Consistent Stoneman Leads Formula Renault
UK Championship After Thruxton
28 April
2009
Alpine Motorsport’s Dean Stoneman moved to the top of the driver
standings in the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship after a double
podium in rounds three and four at Thruxton circuit on 25th/26th April.
The reigning Graduate Cup Champion from Southampton showed great consistency
to finish second in both races to leave him 12 points clear of closest
rival Fortec Motorsport’s James Calado (Worcester). Calado didn’t
come away empty handed though with a victory in round three held on
Saturday, 25th April with team-mate Will Stevens (Oxshott) claiming
his first podium in third. Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Jesse Krohn
(FIN) secured his first victory in an action-packed round four on Sunday,
25th April – shown live on ITV4 – with Graduate Cup racer
Harry Tincknell (Exeter) taking third for CRS Racing.
Dry but windy conditions greeted a huge grid of 29 racers for the start
of round three. Following the day’s earlier qualifying session,
Stoneman took the Michelin Pole Position with Graduate Cup driver Stevens
alongside him on the front row.
As the lights went out, Stoneman got away well to lead the field into
the first corner with a poor start from Stevens allowing Krohn to move
up the field from fourth on the gird. Hillspeed’s Menasheh Idafar
(London), who started fifth following an impressive qualifying session,
was unable to make the most of his grid position dropping to thirteenth
by the end of lap one.
The race was soon halted though as Manor Competition team-mates Thomas
Hylkema (NED) and David McDonald (Ewell) made contact hitting the pit
wall and causing the Safety Car to be deployed.
There was still time though for Krohn and Calado to move into second
and third respectively after passing Stevens on the outside to the
Complex leaving him in fifth. CRS Racing’s Josh Scott (Milton
Keynes), who had also managed to get pass the 17-year-old, was now
in fourth with Fortec Motorsport’s Fredrik Blomstedt (Northampton)
in sixth.
Racing resumed on lap eight with the race extended to 19 laps. Stoneman
used his experience to slow the field down to ensure he got away cleanly,
closely followed by Krohn and Calado with the front three quickly building
a gap over fourth place Scott.
On lap eight, Krohn made a move for the lead at Club but slight contact
between him and Stoneman caused a spin ending his race and moving Calado
into second. Behind Calado, Stevens had managed to move into third
after Scott and Fortec driver Oli Webb (Knutsford), now fifth, went
side-by-side at the exit of Church causing Webb to run onto the grass
and dropping him down the order. Scott held on to fourth place followed
by team-mate Matias Laine (FIN), who was celebrating his 19th birthday.
By the halfway stage, Calado was all over the back of Stoneman forcing
him to go defensive with the gap reducing every lap. The halfway mark
also saw Tincknell set the NGK Fastest Lap with a time of 1min 10.811s
(119.77mph average) earning him two extra Championship points.
In the midfield, Hitech Junior’s Jordan Oakes (Hopton on Sea)
and SSS Motorsport with Hillspeed’s Lee Dwyer (Huddersfield)
were battling hard for eighth and ninth places with Oakes eventually
getting the better of Dwyer on lap 13.
As the leaders continued to battle, Stoneman left a gap going into
the Complex with Calado able to squeeze passed to take the lead. With
the race entering its final stages, Calado pulled away from Stoneman
allowing third place Stevens to get close enough to challenge. The
action continued throughtout the last lap when Stevens and Stoneman
went side-by-side at Woodham Hill with Stoneman just able to fend off
the Oxshott driver. The chequered flag belonged to Calado – who
picked up the ELF/Atol Driver fo the Day - taking his second consecutive
victory, with the last few moments of the race also seeing Blomstedt
pass Laine to take fifth.
A packed Hampshire crowd welcomed drivers as they lined the start grid
for Sunday’s round four, with Calado leading the field as Michelin
Pole Position holder. James got away well to take the initial lead
but this was only momentary as Tincknell took the top spot with Calado,
Stoneman and Krohn, who started second on the grid, in fourth.
