With the first race starting after the DTM cars of David Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher, Paul Di Resta, Garry Paffet and championship leader Bruno Spengler have barely had time to cool down, it promises to be a great show for the crowd, who’ll get a second opportunity to see the cars later in the day.

Just a few days later, many of the drivers will head to the spectacular Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire, whilst several others will travel to Belgium to join their European counterparts in the Lotus Cup Europe at Zolder, to support another major championship. This time it is the FIA European Truck Grand Prix and expect a full grid of 2-Elevens, Exiges and Elises spread amongst the classes.

Both series’ will meet up a few miles east a fortnight later at the majestic Spa-Francorchamps track, but by then we hope that all of the drivers and organisers will have enjoyed a well-earned rest!

Introduction

Returning for a third year, the Cadwell Park circuit usually provides the drivers with a series of challenges but on this occasion it presented even more, with rain showers giving a sharp contrast between the open and fast park section and the slow-drying and tight forest loop. With overtaking tricky, a good grid position requires commitment and bravery.

With last minute changes to the entry list, the most notable being Mark Speller taking over Tom Chatterway’s car, and a heats and final format, plenty of action was promised.

Qualifying A

As a passing shower started to die out, group favourite Speller posted his fastest lap in the early moments of the session before further drops slowed his pursuers. Visibly on the limit and with the Toyota-powered cars benefitting from ABS in these conditions, it looked as though his pace would be too much for the rest.

It took a while but Pete Storey and Stuart Plotnek started to close the gap. Another driver expected to do well in this group was Steve Williams but he was propping up the top ten and many of the cars were bunched, not ideal on a narrow circuit.

Meanwhile Speller was making improvements to his time as he twitched his way round the Hall Bends but by session’s end Storey had pegged the gap to a couple of tenths. Plotnek was half a second adrift, with Williams fourth, but over two seconds adrift and carrying damage. Fifth to tenth was populated by Sean Nash, Adrian Beer, Steve Quick, Donald Canard, Andy Dolan and Stuart Mason.

Qualifying B

An hour later the sun was making tentative efforts to break through in contrast to the pace being set by the three frontrunners. Gavin Kirby was the first to head the sheets but Craig Denman and Michael Edwards were not far behind and with this pair running nose to tail, they swapped positions several times as they overhauled the leader. Eventually Denman decided he wanted to pass Edwards, who was happy enough with his pace and unwilling to cooperate with this request. Denman then dropped back as Edwards passed Kirby on his way to ever faster laps. Meanwhile Gary Broad was catching Denman as he became a contender for the front row.

With times improving all the time on the drying track, Denman’s eventual pole lap was almost ten seconds quicker than Speller’s. Edwards was a third of a second behind, Kirby another half second, then Broad two tenths back. Hyland was fifth, after showing as an early contender, then we had Dave Carr, Greg Noble, Ken Savage, Nigel Hannam and Vitthal Chauhan in the top ten.

Race A

A poor getaway from Speller meant that it was Storey who was ahead into Coppice, followed by Williams, carrying the momentum to challenge for the lead. However, unable to sort matters between themselves gave Speller the perfect opportunity to make up for his error and it was he who entered the mountain section first, leaving the rest to rue an opportunity missed. Making an excellent start from ninth, Dolan followed in fourth place, holding back Beer, Canard, Nash, Plotnek, Bewsey and Quick.

In the early laps the leading cars made their own pace, respecting the limits and changing conditions of the track. Beer started to put Dolan under pressure and the pair were catching Storey, who was probably giving up hope of catching Williams as the second-placed driver was putting on a charge for the leader. A spin at the Gooseneck put paid to Dolan’s attempt, however, and the subsequent delay to Beer’s progress gave Storey some breathing space, right until he dropped back a few corners later.

Up front Williams was pressurising Speller – a moment at the Gooseneck gave him some hope – and the pair were some way clear of Beer in third. Speller was doing all he could to hold back Williams, the whole thing reminiscent of Castle Combe back in May. However, Williams was to succumb himself, a spin followed by contact with the barrier relieved him of his roof and a place to Beer.

