LET: Stanley and Williams share Brands Hatch wins

Jamie Stanley and Steve Williams took the overall Lotus Elise Trophy victories on a weekend marred by tragedy at Brands Hatch.

 

The championship was delighted to be on the support package for the World Touring Car and Formula Two Championships at Brands Hatch, but despite two exciting races, the weekend was overshadowed by the tragic loss of 18-year-old Henry Surtees in Sunday’s F2 encounter.

 

The weekend’s opening race took place on Saturday in dry conditions with Stanley and Mark Speller on the front row and with Williams and James Knight ready to pick up the pieces and Gavan Kershaw fighting through the field, the crowd were in for a treat.

 

Stanley got the better of Speller, whilst behind them Roberts squeezed between Williams and Knight, displacing the latter. Jewell also took advantage and tried to take Roberts at Hill. It took him until Paddock on the following lap to take the place, by which time Stanley was pulling away and Williams getting to work on Speller, the leading three some way clear of Jewell. Meanwhile Kershaw was making easy work of it, halfway up the field in 16th.

 

Knight soon got his revenge on Roberts and set off in pursuit of the leaders, who were spreading out, the main point of interest being the Speller/Williams battle. Kershaw was getting ever closer, in the top ten by lap 4! Somewhere round the circuit, though, Knight had lost a lot of time and was now fighting off Kershaw, currently in eighth. Catching Roberts, the three of them circulated as one into Paddock. Kershaw tried the outside but found Roberts in front, whilst Knight took the inside into Druids. Three abreast, it was Knight in front, stirring stuff, but with Roberts out of the picture he had to bow to the inevitable and Kershaw was safely in 6th and after Baumhardt, who he dispatched within a lap.

 

3 minutes to go and Kershaw was in 5th but some way behind Jewell, himself nowhere near Williams and Speller, together as one, all hope of beating Stanley long gone. Baumhardt, Knight, Roberts, Franks and Harding were the focus of attention in the final laps, the 5 nose to tail. Knight was keen to drop this bunch and was doing so as further back, Stuart Kirkbride found the gravel trap at Paddock. Close to the exit of the corner and with another car for company, the red flag was shown, with just over a minute left to run.

 

So a dominant win for Stanley, nearly 7 seconds over Speller and Williams. They were running together the whole race, some way ahead of Jewell, himself running a lonely race with a fair gap to the excellent Kershaw. The Lotus test driver and GT racer remarked: “starting from the back made it quite interesting...I was encouraged by the circuit knowledge of the guys, they’re not far away from the pro guys. (Without the qualifying woes) I’d have had some fun in the top three, maybe not first”. Then it was Knight, Baumhardt, Roberts, Franks and Harding on the road. With a lap counted back following the red flag, Baumhardt took 6th place, ahead of Knight.

 

 

With Baumhardt on pole from Broad, Stanley and Speller also had Chong, Franks, Roberts, Jewell, Knight and Williams between them and the head of the field. Plus, with an extra ten minutes of racing (and success ballast for Stanley), they also had Kershaw’s progress to concern them. Conditions were again bright, if a little overcast, as the cars set off just after 5pm on Sunday.

 

It was Broad who got the best start, Franks and Jewell performing an ambush on Baumhardt up to Druids. Jewell then took the lead on the back straight but was being chased by Williams, fighting through the top ten, and he would take the lead on lap three, with Speller slotting into second later on in the lap. Behind them, Stanley was attacking Jewell and Kershaw was already in the top 20. The progress of the top four remained close and with Kershaw now in the top 12, hopes were high that he would be able to join the fight. But with the likes of Knight, Baumhardt and Broad to pass this wouldn’t be the work of a moment.

 

Strike one car – Knight completed his weekend’s work on lap 7, parking at Graham Hill bend. However, at this moment Stanley had also cleared Speller and was now after Williams’ lead. Strike two – Baumhardt entered the pits and headed to the paddock. Coincidence? On the run to Druids, Knight needed a little bit more braking than he had available and the resultant contact broke Knight’s wheel and damaged one of Baumhardt’s. Kershaw was now in 6th with half the race remaining. However, there were 21 seconds to make up and with Stanley lapping fastest it was up to Williams to defend the lead.

 

Kershaw now put in his best lap so far but even with Williams on the defensive it wasn’t quick enough, clearly more needed to be done. Next time round he was slower; it was becoming a two-way fight, Speller only able to watch in the distance. Stanley took a look into Clearways on lap 12 but Williams had it covered. Staying close into Druids, taking a different line into Graham Hill, his tighter exit gave him an opening at Surtees, making it through. Williams tried to fight back but Stanley was in no mood to concede.

 

Next time through Williams made a wild and smoky lunge into Paddock. With no way of carrying speed through the exit, Stanley stayed in front but this was no clear-cut run to victory. Almost as if to prove this, Williams made it stick with a move on the back straight. Kershaw, meanwhile, was stuck behind Franks, himself unable to clear Jewell, falling back into their clutches.

 

The final tour. Stanley tries a lunge into Paddock on the outside but Williams covers it. Stanley tries another tight exit on Graham Hill. No way through but there are back markers ahead. We waited anxiously to see who would enter Clearways first. It was Williams, 9 tenths to the good. Speller finished 7 seconds back, another 17 ahead of Jewell, just in front of Franks and Kershaw, unable to progress beyond sixth place but nevertheless a great drive. They were some way ahead of Chong, Broad, Roberts and Greg Noble, who were battling to the end in what was a thrilling race.