Westwood Wins Dramatic First Holiday Inn SEAT Super Prix Race

28 September 2003

Julian Westwood made full use of his web-voted pole position start – and a five car incident behind him at the first corner – to win the first of today’s two SEAT races at Brands Hatch. The 35-year old driver fromWarwick, the most experienced in the 14 Leon Cupra R field, will now start on pole for the all important Holiday Inn SEAT Super Prix.
 
Twenty five laps of the Brand Hatch Indy Circuit now separates Westwood from the £30,000 Super Prix winner’s prize, although his Orange backed Leon will come under enormous pressure as Gavin Smith will start the next race from second on the grid in his Smiths Hire Centre Leon and the second row will be filled by the equally hard charging Stefan Hodgetts (Loaded Leon) and Stephen Colbert (Auto Trader / Track Smart Leon).
 
Westwood made a great start to lead into Paddock Hill Bend on the 12 lap SEAT race around the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit. Wheel-spin prevented Natalie Barratt from making a clean get away in her KF Concept Leon, and as the pack behind her bunched up Spencer Marsh accidentally tapped Natalie into a spin.
 
The impact was enough to break the steering arm on Spencer’s Shell / Beacon Sports Management Leon and as he ran wide he hit James Pickford’s Abt Sportsline / Haribo Leon. Both cars ended up in the gravel trap on the outside of Paddock Hill Bend, where they remained for the remainder of the race.
 
Natalie spun backwards down Paddock Hill Bend and was amazingly missed by a dozen Leon Cupra Rs charging towards her. She continued, but a hole in the intercooler forced her into the pits and out of the race.
 
Gordon Shedden made a great start from 8th and was up to 2nd by the first corner before he and Hamish Gordon tangled. Both ran wide and through the gravel and both came into the pits after the first lap to check their cars and get most of the gravel removed from the wheels.  Gordon pushed on with a heavy vibration in his Scottish Sun Leon to finish 9th, while Hamish was the 11th and final finisher in the Sunday Times Leon.
 
A fantastic race developed at the front, with Westwood being chased by Gavin, Stefan, Emmet O’Brien and Stephen Colbert.
 
Stephen passed Emmet at Druids on lap seven and two laps later Gavin tried to take the lead from Westwood at the same hairpin. The move only allowed Stefan to close up on Gavin, and while they fought for 2nd Julian took the opportunity to push hard and win by 0.3 seconds.
 
Stefan also survived a massive sideways slide on the penultimate lap at Paddock Hill Bend to hold position. Having held back at the start to watch the first corner from a safe distance, Stefan started 13th and finished 3rd!
 
Paula Cook drove a superb race from 14th and last on the grid to finish 6th in her EFSLeon. An equally impressive drive saw the less experienced Melanie Healey avoid all the spinning cars on the first corner to come home a highly creditable 10th.
 
The race result determines the grid for the Holiday Inn SEAT Super Prix later in the day. Held over 25 laps of the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, the top three finishers will share £75,000!

See series calendar for SEAT Cupra Championship 2003

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