As Speller crossed the line in first place, he was over six seconds ahead of Beer, with Williams another two seconds back. Dolan got himself back up to fourth place, from Nash, Plotnek and Mason. A fine and characteristically defensive drive from Matt Bartlett held the rest of the field behind and whilst they swapped places, leaving newcomer Seth Walpole ninth and Quick tenth, none of them were able to pass the experienced Bartlett.

Race summary – 18 starters, 17 finishers.

Race B

It was another bad start for a Toyota-powered car as Kirby found himself swamped by Broad, Savage, Hyland and Carr. Whilst the latter two were unable to depose the third-placed qualifier, he finished the opening lap two places down with Edwards and Denman leading the field. The top three raced after each other whilst Savage was playing a more defensive strategy, rather robustly against Kirby who wanted to be with the leaders and also aware of Hyland, Carr and Noble sitting behind. Eventually he got past at Mansfield and it didn’t take too long for him to latch onto Broad’s tail.

With the leading qualifiers now the focus of the race, Kirby passed Broad into Coppice as Denman was tracking Edwards’ every move. A lap later he was off and with a battle-scarred car rejoined way down the order. No rest for Edwards however, as Kirby quickly replaced Denman in his mirrors and after following for a few laps made his move at Mansfied and just a few corners later Edwards was held up lapping Chris Mayhew, which looked to have settled the race. Perhaps frustrated, Edwards spun in the closing laps, ending up sixth behind a race-long fight between Hyland, Savage and Carr. Savage was holding them back after losing out to Kirby early on, then the trio began swapping places, joined at the time by Noble, who looked to have cleared them before he came to an early halt.

Behind the unfortunate Edwards was Nigel Hannam and Hans Baumhardt before the recovering Denman, who finished in ninth ahead of Stu Malt.

Race summary – 16 starters, 14 finishers.

Final C

A sudden and heavy downpour started just as the cars were on the grid and there was no let-up during the consolation race. Quick made up for his fellow Toyota runners with a good start to lead Denman, Bewsey and Stothert.

Chauhan, Malt, Dan Plant, Canard, Noble and Paul McNeilly provided the early entertainment. Chauhan was very defensive in tricky conditions whilst Noble worked his way past the following cars and put the pressure on after Malt retired from the proceedings.

Denman started to catch the leader and wrested the lead in a move that started at the first corner, only to lose it a few yards later. Keeping the pressure on, we would not find out if this would be successful as a high-speed spin from Simon Jones on the straight ended in contact with the barrier. Jones was fine but the car was stranded and the race was brought to an early conclusion.

Behind the leading pair, Bewsey was being caught by Stothert but ran out of time, whilst Plant had been the one to clear Chauhan, who held off Noble, Canard and McNeilly. Mark Yates was the final finisher in the top ten.

Race summary – 17 starters, 12 finishers.

Final D

With a considerable delay resulting from incidents in a previous race, there was a perhaps a sense of urgency that, combined with a few hesitations at the front of the grid, conspired to remove the final of several competitors, including Nash, Dolan, Baumhardt, Stothert, Canard and Bartlett, who found himself pirouetting right in the middle of the track. It took a while to clear the debris and recover the cars and with the curfew drawing near, the lights went out one last time.

Speller left the line well enough, but became bogged down once more and this gave Kirby the chance to steal the lead but whilst he is an experienced racer, so is his rival and the order remained; this in contrast to Broad, who asserted himself over Beer just behind. Williams made a poor start and was passed by Savage and almost Carr, with Plotnek, Hyland, Edwards, Denman and the rest following.

Unwilling to settle back, Williams quickly found his way past Savage, who was by now driving by his mirrors, then Beer and set off for Broad. But once again a moment of over-exuberance arrested his progress and he rejoined behind the train of cars queuing up behind Savage. With Hyland falling back in this group, Edwards was first to break free after a manoeuvre round the outside at Coppice, repeating a move he pulled on Plotnek earlier. Denman later followed, as did Williams, but Carr, Hyland and Plotnek remained behind Savage.

