JACKSON AND DE SADELEER’S FIGHT CONTINUES
Three different drivers topped the podium in a trio of thrilling Radical Challenge races at Brands Hatch as Dominik Jackson and Jerome de Sadeleer continued their season-long title battle.
Defending champion Jackson and Swiss star de Sadeleer set the early pace in race one until tripping over each other at Stirlings following a caution period. Former Ginetta GT4 Supercup racer Jac Constable inherited the lead with Marcus Clutton moving into second ahead of Marcello Marateotto.
Marateotto got ahead of Clutton following the mandatory pitstop phase but an excursion into the Clark Curve gravel reversed the situation. Clutton’s hopes of catching Constable were given a late boost when Jon Macrae’s off at Paddock led to a second safety car interruption.
A one-lap sprint to the finish followed and Clutton seized his chance by snatching the lead with a fine move at Westfield, while Marateotto clung onto third.
Jackson, who had salvaged fourth in the opener, took the race two sprint honours by eight seconds after battling his way ahead of leader Mark Richards at Clark Curve at halfdistance. Constable claimed third after another tight tussle with Clutton.
As for de Sadeleer, a grassy moment at Druids in the second encounter had meant he could finish no better than fifth, but he made amends in race three. A decision to make an early pitstop helped him pass Jackson during the pitstop phase and take a crucial win. Jackson claimed second ahead of Shane Stoney, while Constable was handed a late stop/go penalty for failing to comply with pitstop timing regulations.
Callum Mcdougall was the star of the show in the quartet of 15-minute Enduroka sprint races, which headlined Sunday’s Ford Power Live event, taking all four wins. Martyn Smith claimed a pair of seconds, while Jake Fraser-burns charged his way up to the runner-up spot in the finale.
Four Focus Cup races also took place over the weekend, with two events held on the GP circuit on Saturday and a further pair held on the Indy layout on Sunday. David Rowe stormed to a crushing win in the opener on Saturday after Andy Wilmot ground to a smoky halt on the opening lap.
Russell Cager, championship leader heading to Brands, took a distant second in the opener, but hopes of another good result in race two disappeared following an opening lap spin at Paddock. Former British Touring Car driver Wilmot edged a charging Rowe to take the second event spoils.
Chaos ensued in Sunday’s opener. A multi-car collision at Paddock accounted for Cager and David May, while leader Rowe spun at Graham Hill and was collected by Branko Kiprovski following a robust move from Wilmot.
Despite a post-race sanction, Wilmot claimed the win before taking his third victory of the weekend in the finale. Harry Nunn and Richard Avis took a second apiece.
Luke Cooper came out on top in a frantic three-way battle with Rory Smith and Michael Eastwell to take the first Champion of Brands contest of the weekend at the wheel of his Swift Cooper SC16. A spectacular collision at Paddock at the start of race two eliminated both Cooper and Smith, helping Eastwell to take an untroubled success ahead of Davide Meloni’s Van Diemen JL15.
Two wins in the Ford Allcomers double header helped Rod Birley reach the landmark of 250 Brands Hatch wins in his trusty Ford Escort WRC. Both races showcased an array of Blue Oval machinery as Neil Jessop provided Birley with his strongest opposition in his Escort Mk2.