Browne doubles up in Champion of Brands
Jonathan Browne continued his impressive recent form at Brands Hatch with two further Champion of Brands victories to follow up his success from the British GT support round and maintain his unbeaten run in the series in 2020.
Last year’s Formula Ford Festival winner was never headed in either race in his
Ray GR18 but, in typical Formula Ford style, he was never given time to relax in a double-header event that boasted a healthy grid of over 20 starters.
Rory Smith provided Browne with his toughest opposition throughout the weekend in his Medina Sport JL18, but was unable to make a decisive pass. Behind the top two, Browne’s Low Dempsey team-mate Bryce Aron (Ray GR18) came out on top in two close battles with Jamie Sharp’s Medina Sport JL17 to claim a pair of thirds.
Three races were held for the combined Racing Saloons/production BMW encounters in order to accommodate the large entry. Chris Adams claimed victory in the opener in his VW Golf GTI after early leader Yusuf Osman spun his BMW 320is into the Paddock Hill Bend gravel. Osman recovered to finish sixth, while the excursion enabled Perry Darling to claim second in his SEAT Ibiza ahead of the BMW E30 M3 of John Willcocks.
Nigel Innes proved uncatchable in races two and three in his BMW M3, but the entertainment of both contests was provided by Alex Kite in his VW Vento. In the second event, Kite stormed through from row 11 to claim third behind Dan Rose’s Golf GTI. Not content with that performance, Kite threatened to go one better in the third event as he powered his way through to second by lap 11 of 16,
after starting 27th. A backmarker slowed his momentum on the final tour, though, and enabled Cliff Pellin to snatch the runner-up spot on the sprint to the flag in his Ford Fiesta ST180.
John Lamaster took full advantage of an early retirement for Craig Denman to score a convincing win in the 45-minute Elise Trophy encounter. Mark Richardson’s decision to make his mandatory pitstop early helped him take second, but Jon Packer’s last-ditch pass on Mike Hughes for third proved in vain when he received a time penalty for exceeding track limits.
Rob Austin withstood Dan Butcherlord’s race-long pressure to win the opening Mini Challenge Trophy contest. Sami Bowler recovered from a poor start to claim third after passing Keir Mcconomy at Druids on lap five of 17.
Austin blasted into the lead from fifth at the start of race two by diving through on the inside at Paddock, but Butcher-lord’s attempt to make similar progress on the outside led to his car being beached in the gravel after a tangle with front-row starter James Goodall. Austin was left untroubled to seal the double thereafter, while Bowler forced her way past poleman Steve Webb at Graham Hill Bend to take second.
A blistering opening stint from Colin Tester helped him and Hugh Gurney claim a dominant MSVT Supercup win in their BMW M3, despite the duo receiving a post-race time penalty for an illegal start. The same punishment was also handed to reigning champion Darren
Goes in his SEAT, but his 10-second penalty proved more costly.
Goes had initially come out on top in a fierce tussle for second with Ollie Pidgley’s SEAT Supercopa Gen 2 (sharing with Nicholas Jackson), but the punishment relegated him to fourth.