Heavyweight Sprint Round 6

Introduction and Qualifying

Llandow circuit in the Vale of Glamorgan played host to Wales’s premier motorsport event, round six of the 2011 Club 100 Sprint Championship, or the Welsh Grand Prix as it has become known. The circuit itself is fast, technical and fairly easy to defend on, unless of course, you are Jamie Jakins. Another feature of the track is the famous Russ Pittingales Sausage, which is feared by experienced drivers who know how uncomfortable it is to ride.

Fastest overall in qualifying and claiming pole for the pre A final was Neil Fisher who topped group 2. Paul King was fastest in group 1 and joined Fisher on the front row.

Tom Grant won the pre B final and gained repecharge to the Pre A final along with Stuart Osborn, Keith Mizen and Jon Wort.

Paul King secured pole for the A final after winning the pre final. Craig Rankine would start alongside King on the front row after a charging drive from grid 6 saw him finish 2nd. Neil Fisher and Dan Hoy were on row 2 with Martin Gurnett and Nigel Proctor 5th and 6th.

James Clark took pole for the B final with Joshua Walsh 2nd. Merlin Edwards and Justin Wood were on row 2. Jacopo Sebastiani and Jim Tyler made up row 3.

B Final

James Clark led through The Hook with the top 4 grid positions unchanged as the whole field managed to pass through the first corner without anyone falling, or getting shoved off. Jordan Law, a driver in his first sprint and starting at the back, made it to the second corner before spinning and rejoining. Clark used the advantage of being out at the front of the pack to edge away at the front, and after a couple of laps had dragged himself clear of his pursuers, a three kart train headed by Joshua Walsh with Merlin Edwards and Justin Wood following closely. After the first couple of laps, Clark was looking very comfortable pulling away at the front, with Joshua Walsh in second looking the one most likely to be joining him in the A final. In the midfield a gaggle of karts including Graham Link, Richard Thompson, Ian Grist, Jon Denton and Ian Zumbhul were enjoying a very entertaining scrap with nothing between them as they rubbed pods and swapped positions corner after corner. Back to the front, and Joshua Walsh’s chances of an A final were under threat as Merlin Edwards launched an attack at the left hand turn 4, only to make contact and be forced to wave Walsh back through. As Edwards lost momentum after his failed move, Justin Wood stepped up to challenge Walsh for second, followed by Spiros Christoforou, a familiar name to many in Club 100, who was having a good drive from grid 10. Any chance of Walsh making the A final disappeared as he went missing, unseen by me. This left Wood in second for a couple of laps until he was passed by Christoforou. As Clark crossed the line to win after a dominant drive, it was Christoforou in second who would be joining him on the back row of the A final. A disappointed Justin Wood took 3rd just ahead of Graeme Thomas. Another familiar name making his first appearance of the season, Kevin Coombes, crossed the line in 5th but had incurred two and one place penalties to leave him classified 8th, so taking 5th was Merlin Edwards. 6th after a brilliant charge up from grid 17 was Ross Yates. Jim Tyler took 7th ahead of the penalised Coombes in 8th, with Christopher Clark and Jacopo Sebastiani completing the top 10.

A Final

With a fast start from pole, Paul King led into the Hook and round the first lap with Dan Hoy jumping Neil Fisher for 3rd. Coming down the straight towards the hairpin at the end of lap one King was under massive pressure from Craig Rankine, who launched an attack up the inside and took the lead briefly before King reclaimed the advantage at the exit. As the first lap was completed the top few grid positions were unchanged, apart from Hoy in front of Fisher. After the first couple of laps the front four started to edge away into a race of their own, with the winner looking likely to come from the quartet of King, Rankine, Hoy and Fisher. King had a brief respite as Hoy tried a move on Rankine for 2nd which was unsuccessful and slowed them both down. It was soon clear as he was caught very quickly that King wasn’t able to show the pace he had in qualifying and the pre final, leaving him with a big ask to keep Rankine and co behind. Fisher showed his intent by passing Hoy for 3rd, with Martin Gurnett then closing on Hoy. Approaching half distance, and it was the trio of King, Rankine and Fisher away at the front, with Hoy dropping back slightly and having to fend off Gurnett, who was himself under pressure from Paul Jennings and Dyll Davies. Back at the front, and a pivotal moment as Rankine went for the lead at the hairpin, making contact with and losing momentum and positions to Fisher and Jennings. Fisher was soon right on the rear of the leader and it was clear he was being held up and had the pace to win. Fisher made his first move for the lead at the hairpin on the next lap, gaining the inside line but King held on round the outside and set up a drag race over the start line, the leaders arrived side by side at the Hook with King on the outside for the first right hander and able to hold on to the lead for a while longer. Exactly a lap longer to be precise, as Fisher made the same move into the hairpin on the next lap, and was just about far enough ahead into the Hook to go into the lead. With both Fisher and King slow out of the Hook, Hoy got a run on the pair of them and as King had a look at regaining the lead into turn 4, Hoy was lining up to pass both of them and made contact with King who spun to a standstill at the edge of the track. With Fisher already on a wide line, Hoy was able to pass him and take the lead. Fisher was soon back past into the lead, with Rankine 3rd and Gurnett, Nigel Proctor and Jennings fighting over 4th. As Fisher showed his superior pace to edge away at the front, he took the chequered flag over a second clear of Hoy and Rankine. Proctor took 4th just ahead of Gurnett. James Brunton crossed the line 6th after a charge from grid 17, but he had picked up a 2 place ABC penalty which meant Jennings was 6th ahead of Gareth Lewis. Dyll Davies lost places on the last lap for the second race in a row, dropping from 6th to 9th ahead of Gareth Thomas.

Driver of the day – Neil Fisher – Took a hard fought first Club 100 win in great style, showing premier class pace in setting fastest lap by a massive 4 tenths.