Wheatley reaps rewards on home soil at Croft
CROFT BARC
7-8 AUGUST
Dominic Wheatley enjoyed a strong weekend on home soil at Croft to move into the lead of the Mini Challenge Trophy standings with two rounds left to run.
Wheatley qualified on the front row of the grid for race one alongside first-time polesitter Lewis Saunders, but it was Louie Capozzoli who took the flag first after battling his way through from fourth on the grid. But then Capozzoli’s move on Saunders for the lead was deemed to have been too forceful and he was handed a penalty that gave Joe Wiggin the win from Nicky Taylor and Harry Nunn, with Wheatley fourth.
Taylor then went one better in race two to earn his maiden victory ahead of Wheatley and Nunn. Wheatley therefore takes over the points lead from Matt Hammond, who could only manage a best finish of 12th as he returned to action after his Oulton Park incident two weeks earlier.
Wins in the CNC Heads Sports and Saloons were shared by Jon Woolfitt and Paul Rose after two races affected by some of the worst of Saturday’s weather. Woolfitt’s Spire led the opening contest from start to finish, with a number of the fancied runners hitting trouble. Paul Dobson (Locost) gave chase in the early stages before dropping back in worsening conditions, with Robert Wakelin taking his Peugeot 205 to third.
After retiring in race one, Rose headed a Saker 1-2 in race two ahead of Steve Harris, with Dobson rounding out the podium and Woolfitt – who had again started from pole – having to settle for fourth.
The weekend action for the Legends started in dramatic fashion when a heavy off for Mike Schlup on the run to the Jim Clark Esses led to the first of six races being red-flagged, with victory going to
Jack Parker. Race two went to points leader Miles Rudman as he held off the race-long challenge of Will Gibson, and Rudman then stormed through from 23rd to win the first final ahead of Parker and Gibson.
John Mickel and Parker won the following two heats, and Gibson took the second final, battling ahead of Rudman and Mickel on the final lap to complete a near back-tofront drive from 25th on the grid.
Although Ben Winrow took the early
lead in the wet Caterham Sigmax/sigma 150 opener, Harry Senior got ahead at the start of lap two and went on to secure a comfortable victory, with Harry Cramer overhauling Winrow for second on the penultimate tour. Things would be much tighter in Sunday’s dry second encounter, where Winrow held off the challenge of Jamie Ellwood and Senior to snare the win.
James Mccall led the first Caterham Sigma 135 encounter from start to finish, although David Read – recovering from an earlier moment at Clervaux – was closing in when the race was red-flagged. The pair then traded the lead throughout race two before Read prevailed to take a slender victory.
Before Sunday’s track action began, the C1 Racing Series grid completed a lap of the circuit in memory of Angela Lucas, after her tragic death at Snetterton last month. Late drama for Alistair May and Chris Parkes in the three-hour race allowed John and Matthew Davies to take the win with just minutes to go.