish, only to spin at the Hairpin on the final tour and hand the win to Larkham.

Race two might have been quieter, with Larkham going out in the early stages, but the fast-starting Paul Conn fought hard to keep Johnston honest all the way. James Turkington led the first

Libre Saloon race all the way, only to find himself removed from the results due to a ‘dead’ transponder. Ulick Burke, driving a Honda Integra, inherited the victory. Turkington reappeared in his SEAT Leon for race two, only to spin on the opening lap. He carved his way back to the head of the field, but Burke held him off to the flag.

Brendan Fitzgerald took the honours in both Fiesta races, beating Paul Stewart in the first and Mark Stewart in the second. Dan Conlon and Eorann O’neill filled the podium positions.

All three Legends encounters went to Paul O’brien despite the best efforts of Ian Conroy, Jonathan Taylor and several others to unseat him.