Round 2 of the 2011 Lotus on Track Elise Trophy held at the Silverstone Arena GP circuit on the 16th March 2011.
Introduction
Round two of the Elise Trophy was the first of several big name supports – on this occasion the FIA Formula Two Championship, this year featuring Lotus 1000km class winner Ramon Pineiro on his way up the motorsport ladder. It also meant that the cars would be taking to the all-new Arena configuration, as used for the British Grand Prix. The pitlane would remain the same for now, however, as the new facility nears its opening.
Ken Savage looked forward to extending his winning run from Snetterton, whilst Luigi Mazza and Stuart Rowland were just as keen to take over the top step of the podium. Meanwhile, many more runners would be determined to make their mark on the most open field for several years.
Qualifying
An unseasonably clement April continued to provide bright skies for the morning of qualifying at Silverstone and it was Steve Quick that was the most eager to head the field out of the pits, posting a 2 minute, 35 second lap to head Savage and Clive Dunster. The long lap meant that most drivers were only likely to get 6 or 7 fast laps recorded before the chequered flag, so Mazza and Rowland took first and third slots a few moments later.
Quick then raised the stakes with a lap into the 2 minute 30 seconds and with much of the field still posting personal bests, it was clear that more was to come in the remaining 8 minutes. On the way up the order was former Formula Palmer Audi competitor Emma Selway, driving the number 33 Elise normally shared with Michael Edwards and Russell Hill.
Savage was working hard to knock Quick off the pole position but was still 3 hundredths short after his best flying lap and it looked as though he would have one final chance to make it count. With no luck on his final effort, he would line up alongside Quick and in front of Mazza and Rowland. The impressive Chris Dunster would line up fifth, then Selway, Simon Deacon, John LaMaster, Dan Plant and Adam Bewsey.
Race One
Both front row starters got away well but it was Savage who held the advantage at Copse, getting a nose ahead, with Mazza making it three abreast into Copse. However it was Rowland that took the chance to take second and he was soon hoping to make it the lead. Quick was losing places on the first tour with the early order Savage, Mazza – taking Rowland at Brooklands, Deacon, Quick, Selway, Plant and LaMaster.
Mazza now took up the challenge. On the way to Abbey the leading pair were side-by-side as Mazza got a better exit from Club. A lunge at Brooklands then gave him a lead that lasted until Luffield, with Ken on the grass, desperate to hold the lead. Meanwhile Rowland was keeping track of proceedings and made his move at Stowe, taking Mazza by surprise and whilst he fought back, Savage was being given the chance to build a gap. This, however became a gap for the leading three – Rowland now second – as Quick led the chasing pack.
Quick caught up next time around and tried to wrest third from Mazza and whatever else was available by going around the outside at Brooklands but inevitably found there was nothing to gain here. Meanwhile Selway was holding Deacon back but could only watch the leading quartet, now with Rowland fighting for first. With the leaders so close, Mazza got involved with this battle and from second, entered Brooklands side-by-side with Savage. Contact was inevitable and Savage spun into retirement. With Mazza delayed, Rowland held a lead from Quick, whilst Mazza recovered to third, but Selway was fourth and now in the thick of the action.
Next time round it was anyone’s race as Rowland led from Quick, Selway, Mazza, Deacon, Plant and LaMaster just holding on, the rest now some way behind. With Quick far from finished and Selway experienced enough to know how to pick up the pieces, the expected action first happened behind as Deacon tapped Mazza into a spin. Plant then tried to punish Deacon and with LaMaster catching up, the closing stages saw two groups of three cars.
Quick took the lead of the race into the Becketts-Maggots-Chapel complex and whilst Rowland fought back, it was to prove decisive. Whilst Deacon’s car expired on that final lap, the podium had been decided, with Selway becoming the first female driver to stand on the podium at a LoTRDC race.
Behind the leaders, Stuart Kirkbride headed the chasing pack, with Bewsey, Phil Stratton-Lake and Dave Carr completing the top ten.
Race summary – 40 starters, 31 finishers.
| Overall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Steve Quick | 2. Stuart Rowland | 3. Emma Selway | 4. Dan Plant | 5. John LaMaster | 6. Luigi Mazza |
Race 2
From the reverse top-ten grid, Bewsey led at Copse with Selway slotting into second and Plant third but not for long as Mazza took that place on his way forward. Challenging for second at Stowe, Selway also attacked but they held each other up and Bewsey held onto the lead. Savage then became the final part of this quartet as Selway demoted Bewsey to lead lap one.
Mazza and Savage soon got past Bewsey too and as they scrapped for second, Savage passed Selway to lead and with Quick also past Bewsey, the main combatants of race one were back contending for honours.
An early casualty at this stage was Dunster, retirement in race one before the start and with a spin at Stowe, he was soon out of the running this time too – a pity after a promising qualifying session for the young charger. Behind the leaders, Plant had also dropped Bewsey and battling with them were Denman and Stratton-Lake. Whilst Kirkbride – also part of this pack – retired, Bewsey ran wide as his race continued to fall apart.
At the mid-point, Savage was posting fast laps to hold the lead but Selway and Mazza were tracking him close and Quick was just about holding on. Challenging for position became tricky as any mistake would be instantly punished and whilst Elise Trophy racers are renowned for having a go, these four were experienced enough by now not to take too many chances. Selway tried to wrest the lead at Stowe but Savage fought back at Vale. Then Selway got her revenge at Abbey and with Mazza after second, the pair nearly came to blows again. Quick was the next person to gain here, taking third and full advantage from Mazza’s failed move. Next time through Savage copied Selway’s earlier move and defended into Vale..
Meanwhile behind the leaders, Plant, Denman and Stratton-Lake fought equally hard in the race’s second division as Steve Train joined their tussle. Then an incident involving several cars left Andrew Kell on the apex of the Becketts complex, surrounded by debris, causing first the safety car then a red flag. Selway had retaken the lead in the confusion, meaning that her achievements in race one were overshadowed, as she had now become the first female driver to win a LoTRDC race.
With Savage and Quick also on the podium, Mazza was left to rue a missed opportunity. Plant, Stratton-Lake, Denman and Train continued their battle with fifth to eighth places, whilst Bewsey arrested his fall down the order with ninth and Neil Stothert took the final place in the top ten.
Race summary – 34 starters, 29 finishers.
| Overall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Emma Selway | 2. Ken Savage | 3. Steve Quick | 4. Luigi Mazza | 5. Dan Plant | 6. Phil Stratton-Lake |
Conclusion
Silverstone’s new layout provided the Elise Trophy with one of it’s best race weekends and whilst a pattern emerges of Savage, Mazza and Quick fighting at the sharp end of the grid (with Stuart Rowland a subdues 11th in race two), the racing was as fierce as ever throughout the field. Plant and Stratton-Lake continue to improve in form, whilst Dunster was unfortunate not to back his impressive introduction to racing with some solid results.
The next race is at Oulton Park in a months’ time but before then Lotus Cup Europe starts its season at Dijon-Prenois at the end of April. Watch out too for the all-new Motors TV programme.
Kevin Ritson Press Officer LoTRDC LtdRace Results
Download the official results & times