Kirby looked as though he may have had the legs over Speller on the straight, the lack of drag-inducing wings on his Elise assisting his overall velocity but he couldn’t get close enough to the leading Exige and began to fall back, the gap over five seconds by the end. Beer drew closer to Broad but half a second was enough to retain the order. Both were, however, ten seconds behind the leaders.

Race summary – 19 starters, 18 finishers.

Conclusion

Cadwell has a reputation for rewarding the best drivers and Speller certainly reminded everyone of his driving abilities this weekend. Brands Hatch winner Williams was close on pace but not consistency, with Kirby keeping the winner honest throughout the final. With the expected close-quarter action in the pack, Gary Broad and Adrian Beer’s reliability paid dividends and contrasted with the more mercurial Edwards and Denman.

With a return to Brands Hatch in a fortnight’s time, will Williams return to his dominant form or could the Indy layout and a returning Marcus Jewell spoil his weekend in front of a DTM crowd?

Race Results in full

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Photos

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Speller’s main challenger was Gavin Kirby, who beat Gary Broad after an intense battle with Michael Edwards and Craig Denman, both of whom spun. Both heats were characterised by fierce battles between the drivers as they lapped the tight circuit.

After a race-stopping startline incident in the final, Speller asserted his authority over chasers Kirby and Broad after Williams again took himself out of overall contention, with Steve Quick claiming victory in a soaking wet consolation race over Denman.

Second time around Williams looked to have blown it after losing several places at the start but he fought his way through the field to head erstwhile leaders Luigi Mazza and Simon Deacon in a race ended two laps early after an incident at Surtees involving Rob Austin. Once again the chasing pack were held at bay, this time by Gary Broad who was able to maintain his place.

Introduction

Continuing a tradition of high-profile support slots, the series backed up a busy race card headed by the FIA World Touring Car Championship and Formula Two. Using the Grand Prix loop, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, meant a busy field would make the most of the extra space. With Marcus Jewell proving himself the man to beat this year so far, who would challenge him this weekend?

Practice

With two practice sessions on a breezy, showery but mostly sunny Friday, the drivers were able to refine their driving techniques on the challenging and rarely-used GP circuit. The first session was contested by Steve Williams and Michael Edwards as the pair traded times. Just behind them Ben Pitch, Simon Phillips and John LaMaster were thereabouts, albeit unable to break the one minute, forty-six second barrier. Jewell was nowhere to be seen, an early spin into the Paddock Hill gravel ending his session and also out early was James Knight.

When they did it all again a few hours later, it was once again Williams and Edwards who remained up front. With time to make up, both Knight and Jewell were outside the top ten during the early minutes. Knight hauled himself into contention, with Broad and Dolan now the challengers, but Jewell was languishing down in twentieth. Would he be back up to speed in qualifying?

Qualifying

The Friday sessions were rounded off with half an hour of qualifying and the gathering clouds must have left everyone grateful for the extra sessions. Jewell looked to have found his missing pace early on, leading Pitch and Phillips early on but they were a couple of seconds shy of the leading practice times so a lot more was to come.

Knight then beat his earlier practice time but still needed to find the best part of a second whilst Edwards and Williams were picking up the pace. Pitch moved the benchmark closer to the sub-105 second barrier that Williams was able to break previously and Phillips got closer still as Jewell joined the pair of them.

A chorus of klaxons signalled a busy pitlane as tyre pressures were adjusted and settings tweaked, ready for the second half of the session. A fair breeze helped move the clouds and it looked as though it would remain dry for the duration. Phillips, Jewell, Pitch, Williams, Knight and LaMaster were all within a second and they were all very much in the hunt.

Williams was first to light up the timing screens, a couple of purple sectors were a precursor to a time that beat his earlier mark by three tenths. With no-one else able to match him, he then got the first sector spot on, all he had to do now was string them together for the perfect lap. By contrast, Phillips’ personal best first sector was a couple of tenths off.

