As this seasons Radical Challenge heads to a conclusion, RAW’s James Lay took valuable points from a third and fifth place at Oulton Park last weekend.
Debutant Dougie Bolger had qualified on pole for race one, with Lay down in sixth, behind title contender Noah Degnbol, Anthony Ayres and RAW team mates John Macleod and Ben Stone.
As Degnbol led the opening lap Lay was into second by the exit of Cascades. “Sixth to second in two corners, then I held the gap. I had good pace but couldn’t challenge Noah,” he said after retaining a solid second.
The rest of the top seven was a RAW whitewash, with Bolger in a solitary third and a maiden SR3 podium.
In fourth Stone was happy with his car and his own performance. “The car was great but when I looked at the gap to the top three and saw who they were, it was the best I could have done against them,” he said.
Macleod had briefly challenged for second at the start. “It was a good start then I got knocked wide at Old Hall corner and just had to sit behind Ben for the rest of the race.
Both Elliott Goodman and Chris Preen made places on the last lap, as Ayres fell back with a broken paddleshift.
Jacek Zielonka was 11th, Chris Myhill 13th and Nicholas Francis 14th.
Degnbol again set the pace in the 45 minute Enduro, with both Bolger and Lay into the top three on lap three, after Ayres ran wide at Cascades.
Lay then started to challenge for second and managed get past Bolger along Lakeside after six laps.
Both Macleod and Goodman were in the top six too, but a safety car intervention arrived with the pit stop window and almost the whole field bar Bolger, pitted together.
Macleod was delayed after contact with James Sweetnam in the pitlane, but was in third, with Goodman following. The safety car was out again though as Degnbol had crashed out at Druids.
Bolger and Preen both pitted under the safety car and Bolger managed to rejoin with his lead still intact, going on to secure a comfortable maiden victory.
Macleod was running third, “I had damage to the car and couldn’t shake-off Elliott, but then got a drive through penalty and took the flag in the pitlane, which didn’t get me classified,” he explained.
Although Macleod was a moral third, it was Goodman that completed the podium. “The safety car helped me, it gave me a breather as it was so hot,” Goodman added.
Lay was down in 13th after the stops, and found his progress thwarted initially by the safety car. He quickly shot up to seventh and closed in on Stone. “I got Ben into the Knickerbrook Chicane and then Chris Preen on the last lap,” said Lay after sealing fifth at the flag.
Preen therefore completed the top six, from Stone, with Zielonka 11th and both Myhill and Francis non finishers.
Lay now heads for the final Donington Park rounds on September 17th/18th as Championship leader with a 50 point lead.