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| Zamparelli (Centre) towers over Webster (right) and Thorp (Left) |
Leading
the driver standings by a single point heading into the weekend from
Fortec Motorsport’s Josh Webster (Stowmarket, Suffolk),
Zamparelli’s lights-to-flag victories in rounds nine and 10 of the
season mean he has increased his championship advantage to 19 points.
Locking
out pole position for both races at the Hampshire speedbowl,
Zamparelli was untouchable in each outing and sealed quite possibly
his best weekend ever with the fastest lap in both encounters to add
yet more points to his tally.
“It
might have looked easy from the outside but being in front all the
way was actually hard work”, said Zamparelli after round 10, “It’s
been a great day for me with two wins so couldn’t be better and I
must thank my team for giving me such a good car. I’m in a strong
position now and go to the finale at Silverstone with a clear lead in
the championship. Two more wins and the title is mine.”
At
the beginning of round nine, he got away cleanly from pole position
but the most sensational start was by Scorpio Motorsport’s Kourosh
Khani (High Wycombe) who leapt up from the third row of the grid
to grab second into the complex ahead of James Thorp (Evesham,
Worcestershire), the hugely impressive Matt Mason (Nottingham) and
title challenger Webster.
Unfortunately
for the Iranian though, he was over-turned by Thorp on lap three and
seemed to struggle thereafter as he slipped to ninth. MTech Lite’s
Thorp came under pressure from Webster but that was alleviated at
mid-distance when the Safety Car was deployed after Zaamin Jaffer
(Milton Keynes) made contact with Jack Dex (Daventry) at the exit of
the complex.
Dex
locked-up leaving the Indian-born racer with nowhere to go and the
resulting accident led to significant damage. Although marshals did
their best to clear the track, it couldn’t be done in time for
racing to resume and so the action was annulled and a result declared
after eight laps.
Second
placed Thorp commented: “I made a good start but Kourosh made a
better one and got through into second place. I passed him after
three laps, then had pressure from Josh (Webster) but the Safety Car
came out and the race stopped.”
Behind
third placed Webster, who raced very well to fight his way onto the
podium after a less than spectacular start, finished star of the
weekend Mason. The MGR Motorsport driver, whose previous best finish
in his rookie year was sixth, qualified an outstanding third fastest
and posted the second fastest race lap on his way to a career best
fourth – even better would follow in round 10 though.
Steven
Durant (Oxford) steered his RPD Motorsport car to fifth with the top
six rounded out by David Wagner (Glasgow) for MGR on a great day for
the fledgling squad – the youngster sealing his best result of the
year with an excellent drive from 10th on the grid.
Other
than the unfortunate Jaffer and Dex, Scorpio’s Hector Hurst
(Lymington, Hampshire) came to grief on lap one, as did Spain’s
Victor Jimenez after a major moment at the chicane. Archie Hamilton
(Hook, Hampshire), meanwhile, saw his championship hopes ended after
an opening lap puncture.
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| Zamparelli (8) is dominating FRenault BARC - Remember the name. |
Pole position starter Zamparelli ran untroubled to his second win of the weekend, and fourth of the season, in round 10 with a huge four second winning margin and with Mason again delivering superb pace he made his front row start count with an outstanding second place finish.
Once
again posting the second fastest lap, just 0.3 seconds shy of
Zamparelli’s best, the first year Protyre Formula Renault BARC
racer made it a dream weekend for MGR. In doing so Mason has climbed
into seventh in the driver standings, having begun the event in 10th
place.
“My
season is all coming together now”, said Mason, “We were really
fast here after being somewhat off the pace last time out in Croft.
I’m now looking forward to Silverstone and having a really strong
finish to the championship.”
Webster
finished third once again, his seventh podium from 10 races, to keep
his title ambitions on course and increase his points gap over Thorp.
Although pleased to be on the rostrum in both races, Webster was
nonetheless disappointed with his starts this weekend which prevented
a victory bid.
He
commented: “It’s enough points to keep the title fight alive so
Dino hasn’t won it just yet. Silverstone is a really good track for
me and my team, Fortec, so there will be another good fight for the
podium places – but I’ll be going there to win.”
Durrant
concluded his best weekend since the season opener at Donington Park
with a strong fourth place, rising from seventh on the grid, ahead of
Khani, Hamilton, Thorp and Hurst. Kieran Vernon (West Chiltington,
West Sussex), meanwhile, wasn’t in action due to a clashing race in
the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship at Knockhill in Scotland but
he still retains sixth in the points.
Rounds
11 and 12 of the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship, the final
event of the 2011 season, will take place at Silverstone National
Circuit in Northamptonshire on 15th/16th October as support to the
British Touring Car Championship. As things are currently scheduled,
the second race will be screened live on Freeview, digital satellite
and cable channel ITV4 and on ITV4 HD.
Along
with headline sponsor Protyre, the championship is additionally
supported by ELF, Michelin and NGK Spark Plugs.
Provisional
2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Points (after Rd10 – inc. Drop
Score):
1st - Dino Zamparelli / Antel Motorsport 243pts
2nd - Josh Webster / Fortec Motorsport 224pts
3rd - James Thorp / MTech Lite 202pts
4th - Kourosh Khani / Scorpio Motorsport 184pts
5th - Archie Hamilton / Fortec Motorsport 168pts
6th - Kieran Vernon / Fortec Motorsport 149pts
1st - Dino Zamparelli / Antel Motorsport 243pts
2nd - Josh Webster / Fortec Motorsport 224pts
3rd - James Thorp / MTech Lite 202pts
4th - Kourosh Khani / Scorpio Motorsport 184pts
5th - Archie Hamilton / Fortec Motorsport 168pts
6th - Kieran Vernon / Fortec Motorsport 149pts
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