Hodgetts Wins Dramatic First SEAT Race at Rockingham

03 August 2003

Once Stefan Hodgetts had taken the lead mid-way through the opening lap, the 21-year old driver from Redditch took full advantage of a clear Rockingham circuit ahead of him to steer his loaded backed Leon Cupra R to a comfortable 11.926sec victory – the largest winning margin recorded so far in the exciting Championship.
 
In front was certainly the best place to be, for behind Stefan a dramatic race was unfolding in which seven out of the 16 starters failed to finish and the Championship leader, Robert Huff, finished four laps behind – not enough to be classified in the results as a finisher.
 
After a good start, all 16 cars survived the infamous Turn 1 without a problem, although this was to change as they slowed for the first chicane. Under heavy braking a number of cars got out of line, with the result that Stephen Colbert (Auto Trader / Track Smart SEAT) and James Pickford (Abt Sportsline / Haribo Cupra R) collided and spun off the track. James had been leading heading down towards the tight Deene corner, but after returning to the track he and Stephen both retired in the pits with deranged steering.
 
Julian Westwood tried to overtake Natalie Barratt down the inside of the following corner, Yentwood. Natalie closed the door and the two made contact, sending both Westwood’s Orange-backed SEAT and Natalie’s KF Concept Cupra R into the gravel trap and out of the race.
 
Ben Winrow had reported overheating problems with his Telemecanique car on the warm-up lap, and completed the opening lap slowly before ending his race in the pits.
 
Hodgetts passed Huff to take the lead at Brook corner – a lead which he was to extend comfortably until the chequered flag. As Huff crossed the start/finish line for the first time he was under pressure from Spencer Marsh. Heading for the Turn 1 Chicane at high speed the two touched, spending them both into the outside wall at Turn 1. Spencer’s
 
Shell-backed car took the full force of the impact, hitting the wall front-on and spinning. While Spencer retired on the spot, a broken driveshalf meant Robert’s dented Marshalls of Cambridge SEAT could only continue at slow speed – too slow in fact as he was lapped four times and didn’t complete the minimum required number of laps to be classified in the results – and score Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship points.
 
Drama continued on the second lap when Gavin Smith and Gordon Shedden had a coming together – with the result that Gavin’s Smith Hire Centre SEAT limped back to the pits with a damaged steering rod.
 
With seven cars still racing for points, a fantastic battle for 2nd place developed between Gordon Shedden and Andre D’Cruze, who was enjoying his best race of the season and showing his true driving talent in the Hot Wheels SEAT. They were side-by-side for four laps, with Andre trying to get around the outside of every corner – including a brave move around the outside of Turn 4 and at the Tarzan hairpin – and up the inside of every corner as well! In the end Gordon managed to pull away slightly, while Andre was happy to score his first podium finish of the season.
 
There was also a fantastic three-way battle for 4th place between Karl Goshawk (ISG / Siemens Financial Services Leon), Paula Cook (EFSLeon) and Hamish Gordon (Sunday Times – DrivingLeon). They eventually finished in that order, but only after a very exciting battle in which all three drivers scored their best result of the Championship so far.
 
Having survived the opening lap battles relatively unscathed, Emmet O’Brien spun hisDABL / Spin 103.8 Leonat Gracelands on lap eight on his way to 7th position.
 
Melanie Healey survived a frantic first couple of laps to come from 16th on the grid to finish 8th in her Spur GarageLeon. Having consistently improved all season, Melanie’s first points of the season are richly deserved.
 
Stefan said: “It must have been a fantastic race to watch! Starting from the third row of the grid I certainly didn’t expect to be leading by the end of the first lap, but when I got into the lead and all the drama was happening behind me I just thought, ‘push boy, let’s go for it!’ With a clear track ahead of me I was able to open up a nice lead all the way to the chequered flag.”

See series calendar for SEAT Cupra Championship 2003

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