But with two late safety car periods caused by Rob Myers and Phillips, time was fast running out for the remaining challengers. Whilst many pitted, several cars continued to circulate and with barely time for a lap Pitch had a clear track and would be first to set a final time, however only Knight appeared to be getting the most from his car, albeit on first sector evidence, not enough. His second sector was off the pace, so Williams’ pole position was secure, the only driver under 1 minute 45 seconds. Phillips, Jewell, Pitch and Knight completed the top five and the only ones to lap within a second of the leader.

Savage headed LaMaster, Noble, Deacon, and Broad for the top ten, with Mazza, Dolan, a surprisingly subdued Edwards, Gordon and Bewsey next up.

Race One

As the cars lined up on the grid Phillips already had his car pointing towards the middle of the track, mindful of a likely attack from Jewell but as the lights went out it turned out that this wasn’t necessary as he made a start as good as Williams as the pair headed towards Paddock Hill side by side. Phillips slotted into second as Jewell stayed third and Pitch fourth but already holding the others back. Knight tried going wide at the first corner but Savage got a run up to Druids, which left Knight no option but to hang on round the outside. It didn’t work and he ran wide, just skipping through the gravel as Mazza took his place and set about Savage, with Dolan, Noble and the recovering Knight behind.

Next time through Savage pulled off a more successful move on Pitch into the first corner but the leading trio were pulling away all the time, as much from each other as the rest of the field. For a few laps it was stalemate, Mazza and Knight looking the only drivers able to attempt moves, which paid off for Knight on lap five as he cleared Noble. Behind them Broad and Edwards were squabbling with each other and this perhaps stymied their attempts to catch the leaders.

Pitch was really starting to struggle to defend by the halfway stage and with four cars now on his tail surely something had to give. Sure enough Mazza attempted a move on Pitch that had the unfortunate effect of him losing places to Dolan and Knight. With Pitch now getting the hurry-up, the group caught up with Savage, who had in any case only been able to gain a couple of lengths. Dolan then passed Pitch and as the latter regrouped, this gave him clear space to attach Savage.

Up front Williams had now pulled three seconds clear of Phillips, who was another five ahead of Jewell, himself over four seconds to the good. But this was all lost when the Safety Car neutralised the action, following an off by Simon Jones. When it returned to the pits, we had enough time for a couple of laps. Edwards set to work on Noble, no doubt grateful for the opportunity. Knight then grabbed a place from Pitch and Mazza followed him. Pitch also lost a place to Noble and could only back up his pursuers on the final lap.

However Williams was able to hold off Phillips for the win, from Jewell, Savage, then Knight, who took Dolan on the final tour, followed by Mazza in seventh. They held a small gap to Noble, Pitch and Broad after an intense end to an absorbing race.

Race summary – 38 starters, 30 finishers.

Race Two

A scorching afternoon persuaded much of the World Touring Car crowd to stick around for the second race, which rounded off the weekend’s action. Broad would start from pole position with Deacon alongside, with Noble and LaMaster holding back Savage and Knight on row three for the start. Just behind them Pitch, Jewell, Phillips and Williams also promised to provide much of the focus in the opening laps.

Deacon made the best getaway as Williams found himself crowded out and left well down the order. Meanwhile Noble was trying to find a way past Broad whilst Mazza, Knight and Jewell planned their strategies. Eventually Broad fell back to fifth and race leader Deacon was now fending off Noble, Mazza and Jewell as Knight retired to the pitlane.

A moment at Westfield for Jewell struck off another contender and this gave us a leading trio as Mazza went for second place and it looked as if we might see his debut victory at the circuit where he had served notice of intent just a few months ago. Behind them, Broad led a train of cars containing LaMaster, Dolan, Savage, Williams and Edwards. Williams quickly hauled himself to the head of this pack and with his pace, it looked likely that he would join the leaders very soon. Broad was still able to hold back LaMaster, Dolan, Edwards and Savage, whilst behind them Gordon, Pitch and Phillips were also having their own private battle.

Next Deacon lost the lead to Mazza, with Noble also passing for second but only as long as it took him to spin out of contention at Paddock Hill. Then Deacon ceded another place to Williams and with 8 minutes remaining, it looked as if time was running out for Mazza. The leaders were well out front but Deacon was succumbing to the chasing pack, still led by Broad but with Edwards and Dolan now ahead of LaMaster.

