WEBB HOLDS HIS NERVE IN SPORTS 1000 WIN
Richard Webb continued his winning ways to wrap up the Sports 1000 title in Brands Hatch’s penultimate two rounds.
Requiring only 19 points of the 64 on offer at Brands to put the title beyond reach, the Spire RGBR driver’s task was made easier in race one when his main rivals tripped over themselves in his wake on the opening lap.
In a dominant performance, Webb finished the 24 laps some 26 seconds clear of the squabbling Paul Rogers (Spire GT3S) and outgoing champion Ryan Yarrow (Spire GT3-Y) in second and third.
Often lapping nigh-on a second faster than anyone else, it was the same in race two, Webb’s winning margin this time ‘only’ 20.61s from the recovering Smith and Yarrow, but there was a reason for the smaller gap.
“Something went wrong with the transmission and I had to do the final lap in fourth gear,” explained Webb, who becomes the 750MC’s first champion of 2022.
He added: “It’s been an amazing season – the car and team have been perfect. I was conscious this wasn’t my best track so to win both races and make it 11 out of 12 is a great way to take the title.”
The day’s nine other races were not so clear cut (see separate Gaz Shocks 116
Trophy report).
Defending Clio Sport champion Jack Dwane escaped unscathed from a huge multi-car shunt in the first of two races that destroyed his 182 and also severely damaged those of Nick Brady and Brian Deer.
Dwane still leads the 182 and outright standings ahead of Snetterton’s title-deciding tripleheader but faces greater pressure than anticipated – chiefly from 197 racer Andrew Harding who, also with no points to drop, won the opening race and finished second in the other.
The other was won by Justin Griffiths as 197s again filled the top spots. Jason Pelosi and Scott Edgar were the 182 class winners respectively.
The Type R Trophy title battle now looks to be a two-horse race between Christopher
Nylan and Jake Hewlett after rivals Joe Jessup missed the event due to a family holiday and Matt Digby did not start the opening race.
Hewlett won the opener after Nylan lost momentum away from pole with a hashed change to second gear. Nylan was victorious later in the day from ninth on the reversed grid as Hewlett could only get as high as fifth. Conor Murphy, Daniel
Chapman and Chris Smith shared the other podium results.
Craig Land edged closer to the Locost title with a win and a third-place result, compared to an eighth and a fifth for archrival Martin West who still leads the table but falls behind on dropped scores. After a first podium together with second and third in race one, brothers Daniel and Ryan Garrett made it a 1-2 result in the day’s later thrash.
Stewart Place (Peugeot 205 GTi) made it three straight wins with victory in the Classic Stock Hatch opener ahead of ‘neckand-neck-at-the-line’ title rivals Chris Dear (205 GTi) and Peter Morgan (Ford Fiesta XR2i).
Place led the second race as far as Druids where he went missing, leaving Morgan to this time just hold back Dear and the closely following Martin Cayzer (Ford Fiesta XR2i).