Going into the final rounds of the Radical Challenge at Donington Park, RAW Motorsports James Lay had the Championship lead, but it was far from settled.
Lay was on pole for race one and led to Redgate at the start, “Noah Degnbol got me and then I got tapped by Anthony Ayres at McLeans and was in the gravel. The safety car was out and I got going again, but had lost a lap,” he said.
Team mates Dougie Bolger and John Macleod both started well. Bolger was third, but soon took Ayres, while Macleod was holding fourth place, until lap nine, when Ayres pitted and promoted him to third.
There had been chaos at he first corner though, “I got taken out in it,” said Preen.” “Me too,” added Ben Stone.
“I was on the inside and managed to avoid it, but two safety cars and then I got Ayres into Redgate, the others were too far away,” Macleod explained.
“I lost out at the start when Noah challenged James, the I got Ayres on the fourth lap, but had a good race with Noah after the safety car and got ahead when he didn’t expect it,” Bolger explained.
Degnbol took him back a lap later, but Bolger retained a solid second from Macleod. Elliot Goodman was classified sixth in the red flag shortened race, but had to retake Father Rod after losing out to him initially. “He got me first but then he retired with a fuel pressure problem,” said Elliot. Lay finally took the flag 13th with Chris Myhill retiring too.
In the second race Degnbol tried an identical move on Lay, but this time it failed. “I defended so hard it delayed me too,” Lay explained, which gave Peter Tyler the lead.
Lay was back in front on the second lap, “then I just had to maintain the gap”, as he secured another valuable victory over Degnbol.
“I had contact before the first corner, it put me sideways but after that I had good pace, “said Bolger as he fought his way back into fourth with four laps remaining.
Macleod and Preen had been third and fourth for much of the race, “it wasn’t bad but every few laps it kept cutting out with a fuel issue,” said Preen.
Macleod had an entertaining battle but finally slipped to sixth when Preen retook him. “Great fight with Chris, but he got me at the Esses,” he admitted.
Stone and Elliot Goodman followed Macleod home in sixth and seventh, “It was a good midfield battle with Andy Lowe and Elliot,” said Stone. “I just got Andy in the final drag to the line,” Goodman added.
Rod Goodman was 11th and Myhill 12th.
Lay just needed to finish third in the final race to take the title, but as he went head to head with Degnbol into the first corner, Macleod emerged with the lead.
“Great start, but they both got me at Melbourne,” said Macleod.
It was almost side by side into the Old Hairpin though, Lay had the inside and Degnbol was off onto the grass and with his car broken Lay was firmly in charge.
Even after the stops Lay retained his lead to follow last years SR1 Cup title with the Radical Challenge crown. “There was no contact, but once Noah was gone I just had to manage the gap,” he said.
Macleod’s fantastic start came to nought when he hit trouble after a safety car intervention, “I couldn’t turn right or brake properly, so I just tried to finish,” he said.
Stone had run sixth early on and was in a fight for third with Mark Williams, until the guesting SR10 of Alice Powell/Abbi Pulling got by.
Williams then received a stop go penalty and despite a brief excursion, Stone retained fourth at the flag. “Great, stronger race and more racing, but I just had a lapse at Coppice, came in at the wrong angle and ran out of track,” he admitted.
Bolger was seventh having run second until his success penalty kicked in at the stops. Elliot Goodman was ninth, Macleod 10th, Myhill 12th and Rod Goodman 13th after Preen retired with more fuel issues.