Three out of Four for Halcrow in Snetterton Caterham Races

10 September 2006

Gary Halcrow’s mission to win all four Snetterton rounds of the Motorsport News Caterham Roadsport Challenge may have failed yesterday (Sat) but the Dorset driver came very close indeed.

Halcrow won both of the Roadsport ‘premier division’ races to accelerate into second place in the championship, and also took the spoils in one of the two Roadsport B events, in so doing putting the B class title very nearly beyond the reach of any of his rivals.

The Roadsport class points leader remains Jeremy Ellis, but the Crystal Sport Holidays-backed racer suffered a less satisfactory weekend, finishing behind Halcrow in race one and then spinning out of race two to record his first non-finish of the season.

Adrian Argyros played a key role in the opening Roadsport race, his engine spewing oil over much of the track in the early laps which led to several excursions for other drivers. The race was red-flagged and restarted, with Halcrow and Ellis duelling to the chequered flag and Peter Earnshaw and Simon Young battling over third. Young had fought through from 21st on the grid; fourth was his best finish of the year.

Ellis led the early laps of race two but, entering the Esses alongside Halcrow on the third lap, slid off the track and into retirement. Halcrow was delayed in the incident, resuming 11th, but made it back into the top three by lap 10 and past Earnshaw for victory with three laps to spare. Earnshaw beat off a late-race attack from Young to hold on to second place. Less than a second covered the top three at the flag, with Earnshaw voted Driver of the Meeting.

There was a stoppage in the first of the Roadsport B races also with several cars crashing out at Riches on the opening lap, including that of Cadwell double winner Chris Bialan. The restarted event provided a great battle for victory between Halcrow and Lancashire jeweller Dax Humberstone, with Mike Robinson and Graham Johnson right on their tails.

Less than half a second separated Humberstone, Halcrow, Robinson and Johnson as they crossed the line after 14 laps. It was Dax’s maiden Roadsport B win.

Humberstone and Halcrow were at it hammer and tong in race two also until Dax spun his chances away on the penultimate lap. Halcrow went on to an 8.2-second win – his eighth of the B season – over Robinson, second place a personal best for Mike. Johnson made it on to the podium for the first time with third spot.

With four races to come in October – at Silverstone and at Brands Hatch – Halcrow enjoys a whopping 51-point lead in the B division. Emerson, Robinson and Bialan are the only drivers with a mathematical chance of overhauling him, and their hopes are slim.

See series calendars for all 2006 Caterham Championships

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