It was almost a personal duel between RAW Motorsports Steve Burgess and Dominik Jackson for the entire weekend at Snetterton, but at Snetterton Jackson had two wins to Burgess’ one and is now only one point behind his team mate in the title hunt.Race 1:
Only 0.399 secs split the duo on qualifying, but as the lights went out to start the first race it was Jackson that led into Riches. “Steve was busy defending from Jerome De Sadeleer and I got the lead and managed to extend it,” said Jackson.Burgess held onto second and the gap between the pair held steady until the pitstop window opened. Jackson stopped first and Burgess a lap later, but with a greater success penalty, Jackson came out in fifth as Burgess had the lead.“It was a measured drive for me in the first half, just holding the gap, but then pushed harder in the second half for the fastest lap and got it,” said Burgess after taking a 14.722 secs victory.
Jackson demoted Kristian Jeffrey for fourth on lap 13 and began to close on second placed Richard Baxter. But a lock up at Wilson Hairpin increased the gap and Jackson was looking at fourth, until second placed Mark Richards spun at Wilson and fourth became third. “I was expecting fifth, but really lucky with Jerome and Mark’s problems,” he said.Elliot Goodman held onto a top 10 finish after running in seventh during the first half, he was ninth while John Macleod was 10th after a first lap spin.Barry Liversidge lost out in the second half to finish 11th, with Rod Goodman 13th and Oli Marateotto 18th.Race 2:It was Burgess who got the jump on Jackson at the start of the second race, before three laps behind the safety car turned it into a four lap sprint.Burgess retained the upperhand until the last lap, when Jackson locked up at Agostini’s and Burgess spun in avoidance. Jackson held on to take the win, “I wasn’t even trying to make a challenge but locked up and slid towards him,” he explained. “I had nowhere to go so had to spin to avoid him,” Burgess replied after holding onto second.
Elliot Goodman ran strongly again to hold fifth for most of the race, only to collide with a spinning Jeffrey after the flag. Liversidge and Macleod were top 10 finishers too in seventh and eighth, while Marateotto was 16th and Rod Goodman 17th. Race 3:In the final race of the weekend the top four had just got away, with Jackson leading Burgess again. But the safety car intervened before a two lap stint brought the green flag again.They both held station again from the green flag and it was Burgess that made his stop first, rejoining just before the safety car arrived again.
When the race went live again and the stops had been completed, Jackson still led with Burgess fourth. Gradually he hunted Baxter down for third, but Jackson was clear to take his second win of the weekend. “Steve and I are just so even for pace though,” Jackson admitted. “I lost the temperature in my tyres behind the safety car and when I had a dive at Richard into Agostini’s I outbraked myself, but then got by under the Bridge into Brundle,” Burgess explained.Elliot Goodman lost out massively behind the safety and had to claw his way back to 10th on the penultimate lap, behind Liversidge, while father Rod was just behind and Macleod was 13th, with Marateotto an early retirement.