The two leading yellow cars were almost a blur as Williams used all his experience to wrest the lead and within a couple of laps he had done it and quickly gave himself breathing space. The focus was now on Deacon holding back Broad, Edwards and Dolan. Edwards tried round the outside of Broad at Paddock but this simply lost his place in the queue and he was lucky to remain in the race as he skated across the edge of the gravel trap. LaMaster had retired and the quartet had dropped Savage, whilst behind him were Pitch and Phillips, perhaps resigned to enjoying their own private battle as, further back, were Andrew Kell and Nigel Ayres.

With the final lap about to be started the red flag suddenly appeared, after Rob Austin found himself stranded at Surtees. Williams was justifiably celebrating his second win as the cars lined up on the start line and with Mazza just three-quarters of a second behind, the pair finished over four seconds clear of early leader Deacon. Broad kept his place safe from Edwards, who had repassed Dolan, whilst Savage, Pitch, Phillips and Gordon completed the top ten.

Race summary – 36 starters, 26 finishers.

Conclusion

After a busy Friday, the drivers did well to temper their enthusiasm between the races and we were rewarded with great entertainment. With Williams pretty much invincible at the front, at the other end of the field motoring journalist and Elise driver Ed Foster enjoyed his weekend at the wheel of the guest car, scoring two finishes, whilst improving his lap times during the sessions. The Motor Sport magazine columnist said “It’s amazing when you come to a one-make championship because everyone’s been doing it for three to four years, so the gap between first and last is hardly anything at all. There are obviously some real specialists out there and I struggled to get going with the car and when I finally did it was a bit late! It was really good fun and the atmosphere’s really good, everyone’s very friendly – I think that’s because I’m no threat to them!”

There didn’t appear to be much animosity towards Williams during the podium celebrations and he’ll hope to carry his form to the next Lotus Cup Europe round at the very same circuit in a fortnight. Meanwhile the Elise Trophy makes a return visit to Cadwell Park in late August.

Race Results in full

Download the official results & times

Photos

http://www.lotrdc.com/gallery/?album=9&gallery=67

Introduction

With some great support slots for the series, it’s quite an achievement to say that our centrepiece of the season is an event where it headlines the racing but when the event also includes a display of every single Team Lotus Formula One car and Lotus Racing’s current challenger plus its drivers, it’s a well-justified statement. With the A11 almost at a standstill whilst the crowds entered the circuit it would be a weekend to remember.

Would Marcus Jewell carry on his good form or could James Knight challenge him at a circuit he has traditionally performed well at?

Qualifying

Just as the cars left the pits a sudden shower erupted, adding to an already greasy track surface. Steve Quick was first to get up to speed, with Jewell just behind. The long Snetterton straights were packed with cars whilst the drivers worked with the variable conditions, the warmth of the June sun ensuring that each lap was a different experience. Indeed, Jewell put in a very fast lap that was 1.5 seconds clear, but it was in no way certain that this would last. Midway through, with the sun really starting to dry the track he then pulled out a 2.2 second gap.

Knight was first to take up the challenge, closing this to under 3 tenths, before beating the time by the merest of fractions. But it wouldn’t last for Jewell then pulled another 2.5 seconds, Knight then gaining another 2 seconds as the track dried. Jewell then stretched it out by another 1.5 seconds, Knight responding but still a second behind. Jewell still gained a few tenths and it was all down to getting that final lap in before the flag.

Rob Myers nearly stole the show with his final lap but Jewell was not to be beaten, nearly half a second ahead. Knight salvaged third from Denman, who was always in the hunt, followed by Ben Pitch, Quick, Michael Edwards, Ken Savage, Stuart Rowland and Donald Canard. The big loser here was Simon Phillips, bundled down to eleventh, from being well in the top five earlier on. However with Denman a reserve and therefore relying on non-starters, Phillips would at least have the consolation of a top ten start.