A stall on the start-line by TA1 Motorsport’s Tom Armour (Billericay)
caused him to drop down to 26th from 10th as the whole field did well
to safely pass his stationary car. Continuing their battle from yesterday,
Stoneman briefly overtook Calado before James regained his second place
at the end of the first lap with Tincknell soon stretching his lead.
This left Stoneman with a determined Krohn in his rear-view mirrors,
with Jesse also posting the NGK Fastest Lap time.
A few laps later Krohn took third-place Stoneman at Club, the same
spot where he went off yesterday, while further down the field Webb
was able to overtake CRS Racing’s Lewis Williamson (Golspie).
Contact at Segrave between Manor Competition’s, Alice Powell
(Chipping Norton), Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Ollie Hancock
(Hook) and new driver Jordan Williams (Tavistock, Devon) in the Falcon
Motorsport car caused the Safety Car to be deployed with all three
drivers retiring from the race.
Racing resumed on lap eight with the race extended to 19 laps. Tincknell
got a good break to continue his position at the front of the field
while behind him Scott drove around the outside of Stoneman to take
fourth only for Stoneman to retake the position a lap later.
Lap 10 saw disaster for second-placed Calado when a broken gear cable
forced him to retire promoting Krohn and Stoneman to second and third
followed by Scott and Williamson who was now ahead of Webb. A mistake
by Williamson though a few laps later caused the 19-year-old to spin
handing the place straight back to Oli.
As the drama continued with every position being contested, Krohn was
beginning to catch Tincknell making his decisive move with just three
laps remaining by going around the outside at Club. With Tincknell
not wishing to yield, both drivers braked very late forcing them to
miss the chicane and sending the cars flying over the kerbs. Krohn’s
brave dash paid off though as he came away just ahead of Tincknell
as they exited Club with Stoneman now right behind challenging for
second.
As the new race leader began his last lap, it was clear Stoneman still
had more to give and with one last push snatched second from Tincknell.
In the main field, Webb was trying to hold on to fifth place from Oakes
despite sustaining a puncture. Blomstedt, McDonald and newly registered
Manor Competition driver Dean Smith, were also among the leading drivers
rounding off the top 10.
With racing right up until the end, it was Krohn who took the chequered
flag followed by Stoneman, Tincknell and Scott. Webb just managed to
hold on to fifth despite nursing a flat tyre while further down the
field a resilient drive from Armour saw him cross the line in 14th
making up an impressive 12 places following his poor start and earning
him the ELF/Atol Driver of the Day award.
Commenting on his perforamce, Stoneman said: “I’m really
pleased to come away this weekend with two podiums. A win is always
great but at the end of the day this is a long Championship and it’s
about scoring points consistently in every race and I’ve managed
to do just that this weekend.”
Round three winner Calado, said: “I had a good start to get up
to third by the end of the first lap and managed to profit from Jesse’s
misfortune. I then had Stoneman to pass who left the door open at Complex.
I was feeling confident going into round four, especially being on
pole so obviously I’m gutted not to have come away with more
points.”
Commenting after his first win, Krohn said: “To get my first
victory after yesterday’s spin is fantastic and I’m very
grateful to the team who got me out racing again. It was a close race
and knew my only chance to overtake would be at Club. I went around
the outside as I tried going on the inside against Stoneman in the
first race which didn’t work. We both braked very late and ended
up cutting the corner but I managed to come away ahead.”
Commenting on his Saturday race performance, Stevens said: “I’m
absolutely delighted with my first podium. I lost a few places at the
Complex but I showed good pace towards the end and was right up with
Stoneman. I reckon a couple more laps and I might have passed him.”
Leading Graduate Cup driver Tincknell commented: “I’m disappointed
not to come away with a win but Jesse drove a great race and I’m
still the leading Graduate driver and that still remains my main focus
for the season.”
Rounds five and six of the 2009 Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship
takes place at Donington Park on 16th/17th May.
Grovewood
See 2009 series calendar for Formula
Renault UK
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