Lightweight Clubman Sprint Round 6

Introduction and Qualifying

Llandow circuit in the Vale of Glamorgan played host to Wales’s premier motorsport event, round six of the 2011 Club 100 Sprint Championship, or the Welsh Grand Prix as it has become known. The circuit itself is fast, technical and fairly easy to defend on, unless of course, you are Jamie Jakins. Another feature of the track is the famous Russ Pittingales’ Sausage, which is feared by experienced drivers who know how uncomfortable it is to ride.

Taking pole for final 1 was Zachary Seward with 3rd and 10th place heat finishes. Tim Clark lined up alongside him in 2nd after winning heat 1. Darrel Boyle and Jonny Goddard were 3rd and 4th, with Ross Wheelaghan and Geoff Saunderson on row 3.

Joshua Hill secured pole for final 2 with his fastest lap set in final 1. Zachary Seward continued his impressive form lining up second. Ross Wheelaghan and Jason Sichel made up row 2 with Francesco Volpe and Jonny Goddard on row 3.

Final 1

Zachary Seward led away from pole, but it was Darrel Boyle from grid 3 who had the best start, getting the jump on grid 2 man Tim Clark to go second. At the start of the 2nd lap Seward was leading from the fast starting Boyle, Jonny Goddard was up to third ahead of Clark, Geoff Saunderson and Joe Paterson who had enjoyed a brilliant opening lap jumping up to 6th from grid 10. Goddard was looking very racy and was soon past Boyle and up to second after a ballsy move into the fast right hander at Chapmans. A couple of laps later and Goddard mysteriously backed off and allowed Boyle back through. Only after the race would it become clear that Goddard had let Boyle past after seeing a penalty board for his pass on him, a penalty that even Darrel agreed was extremely harsh. Back to the race, and Seward held a healthy lead over Clark, Boyle and Goddard. Boyle then moved up to second past Clark with a move up the inside at Chapmans, which started a bad couple of laps for Clark as he was shuffled down from 2nd to 7th. Approaching the halfway point and Zach Seward looked to have the race under control with a few lengths over Boyle, and I must have looked away for a second and missed Boyle take the lead as Seward lost the lead and slid down to 5th. Also well on the move was Josh Hill, up to 4th behind Boyle, Goddard and Joe Paterson. Goddard went through into the lead past Boyle at the last corner, with Paterson trying to go with him and Hill right behind him in 4th waiting for his chance to come. His chance did come as he passed both Paterson and Boyle to move up to 2nd behind Goddard, the order now Goddard, Hill, Paterson and Boyle. As Goddard edged away at the front with Hill comfortable in second the battle behind was raging between Boyle, Paterson and early leader Seward. At the flag it was Goddard first, but the contentious penalty from his earlier pass on Boyle was applied meaning it was Josh Hill taking his first Club 100 win from Darrel Boyle. A clearly unhappy Goddard managed to maintain his composure at what was undoubtedly a very harsh penalty demoting him to 3rd. Paterson took 4th after a busy race from grid 10, ahead of pole sitter and early leader Seward in 5th, just ahead of Geoff Saunderson. Clark took 7th just ahead of Francesco Volpe. Ross Wheelaghan and Glen Beard rounded out the top 10

Final 2

Josh Hill led a fast start into the Hook as the whole front of the pack went in very hot, surprisingly with no one getting spat out the side through the first few corners. At the beginning of the second lap Hill led from Seward, Jason Sichel and Ross Wheelaghan. Next up was Boyle in 5th after a good first lap from grid 8. Goddard maintained his grid position in 6th. A couple of laps later and Hill was starting to stretch his legs and go away at the front, helped by Seward who was defending hard from Sichel. Wheelaghan and Boyle were embroiled in a gripping scrap for 4th ahead of Goddard and Volpe. As Hill continued to romp away at the front, the battle for second became a train as Sichel applied the pressure on Seward, with Boyle, Volpe and Goddard all within striking distance. Seward and Sichel were both shuffled down the pack as Seward made a mistake at turn 4, leaving Boyle in second from Wheelaghan and Seward, with the unfortunate Sichel now down to 7th. Goddard despite not having the best of karts , fought back from 8th place and passed Sichel and Volpe, moving up to 5th behind Seward. Over the closing laps the top 10 positions remained static, with Hill Taking the flag 5.5 seconds clear of Boyle. Wheelaghan took 3rd just ahead of Seward in 4th. Jonny Goddard just held off a rampaging Volpe for 5th, with Scott Martin 7th narrowly ahead of Clark in 8th. Jason Sichel was 9th after a 2 place penalty while Craig Welsher took 10th after moving up to the Clubman class after his sensational debut in the lightweights at Clay Pigeon.

Driver of the day – Josh Hill – Superb double win, the first after a great drive up the order, then dominating the second final from pole, setting a new lap record on the way.