Race One

Whether it was the changing conditions or the long gap between races, something certainly encouraged the drivers to put on a somewhat excitable event. As they lined up, the rain started again and Jewell made a good getaway, as did Knight, who was in contention for second place until the Russell chicane as Quick made a decisive move into the first right-hander, dropping him to fourth. Following hard were Pitch, Deacon, Edwards, Price, Broad and Canard.

Knight retook third and a lap later was past Myers into second place but all the while Jewell was using the damp conditions and the squabbling pack behind to make his getaway. Edwards had also passed Deacon and was ready to hassle Pitch as the three circulated together. Price, Broad, Savage, Canard, Rowland, Noble, Beer and Phillips remained close behind.

Quick soon slotted into third as Edwards passed Pitch, whilst Myers now started to fall down the order. Putting air between himself and his followers, Quick was, however, unable to make an impression on the leaders as Knight chased down Jewell, getting to within a couple of seconds then staying there for a few laps, biding his time.

Edwards managed to catch Quick and behind the following Pitch, Broad passed Myers, who was falling into the clutches of Savage, Phillips and Noble. The latter would, however, pull off the road at the chicane later on. Edwards then successfully passed Quick for third but the attention at this point was on the leaders. Quick through Coram, Knight was covered by Jewell into the chicane but a good exit led to them running side-by-side down the straight onto the final lap. Knight tried all he could but with only one lap left of the pressure, Jewell was just able to stay ahead to the flag.

As ever there was action all around the circuit. David Skeggs was making his way up the order but at his favoured passing point, Russell chicane, he hit Bartlett in an optimistic move. They were then joined by Denman for a few laps but that didn’t last either as first Bartlett retired with a wheel rubbing, then with Denman slow out of the chicane, a closely-tracking Skeggs had nowhere to go and no option but to return to the pits. Behind them David Hay and Paul McNeilly were spinning in the chicane as the midfield pack were no less aggressive than those ahead of them.

Race summary – 39 starters, 30 finishers.

Race Two

Sunday’s Elise Trophy Race was held in honour of Lotus enthusiast Simon Woodward, who sadly passed away earlier this year. A regular visitor to Elise Trophy meetings, he was also involved in motorsport with McLaren, Bentley and Palmer Sport.

Conditions were much better for the following day’s race, on a track freshly laid with Formula One rubber. It was Savage who made the best start from the reversed grid to lead from the first corner but next time round he blotted his copybook with an excursion that dropped him way down the order.

Canard also removed himself from contention by running wide at Coram, whilst Edwards, Rowland, Pitch, Phillips, Knight, Jewell, Deacon and Broad made the early running. Edwards upped the pace whilst the pack behind sorted themselves out. Pitch got up to second and Jewell worked his way into third pretty quickly. Knight then fought past Phillips and Rowland and the crowd were fixed on Pitch, Jewell and Knight, currently running in that order.

Jewell made a move on Pitch but couldn’t make the break and with Knight keeping close company, it was all giving Edwards a lead that would prove unassailable. Pitch tried a move on Jewell round the outside of Sear, which gave Knight a great run along the Revett straight. He used the opportunity to relieve both of them the second place they were fighting over in a fine move.

Would Knight now be able to use the opportunity to close the gap to Edwards? Behind these three Rowland, Phillips and Broad fought to lead the next group, with Nash, Savage, Bartlett and Skeggs a little further back. With the action gathering more pace, Baker spun at the chicane and just as he attempted to rejoin, McNeilly and Stothert made contact and with the latter stranded in the middle of the track there was no choice but to stop the race. Just 3 minutes on the clock meant there was no chance of a restart, so Edwards won from Knight, Jewell, Pitch, Rowland, Phillips, Broad, Nash, Savage and Bartlett.

Race summary – 37 starters, 33 finishers.

Conclusion

The action from the two races didn’t disappoint a huge crowd, showing their enthusiasm for the local marque. Knight and Jewell stood out with their duelling performances over both days, complementing the equally enthusiastic Heikki Kovalainen and Fairuz Fauzy in the JPS cars. Edwards and Pitch had strong weekends too but, as has been a running theme in 2010, there was action throughout a large field of cars. You can see the action on www.elisetrophy.tv or watch out for it on Motors TV later in the year. Next time out the series is at Brands Hatch supporting the WTCC or you can follow Lotus Cup Europe at Magny-Cours a week earlier.

