Defending Radical Challenge Champion Dominik Jackson got the RAW squad off to a flying start, with a double win at Donington Park.
Race 1:
Despite qualifying second for the opening race, Jackson scythed into the lead at the chicane on the opening lap, just as the safety car appeared to recover team mates Rod Goodman from the Redgate gravel and Oli Maratetotto from a heavy off at the chicane.
It was seven laps before the green flag was waved, from thereon Jackson pulled out a big lead. With his pitstop judged to perfection, he retained the advantage on rejoining and was over eight seconds clear when he took his first win of the season.
“It was so close at the first corner I had to decide when to back out, but when Jerome made a mistake at Coppice I got him and then just controlled it from the front,” Jackson explained.
Team mate Spencer Bourne also ran strongly throughout. After pitting from seventh, he headed Brian Caudwell from rejoining and successfully fought off a late challenge from RAW Team mates John Macleod and Elliot Goodman for sixth place. “It felt really comfortable too, but I need another 0.5 secs to be further up. My aim was consistency and I did it,” he said.
Race 2:
With Rod Goodman tipped into the gravel again at the first corner, the safety car was in action for the first few laps of the sprint race too.
From the green flag Jackson was able to ease clear of third placed Mark Richards, but couldn’t get quite close enough to challenge De Sadeleer for the lead. “I had a bad start and lost places, but managed to get straight back into second by the exit of Redgate. I made ground on Jerome but couldn’t get him this time,” he explained.
Bourne had another exceptional race too. Having held sixth for much of the race, he began to attack team mate Macleod. He succeeded in snatching fifth three laps from home, but Macleod was less fortunate, retiring with a blown engine, which left Elliot Goodman to complete the top 10.
Race 3:
It was a straight fight between Jackson and De Sadeleer at the start of the final race of the weekend too, but Jackson had to patiently wait in second for 11 laps. “My start was fine, but I knew it would be hairy at Redgate and accepted second place. Then I just waited and got a good run out of Redgate and was ahead onto the Craner Curves,” he explained.
A quick reaction to make the stop when the safety car came out, proved decisive too. Unfortunately the incident had taken out team mate Bourne who was fifth at the time.
Jackson rejoined second, but ousted Jac Constable within four laps, recording win number two for the weekend. “I was surprised the others didn’t follow me in for the stop, it was definitely the right decision,” he concluded.
Elliot Goodman had his best race of the weekend with a fourth place, with team mate MacLeod in close attendance in 5th, and a career best result for Rod Goodman in 8th.