Race Results in full

Download the official results & times

Photos

http://www.lotrdc.com/gallery/?album=9&gallery=66

Marcus Jewell and James Knight fought hard with the former reprising his Silverstone form in race one and coming off second best next time round. Had it not been for Michael Edwards’ early break from the pack as they fought through the reverse grid, they may have challenged his lead. Both races were fiercely contested by the capacity field.

Amongst the multi-class Lotus Cup Europe races, 2-Eleven drivers Gavin Kirby and Jon Walker took a win apiece, the latter having an easier run after Kirby was sent to the back of the grid in race two for a technical infringement. With Mark Gooday showing great form and Christophe Lisandre beating Scott Cruickshank to the final podium place of the weekend, John Rasse defeated his brother Gregory in the Exige class and Pat McBennett claimed a brace of Production class victories.

It’s still very much a test for the Elise Trophy TV team trying to produce what is a first in UK motorsport: full length programmes, produced and presented professionally and broadcast within a few days of the race weekend rather than many weeks as is the case for conventional TV.

The web programme is being shown with a temporary host this week as Guy is away on honeymoon, congrats to him and Danni.

www.elisetrophy.tv

While race two may have started with a reverse top-ten grid, it was a very familiar story with Williams and Funnel missing this time, the former delayed in traffic and eventually sixth, the latter eliminated in the chaos at Quarry resulting from a spinning Ben Pitch. Wolfe’s car survived the race and he was rewarded with second as both he and Denman kept Speller honest.

Introduction

Back in 2007, during the series’ inaugural season we visited the high-speed Castle Combe circuit in Wiltshire. Conditions were somewhat less than ideal but the racing was excellent and with grey but dry skies for a one-day Bank Holiday meet, we hoped to put on another good show.

Qualifying

More new names graced the entry list and of those, it was Adrian Beer that many noticed, for the sometime MG racer was topping the timesheet at the halfway stage of the 20-minute session. Next up it was the turn of Craig Denman as the tricky nature of the circuit, unfamiliar to many, provided a few upsets.

Ben Pitch got himself back into contention after a slow start to the season with a provisional second place, just a couple of tenths shy, perhaps the bigsurprise being that late entry Mark Speller was only just in the top five. All three had displaced Beer however, but it was the experienced head of Steve Williams that would lead the field in race one, with a time just a hundredth clear.

Martin Roberts took a good sixth, with another new face Jon Wolfe and erstwhile rookie sensation Luigi Valentino Mazza just behind. Silverstone polesitter Adam Bewsey was next, John LaMaster bagging tenth ahead of Sean Nash, Gary Broad, Ken Savage, Combe specialist Mark Funnel and David Hay.

Race One

Taking place to a still overcast but warm early afternoon setting, Williams made a good start to lead from Denman, who was too busy racing Speller to worry about leading and would lose second place by the time they reached Quarry. Not such a great start from Pitch, who appeared to miss a gear as the pack swamped him, first Mazza, then Wolfe, Nash and LaMaster. They led Roberts, Bewsey, Phillips, Broad, Funnel and Savage. Mazza then made a move on Denman putting him third on the first lap.

Speller now stalked Williams and very closely through the left-hand kink into Quarry, as he made his move. However, he wouldn’t have things all his own way and Williams signalled his intent to challenge by staying as close as he could to the leader, ready to pounce at the right moment. Behind, Denman regained his third place and Wolfe followed into fourth as Nash, LaMaster, Pitch and Bewsey followed. Gradually the chasing pack were being dropped as Denman tried to hold on but would become engaged in a fierce battle with Wolfe, Mazza and Nash. Following a little further back, Pitch had passed LaMaster and was followed by Funnel, who was starting a fight through the field. Behind were Roberts, Bewsey and Broad, with Phillips straightlining the chicane.

Funnel passed Pitch and set off after the leaders, Denman coming under pressure from Wolfe and Mazza. Whilst they were squabbling, Funnel picked them off and found himself in third place. Wolfe’s fine run then came to an end when he suffered an electrical problem coming to a halt opposite the pit entrance.

The final laps became focussed on the leading pair as they lapped amongst the backmarkers. Williams was never much further than a car length from Speller and with lights ablaze, it could all come down to a bit of inexperience from a novice, or a misunderstanding. On a couple of occasions it looked as though the chicane would see a race-winning manoeuvre, in particular on the final lap as a hesitation from Speller as he lapped Steve Tranter. With a great run into the final corner for Williams, only a robust defence from Speller would secure him the win.

Funnel completed the podium but his fighting drive all came to nought when his car failed scrutineering, to Denman’s benefit after he won the battle with Mazza. Behind fifth-placed Nash, Pitch was unable to fend off Roberts at the end and following LaMaster, Bewsey was experiencing similar trouble from Phillips.

Also experiencing problems were Broad with clutch failure, whilst Savage and Vitthal Chauhan found themselves parked up at the chicane as spectators when the former suffered a broken upright and the latter alternator trouble. The rest enjoyed another packed grid full of action and race two promised a repeat.

Race summary – 39 starters, 31 finishers.

Race Two

From the reversed top ten, Bewsey got the better start, leading from Mazza, Speller (from seventh) and LaMaster. However the focus of attention was on a spinning Pitch at Quarry corner and in the resultant chaos Paul Harding and Funnel were both taken out of the race, Harding at least able to return to the pits. Also in at the end of lap one was Hay.

Mazza took the lead by the time they had completed half a lap, but Speller had also passed Bewsey and would be leading the field when they commenced their second tour. Behind LaMaster in fourth were Wolfe, Beer, Roberts, Williams, Denman, Nash and Savage.

Denman was first to make a move, passing Williams on his way to the front before a move on Roberts but there was more incident to come. First Tom Chatterway spun at the chicane, resuming in last place, then a little further round Ben Hyland and Pete Storey were involved in an incident.

Wolfe passed LaMaster and Bewsey quickly became his next target, a move he completed at the entrance to the chicane having started it at the previous corner. Denman then followed suit but a spin from LaMaster placed him behind Savage and by the midpoint of the race we had five cars in the leading bunch: Speller resisting attack from Mazza, Wolfe, Denman and Bewsey. Williams and Beer followed a little way behind and they led Nash, Roberts, Phillips, Savage, LaMaster, Baumhardt and Chauhan, the rest dropping back.

This time round with the backmarkers, Speller was able to make the breaks and with Wolfe trying a repeat of his earlier move on Bewsey, put Mazza under pressure at the chicane. With Mazza compromised on the following straight, Wolfe first tried the inside, then the outside but Denman had already read the situation and passing Wolfe, then pulled alongside Mazza. The trio carried on squabbling, all the while giving Speller breathing space.

Wolfe finally cleared Mazza and chasing after Speller must have fancied his chances. Denman caught them up after passing Mazza for good in the final laps, whilst further back Bewsey and Williams, then Roberts and Phillips also supplied intense competition, Nash and Beer separating these pairings. Despite the reversed grid, the main protagonists of race one provided much of the entertainment.

Race summary – 37 starters, 31 finishers.

Conclusion

The return to Castle Combe not only gave us dry weather but two exciting races and as with Silverstone, action throughout a very packed field of 41 cars. New driver Jon Wolfe starred and Mazza continues his run of form whilst the experienced Speller and Williams had to earn their placings and of course Denman picked up two third places from gritty drives.

The races will soon be available to watch at www.elisetrophy.tv and all eyes are on the next round. The series and its European counterpart, Lotus Cup Europe, meet with two races each but happily defer the limelight to an amazing collection of Lotus racing cars past and present at the Classic Team Lotus Festival at Snetterton in three weeks’ time.

Race Results in full

Download the official results & times

Photos

http://www.lotrdc.com/gallery/?album=9&gallery=65